Last week President Biden warned that global food shortages were going to be “real,” because of the war in Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine together supply about a fourth of the world’s wheat exports.
“The price of [U.S.] sanctions is not just imposed upon Russia, it’s imposed upon an awful lot of countries as well, including European countries and our country,” Biden said.
Russia’s exports of fertilizers—18 percent of the potash market, 20 percent of ammonia exports—are also off market. It is unclear how much the West will want to buy, or how much Russia will be willing to sell, and on what terms, now that its foreign exchange reserves have been frozen, effectively invalidating all previous economic contracts.
Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (DDP) also notes that natural gas is a key ingredient in nitrogen-based fertilizers, so shortages affect food production, not just heating and electricity generation. At present, 41 percent of Europe’s natural gas comes from Russia.
DDP has long advocated that Americans stockpile food as an insurance policy against all kinds of natural and man-made disasters. Many convenient forms of survival foods are offered. Buckets of unprocessed wheat, corn, and beans are the most economical. Salt, sugar, and oil are also needed. Methods of storage and field-tested preparation are detailed in the book Nuclear War Survival Skills, available free on line.
“Americans are once again stocking up on toilet paper,” stated DDP president Jane Orient, M.D., “but they should first make sure they have at least a minimum of staples, salt, and canned goods in their pantry.”
Doctors for Disaster Preparedness is a group of scientists (including physicians) founded in 1984, which provides information to help save lives in the event of natural or man-made disasters.