In one of the most extreme cases of food protectionism since the start of the war in Ukraine, a ban on the export of palm oil from Indonesia went into effect on Thursday.

The largest supplier has imposed a total ban on the export of vegetable oil, covering palm oil products along the entire value chain. It's hard to overstate the importance of this tropical oil as it can be found everywhere today - in food, soap, lipstick and even printing ink, making this Indonesian step important for the whole world.

The decision exacerbates the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has thrown the global edible oil market into chaos. With food prices skyrocketing, governments around the world are taking steps to secure their own supplies. The United Nations has urged leaders to keep trade open, warning that protectionism will lead to higher prices and empty shelves in import-dependent countries.

'No turning back' - UN predicts hunger and poverty for more than one-fifth of humanity

The generous lands of Ukraine and Russia fed almost all of Europe. Ukraine is the fourth country in the world in terms of harvested corn: in 2021, farmers harvested 23 million tons, 55% of which were sent to Europe, 30% to China and South Korea. Also this year, they predict a decline in the volume of cereals by 35% - to 27.7 million tons. The wheat harvest will fall by half - to 16.7 million tons. Ukraine was the second grain supplier to the EU countries and one of the largest - to Asian markets and Africa. Sunflower will be harvested 30-40% less. The difficult situation with the sowing season continues in the rear territory of Ukraine - farmers cannot work without fuel, seeds and fertilizers. Already paid goods also do not reach them due to broken logistics.

Prices are forced to rise and rather low temperatures in April in four of the five corn states of America. With a delay, farmers from Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana entered the fields. Only 2% of the cultivated area was sown by farmers in Nebraska. And livestock and poultry farming is based on grain and corn. Accordingly, the market will also reduce the amount of meat with milk.

Suppliers, feeling that they can get rich on a scarce commodity in the future, are already raising prices - corn futures in Chicago broke a decade-long record of eight dollars per bushel (a box of 38.6 kg).

Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said Europe can no longer switch from gas to green energy.

Green energy became super costly due to metals inflation and transport fees.

The number of active Russian-speaking authors on the YouTube platform decreased by 21% in the period from February 24 to April 20. This is indicated by the results of the Brand Analytics study, which also noted a significant decrease in the interest of users from Russia in Instagram* and TikTok services.

More than a million sheep and cows need to be disposed of in Northern Ireland to meet commitments to protect the planet's climate, KPMG says April 22, reports The Guardian.

According to their calculations, in order to save the planet, farmers must kill over 500,000 cattle and somewhere around 700,000 sheep. This is explained by the fact that the livestock of cattle and sheep breathe air, exhale carbon dioxide, and in addition, they emit a huge amount of manure.

KPMG has already calculated that the contribution of agriculture to the total carbon dioxide emissions in the region is as much as 27%. At the same time, most of the meat products of Northern Ireland are export-oriented. Sheep and cow meat is supplied from here to the UK, China and the USA.

At the same time, Europe has already set the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Such ambitious goals are explained by the fact that carbon dioxide and methane, being greenhouse gases, supposedly affect the warming of the Earth's climate.

However, some scientists on this issue have alternative points of view. They believe that carbon dioxide is useful for the Earth's biosphere, as it provides the planet's vegetation with its building material - carbon.

The Daily Telegraph announced sanctions against countries that have not abandoned Russian gas and oil. Sanctions will be imposed on all industrial products. First of all, we are talking about Germany. Buying Russian gas, Germany sponsors the war in Ukraine.

• only 43.4% of renters said they are likely to be able to buy their own house ever. For the first time in US history, this bar has fallen below 50%;
• at the same time, the cost of rent is growing above the official inflation and in 2022 the expectation of an increase in its cost is 11.5%, but these are expectations, the reality can be much worse - in 2021 the cost of rent has already increased by 17%, exceeding the official inflation several times;