US names special envoy for global food security amid Ukraine crisis and COVID pandemic

The Biden administration has appointed a special envoy for food security to address recent disruptions to global supply chains caused by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

"Cary Fowler, a noted agriculturalist, has joined the Department of State as US Special Envoy for Global Food Security," Blinken said in a statement. "The mission of the Special Envoy for Global Food Security is to advance US food security, global hunger, and nutrition objectives, through diplomatic engagement with allies and partners in bilateral, regional and multilateral fora."

Blinken noted that Fowler is taking the post -- which has existed but not since 2016 -- at a time of "unprecedented stress on global food systems."

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Russia and Ukraine were among the top global exporters of various types of staple foods, including wheat and corn, in 2021, while Russia was also a leading exporter of nitrogen fertilizers, the second major supplier of potassium fertilizers and the third-largest supplier of phosphorous fertilizers.

The organization has noted that Ukraine's food production is being threatened by factors such as disruption of logistics, loss of access to agricultural lands, labour shortages, damage to crops due to hostilities, and destruction of food system assets and infrastructure.

As a result, global food prices soared to record highs in March, and the International Monetary Fund warned in April that global food prices would likely rise further in the future due to the conflict in Ukraine.

( With inputs from ANI )

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