Anxiety grows for Ukraine’s grain farmers as harvest begins

The Associated Press | 3 min. read

With Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, the fate of the upcoming harvest in Ukraine is in doubt. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says the war is endangering food supplies for many developing nations and could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people. Meanwhile, many farmers in Ukraine could go bankrupt. They are facing the most difficult situation since gaining independence in 1991.

Recovery from grain production shortfalls could take years

Manitoba Co-operator | 4 min. read

The world has perhaps never seen this level of simultaneous agricultural disruption, according to agriculture executives, industry analysts, farmers and economists. They say it could take years to return to global food security. “Typically, when we’re in a tight supply-demand environment, you can rebuild it in a single growing season. Where we are today, and the constraints around boosting production and (war in) Ukraine … it’s two to three years before you get out of the current environment,” said Jason Newton, chief economist for fertilizer producer Nutrien.

Fewer chickpeas means cheap protein and hummus could be harder to find

Reuters | 3 min. read

Global supplies of chickpeas, the main ingredient, could dip as much as 20% this year, according to data from the Global Pulse Confederation. Weather and war have hurt supplies of the protein-packed bean, driving up food prices and creating headaches for food manufacturers. Farmers in the United States - the No. 4 chickpea exporter - planted fewer chickpeas this year as poor weather bogged down spring planting and they prioritized more lucrative commodity crops like wheat and corn, government data shows.

Against the grain: Securing food supply with wheat alternatives

DW | 4 min. read

Wheat's vulnerability to declining supply due to conflict and climate change has spurred attempts to produce a greater diversity of resilient and sustainable grains that can be grown locally. These include ancient or "heritage" species that are more climate adaptable and able to thrive in diverse conditions. Here are four alternative grains that could help reduce our wheat dependence.