Russia’s war on Ukraine is dire for world hunger. But there are solutions (NPR)

NPR published an article stating that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine isn’t only jeopardizing the lives of Ukraine’s citizens. The war is also on track to cause a surge in severe malnutrition and even starvation around the world. To find out just how bad things could get, NPR spoke to Arif Husain, Chief Economist at the World Food Programme, as well as senior research fellow Joseph Glauber who both laid out some alarming scenarios. They pointed to concrete actions the world could take to ensure the worst does not come to pass. Glauber said, “Over the last year the prices of key commodities have jumped to their highest levels since the spikes of 2008 through 2012.”  Glauber and his colleagues found that the various agricultural products exported by Russia and Ukraine account for about 12 percent of the calories the world trades. He stresses that because world commodity markets are so interconnected, it won’t take long for prices to rise even in countries that don’t currently source their wheat, corn, or other commodities directly from Ukraine or Russia.  The only problem will be the increased price of that food. This, in turn, suggests that the immediate solution will be monetary. As Glauber puts it, “someone has to pay for those higher costs.” Also, available on KCRW, Capital Public Radio, and other NPR network channels.