Jaishankar warns of possible food crisis amid conflicts

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar warned at an Asia Society event in New York that a major food crisis could develop in the coming months, citing potential disruptions to grain shipments and fertiliser supplies amid conflicts. His remarks described a risk, not a crisis already established by the information available. Jaishankar said some major grain exporters might be unable to ship supplies, particularly through the Black Sea, and described fertiliser shortages as a growing concern. He linked those pressures to the effects of the Ukraine conflict and the Iran-Gulf conflict. The reports of his remarks do not independently establish the scale of any shipment disruption or fertiliser shortfall, or confirm that the predicted crisis will occur. He framed the pressures as a wider “4F” crisis affecting much of the world: food, fuel, fertiliser and finance. Jaishankar said energy markets were tight and that political decisions affecting oil supplies could add to price pressures. He also argued that conflicts shift money toward safer destinations and away from Global South economies, increasing financial strain in countries already exposed to higher costs.