The EU has “criminally neglected” food security amid Europe’s ongoing fertiliser shortage, a German MEP has claimed.
Dr. Sylvia Limmer of the AfD party made the statement as the Ukraine war continues to drive up the price of agricultural goods such as fuel, fertiliser and animal feed across the continent.
“The decades-long shift in agricultural policy from nation-states to the EU is undermining our food security and driving up food prices,” said Limmer, according to Breitbart London.
“While years ago every state paid attention to the highest possible degree of self-sufficiency for itself and its citizens, the EU – of course – criminally neglected this.”
Limmer added that politicians “closer to the citizens” would respond to on-the-ground crises like the fertiliser shortage better than the comparatively-distant European officials could.
Europe has faced significant difficulty in acquiring fertiliser since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, with each combatant countries previously exporting huge amounts of the resource.
Together Russia and Belarus had previously provided about 40% of the world’s potash exports, according to Morgan Stanley – a product which has now found itself behind a wall of Western sanctions.
In addition, Russia and Ukraine combined export 28% of the world’s fertilisers made from nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium according to Morgan Stanley.
A fertilizer shortage, worsened by war in Ukraine, is driving up global food prices and scarcity https://t.co/72mXOH1Pwh
— CNBC (@CNBC) April 6, 2022
The development comes as the input price index for fertiliser in Ireland has risen by 133% in a year according to the CSO, which one Independent TD called “staggering” this week.
Irish farmers are facing a major challenge in paying for the over €1 billion cost of fertilizers this year, with the government only offering limited support in the form of flimsy grant aid schemes, according to West Cork Deputy Michael Collins.#gripthttps://t.co/Shat7NJnCA
— gript (@griptmedia) February 14, 2023
“This rise in prices is evident in the skyrocketing cost of urea, which is now close to €1,000 per ton, compared to its average price of €375 to €450 per ton over the past decade,” said Cork South-West TD Michael Collins.
“Despite the fertiliser industry making record profits last year, the prices for end-users are not expected to decrease anytime soon.”
He added that this trend was putting farmers under “immense pressure.”
“The fertiliser industry’s record profits, coupled with the lack of government support, is putting farmers under immense pressure as they try to maintain and grow their operations,” he said.
“The rise in fertiliser prices is affecting their ability to grow crops and produce food, and the government must intervene to provide financial assistance to mitigate this impact.”
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