USAID Administrator Samantha Power said that food shortages caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine could lead farmers to drop fertilizer in favor of more environmentally friendly options such as manure and compost, a development she said would be a silver lining of the dire situation.

Powers said on ABC News’s This Week that the war in Ukraine has limited fertilizer exports from Russia. “Fertilizer shortages are real now,” she said. “As a result, we’re working with countries to think about natural solutions like manure and compost, and this may hasten transitions that would have been in the interest of farmers to make eventually.”


“Never let a crisis go to waste,” Powers added.

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The use of fertilizers is thought to degrade soil and limit its ability to capture carbon. Still, many poor countries depend on the use of fertilizer to boost yields to feed their populations.

Powers's remarks drew criticism from Republicans.


In the interview, Powers noted the Biden administration is pressing Congress to authorize additional humanitarian funds to help avoid “cascading deadly effects of Russia’s war” in areas such as Africa and the Middle East, which received roughly 80-90% of their wheat and grain imports from Russia and Ukraine before the war.

Her remarks come as food prices globally have spiked roughly 34% from the previous year.

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President Biden said late last week that his administration had sent Congress a request for an additional $33 billion in humanitarian and military funds for Ukraine. “We really do need this financial support from the Congress to be able to meet emergency food needs,” Powers said of the request, “so we don’t see the cascading deadly effects of Russia’s war extend into Africa and beyond."