In February 2022, news of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dominated headlines around the world.
Policymakers everywhere worried about the potential ripple effects of the invasion on the economic recovery from COVID-19, as well as on political stability — and food and nutrition security. These worries proved to be well-founded: International food prices spiked by nearly a third and fertilizer prices tripled.
The conflict erupted at a time of already high uncertainty for food systems. Well before missiles were aimed at Kyiv, many countries, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, were already contending with food crises and high prices. Farmers in South America and Malaysia were struggling with poor harvests, COVID-19 was scrambling supply chain logistics, and consumers, especially in China, were emerging from lockdowns and driving up demand. Gender equality also faced a global decline.
About the authors
Katrina Kosec
Katrina Kosec is a senior research fellow in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit at the International Food Policy Research Institute, where she leads a CGIAR research program on fragility, conflict, and migration as well as a cluster of research on women’s voice and agency in governance. She is also a lecturer in political economy at Johns Hopkins University. Katrina’s research focuses on the linkages between governance, fragility, gender, and poverty. She has over two decades of experience carrying out surveys and field experiments and working with various local partners and international agencies.
Johan Swinnen
Johan Swinnen is the director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute and managing director of CGIAR’s Systems Transformation Action Area. Swinnen has published extensively on agricultural and food policies, international development, political economy, institutional reforms, trade, and global value chains. His recent book, “The Political Economy of Agricultural and Food Policies,” received the 2019 Book Award from the European Association of Agricultural Economists.
