MOSCOW, July 26. /TASS/. The termination of the Black Sea grain deal will not lead to global food shortages, nor does it give rise to the risk of famine, Russian Grain Union President Arkady Zlochevsky told TASS.
"A shortage is impossible as a matter of principle. The world has never experienced a shortage of resources relative to the level of consumption. There have always only been surpluses," the expert said. "It is inappropriate to frame the issue in such a way that claims the lack of Ukrainian [agricultural] resources would create the risk of a famine. The absence of any competitor country [in the global market] does not give rise to any risk of famine or hunger. [What happens is the] others [supplier countries - TASS] adapt immediately to fill in the gap," Zlochevsky explained.
All instances of famine or malnutrition globally stemmed not from a shortage of food resources, but rather from low purchasing power or lack of necessary infrastructure and logistics, the expert said. "The world has never known any other cause of famine or starvation," Zlochevsky said.
Russia can supply grain to the poorest countries free of charge, the expert noted. "The question is where Russia will take such free resources from. Either money should be spent to make purchases in the domestic market in order to then to give it away free, or take [food resources] from [stocks] pre-purchased, say, with money from the intervention fund. There are three million metric tons of grain in the intervention fund; supplies can be made from these stocks," Zlochevsky added.