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Global Food Shortages Are Beginning, Here’s What We Know So Far

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Kay Smythe News and Commentary Writer
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German supermarket chain Rewe reportedly set up notes Tuesday warning customers that they are only allowed to purchase one “critical” product as supply chain problems hit the European continent.

A Twitter user shared images of the notes next to products like pasta and flour. Ukraine is largely unable to export grains and the necessary fertilizers to maintain wheat crops, and other major exporters like India curbed their supply earlier in 2022 to “manage the overall food security of the country,” leading to shortages in pasta, flour and other wheat-based products around the world, CNBC reported.

The decision by India to limit their wheat export came after heat waves threatened the nation’s output and export plans, Reuters reported in early May. Coupled with credible reports of Russians pilfering Ukrainian grain, as noted in another Reuters report, the world might be about to witness global rationing of many staple panty products.

KFC in Australia is the latest giant to adapt to the fracturing supply chain. The chicken shop has been forced to put cabbage in burgers and wraps across Australia as the nation struggles with a shortage of lettuce, according to the BBC. Social media users have been sharing images of lettuce costing more than $10 AUD (roughly $7.18 USD), which is reportedly three times the usual price, the BBC continued. (RELATED: Biden To America: Your Frustration … ‘I Can Taste It’)

The country’s shortages are being blamed on climatological issues, such as recent floods in New South Wales and Queensland, the outlet continued. Earlier this year, KFC Australia had to modify the menu to accommodate chicken shortages caused by a lack of staff at the nation’s largest chicken supplier, the BBC reported.

In the U.S., soaring food prices caused by disruptions in the global farming industry, energy costs and the war in Ukraine have already started shifting American spending habits, the Center Square reported. In December 2021, food prices were only predicted to rise by 5% by this time in 2022.

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Chief Samantha Power said she hopes food shortages will push farmers toward green energy. Instead, food prices have risen by 34% globally.