The discussion, organized by the Geneva Center for Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution in collaboration with the "Agenzia internazionale di informazione e analisi," involved scholars and experts from Africa, Switzerland, the United States, and Ukraine. Ukrainian traders emphasized that the war in Ukraine has affected 25% of global grain trade, leading to increased global prices, food inflation, and reduced access to food in countries importing agricultural products from Ukraine. Over 400 million people worldwide depend on food supplies from Ukraine. The war threatens global food security, especially in certain countries in Africa and Asia, major buyers of wheat and maize in the world markets.
American billionaire L. Mychal Jefferson, CEO of Hamershlag Private, emphasized that the 21st century, representing modern civilization, is not a time for hunger or war. One of the ways to overcome this crisis is through strong and structured international legislation in this field.
«Hunger is on the rise globally for many reasons, including climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and internal conflicts. But with blocked ports and export limits from Russia and Ukraine, countries relying on them for staple foods are at a loss. Fertilizer and fuel shortages are also making it difficult to produce crops like wheat, corn, sunflower, and safflower, complicating a critical planting season in Ukraine», Mr. Jefferson
Deng Bol Gai, a democracy advocate in South Sudan representing the South Sudan Kush Democratic Majority Party, joined the discussion, stating,
"The world states bad actors like Russia and many will never have room in Africa and around the world if we work together and deliver the humanitarian needs as well."
The relevance of the raised issue was underscored by the fact that the Global Grain Geneva, a global grain congress, took place in Geneva from November 7th to 9th.
Mykola Volkivskyi, President of the Geneva Center for Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, a scholar at the University of Geneva, and the discussion's moderator, added that resolving the problem is necessary "yesterday." As a result of the conference, the Geneva Center for Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution made a joint decision to open a separate department to research the topic of food security. Experts from Africa, Europe, and the United States will be involved in its work.
“Today, it is very important to focus on working together to overcome food security. The population of African countries is suffering from hunger and provocative crises that cause wars and military conflicts. The work and goals of the Geneva Centre for Diplomacy and Conflict The resolution will continue to be aimed at strengthening scientific and expert opinions in the field of political science and international relations. And this is only the first event. We have a lot of work ahead of us together”, - Dr. Volkivskyi stated.
The next event of the Geneva Center for Diplomacy is scheduled for December 2023 and will be dedicated to the discussion of an even more pressing global issue - human trafficking in the context of intensified armed conflicts.
From the Ukrainian side, the speakers included representatives of traders:
Konstantin Kuflik, General Director and co-owner of Starox Trade, Qortia AG, Switzerland, and iCORN, Ukraine.
Yuriy Sydorenko, Chief Trader at Starox Trade, Director of Business Development, and co-owner of iCORN, Ukraine.*
