Global Journal of Human Social Science, F: Political Science, Volume 22 Issue 5

orientated catering industry envisaged a policy labelled ‘ From farm to fork ' or ‘ F arm to table ’ t hat allowed certified traceability of fresh meat and eggs by a fair, healthy and environmental-friendly food system. The crusade was based on a social movement that promoted serving local food at restaurants through direct acquisition from the producer. Given the new wheat shortage, the movement might gain additional appeal. Source: EU Co mission (2022) Graph 16: E U Farm to fork strategy VI. C onclusion The reactions of the countries concerned by Putin’s Ukraine war have been mixed. The sanctions of Western powers r emained without appreciable effect up to now. How will the countries hit by the supply shortfalls cope with this situation? As for the EU member countries, the response depends to a great deal on their political and economic guidelines already decided well before the war. Germany for example still shies away from stopping Russian gas and oil imports. Different German governments in the past decades had relied too much on good economic relations with Moscow, despite the critical votes of major allies. The controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, running through the Baltic Sea, financed by Gazprom and German and other European energy companies is just an example. Now, Berlin is at pains to reconcile the demands of German environmentalists and of the co-governing German Green Party for an exit from nuclear and fossil-fuel energy with the actual need for timely delivery of energy. France, on the contrary, had relied already before the war on nuclear energy, as well a s Britain. The concerned African countries are in a more difficult situation also because of the indirect repercussions of Russia's aggression. For example, international development assistance for Africa is likely to suffer from a massive diversion of aid into rearmament, away from poverty alleviation (Heywood, 2022). The World Food Programme ( WFP) had already reduced rations for refugees and other vulnerable groups in East Africa because of decreased funding and rising food costs. Thus, WFP shipments from the Ukrainian port of Odessa w ould be affected, which had been destined for West Africa . The Norwegian Refugee Council for West- and Central Africa indicated that some donors were already inclined to cut aid to Burkina Faso by up to 70 % to support operations in Ukraine. Th e UN , for example, is more than US$ 300 m short of its $ 957 m funding target for assistance in the northern region of Tigray , Ethiopia ( Brooke-Holland, 2022). The aftermath of Russia's aggression in Ukraine will impact on current and pre-existing humanitarian crises, including those in Somalia a nd Ethiopia. In the Tigray region alone, half a million people have died from war and famine in the past 16 months. The WFP procures half of its wheat from Ukraine. Egypt , for example, has reserves that will likely last until June 2022, thereafter costs could skyrocket. David Beasley, WFP director, revealed in March that his institution was already cutting food rations by 50 % because of a lack of funding even before the war (McNair, 2022). As explained above, one of the immediate dangers for Africa will be related to the soaring bread prices that could trigger political instability like in the Arab spring . According to th e IMF, global food prices will affect Africans disproportionally. Whereas expenditure on food accounts for 17 % of consumer spending in advanced economies, it amounted to up to 40 % in SSA. As many as 25 African countries imported more than one-third of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine. Moreover, domestic African agriculture production will be affected by rising fertiliser, pesticide, transport and fuel costs as well as supply-chain disruption. All together this will result in higher production costs and © 2022 Global Journals Volume XXII Issue V Version I 12 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2022 F Will Putin’s Ukraine War Provoke Famine and Upheaval in Africa ?