The deal that allows Ukraine to export grain across the Black Sea has been extended for two months.
Thanks to the agreement, more than 30 million tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs have been shipped out of the Black Sea through a safe corridor.
Russia had been threatening to pull out of the deal, saying Western sanctions were hampering its own agricultural exports.
Why was the grain deal needed?
Ukraine is a major exporter of sunflower, maize, wheat and barley.
When Russia invaded in February 2022, its naval vessels blockaded Ukraine’s ports, trapping some 20 million tonnes of grain.
That sent global food prices soaring.
Food supplies were particularly threatened in Middle Eastern and African countries, which rely heavily on Ukrainian grain.
The UN says prices of staple foods rose across these regions by an average of 30%. It warned that 44 million people in 38 countries were facing “emergency levels of hunger”.
“UN officials were worried about the Horn of Africa, where drought was already pushing countries towards famine conditions, and a lack of grain was making things worse,” says Richard Gowan from The International Crisis Group, which works to prevent conflict.
Ukraine grain deal needed to feed world – WFP head
How can the deal be extended?
The arrangement between Ukraine and Russia is meant to be extended for 120 days at a time.
But in March, Russia agreed to extend it by 60 days only, and it did the same in May.
It wants its own producers to be able to export more food and fertiliser to the rest of the world, but says Western sanctions are hampering them.
There are no specific sanctions against Russian agricultural exports, but Moscow argues other restrictions mean international banks, insurers and shippers are reluctant to do business with its exporters.
Russia previously withdrew from the deal in November 2022, accusing Ukraine of launching a “massive” drone attack on its fleet in Crimea from vessels in the safe shipping corridor.
However, it rejoined a few days later.
How does the grain corridor work?
On 22 July 2022, Russia and Ukraine signed the Black Sea Grain Initiative, with the support of the UN and Turkey.
It let cargo ships pass safely through the Black Sea to and from the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi.
The first grain shipments started in early August, using a corridor 310 nautical miles long and three nautical miles wide.
According to the UN’s Joint Coordination Centre (JCC), which oversees the scheme, more than 30 million tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs have been shipped from Ukraine, as well as fertiliser.
These extra supplies were a major factor in lowering world food prices.
Prices started falling in spring 2022, ahead of an expected deal, and are now lower than they were before Russia’s invasion.
How much grain is being exported?
Ukraine is exporting 30% less food that it did before the Russian invasion, according to its agriculture ministry.
This is partly because farmers are producing less, due to the fighting across large parts of the country.
However, Ukraine’s government says Russia has been delaying cargo ships heading to ports to pick up produce.
Under the deal, Russia has the right to inspect ships to make sure they aren’t bringing cargo into Ukraine, such as weapons.
“Ukraine has accused it of being overly picky with the inspections,” says Bridget Diakun, from the shipping journal Lloyds List.
“There is usually a queue of about 100 ships in the entrance to the Black Sea.”
Where are Ukraine’s exports going?
Only about a quarter of Ukraine’s food exports have been going to the world’s poorest countries, according to UN figures:
47% has gone to “high-income countries” including Spain, Italy and the Netherlands
26% has gone to “upper-middle income countries” such as Turkey and China
27% has gone to “low and lower-middle income countries” like Egypt, Kenya and Sudan
Russian president Vladimir Putin has criticised Ukraine for not exporting more of its foodstuffs to developing countries.
However, the UN says the exports have benefited needy people around the world because they calmed international food markets, bringing food prices under control.
In 2022, more than half of the wheat grain procured by the United Nations World Food Programme came from Ukraine.
Between August 2022 and the end of the year, it sent 13 ships from Ukraine carrying a total of over 380,000 tonnes of wheat to Ethiopia, Yemen, Djibouti, Somalia and Afghanistan.
Source: BBC