G7 agriculture ministers condemned this Sunday Russia’s use of food “as a destabilizing agent and a tool of geopolitical coercion” in its invasion of Ukraine, to which they promised aid.
“We continue to condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine,” the Group of Seven Most Industrialized Countries of the World (G7) said in a joint statement following their two-day meetings. in the city of Miyazaki in southwest Japan, joined by a European representative.
The Ministers of Agriculture of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the EU expressed “deep concern about the devastating impact of the war on global food security, especially as a result of the sudden rise in prices for cereals, fuel.” and fertilizers, which disproportionately affect the most vulnerable,” the statement said.
The group stressed its support for the initiatives of the EU, Ukraine and Turkey to open grain export routes from the war-torn territory, one of the world’s largest producers.
The G7 also pledged to “support those most affected by Russian food militarization” through measures to guarantee access to food and fertilizer.
The seven officials also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine, sharing agricultural experience and knowledge with Kyiv, as well as facilitating the rehabilitation of infrastructure and farmers’ access to finance and seeds through international organizations.