Warning over food security

Jokowi signals alarm over challenging future as summit begins

GROUP of 20 leaders began their formal summit in Bali, Indonesia, with host Joko Widodo , also known as Jokowi, warning that 2023 could be an even more challenging year unless action is taken on food security including fertiliser scarcity.

“Don’t underestimate the problem of fertiliser,” Jokowi said. “If we don’t immediately take steps to ensure sufficient availability of fertiliser at an affordable price, then 2023 will be a more dismal year.

The current high food prices could worsen by becoming a food supply crisis. Fertiliser scarcity will cause crop failure in various parts of the world.”

With the Ukraine war and a global spike in inflation overshadowing the summit, Jokowi made a fresh appeal to the leaders of the world’s richest countries to unite at least on economic matters.

“We hope the G20 summit can deliver concrete partnerships that can help the world in its economic recovery,” Jokowi said after a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden.

“We have no other option, collaboration is needed to save the world,” he said, adding that “G20 must be the catalyst for inclusive economic recovery”.

He also called for an end to the war in Ukraine, while adding “we shouldn’t divide the world into parts. We must not let the world fall into another cold war”.

Jokowi did not mention Russia by name when speaking about the conflict. Disruptions to grain supplies from Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in late February have exacerbated food shortages and contributed to inflation around the world.

There have also been shortfalls of fertiliser from Russia, although as a product, it is not under sanction.

The G20, which includes countries ranging from Brazil and India to Saudi Arabia and Germany, accounts for more than 80% of the world’s gross domestic product, 75% of international trade and 60% of its population.

A positive sign on the eve of the summit was a three-hour bilateral meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in which the two leaders pledged more frequent communications despite many differences.

The talks appeared to signal an improvement in relations between the superpowers after a downward spiral in recent months.

The Ukraine war and a global spike in inflation are overshadowing the summit, the first time the meeting is being held since Russia’s February invasion of its neighbour.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the summit via video link, according to a tweet by the European Union’s ambassador in Indonesia.

A joint G20 communique, which would need to be agreed by all parties, appears unlikely, with Indonesia instead pushing for a leaders’ declaration, diplomatic sources say.

However, European Council President Charles Michel said there was an agreement among officials on a text communique on Monday evening, which he described as “positive”.