There is a likelihood that the costs of fertilizer, rising energy prices, and rising costs of food baskets, could worsen in Africa in the coming months.
This was stated by the President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, as a guest at the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center while answering questions from the Council’s Africa Center Chair, Ambassador Rama Yade; Senior Fellow Aubrey Hruby; and Washington/UN correspondent for Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report, Julian Pecquet.
The AfDB president whose statement was released on Sunday stressed the need for Africa to prepare for the global food crisis, which is further triggered by the war in Ukraine.
Speaking about the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, Adesina expressed sympathy for the people of Ukraine, describing their suffering as unimaginable. He said the war’s ramifications spread far beyond Ukraine to other parts of the world, including Africa.
He explained that Russia and Ukraine supply 30 per cent of global wheat exports, the price of which has surged by almost 50 per cent globally, reaching identical levels as during the 2008 global food crisis. He added that fertilizer prices had tripled, and energy prices had increased, all fueling inflation.
Adesina warned that the tripling costs of fertilizer, rising energy prices, and rising costs of food baskets, could worsen in Africa in the coming months. He noted that 90 per cent of Russia’s $4bn exports to Africa in 2020 was made up of wheat; and 48 per cent of Ukraine’s near $3bn exports to the continent was made of wheat and 31 per cent of maize.
Adesina cautioned that to fend off a food crisis, Africa must rapidly expand its food production.
He further disclosed that the Bank is making necessary efforts to curtail the effects of the food crisis in Africa.
