Liberia, Sept. 30 -- When we hear about the war in Ukraine, it can feel distant - something happening far away that doesn't touch our lives in Liberia. It is tempting to view it as a political dispute between foreign nations that has little to do with the daily realities in Monrovia, Gbarnga, or Harper. But in today's deeply interconnected global economy, no nation is an island. What happens in the Black Sea directly affects market stalls, kitchen tables, and family budgets here in Liberia.

By Zoltan Szalai, contributing writer

Before the war, Ukraine was known as the "breadbasket of the world." It supplied 15 percent of the world's corn, 10 percent of its wheat, and half of all sunflower oil. These are not just numbers; they are the in...