Russia Leaves Grain Deal, Affecting Food Supply

Russia said it will not extend an international deal that allows safe shipment of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. The Black Sea Grain Initiative is set to expire next Monday.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, this deal was brokered by the United Nations a year ago to help curb food prices, as Ukraine is one of the biggest grain producers in Europe, the country is often referred to as the breadbasket of Europe. Ukraine was the eighth-largest producer of corn and the ninth-largest producer of wheat.

The Black Sea Gran Imitative was signed in July 2022, and would allow ships to travel safely from the Ukrainian ports of Odessa, Yuzhny, and Chornomorsk to Istanbul without being attacked by Russian forces.

This agreement also came with another deal that would facilitate shipments of Russian food and fertilizer, but this part of the deal has not been implemented.

45 countries across three continents have received food under the deal, with China receiving about 25% of the exports. Since  developed countries are the ones receiving more food they will also be the most affected by the expiration of the deal.

The UN said the deal allowed the World Food Programme (WFP) to transport food to help people in countries hit by war and extreme weather events. The three countries under the WFP who received more grains from Ukraine were Ethiopia, Yemen, and Afghanistan.

With Russia leaving the deal, food prices may go up again.