Fifty-six members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), including the United States and the United Kingdom, issued a joint communiqué warning of the consequences of Ukraine's destruction to global trade, in particular as regards the supply of fertilizers, sunflower oil, essential minerals and grains produced by the country.

"The impact of the war, including blocking Ukraine's access to the Black Sea, is seriously compromising food supplies to some of the world's most vulnerable parts. This runs the risk of leading millions of people to food insecurity, increasing the already serious situation caused by Covid-19", says the statement released on Sunday (12), in the wake of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference.

In the text, the countries that have signed stress that they will look for ways to help Ukrainian farmers continue to plant and grow cereals and oilseeds. "Within the capacity of each WTO member, we will continue to provide humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of Ukrainian civilians, including to help ensure their access to basic goods and services, including food," they said.

Creation of corridors

The Director General of the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said on Sunday (12) during a press conference at the opening of the 12th Ministerial Conference of the entity that, currently, "we are facing a food and energy crisis", with the least developed countries being the most affected.

According to her, political solutions are needed to make ukraine's grains able to be drained from the country, such as the creation of corridors.

On the WTO conference, which is scheduled to last until next Wednesday (15), the director said that ministers will have opportunities to talk about geopolitical issues, the energy and food crisis. "We will have many dossiers," he said.