As self-media creators, we will explore the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the global agricultural market, as well as the current dynamics of the global food market. From the first week of the conflict, the United Nations Food Programme predicted that the conflict would have a huge global impact, and now this prediction has become a reality. Ukraine's agricultural sector estimates that the area planted with crops this spring will be more than halved compared to last year. Ukraine has long been known as the breadbasket of Europe, but the country's main agricultural areas have been severely damaged by fighting and crops can no longer be grown.
At the same time, due to export bans imposed by Western countries on Russia and Belarus, it is difficult to smoothly ship essential potash fertilizers from these countries, resulting in soaring global fertilizer prices. In addition to wars and international sanctions, the pandemic has also led to an increase in global food prices. Together, these factors have caused unease in global food markets, and the food price index has reached a record high. Given the heightened risks to food supplies, several countries have warned of a global food crisis.
More than 50 countries and territories around the world depend on wheat supplies from Russia and Ukraine. Therefore, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called for the immediate release of the seized wheat-carrying vessel in the Black Sea. French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders have also called on the international community to develop emergency plans to ensure global food security and avoid food shortages and instability caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
However, some European and American media have pointed the finger at China because they see that China has more than 50% of the world's wheat reserves. Some media in France and Germany began to question China, arguing that China may have been aware of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in advance and therefore expanded its grain reserves. However, this statement completely distorts the facts. As early as 1990, the mainland established a special grain reserve system and set up a special management agency. It can be said that China has always had a foresight in terms of grain reserves, and it was prepared more than 30 years ago.
No matter how volatile the international grain market is, China can guarantee the food supply. According to public data, China has more than 900 million tons of grain reserves, which can last for about one and a half years if calculated at the standard of about 1 kilogram per person per day. Coupled with local food reserves, Chinese people can survive two years without worrying about food shortages.
According to data, the total amount of grain imports in the mainland exceeded 160 million tons in 2021, which shows that the mainland has always attached great importance to grain reserves and actively purchased to replenish reserves. Up to 50% of China's wheat stocks are the result of years of accumulation, and foreign media are only now raising the issue of "more stocks", which obviously carries specific prejudices, and can even be said to be jealous. Their claim that China predicted the conflict in advance and therefore expanded its grain reserves is a clear malicious misrepresentation. It is worth noting that while global food prices are rising, British and American countries are hoarding food on a large scale in the market, although there is no food crisis, but it has led to a further rise in global food prices, and the food crisis has become more serious. However, they never seem to reflect on their actions, always trying to blame China for their problems.