Former Russian president and senior security official Dmitry Medvedev has threatened to restrict agricultural and food exports only to just the "friendly" countries of Russia. Mr Medvedev is one of Vladimir Putin’s most trusted allies and is deputy chairman of Russia’s security council.

In response to sanctions imposed by the West over its invasion of Ukraine he said that Russia "will not supply our products and agricultural products to our enemies.

"We will supply food and crops only to our friends," and that Russia "will sell both for rubles and for their national currency in agreed proportions."

Mr Medvedev said that food is a "quiet weapon" in the fight against Western sanctions "Quiet but ominous."

His threat was made after Russia's agriculture ministry introduced a quota on sunflower oil exports and banned the export of sunflower seeds and rapeseed.

He added “And we won’t buy anything from them (although we haven’t bought anything since 2014, the list of products prohibited for import can be further expanded).”

Risk of Global famine

Michael Fakhri, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food has said "Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its Black Sea block had delayed critical grain exports which could prompt a global famine, given that Russian and Ukraine together export more than a quarter of the globes’ wheat.

“With the Russian invasion, we are now facing the risk of imminent famine and starvation in more places around the world. The military attacks against Ukraine must be stopped immediately before there are profound global, long-term consequences to everyone’s food security."

Vladimir Putin has also said that “We will have to be more careful about food supplies abroad, and especially carefully monitor the exports to countries which are hostile to us.”

Importance of food security in the UK

The NFU has already called on the government to take urgent action to address policies that accentuate the risk to our food security. Minette Batters has said “The war has focused attention on the importance and fragility of food security, both at home and abroad.  British farmers continue to stand ready to do all we can to ensure the public continues to have access to high-quality, affordable, climate-friendly food.

A farming expert has warned that the UK needs to reduce its reliance on Eastern Europe for cereal crops, just as it is for oil and gas. Oliver Scott who is responsible for managing 3,600 acres of farmland at Bradford Estates in Shropshire, said the farming industry has tough challenges ahead as the war in Ukraine has created a perfect storm of wheat shortages and massive hikes in the price of diesel and fertiliser. 

He said that "...the conflict starkly illustrated the fragility of the UK’s food security, with only 60% of the crops the country needs produced here. Russia is the world’s biggest exporter of wheat, producing around 18 per cent of international exports," adding that "We need to be able to produce more food in the UK and keep it here.”