Jaishankar warns conflicts could trigger major food crisis in coming months

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has warned that the world could face a major food crisis in the coming months as conflicts disrupt energy, grain and fertiliser supplies. Speaking at the Asia Society in New York, Jaishankar said the Ukraine conflict and the Iran-Gulf conflict were having a damaging effect on Global South economies.

He described the situation as highly stressful. He said energy markets were already tight and warned that political decisions affecting oil supplies could push prices higher. In his assessment, supply concerns and the politics surrounding them were reinforcing each other and creating an aggravated crisis.

Jaishankar said some major grain exporters might be unable to send shipments, particularly through the Black Sea. He also pointed to fertiliser shortages because key producers in West Asia and Russia had been affected by conflict. The minister added that climate patterns, including a possible strong El Niño, could worsen the situation.

He said the combination of energy, food, fertiliser and financial pressures could create severe difficulties for developing economies. He criticised countries for making decisions without sufficiently considering the effect on other nations. Jaishankar said basic needs should not be neglected to the point that countries were placed in distress.

He also warned that the energy crisis could contribute to political instability, as had occurred in India’s neighbourhood after the Ukraine war. Countries would respond differently depending on the issue and the stakes, he said, with some maintaining autonomy and others facing greater pressure.