‘Going To Be Real’: World Leaders Pledge To Combat Food Shortages
President Joe Biden said he did speak with G-7 leaders about the potential for the risk of global food shortages raised by financial sanctions levied over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Back home, Americans face additional financial pressures as well.
The Hill:
Biden Warns Of 'Real' Food Shortage Risk Over Russia's Invasion Into Ukraine
President Biden warned Thursday that there could be global food shortages resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and announced steps to prevent a potential crisis. “We did talk about food shortages. And it's going to be real. The price of these sanctions is not just imposed upon Russia, it’s imposed upon an awful lot of countries as well, including European countries and our country as well,” Biden said at a press conference from Brussels, where he is meeting with NATO leaders. Both Russia and Ukraine, for example, are providers of wheat, Biden noted, though he pointed out that the U.S. and Canada are both major wheat producers, too. (Gangitano, 3/24)
Politico:
G-7 Leaders Pledge Action To Address Food Shortages Caused By War
President Joe Biden and other leaders of the world’s major industrialized democracies pledged action on Thursday to address food shortages caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine, a top concern for Middle Eastern and African nations that depend on supplies from both countries. “We will make coherent use of all instruments and funding mechanisms to address food security, and build resilience in the agriculture sector in line with climate and environment goals,” leaders of the G-7 group said in a statement after meeting in Brussels. “We will address potential agricultural production and trade disruptions, in particular in vulnerable countries.” (Palmer and Lee, 3/24)
Reuters:
As Sanctions Bite Russia, Fertilizer Shortage Imperils World Food Supply
Sky-high fertilizer prices have farmers worldwide scaling back its use and reducing the amount of land they're planting, fallout from the Ukraine-Russia conflict that has some agricultural industry veterans warning of food shortages. (Polansek and Mano, 3/23)
In more news about the economic toll of covid and the war in Ukraine —
CBS News:
Americans Face Triple Whammy As Rent, Gas And Electric Bills Surge
The median rent around the U.S. reached a record high $1,792 last month, according to Realtor.com — a 17% jump from the previous year and the 10th month in a row rents had increased by double-digits. In 14 U.S. cities, the typical rent is no longer affordable, far surpassing the 30% of income that personal-finance experts recommend as a maximum. (Ivanova, 3/24)
CBS News:
Stimulus Checks For Inflation: Here Are The States Planning To Send Money To Residents
Roughly a dozen states are proposing sending tax rebate checks to their residents to offset the highest inflation in four decades, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pointing to high gas and food prices as prompting their actions. ... These checks represent one-time tax rebates that will put money back into consumers' wallets. But some other states are considering or already planning to cut income taxes, providing an ongoing tax break for their residents. (Picchi, 3/24)
AP:
Hawaii Governor Extends COVID-19 Food Assistance Spending
Hawaii Gov. David Ige has signed an emergency proclamation allowing federal funds to continue to flow to food assistance recipients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic national public health emergency, his office said Thursday. The proclamation allows $18 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits to go to recipients each month. (3/24)
AP:
High Court To Weigh End Of $300 Weekly Unemployment Payment
The Ohio Supreme Court will hear arguments in May on whether Gov. Mike DeWine had the legal ability to end the state’s participation in a federal pandemic unemployment aid program last year ahead of a government deadline for stopping the payments. At issue before the court is a weekly $300 federal payment for Ohioans to offset the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The federal government ended that program Sept. 6 but DeWine stopped the payments June 26, saying the need for the payments had ended. (Welsh-Huggins, 3/24)
Also —
ABC News:
School Cafeterias, Already On The Brink Of Collapse, Brace For End Of COVID-Era Free Meals
The UBR -- or, Ultimate Breakfast Round -- is a food product that is ubiquitous in school cafeterias and offers USDA-approved nutritional value, as well as staff-approved convenient pre-packaging, Bock told ABC News. But after a February 2021 ice storm wiped-out a Rich's factory in Texas, the UBR disappeared. For months, Bock said, they couldn't get the product -- forcing a frenzied, and more expensive, pivot that left red ink all over menus that had been planned months prior. Over a year later, they can't get even remotely the same quantities they used to, Bock said. (Cahan, 3/24)
