EU takes steps to ensure food security in Europe amid conflict in Ukraine

Moscow [Russia], March 17 (ANI/Sputnik): The European Commission is preparing measures to ensure food security in the European Union and the rest of the world as the situation in Ukraine constrains "one of the main exporters of food to the world," EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said on Thursday.
"We have to have a return to food security, we have to implement a policy that is going to guarantee food security for all citizens in the European Union and which will also guarantee a contribution of the EU agriculture to providing food security around the world," Wojciechowski told the meeting of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament.
The EU imports 19% of wheat, over 20% of maize and over 20% of oil seed from Ukraine, the Commissioner said. The blockade of Ukrainian ports amid the ongoing conflict in the country "posses a very serious problem for EU farmers, in particular livestock farmers." Wojciechowski added that residents of North African countries are also in danger as Ukraine is also one of the major exporters of food to the region, and warned of an influx of refugees from Africa amid food insecurity.
Wojciechowski said that the Commission had prepared short term actions to mitigate food insecurity in Europe, including a marketing intervention to the pork sector, providing the public and state aid similar to the COVID-19 pandemic times, derogation of unused lands to produce protein crops and additional financing in the amount of 500 million euros ($554 million) with an extra co-financing of up to 1.5 billion euros. (ANI/Sputnik)