The power of food

...this penalty for Ukraine’s farmers has been horrible on top of bombs falling. But what has also happened is that people in Africa starved to death who could not afford the higher prices of life-dependent food and cooking oil.

A cease-fire is likely in Ukraine. But ask yourself why?

For three years, actually for 6 years since Russian invaded and recaptured the Crimea from Ukraine, India and all the sub-Sahara nations have been suffering food shortages. Shipping of Ukraine’s vital supplies of wheat and safflower oil have been disrupted, transshipped via three or more countries, blockaded from Odessa port, and price-hiked by more than 50%. Of course this penalty for Ukraine’s farmers has been horrible on top of bombs falling. But what has also happened is that people in Africa starved to death who could not afford the higher prices of life-dependent food and cooking oil.

Now, you may think safflower oil is not a big deal… but in a largely vegetarian country like India that is the world largest consumer of safflower oil, a price hike of over 150% thanks to the Russians invading your principal grower and supplier,can and quite simply does, kill people, especially those on the lowest income levels.

India and the African Union (a large voting bloc in the United Nations General Assembly) are fed up with Russia’s onslaught against their food supplier. Recently, in the past year, they have been voting against Russia or at least not voting with them (abstaining) ­­­­— and Russian needs their support in a myriad of matters, especially now that China had recently been showing trends of not supporting Russia either in the UN Security Council. In short, Russia’s traditional supporters are waning… And Joe Biden’s team worked really hard to increase that pressure.

What pressure? India, for example, was buying Russian arms and planes for decades… but two years ago began to purchase or negotiate to purchase U.S. war planes instead. That’s a massive blow to Russia. And the sub-Saharan countries, traditionally using Russian mercenaries to help stabilize their government forces, have begun to work with our Africa Command in Germany. Our Africa Command helps finance troops from, for example the Uganda People’s Defence Force, to keep the peace in many conflict areas. The U.S. labels this support as capacity-building programs, security assistance, military equipment sales, military education and linked-purpose hospitals — U.S. boots without U.S. feet. The Russian mercenaries, clearly under Putin’s control, are being phased out. And with them go access to industrial resources (ore and chemicals).

In short, Putin wants to stop fighting if he can and seem to be the savior supplier of grain and safflower oil to countries with whom Russia had built up multi-decade positive relationships with. He will claim he not a colonizer like Americas is, but he’s lost control of his dependent nations and, what’s worse, at a local politics level, Russia is seen as the reason for raised prices, lack of affordable fertilizer and staple food stuffs — despite propaganda from Moscow claiming it is all the West’s fault. Safflower oil and wheat are, to India and sub-Saharan African nations as bread and milk are to you and me. Vital, staple, irreplaceable.

Putin may claim he’s the savior of the coming cease-fire, but in truth he’s got little option. It is what the previous administration was working towards and this administration will claim credit for. But the truth can be seen in the UN General Assembly votes for the past two-plus years as Putin lost supporters at a fast pace.

Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, lives in Gila, New Mexico.

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Lakeville Journal and The Journal does not support or oppose candidates for public office.

Latest News

Legal Notices - May 8, 2025

BAUER FUND AND FOUNDATION COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

Through grants to colleges, The Bauer Foundation provides indirect scholarship assistance for undergraduate college education to students residing in The Connecticut Regional School District One based on merit and need.

Keep ReadingShow less
Classifieds - May 8, 2025

Help Wanted

A Plus Detailing Hiring: Open position for a Full Detailer & Cleaner. Depending on experience $21 to $30 per hour. Contact Ryan at 959-228-1010.

Driver: For The Lakeville Journal and Millerton News newspaper routes, part time Wednesdays, Thursdays and some Fridays. Call James Clark. 860-435-9873, x 401 or email publisher@
lakevillejournal.com.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Hydrilla Menace: Twin Lakes group buoyed by DEEP’s assault on invasive hydrilla in 2025

A detail of a whorl of hydrilla pulled from the shallow waters at O’Hara’s Landing Marina in fall of 2024.

Photo by Debra A. Aleksinas

SALISBURY — The Twin Lakes Association is taking an earlier and more aggressive approach to fighting the spread of invasive hydrilla in East Twin Lake by dosing the whole northeast bay, from May through October, with low-level herbicide treatments instead of spot treatments.

The goal, said Russ Conklin, the TLA’s vice president of lake management, is to sustain herbicide concentration over the 2025 growing season.

Keep ReadingShow less
Frederick Wright Hosterman

KENT — Frederick Wright Hosterman passed away peacefully in his home in Kent on April 16, 2025. Born in 1929 in Auburn, Nebraska, he was the son of farmers. He attended a one-room schoolhouse just outside of Brownville, Nebraska, adjacent to his family’s farm. The little brick schoolhouse is still standing! After graduating from high school, Fred attended the University of Nebraska (Lincoln), eventually earning a master’s degree in agronomy. He took a job with Monsanto in Buffalo, New York, where the company was a pioneer in applying biotechnology to agricultural sciences. In Buffalo, Fred met his future wife, Dorothy. Fred and Dorothy moved to New York City for several years in the early 1960s, before settling down in Norwalk. In Norwalk, Fred and Dorothy had three children. The family later moved to Kent. In 1980, Fred and Dorothy divorced, and Fred bought a large tract of land on Carter Road in Kent. He built a house there, largely by himself, which he maintained until his death at age 95. After taking early retirement, he spent the following decades working on his property, adding various buildings, woodcrafting, landscaping, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Keep ReadingShow less