Every year, the civilized world celebrates World Food Safety Day. For a long time, Ukraine has been suffering from an inadequate neighbor that exports grain. Find out more about how much grain and other products the aggressor has exported

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Every year, the world celebrates World Food Safety Day on June 7. Food safety is an important component of a stable and fulfilling life. It is on this day that humanity draws the attention of the public and governments to the quality of food, the problems of a balanced diet and the availability of food for all.

The aggressor country of russia, which has crossed most of the red lines of civilized society, has also jeopardized the world's food security. Read how much grain russia has stolen, what are the consequences of blocking Ukrainian grain, and how Ukraine is preventing them.

How many tons of grain has russia exported from Ukraine?

In 2022, the occupiers actively exported the crops that Ukrainians managed to harvest under fire. According to Taras Vysotskyi, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, 400 thousand tons of grain were exported from the occupied territories of the South and East.

For more information on why Ukrainian grain has always been important to the world, please follow this link.

Various organizations have estimated the damage caused by the grain theft. Last year, the Associated Press and PBS conducted an investigation and determined that russia had stolen $530 million worth of grain. Their reports indicate that the occupier took out 400,000 to 500,000 tons of grain.

In 2023, the Ukrainian Grain Association shared new figures. According to their data, russia has exported about 4 million tons of grain since the beginning of the full-scale war.

In particular, the KSE Institute's Center for Food and Land Use Research released information that russia has stolen $613 million worth of grains and oilseeds. And the losses for agriculture are even greater - almost $30 billion.

Keep in mind that the estimate was made last year, so this year's figures may be much higher.

The blockade of seaports caused the greatest damage, amounting to $11.9 billion, rather than the export of grain. In addition, Ukraine lost revenue due to lower production, unharvested winter crops, and destroyed machinery.

Selling stolen Ukrainian food

Grain was transported from the occupied territories to Crimea and then tried to be sold to other countries. In May 2022, the aggressor tried to sell 27 thousand tons of grain to Egypt, but the country refused to buy it. Then the grain was sent to Syria and Lebanon. There was a case when Lebanon refused to buy Ukrainian grain. Thus, Syria remains the largest buyer of stolen grain - since the beginning of the invasion, the country has bought about 100 thousand tons of wheat. 

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Risks of losing Ukrainian grain for the world

In the first months of the full-scale invasion, the UN predicted that the disappearance of Ukrainian grain from the world trade chains could lead to world hunger. That's because Ukrainian grain accounted for 10% of global exports.

In addition, in 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations published data confirming that Ukraine was the leader in the sunflower oil market with a share of about 45% and became the third-largest producer of corn, barley, and rapeseed.

Fortunately, the Ukrainian government was able to avoid the global crisis. The "Grain from Ukraine" initiative was a lifesaver for poor African countries. The world supported this project, as each ship with Ukrainian grain will provide food for 90 thousand people. Read more about Grain from Ukraine here.

How does russia's blowing up of the Kakhovka dam plant threaten food security?

On the night of June 6, russia insidiously blew up the Kakhovka dam. In addition to damage to buildings, animal deaths and human injuries, the destruction of the dam has jeopardized crops in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions.

Read more about the consequences and scale of the disaster, as well as useful contacts for evacuation, in our article.

Southern regions of Ukraine often suffer from drought, so the water of the Kakhovka Reservoir has been saving crops every year. Now the sowing season is under threat, and this is a problem for both Ukraine and the world. Every day, russia creates threats that can increase hunger in the world. However, strong and resilient Ukrainians are making every effort to protect their country and the world from the food crisis.

As you know, the aggressor claims everything from cultural treasures to mineral deposits. So the invader's plunder is not limited to food. Follow the link to find out what mineral deposits the occupier has seized and what the consequences are for Ukraine.

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