• Moscow calls for joint food stockpiles within expanded BRICS bloc

• Middle East war disrupts fertilizer flows and drives up energy prices

• Proposal revives debate over strategic food reserves and market impact

Russia called on BRICS nations to build shared food reserves as rising geopolitical tensions threaten global supply chains and food security.

Alexander Maslennikov, deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said the bloc should move toward joint stockpiles, according to comments reported by Reuters on April 13.

The proposal comes as the war in Iran, which began in late February, continues to strain energy markets and disrupt fertilizer shipments. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly one-third of global fertilizer trade passes—has added pressure, while higher oil prices are pushing up transport and production costs.

Against that backdrop, Maslennikov called for closer coordination among BRICS members. The bloc, originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has recently expanded to include Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Egypt.

He said strengthening cooperation with allied countries, particularly within BRICS and the Eurasian Economic Union, would be key to ensuring food security, including through the creation of shared reserves.

Few details have been released about how such a system would work. Still, the proposal fits into a broader push by Russia to deepen agricultural cooperation among emerging economies and reduce their reliance on Western-dominated markets.

In October 2024, Moscow floated the idea of a BRICS grain exchange, initially focused on cereals but potentially expandable to other commodities such as legumes and oilseeds. The plan also included a pricing agency to provide market data and analysis. The goal would be to allow buyers to source directly from producers within the bloc, limiting dependence on markets dominated by the United States and Europe. The project has seen little progress since it was announced.

A broader debate over food reserves

While the BRICS proposal remains at an early stage, analysts say it has brought renewed attention to the role of public food reserves.

Such stockpiles are often criticized by economists, who argue they can distort markets, interfere with price signals, and undermine competition. But others see them as a critical tool for managing price spikes, especially in regions like Africa, where external shocks can quickly trigger social unrest.

A 2024 report by economists Isabella Weber and Merle Schulken, backed by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, highlighted the importance of buffer stocks for food security at national, regional, and global levels. Their argument gained traction in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, both of which drove sharp volatility in fertilizer and food prices and exposed vulnerabilities in global supply systems.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is now bringing those concerns back into focus.

Espoir Olodo