{"id":46725,"date":"2022-07-08T14:00:46","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T13:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/?p=46725"},"modified":"2022-07-13T11:47:08","modified_gmt":"2022-07-13T10:47:08","slug":"its-a-crunch-hunger-and-unease-shape-egypts-strategy-for-cop27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2022\/07\/08\/its-a-crunch-hunger-and-unease-shape-egypts-strategy-for-cop27\/","title":{"rendered":"‘It’s a crunch’: Hunger and unease shape Egypt’s strategy for Cop27"},"content":{"rendered":"

Global wheat prices hit an all-time high in March, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted exports from the breadbasket of Europe and triggered a market panic.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Egypt, a major wheat importer from what was now a conflict zone, this raised the spectre of revolution. The last time prices neared the $12 a bushel mark<\/a> was in 2008. The cost of living, along with rising unemployment and political repression, sowed unrest that culminated in the overthrow of president Hosni Mubarak three years later.<\/p>\n

In response to the latest surge of inflation, the government fixed the price of bread<\/a>, telling millers<\/a> to bulk out flour with wheat bran. Aish baladi<\/em>, the puffy round flatbread served with most meals, now contains extra fibre.<\/p>\n

Egyptians are strongly discouraged from complaining. The secret police arrested three TikTok creators<\/a> for publishing a satirical video about high food prices. They face charges<\/a> of terrorism and spreading false news.<\/p>\n

Egypt:<\/strong> Soaring inflation hinders climate ambition in updated submission to UN<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Against this backdrop, the Egyptian government hopes to use its presidency of Cop27, the next UN climate summit, to support food and energy security. Thousands of international delegates will descend on the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh 6-18 November, with a weighty agenda.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are living through difficult times. Egypt has been particularly affected by the consequences of the geopolitical tensions,\u201d Cop27 president and Egypt\u2019s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, told a meeting<\/a> of the British Egyptian Business Association.<\/p>\n

Shoukry said the country had been \u201cable to absorb the most severe impacts of the crisis\u201d \u2013 at least for now.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a crunch,\u201d Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt\u2019s special representative to the Cop27 president, told Climate Home News in an interview. \u201cPrices have gone towards the roof\u201d and that is having \u201ca heavy economic burden.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Sharm el-Sheikh, governments have an opportunity to \u201clearn the right lesson\u201d from the geopolitical situation, Aboulmagd said: \u201cWe need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. We need to move faster and faster towards renewables.\u201d<\/p>\n

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