Kallas, 'cereal price records from 2022, perfect storm'

“Global grain prices have now reached their highest level since February 2022. Global grain supplies are higher than in 2022, when Russia blocked 20 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain, but the global food system is now facing a perfect storm: a super El Niño, drought in both hemispheres and conflict in the Middle East straining fertilizer exports.” This was highlighted by the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, speaking in the plenary debate on the escalation in the Black Sea.

"Russia's actions make it more difficult to keep food on people's tables around the world. This requires a strong and united European response," he added.

"The cereal crisis, which has brought prices back to 2022 levels, risks causing a new wave of price increases for a series of widely consumed food products in Italy too." Codacons reports this, underlining the strong increases recorded in the prices of wheat, particularly soft wheat, and corn, following the attacks in the Black Sea.

Codacons warns that the price increases could be affected by "bread, pizza, baked goods, packaged flour, sweets, but also seed oil, as well as the prices of meat, eggs and dairy products, considering the indirect effects of the increases recorded by corn used as animal feed. Pasta, on the other hand, should not be affected by the price increases, as it is made with durum wheat imported from other areas. The crisis in raw materials will be passed on to consumers".