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Knowledge4Policy
Knowledge for policy

Supporting policy with scientific evidence

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  • Publication | 2022

Seven Actions to Limit the Impact of War in Ukraine on Global Food Security

Recommendations from the report include: 

  1. Invest in real-time analyses: The monitoring of food and fertilizer input prices and analysis of country-specific food security risks could guide policy responses aimed at minimizing the disruptions to food exports, expanding social protection and food assistance​. 

  2.  Monitor effectiveness of interventions: A range of options are mooted including the internationally coordinated use of existing food reserves and reduced taxes on farming inputs including energy.​ However, trade-offs could be significant, requiring careful analysis and research to identify possible unintended consequences. 

  3. Prevent policies that could worsen the situation: Governments should avoid short-term responses that hinder progress towards sustainable and resilient food systems. A key recommendation is to avoid sanctions that obstruct the food and fertilizer trade. 

  4. Properly target short-term responses. Short-term measures that have proven effective include removing biofuel subsidies and mandates, targeting social safety nets to the most vulnerable, addressing inefficiencies in current subsidies, boosting funding to humanitarian programs, and encouraging emerging markets to allow market prices to guide producer and consumer decisions 

  5. Invest in climate-friendly agricultural research and evidence-based innovation to build long term resilience to shocks.  The research shows the precariousness of having 2.5 billion people rely on just a few regions of wheat production and export, especially under a changing climate. Long-term responses include expanding wheat production in high-productivity areas (such as North America and Europe) and in regions with climate conditions suitable to growing wheat (such as Sudan and Nigeria), and raising agricultural productivity in low-production zones (especially Ethiopia and South Africa), which can help diversify global wheat supplies.

  6. Identify and scale technologies: Examples given include satellite and remote-sensing imagery and data for farmers that can help to boost productivity. 

  7. Provide evidence for optimal policies by showing the impact on food security, poverty, diets, and gender equality of previous interventions.