Shrinking food supplies, soaring prices could trigger global unrest, key GOP lawmaker warns

With U.S. and world food prices set to soar due to inflation and supply shortages stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a key GOP lawmaker is asking the Pentagon to study the potential for conflict if the global food supply shrinks by 5%.

U.S. farmers will pay $300-$400 more per acre to grow crops this year due to inflation and costs associated with the war in Europe, Georgia Republican Rep. Austin Scott warned Monday on the Just the News TV show. 

Shipping is another issue, as trade is throttled by war-related disruptions and tough economic sanctions against Russia.

"Based on what I'm hearing from our farmers, you've got tremendous potential for food shortage globally, because of all of the trade in the Black Sea being shut down," Scott told show hosts John Solomon and Amanda Head.

Russia and Ukraine are major producers of wheat, Scott said. Russia and Ukraine produce about 30% of the world's wheat, per Politico.

Scott noted that Ukraine exports millions of metric tons of wheat and corn annually. "I think it's probably reasonable to expect that that will not be in the world food supply," he said. 

Russia will also face problems growing food as agricultural technology manufacturers such as John Deere and Caterpillar break ties with the country over Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion.

"I'm concerned about what's happening in America, because we're going to be paying more for our groceries," Scott said. "I will tell you from a from a global standpoint, I think other countries are going to be faring far, far worse."

Scott said he has asked U.S. military leaders "to look into what a 5% reduction in the global food supply looks like from the standpoint of geopolitical unrest and economics around the world."