Blocking Ukrainian ports and stopping food exports from Ukraine became one of the key global challenges in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

On July 22, 2022, an agreement was signed in Istanbul to unblock Ukrainian ports for the export of grain. The document is entitled “Initiative for safe transportation of grain and food products from Ukrainian ports.”

During the war, the grain maritime corridor provides 60 percent of all grain and food exports from Ukraine. This is extremely important on a global scale because Ukraine provides food for 400 million people around the world, and this is not the limit.

In November 2022, the “Initiative for safe transportation of agricultural products across the Black Sea” was extended for another 120 days. The United Nations and Turkey remained guarantors of the Initiative.

It should be noted that Ukrainian agricultural exports today remain an effective tool for countering the global food crisis. In total, since the start of the “Grain Corridor” from August 1 to December 22, 2022, Ukraine managed to export 14.2 million tons of food. Food has been sent to Asia, Africa and Europe. During the operation of the “Grain Corridor,” more than 400 ships with cargo departed from Ukraine.

Read the full article about the Ukrainian grain corridor by Vitalii Dankevych at Food Tank.