The effects of the invasion of Ukraine are not limited to the cities and the people who live there, no matter how great and inhumane the catastrophe.

The effects extend to that whole country and of course, to the rest of the world – due to the huge agricultural sector of that country.

How can they think to sow the grain when the country is destroyed and the farmers run to save their lives?

According to the Associated Press, Ukraine – and Russia – export one-third of the wheat and barley consumed by countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, which subsidize them to maintain affordable prices.

This double blow to rising commodity prices – due to rising gasoline costs combined with the cessation of wheat exports – is a disaster not only for Ukraine but also globally, as the head of the UN’s World Food Program said.

Thus, wheat prices have already risen by a third since the day of the invasion. And we will ‘taste’ this soon if we have not already experienced it in the supermarkets of America and the bakeries of Greece.

The hope is that countries that produce a lot of wheat, such as the United States, Canada, France, Australia, and Argentina, will increase their production – but that will take time.
Meanwhile, countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, Iran, Ethiopia, and others will have wheat shortages and prices will soar.

Sanctions against Russia could also affect fertilizer exports, as Russia is the world’s largest exporter.

Additionally, the Black Sea region has the highest rate of animal husbandry in the world. So price increases are expected in that sector as well…

The result will be a lot of people going hungry, and this will increase the likelihood of political instability.

The issue of grain, a basic component of the human diet for billions, is important from ancient times to today.

It is not an issue that one can ‘play’ with.

When the other is hungry, s/he can do anything.