The Invasion and Conflict Disrupting World Wheat Exports

"[Ukraine produces] enough [grain] to feed around 400 million people around the world, but right now millions of metric tons of grain are sitting in silos and stranded on ships unable to move because of the conflict [because the Russian military has cut off access to the Black and Azov Seas, forcing Ukraine to shut its ports facilities]."

"The conflict in Ukraine is compounding what is already a year of unprecedented hunger, transforming a series of terrible hunger crises into a global food crisis."

Julie Marshall, spokeswoman, UN World Food Program

"The adoption of this measure [to close Ukrainian ports] is caused by the impossibility of servicing ships and passengers, carrying out cargo, transport and other related economic activities, ensuring the appropriate level of safety of navigation."

Ukrainian agriculture ministry

A view shows a port in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern city of Mariupol, Ukraine April 29, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko/File Photo

In Canada, Members of Parliament were informed by Ukraine's ambassador to Canada that Russian troops, aside from blocking ports, have also been raiding Ukrainian wheat stores for transport to countries that normally rely onUkrainian and Russian grains. Farm machinery has also been destroyed by the invading Russians as acts of pure malicious sabotage. The World Food Program has warned that African and Middle East nations reliant on Ukrainian grain might face starvation.  

Ukraine is known as one of the largest producers of wheat and sunflower oil in the world. Developing countries including Lebanon and Bangladesh, rely on shipments of grain from Ukraine. Exports through Ukrainian ports such as Odesa and by rail, now are in a situation given the conflict where it is not possible to continue shipping out grain as per usual. Because of the Russian invasion Ukraine is unable to transport its wheat to countries that rely on wheat as a staple.

Russia, according to Canada's International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan, deliberately barred Ukrainian wheat exports to enable it to falsely blame countries of the west for having created hunger in developing nations. "They are trying to garner this false narrative", he said in an interview. "Ukraine is a bread basket for the developing world." As it happens, Canada too is known for its massive wheat exports and has offered to develop plans to help ship Ukrainian wheat to destinations previously reliant on that source to secure the food staple.

As one of the world's largest exporters of wheat, Canada's agriculture minister, in attendance at a G7 agriculture meeting, offered Canada's expertise to give assistance to Ukraine in exporting its wheat to its usual recipients. As such, Canada now stands poised to send cargo ships to ports in Romania and other neighbouring countries in the interests of helping Ukraine transport its wheat to Africa and the Middle East.