Wheat is a staple food for millions of people across the globe. After rice and corn (maize), wheat is the third most widely produced cereal and the second most widely produced for human use.
And given the significance of wheat in the global food system, any impact on big producers, such as droughts, wars, or other catastrophes, can have global repercussions.
With a history dating back tens of thousands of years, wheat may be considered one of the most significant natural resources of all time.
Despite the fact that the wheat we cultivate and harvest now is vastly different from the wheat our ancestors ate, mostly as a result of genetic manipulation during the commercialization of agriculture, it remains a staple crop in many nations.
In today’s world, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has put the global wheat supply in jeopardy, and concerns over its availability and price have begun to highlight how crucial wheat is for feeding the world’s rising population.
In this article on wheat, we search for the kernels of truth within this commodity that has sustained humanity for millennia.
Contents
Top 10 Wheat-Producing Nations
According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the majority of global wheat production comes from a few countries, despite the fact that more than 80 nations produce wheat (FAO).
Here are the top 10 wheat-producing nations in the world, based on total yield in tonnes from 2000 to 2020:
China, the world’s greatest wheat producer, has produced more than 2.4 billion tonnes of wheat during the past two decades, accounting for around 17% of the world’s total wheat production between 2000 and 2020.
The majority of China’s wheat is consumed domestically to meet the nation’s growing food needs. China is the world’s largest wheat consumer, accounting for approximately 19% of worldwide wheat consumption in 2020/21.
India is the second-largest wheat-producing nation. India has produced 12.5% of the world’s wheat over the past two decades. India, like China, retains the majority of its wheat domestically due to the country’s substantial food requirement.
Russia is the world’s largest wheat exporter and the third-largest wheat producer. In 2021, the country shipped wheat worth more than $7.3 billion, or around 13.1% of global wheat exports.
Impact of Russia and Ukraine on the Global Wheat Market
Due to the fact that both Russia and Ukraine are key global wheat producers, the protracted conflict between the two nations has wreaked havoc on the global wheat market.
The conflict has also affected neighbouring industries. For example, Russia is one of the world’s largest producers of fertiliser, and the conflict has led to a global fertiliser deficit, which could lead to global food shortages.
Bill Gates’s Role In Wheat Supply Shortage
Bill Gates owns about 270 thousand acres of farmland in the United States alone. He does not run them; for now, please contact a landlord. He did address nutrition and citizen health in relation to public health. But there are also other suspicions as to whether Gates is attempting to change the agricultural sector through technology, while others consider farmland investment as a smart hedge against economic uncertainty and as a long-term investment.
Wheat Production
This is another informative short documentary about wheat.
DIY Wheat?
Growing, harvesting, processing, and making bread
The ENTIRE process of working with wheat, from wheat seed to wheat plants to wheat processing to bread baking. This is a simple and economical method for growing and baking your own wheat, but it requires a tremendous lot of physical labour and time. This will take nearly a year to complete!
Summary
Wheat is an essential part of our everyday diet. Additionally, it is a global commodity. Due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the price of wheat will continue to rise. (These two nations are among the top ten producers of wheat) Does this, therefore, account for U.S. or worldwide inflation and its impact on global food security? Did Bill Gates profit from his ownership of a big piece of farmland in the United States? Or, can Gates affect the price of wheat in the United States?
