Russia and Ukraine supply more than a quarter of the world’s wheat. By declaring war on his neighbor, Vladimir Putin is pushing the world into an unprecedented food shortage, and he is using the grain as a new weapon.
Our film investigates the twists and turns of a potentially long-lasting international crisis. 3 billion people around the world consume wheat daily. Yet only a few countries produce most of it, while the rest of the world must import it. The demand is increasing but cultivation is challenged by climate change and the growing cost of production and transportation. As a result, the price of wheat is increasing. Today, with the Kremlin having withdrawn from the Black Sea Grain Initiative signed a year prior to prevent a global food shortage, fears of a worldwide crisis persist. The “golden oil” has now become an influential, unexpected weapon.
Who benefits from having power over food? How does it shape geopolitical relationships around the globe? And what are the consequences of wielding this power? By probing the current crisis, we’ll reveal the power struggles raging within this globalized market.
Direction: Vincent de Cointet
Production: Tohubohu for ARTE