G7 agriculture ministers: Only open markets will provide food security for everyone
War in Ukraine leads to rising prices for cereals worldwide - Özdemir convenes extraordinary meeting
In view of the impact on the global agricultural markets caused by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable attack on Ukraine, the G7 agriculture ministers met today at an extraordinary meeting and agreed on the importance of open markets for cereals and other agricultural products. The aim is to prevent bans on exports and to closely monitor markets for agricultural products. Aid organisations are also to be supported in procuring and distributing cereals.
The virtual meeting was convened by Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir. Germany holds the G7 presidency this year. The Ukrainian agriculture minister Roman Leshchenko also attended via videolink, together with representatives of a number of different international organisations. At the beginning of the extraordinary G7 meeting, a minute of silence was held to commemorate the victims of the Russian war of aggression.
Özdemir: “The G7 States declare their complete solidarity with Ukraine; aid is now our overriding priority. At the same time we can see that many countries are encountering difficulties in procuring agricultural commodities - this is threatening the food supply in parts of the world. It is all the more important that we keep markets open worldwide and do not hinder them, for example via export restrictions - we G7 states will do all we can to achieve this aim. We must also support aid organisations in purchasing goods on the markets in order to distribute them in the countries that are far less privileged than we are. Let us not forget that famines, triggered by the impact of climate crises and violent conflicts, are already common in many regions of the world. It is therefore important that we do not play one crisis off against another.”
The Russian war of aggression is leading to soaring prices for cereals worldwide, above all for wheat and maize. This is causing problems, especially for developing and newly industrialised countries that import food. Animal feed and fertilisers are also becoming more expensive.
A summary of the concluding statement:
The G7 agriculture ministers agreed:
- to condemn the Russian aggression against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine;
- to stand united in absolute solidarity with Ukraine;
- to help ensure the food supply in Ukraine and support Ukrainian farmers in producing sufficient food;
- to work together to solve transport challenges for food and for commodity production;
- to avoid all restrictive signals and measures that restrict exports and lead to further increase in prices;
- to call upon all countries to keep their food and agricultural markets open;
- to not tolerate artificially inflated prices and to fight against all speculative behaviour that endangers food security;
- to closely monitor agricultural markets and to strengthen the market information system AMIS;
- to continue, during this crisis, to pursue their climate and environment commitments and the sustainable development goals;
- to continue the joint cooperation within the G7 with international organisations and financial institutions in order to promote global food security, including with humanitarian aid;
- to declare that they stand together with their partners, and are united in solidarity with the government and people of Ukraine.