UN hopeful for Russian fertilizer exports breakthrough

A tractor sprays organic liquid fertilizer in a field at the Vargem Dourada farm in Padre Bernardo, Goias State, Brazil, on May 19, 2022. Fearing that the conflict in Ukraine will disrupt its crucial supply of fertilizer imports, Brazil´s agricultural sector is increasingly turning to natural alternatives, including remineralizers, or "agrominerals" — pulverized, nutrient-rich rocks that are spread on fields before planting. (EVARISTO SA / AFP)

GENEVA – A senior UN official on Thursday voiced optimism that there would be a breakthrough in negotiations to ease exports of Russian fertilizers to avoid food shortages next year.

Russia has complained its concerns about fertilizer exports had not been addressed when a deal for extending a Black Sea grain export agreement was agreed in November.

Low Russian fertilizer exports remained a "major concern" to avoid food shortages next year, said the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, Rebeca Grynspan, a key UN negotiator

Low Russian fertilizer exports remained a "major concern" to avoid food shortages next year, said the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, Rebeca Grynspan, a key UN negotiator.

"I am cautiously optimistic that we can have important progress soon," she told reporters in Geneva. "We will spare no effort in trying to make this happen as we really think it is essential for avoiding a food security crisis in the world."

She declined to give further details.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has indicated that he would only back the reopening of Russian ammonia exports, used to make fertilizer, in exchange for a prisoner swap and negotiations have since focused on this.

Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said on Wednesday an all-for-all prisoner swap was a "possibility". She also warned of the prospect of "very high levels of hunger in many parts of the world" due in part to fertilizer availability.

Grynspan said she was meeting with the private sector to discuss how they can navigate sanctions which are complicating Russian fertilizer exports. "Only by incorporating the private sector can we get to the scale that the world needs to avoid a food insecurity crisis," she said.

An initial Russian fertilizer shipment is heading to Africa, she said, but other cargoes are stranded in ports in Belgium, Estonia and Latvia.

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The UN is now working with the World Bank and World Food Programme to finalize a framework for the remaining stranded Russian fertilizer cargoes to be exported to other African countries, Grynspan said.

Inspections have taken place and consultations are ongoing with recipient countries, she added.

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