Ireland will provide €2 million in financial support to the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative’ to help counter the impact of the war in Ukraine, the Tánaiste said today (Sunday, September 17) in New York.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin took part in a major food systems event in the US today ahead of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) summit.
He said the financial boost for the grain initiative was part of a €284 million package of Irish support this year for food, agriculture and nutrition programmes around the world.
The €2 million earmarked specifically for the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative will help support “developing countries and the irresponsible suspension of the Black Grain Sea Initiative”.
The UN (SDGs) summit will bring world leaders to New York for the two day summit which begins tomorrow (Monday, September 18).
They are expected to make national commitments to SDG transformation, which includes setting new targets to “reduce poverty and inequality by 2027”.
Before the summit the Tánaiste today announced a number of new Irish pledges including:
- €4.2 million to support the UN’s Food Systems Hub, managed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), over three years;
- €2.5 million to support a new Women’s Economic Empowerment initiative in partnership with IFAD (the International Fund for Agricultural Development) and the Irish League of Credit Unions;
- €2 million to the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative.
Ireland and a history of famine
The Tánaiste said: “Ireland is a world leader in tackling hunger. Our history of famine has ensured that ending hunger is one of the core priorities at the heart of our international engagement.
“Ending hunger is one of the top aims of the Sustainable Development Goals. Seven years after Ireland co-facilitated agreement on the SDGs, we will play a leading role this week at the SDG Summit in New York.
“Ireland believes that transformation of food systems must be at the heart of our work to reinvigorate the SDGs. Hunger is again increasing globally. We are in a global food and nutrition crisis, one that is characterised by more frequent shocks. Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine has added an additional dimension of uncertainty and volatility.”
He said that peace was a “pre-requisite for the development of communities and countries”.
“Ireland has learned this through our own long search for a historic and lasting peace.
“We are now enjoying the fruits of that peace, even if the political process remains fragile. Worldwide, conflict and violence always disrupt food production and supply and lead to displacement and increased vulnerability,” the Tánaiste added.
Ukraine
Meanwhile Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food has confirmed that two cargo ships docked in Ukrainian ports this weekend becoming the first to use a new temporary Black Sea route following the end of the grain deal with Russia.
The ministry said on social media that this will enable Ukraine to send “20,000 tonnes of wheat to Egypt and Israel”.
The European Commission said last week that an import ban, which had been in place from May, in relation to Ukrainian grain to avoid a surge in imports of grain to the European Union will be removed.
The commission had previously ruled that Ukrainian grain could not be imported into Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.
However it believes that the “market distortions in the five member states bordering Ukraine have disappeared”.
“A constructive attitude of all participants in the platform helped to solve concrete problems and ensured that exports to third countries outside the EU are flowing and even increasing,” the commission stated.
But political leaders in Hungary and Poland intend to continue to enforce the ban in their own countries in order to protect the “interests” of local farmers.
According to the commission Ukraine has agreed to introduce legal measures – including, for example, an export licensing system – within 30 days to avoid a grain surge.
“The European Commission and Ukraine will monitor the situation via the platform to be able to react to any unforeseen situations.
“The European Commission will refrain from imposing any restrictions as long as the effective measures by Ukraine are in place and fully working,” it stated.