No major threat to Turkey's food supply: UN

By Nazli Yuzbasioglu and Zuhal Demi̇rci̇

ANKARA (AA) - Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Turkey is not expected to face any major problems in its short- or mid-term food supply or food security, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Thursday.

"As one of the major players in the agriculture and food sector, Turkey can be affected by regional or global volatility due to restrictions and price changes," Keigo Obara, food security officer at the FAO office in Ankara, Turkey's capital, told Anadolu Agency.

The risk, however, exists mainly for underdeveloped countries or those that depend on food imports, he added.

"But it is necessary to underline again that global agriculture and food production are closely linked," Obara said.

As of May, the food price increase rate among G20 members was 4.1% in the US, followed by Canada, China, France and Russia with 3.3%, 3.8%, 3.4% and 3%, respectively, he explained.

"In Turkey, the figure stands at 2.7%," he said, adding that the low increase proves Turkey's advantageous position in agriculture and food industries.

If the necessary measures are not taken, some more increases could be expected, he warned.

- Africa saw steepest price hikes

Noting that system breaks and severe shocks affect everyone, Obara said the most severe price hikes were seen in Africa with 30% followed by South America, Asia, and Eastern Europe.

Warning that closing the borders to limit human movement will narrow more fragile countries’ food supplies, he said: "People in 53 countries with a population of 113 million are struggling with acute hunger."

He added that if the threat of viruses continues at this level, the capacities of the public health systems in these countries will be exhausted, resulting in dramatic consequences for humanity.

*Writing by Aysu Bicer