The conflict in Ukraine is expected to have wide-ranging impacts on South Asia’s food security and food systems in 2022. The Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), will study Sri Lanka’s susceptibility to various commodity price increases and trade disruptions due to the Ukraine conflict. The study will explore the specific commodities that Sri Lanka procures from the region and those that are procured from the global market that are seeing sharp price hikes. The study will also look at potential avenues that the Government of Sri Lanka can adopt to mitigate the impact of the Ukraine crisis on citizens through policy measures such as subsidies, social safety nets, or procuring from other global trading partners. Finally, the study will explore market opportunities for Sri Lanka arising from the conflict, such as increased demand for Sri Lankan exports or long-term structural reforms that could better equip the country to handle similar turbulence in global markets.
