War in Ukraine Also Causing Havoc in Global Sunflower Oil Supply

When discussing the war in Ukraine, the focus usually centers on the disruptions being caused to global grain supplies, particularly wheat. However, Ukraine and Russia are also the world’s top two suppliers of sunflower oil, and the ongoing war has resulted in not only widespread uncertainty in supply chains, but prices rising by 40 percent.

Global food companies producing everything from granola bars, to nut butters, to potato chips are scrambling to secure enough sunflower oil for production, often leading companies to have to change their formulations to account for substitutes such as avocado oil, (which is still also in tight supply), while consumers are also feeling the crunch as grocery stores in Europe have begun implementing caps on sunflower oil purchases.

In many cases, food companies are turning to small-scale oilseed farmers and businesses, which are now feeling the far-reaching ripple effects of the complex impacts on our global food systems from war, COVID-19, climate change, and the like.

More on this story