美国国家公共电台 NPR--Countries panic over grain supplies after Russia's withdrawal from deal

Countries panic over grain supplies after Russia's withdrawal¹ from deal

Transcript²

U.S. Special Envoy³ for Food Security Cary Fowler talks about how Russia's sudden withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain deal could affect countries already struggling with extreme hunger.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Moscow's decision to suspend its grain pact⁴ with Ukraine spiked⁵ global wheat prices. And many countries that rely on Ukraine's crops for food are panicking. Let's bring in Cary Fowler. He is the U.S. special envoy for global food security. As we just heard, the U.S. says Russia is weaponizing food. What's the first thing to look for to know how much damage this is doing?

CARY FOWLER: Well, yesterday, you could look at the price of grain, of wheat on the futures⁶ market. It went up about 6%. So that's a instant indication of what the international community thinks of this. But, of course, the grain that's coming out of Ukraine is destined⁷ for ports all over the world. Most of it, however, is going to low- and low-middle-income countries. So this is a grain that is desperately⁸ needed to feed hungry people around the world.

MART?NEZ: Read a quote from a U.N. aide, Martin Griffiths. And his quote was, "each fraction of a percentage point pushes someone somewhere over the line to extreme poverty." Does that sound about right to you?

FOWLER: It's exactly right. The U.N. and World Food Programme have estimated that this conflict in Ukraine has pushed many millions of people into the poverty sector⁹. And we're seeing extreme issues in many parts of the world. In the Horn of Africa, for instance, they're in their fourth year of extreme drought, probably headed into a fifth year, really staring famine in the face. And one of the ships, by the way, that left a port in Ukraine yesterday was a ship carrying 30,000 metric tons of wheat destined for Ethiopia. Just to give you some idea of what that amount really means, that would be the equivalent of about 100 million loaves of bread. So that's just one ship with 30,000 metric tons. Ukraine still has about 20 million metric tons in storage that really, really needs to get out.

MART?NEZ: And what regions of the world rely on Ukraine's grain more than maybe others?

FOWLER: Historically, Ukraine has exported mostly to the Middle East and to Africa. Those are two regions that have been severely¹⁰ affected¹¹ by climate change, by COVID, by conflict and need this grain, need prices to be reasonable again and need the actual supplies of grain that are coming from Ukraine.

MART?NEZ: So short of getting at what Ukraine has in storage, are there any other sources of wheat, corn or maybe other grain products to help fill the void?

FOWLER: I think it's important to realize that most countries in the world are actually net food importers - 131 of 196 countries are net food importers. So the world is highly dependent on trade in foodstuffs¹², and grain in particular. That means that countries that are net food importers are dependent on countries such as Ukraine for much of their food supplies. Ukraine is a breadbasket of the world. It's a Top 5 exporter of wheat, corn, barley¹³, sunflower.

And if you look at the situation right now, with grain being bottled up in the ports as a result of this suspension of the deal brokered¹⁴ by the U.N., you have a harvest going on in Ukraine. Mostly they're harvesting corn at the moment. And obviously, if you can't sell your corn, you can't sell your grain, can't get it out of the country, then that provides quite a disincentive for farmers to continue to do their really important work. So we urge all parties to abide¹⁵ by this agreement, continue the agreement in good faith and get the grain moving again to hungry people around the world.

MART?NEZ: Yeah. Turkey is recommitting to the deal. They promised to keep the grain moving. How long can they realistically keep it moving?

FOWLER: I certainly don't know the answer to that question. The shipments of grain really stopped when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 of this year. The deal that the U.N. brokered was a deal that was necessary to get the grain moving again. So that's what we're really aiming for. And we hope that Russia will come back in and - into the agreement and help us get the grain out.

MART?NEZ: And short of that, we're talking catastrophe¹⁶, then?

FOWLER: We're already in a desperate situation. So yes, this is a question of food security around the world. And that's why we need to enforce this agreement.

MART?NEZ: That's U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security Cary Fowler. Thank you very much.

FOWLER: Thank you.

1 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

4 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

5 spiked   

adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的

参考例句：

• The editor spiked the story. 编辑删去了这篇报道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They wondered whether their drinks had been spiked. 他们有些疑惑自己的饮料里是否被偷偷搀了烈性酒。 来自辞典例句

6 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

7 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

8 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

9 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

10 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

12 foodstuffs   

食物，食品( foodstuff的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Imports of foodstuffs accounted for a small proportion of total imports. 食物进口仅占总进口额的一小部份。
• Many basic foodstuffs, such as bread and milk, are tax-free. 许多基本食物如牛奶和面包是免税的。

13 barley   

n.大麦，大麦粒

参考例句：

• They looked out across the fields of waving barley.他们朝田里望去,只见大麦随风摇摆。
• He cropped several acres with barley.他种了几英亩大麦。

14 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

15 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

16 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。