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OPINION APRIL 07, 2023 | The Indian Eye 11

proving accessibility.
To fully comprehend the signif-
icance of the initiative in bridging
supply gaps, it is imperative to analyse
the export destinations of these food
commodities. Wheat, one of the key
dietary components for food security
and nutrition, is being mainly supplied
to low-income and lower-middle in-
come countries. The initiative is also
sending shipments of wheat to several
Least Developed Countries, including
6,55,422 metric tonnes (MT) to Ban-
gladesh, 2,05,6 MT to Yemen, and The Breakdown of Commodities Shipped.
1,30,869 MT to Afghanistan. This can Source: Created by Author; “Vessel Move-
potentially alleviate the looming hun-
ger, malnutrition and food shortage ments”, Black Sea Grain Initiative Joint
crisis in these countries. Coordination Centre, United Nations.
Additionally, the initiative is ef-
fectively addressing food shortage igation of the UN and Türkiye’s
concerns in Europe, where approxi- third-country mediation has allowed
mately 52.01 per cent of total exports to ease a dangerous food insecurity
have gone to Europe and Central crisis. It has displayed the merits of
Asia, with Spain, Türkiye, and Italy a coordinated response to meet food
being the second, third and fourth shortage challenges. The successful
largest beneficiaries, respectively. The collaboration has also softened the
MENA region has received 14.40 per blow suffered by multilateralism in
cent of the total exports from the ini- the wake of the conflict.
tiative. In addition to a regional over- Two factors need to be ensured.
view, in developmental terms, more First, it is of paramount importance
than 55 per cent of the total exports to ensure the continuity of the deal.
are being sent to developing coun- While it may not be able to address
tries. Supply resumption has also the deeper challenges of global hun-
prevented food wastage as millions ger, it has been instrumental in alle-
tonnes of grain stored in Ukrainian The Black Sea Grain Initiative Shipping Route. Source: “Resources”, Black Sea Grain Initiative viating immediate pressures, and in
silos is reaching global markets. providing stability to countries tee-
China is the top recipient of ex- Joint Coordination Centre, United Nations. tering on the brink of collapse due
ports from the Initiative. In 100 ship- to food unavailability. Secondly, as
ments, it has received 5.2 MMT of emphasised the importance of an un- economy. the conflict continues to escalate and
food commodities. Approximately obstructed grain supply and support- In a recent development, Russia uncertainty looms, it is critical to en-
70 per cent of the shipments are of ed the UN’s efforts towards this goal. has agreed to a 60-day extension of sure that grains continue to flow to the
corn. Similarly, India has received 14 Furthermore, China released the ‘Co- the deal. Ukraine has opposed Rus- Least Developed Countries and the
shipments of sunflower oil through operation Initiative on Global Food sia’s decision, arguing that the provi- developing world. Hoarding of grains
the Initiative, amounting to 4,12,286 Security’ in July 2022, which called sions of the agreement warrant a 120- must be prevented, which would only
MT, which is a significant contribution for unimpeded trade with Russia, day extension. Furthermore, Ukraine serve to exacerbate the current crisis.
given the challenges posed by erratic Ukraine, and Belarus, as well as en- has requested a one-year extension of The Initiative has effectively miti-
edible oil supply to India’s food secu- hanced cooperation with internation- the deal and the inclusion of the port gated the negative impacts of the crisis
rity. In 2021, Ukraine was the largest al organisations like the UN, WFP, of Mykolaiv to increase its exports. and further underscores the need to
supplier of sunflower oil to India. and UNFAO, to ensure global food In light of the uncertainty around continue collaboration. The costs of
Presently, the country’s consump- security. the extension, as opposed to the pre- non-cooperation are high, making its
tion of edible oil outstrips its domestic The deal was recently extended vailing notion, Russia may not aban- continuation critical to secure the fate
production, with imports accounting for 60 days on 19 March 2023. Prior don the deal so easily. The deal is of global food security.
for nearly 60 per cent of demand. to this, Russia temporarily withdrew Russia’s “gesture of goodwill” and
Sunflower oil makes up a notable 19 from the agreement just before its ini- a possible means to repair its dam- Ms Richa Kumaria is Research Intern
per cent of India’s edible oil imports, tial renewal date in November, citing aged reputation. Additionally, it al- at Non-Traditional Security Centre,
which have contributed to a high im- an alleged attack by Ukraine on its lows Russia to maintain ties with Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence
port bill of around Rs 1.57 lakh crore Black Sea fleet near Sevastopol. Sim- its allies in the developing world, Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.
in the last fiscal year. The Black Sea ilarly, Ukraine has accused Russian particularly in the MENA region Views expressed are of the author and
Grain Initiative has, therefore, played officials of intentionally slowing down and China, many of which are fac- do not necessarily reflect the views of
a critical role in enabling this trade vessel inspections and hindering the ing unintended consequences of the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
and bridging the supply gap. movement of grains. Over the course the conflict. Finally, the prerogative Government of India.
Both India and China have also of the conflict, Russia has repeatedly to continue or discontinue the deal
expressed their support for the Initia- threatened to withdraw from the deal continues to be a significant lever- The full version of this article first ap-
tive. In a joint statement at the United and has demanded the removal of age for Russia, even if it is symbolic. peared in the Comments section of the
Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Western sanctions that indirectly im- The Initiative demonstrates the website (www.idsa.in) of
India and Sweden supported human- pact its agricultural sector. It is worth importance of multilateral cooper- Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense
itarian relief through the Initiative. noting that Ukraine’s agricultural sec- ation in addressing non-traditional Studies and Analyses, New Delhi on
China’s peace plan for Ukraine also tor plays a crucial role in driving its security issues. Organisational mit- March 30, 2023

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