GUWAHATI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has warned that ongoing global conflicts could trigger a major food crisis in the coming months, as disruptions to grain shipments and fertiliser production put additional pressure on developing nations.
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Speaking at an event organised by the Asia Society in New York, Jaishankar said the Ukraine conflict and the Iran-Gulf crisis were creating wider pressures across food, fuel, fertilisers and global finance.
He pointed to growing fertiliser shortages and potential disruptions to grain exports, particularly through key Black Sea routes. “There is gonna be a major food crisis probably, you know, in the coming months,” he said.
Jaishankar also cautioned that tighter energy supplies and politically driven disruptions could push up oil prices, adding to inflationary pressures at a time when countries are seeking economic stability.
He said conflicts were also causing capital to move towards safer markets, reducing investment flows into developing economies that are already facing pressure from food, fuel and financial shocks.
Calling for greater consideration of the global impact of domestic policy decisions, Jaishankar said countries should not act in isolation without considering how their actions affect vulnerable nations.
He described food, fuel, fertilisers and finance as an interconnected four-part crisis, warning that economic distress in developing countries could also have wider consequences for global stability.
