47. History of hunger: How the war in Ukraine is making food crises even worse in Africa and least developed countries

As the UN marks Africa Day on 25 May, this episode of The Weekly Tradecast looks at the impact of the global food and energy shocks on some of the most vulnerable countries with Rolf Traeger, chief of UNCTAD’s least developed countries section.

The world is in one of the worst crises in modern history as the war in Ukraine hits food supplies just as many countries try to cope with extreme weather and the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But even before the disruptions from the war, many least developed countries were feeling the strain.

Tune in to UNCTAD economist Rolf Traeger to find out why many resource-rich places have faced severe constraints with food production and access and what can be done.