Sir, – As researchers of past and present agriculture and famines, we fear the implications of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the implications that this war has for global food security.
Ukraine is one of the major “breadbaskets” of the world, thus any action that disrupts its agricultural activities has far-reaching global implications.
This is exactly what is happening now with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where farmers that should be looking after their fields and tending their crops for the current growing season are instead at the front, defending their country against the Russian invasion. Because of this war started by Russia, large swathes of agricultural lands will remain uncultivated this year, due to constant Russian shelling and plundering of Ukrainian territory.
Furthermore, Russia has been bombing food storage facilities, while stealing farm equipment and grain commodities in large quantities. As a result of the bombardments of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s only plant genetic resources bank, one of the largest in the world, has been destroyed.
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From these deliberate, ruthless actions of destruction of agricultural facilities and assets, it is now clear that this war is not only about the survival of Ukraine as a sovereign country. Russia’s heartless, planned strategy of destroying Ukraine’s agriculture has become a global issue, as this will endanger food security both in the short and long run, on a planetary scale.
This is beyond evil in a world where food insecurity already affects one billion people due to climate crisis-related causes.
We think that this tragic conflict should not amplify food crises further.
With these concerns in mind, we urge the global community and its leaders to act against this unfolding food crisis by assisting Ukraine with all means to defend itself against this unjust attack; stopping immediately all purchases of fossil fuels and other goods from Russia which finance its war; demanding that Russia return all stolen agricultural machinery and other farming essential implements; pressuring Russia to give back to Ukraine all stolen grain and confiscate all stolen goods entering our harbours; protecting Ukraine’s own food exports from any Russian interference, if necessary, by force; condemning publicly the destruction of the plant genetic resources bank, to decry this military attack against a non-military target as a crime against humanity, and help Ukraine to restore its genetic resources essential for adaptation in a changing climate. – Yours, etc,
JAN KUNNAS,
University of Jyväskylä,
Finland;
BRUNO BORSARI,
Winona State University,
Minnesota, US.