The food crisis that occurred last year could be re-ignited. Russia has decided to withdraw from the UN-brokered deal that allowed Ukraine to export since August about 33 million metric tonnes of grains across the Black Sea and launched major attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure. If that decision holds, high food prices are in the offing–and the Global South could undergo a major hunger crisis. The urgency of reconstructing Ukraine’s agricultural sector is even more of a priority than before.
Just last month, the International Ukraine Recovery Conference was hosted in London to focus on mobilizing international support for Ukraine’s economic stabilization and recovery from the effects of the Russian invasion. The private sector’s participation in the reconstruction process is a must, particularly in the vital agricultural sector that was responsible in 2021 for almost 11% of Ukraine’s gross domestic product, 41% of its exports, and 14% of its jobs.
