Miller Magazine Issue: 150 June 2022

67 COVER STORY MILLER / JUNE 2022 Fears of a global food crisis are growing due to the shock of the war in Ukraine, climate change and rising inflation. The anxiety about a new global food crisis leads many countries to increase their capacities for grain storage. The storage of grain is important from a food security perspective as reserves provide a sup- ply cushion in emergencies and influence food market dynamics by impacting key parameters such as prices. Food security is a top priority and a long-standing challenge facing the international community. The COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather events, economic recession and the Rus- sia-Ukraine conflict led to sharp rises in grain prices, further ex- acerbating the imbalance between supply and demand. The war has led to a rapid global breakdown in food security due to the importance of both countries in supplying grain stocks, affecting supply chains and prices, with consequences hitting the most vulnerable countries and population groups. As fears of a global food crisis are growing due to the shock of the war in Ukraine, many countries plan to increase their capacities for grain storage in addition to diversifying their sources. Countries in North Africa and the Middle East are in- vesting in silos which help to facilitate the storage of grains for a longer time under appropriate conditions, irrespective of the external weather conditions. Grains are critically important for world food security. They are main staple foods in practically every country and consti- tute essential sources of calories for large parts of the popula- tion. One characteristic that makes grains particularly import- ant from a food security perspective is their storability, which is higher and less costly compared to many other food products. A large number of governments hold grain stocks to safe- guard national food security in case of an emergency. Apart from helping guarantee the physical availability of food, grains are also stockpiled to protect against unexpected price spikes that might seriously limit people’s access to food. Developments in Grain Handling and Storage