Russia's support for authoritarian regimes through food trade

The article explores the ramifications of Russia's food hegemony. Russia is already a grain hegemon and other commodities are trending in that direction. From its hegemonic position, weaponised food trade allows Russia to convert its resource power to support an authoritarian ecosystem. Russia&...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Post-communist economies 2024-08, Vol.36 (6), p.672-694
Main Author: Wegren, Stephen K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
authoritarian regimes
Authoritarianism
food exports
food hegemony
Food security
Free trade
Grain
Hegemony
Imports
Russia
wheat exports
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Summary:The article explores the ramifications of Russia's food hegemony. Russia is already a grain hegemon and other commodities are trending in that direction. From its hegemonic position, weaponised food trade allows Russia to convert its resource power to support an authoritarian ecosystem. Russia's food trade benefits itself and other authoritarian regimes. Grain imports from Russia help maintain food security in authoritarian states, and indirectly, their political stability. The use of grain trade to support authoritarian regimes is important because doing so strengthens countries that do not share Western values. Weaponised food trade further undermines the free trade values that underlie the current global order.
ISSN:1463-1377
1465-3958
DOI:10.1080/14631377.2024.2326341