Strategy bears fruit

On the role of Belarus in addressing global food security challenges

Nowadays, Belarus not only feeds itself but also saves hundreds of thousands of people from hunger around the world. At the Dazhynki-2024 festival-fair in Mikashevichi, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasised that we started with a harvest of five to six million tonnes of grain, considering it a decent result, while seven million was seen as extraordinary. Today, however, 10 million tonnes is the norm. “Thirty years ago, we could only dream of the current level of our agricultural sector and decent living conditions in rural areas. Yet, we have achieved it,” the Belarusian leader noted. In Brest Region alone, agricultural production has more than doubled over the past quarter century.

Bread is the staff of life!

It is worth recalling the time when at international conferences, exhibitions, and similar events, there were claims about the archaic nature of agriculture and industry in the post-industrial era, alleging that services were all that mattered. Moreover, the overseas doctrine of free market economy, which became dominant in significant parts of society in many countries, suggested, “Everything is available on the global market! Everything can be purchased! Why bother to toil in the soil?”
However, time has revealed true priorities and set everything in its proper place. Thus, in Russia in 2005, Vladimir Putin announced four national projects, one of which was Development of the Agricultural and Industrial Sector. The Belarusian experience proved timely for Russians.
Today, the governments of Belarus and Russia are compiling forecast balances for mutual food supply, and competition has transformed into complementary co-operation between the two countries. 
For us, the truth has always been clear — bread is the staff of life! This means that agriculture must be developed and supported at the state level, just as we have always done.

Third horseman

According to the United Nations statistics, 10 percent of the population in 48 countries experiencing food crises faced hunger in 2016. By last year, this figure had risen to over 20 percent of residents in 59 countries. It is important to note that this is not merely about food security in terms of a lack of diverse and quality food, but rather acute hunger.
In an open letter signed in 2022 by representatives of nearly 240 organisations from 75 countries, it was stated that one person in the world dies of hunger every four seconds. Recently, many experts analysing the current global food shortage have invoked ancient prophecies about an impending great famine. David Beasley, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, likened it to a famine of a ‘biblical proportion’. He was likely referring to the third horseman riding a black horse — the harbinger of the Apocalypse from The Book of Revelation by John the Evangelist — that symbolised global famine.
Deceptive Western politicians love grandstanding on camera about how much they are doing to combat poverty and eradicate hunger on the planet. In fact, sweet-talking lips say one thing, while greedy hands do the exact opposite. As it is stated in the Bible, “You will know them by their fruits.”

In this context, Belarus received written security guarantees back in 1996. These were provided by the West following the voluntary removal of nuclear weapons from the Belarusian territory. Yet, already in 1997, the European Union imposed sanctions on our country. The United States later joined in. Since then, the West’s sanctions pressure aimed at undermining our security has intensified year by year. Russia has faced a similar fate.

War and hunger

Time has shown that Belarusians, with a nationally constructive economy, have stood firm alongside Russians. Meanwhile, the world has suffered from essential goods shortages due to Western sanctions, which have deprived it of many commodities necessary for survival. Restrictions on the export of Belarusian food, as well as mineral fertilisers and agricultural machinery contributing to food production have significantly exacerbated the problem of global hunger.
The most powerful chord in the anthem welcoming the third horseman of the Apocalypse is undoubtedly the war ignited in Europe by efforts of Western politicians, which consumes enormous resources. 

Speaking at the UN climate change summit in Dubai last December, Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed directly to the cynicism of this approach, “Those orators, who spoke first, talk about peace and a clean planet, worrying about their grandchildren, and yet they have unleashed and are waging the most terrible war on the planet. How much will the slaughter in the Middle East cost? What if it flares up in the Pacific? That is trillions of dollars. So let’s direct that money towards cleaning the planet.”

The President of Belarus is absolutely right. If the West were to halt the wars it has instigated and direct the ‘savings’ towards solving the global problems of civilisation, we could not only sufficiently feed all the hungry but also ensure a comfortable living environment for entire humanity. Thus, the path to ensuring food security and addressing other vital issues for humanity does not lie through confrontation, sanctions, or struggles for global dominance. Overcoming these contradictions and moving onto a trajectory of truly sustainable development is only possible through mutually beneficial co-operation and joint efforts of all countries for the sake of humanity’s survival and prosperity.

By Valery Bainev, Doctor of Economic Sciences