Japan’s Response to the Global Food Insecurity Caused by Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine

            Ukraine accounts for about 10% of global grain exports, with more than 45 million tonnes of grain every year. However, Ukrainian wheat production is expected to fall by 30% next season and overall exports to fall by 50%[1], and the situation might further deteriorate.
            As a result, there has already been a surge of high global food prices: wheat prices have risen nearly 110 percent and corn and vegetable oil prices are up 140 percent over the past 20 months. In sum, 345 million people in 82 countries are suffering from acute hunger, and 50 million people in 45 countries are on the brink of famine.
 
Japan’s global response
Japan, together with partners, is responding to the global food crisis by providing concrete support and strengthening global solidarity, including the Middle East and Africa. Prime Minister Kishida thus announced Japan’s assistance of approximately USD 200 million to address the real needs of affected countries:

• Japan will provide USD 147 million^[2] of food assistance to alleviate food shortages in the Middle East and Africa bilaterally as well as through the WFP, UNRWA and the Japanese NGOs.
• Japan will help solve Ukrainian grain export bottlenecks and will provide USD 17 million to a FAO project for enhanced storage and alternative export corridor through Romania.
• Japan will provide USD 39 million[3] assistance for enhancing food production and thereby resilience in food security, such as seeds and seedlings, fertilizer, agricultural tractors, and irrigation and water supply facilities, bilaterally as well as through the WFP and FAO.