Due to its fertile soils, vast arable land and established place in world markets, Ukraine is called the "breadbasket of the world". With 41.3 million hectares of agricultural land, two-thirds of which is black soil – the most fertile soil in the world, the country achieves high crop productivity with minimal use of fertilizers, irrigation, labor, and heavy machinery.
Ukraine's grain surplus has fed both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, and since the country's independence in 1991, Ukraine has become a major supplier of food to the world, especially to the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.
Before Russia's invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's agriculture generated nearly 24 billion euros in export revenue, or 41% of the country's total exports, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, the consequences of the war have been devastating - both for the economy of the invaded country and for global food security. Russia has seized large areas of Ukrainian arable land, and Russia's naval blockade, missile strikes, and mines in the Black Sea have halted almost all shipments along Ukraine's main export route. Export volumes plunged by more than 90% in early 2022 compared to the same period the previous year, leading to a surge in global food prices and a deepening hunger crisis in countries dependent on Ukrainian imports.
War leads to decline in grain exports
Before the Russian invasion, Ukraine provided about 8% of global wheat exports, 13% of corn exports and 12% of barley exports. It also supplied 40-50% of the world's sunflower oil, Natalia Shpigotska of the Kiev-based investment company Dragon Capital told DW. “Lower grain supplies and uncertainty about the prospects for commercial shipping in the Black Sea have pushed international grain prices up sharply to €345 per tonne, affecting the availability of basic foodstuffs worldwide,“ she said.
The attack on Ukraine led to a 29% drop in grain production in 2022/23, while the Russian occupation, mines and labour shortages have left 22% of arable land unsown. The Kremlin has been accused of using food security as a weapon: in the first two years of the war, more than 300 agricultural sites went out of business due to Russian attacks, and in 2022 alone, more than 500,000 tonnes of grain were stolen. It was not until August of that year that the Ukrainian armed forces managed to repel the Russian Black Sea Fleet, using naval drones and Western anti-ship missiles. A particularly heavy blow to the Kremlin was the sinking of the cruiser “Moskva“. A year later, world grain prices stabilized around their pre-war levels.
Russia has recently stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was launched in July 2022, reopened three of Ukraine's ports, allowing for the export of 33 million tons of grain from Ukraine by July 2023. And through the European Union's so-called “solidarity corridors“ through Poland, Romania and Bulgaria (including ships on the Danube River), almost half of the available Ukrainian grain for export has reached Europe - despite the blockade by Russia. All these efforts have increased Ukraine’s exports to 64 million tonnes in 2023/24 (about 75% of pre-war levels), which has had a stabilizing effect on global food security.
Ukraine makes a crucial contribution to feeding African countries
However, in September, Ukraine saw a 38% drop in agricultural exports compared to the same month last year, partly as a result of increased Russian attacks on Black Sea ports. Shipments through the Ukrainian port of Odessa have decreased by almost a third, according to the Ukrainian Grain Association.
The forecast for the entire 2025/26 season is not particularly optimistic, with Ukraine’s grain harvest expected to fall by 10% to around 51 million tonnes – again for reasons related to the ongoing war.
However, experts note that Ukraine's contribution remains crucial for the world: its exports are like a lifeline for many regions of the world with insecure food supplies. In this sense, Ukraine fills gaps that no one else can on such a scale. One example: in 2023, the UN World Food Program purchased 80% of its grain from Ukraine to feed about 400 million people in war-torn Yemen and Ethiopia, as well as in other countries.
War is not the only factor
In addition to the war, which has cost Ukraine more than $80 billion so far, there are other obstacles. About 20% of Ukraine's population, about 7.3 million people, still suffer from food shortages. The $55.5 billion needed to rebuild Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure has not been fully secured. Land prices, especially agricultural land, have risen sharply in the past two years.
The EU's restrictions on imports of some Ukrainian agricultural products, imposed in 2024, have caused tension between Kiev and some EU countries such as Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, as imports from Ukraine are serious competition for their local producers and lead to an oversupply on the market.
Farmers risk their lives
“Ukrainian farmers near the front line are encountering landmines, suffering losses from destroyed irrigation systems and drone and missile attacks“, Natalia Shpigotska of Dragon Capital told DW. “Yet they ensure food security in the country and supply grains, oils and proteins to world markets, overcoming extraordinary difficulties.“
Despite many challenges, Ukraine continues to fulfill its role as the “breadbasket of Europe“. But to feed millions of needy people around the world, the war must end and a lasting peace must be imposed - along with measures to guarantee harvests and stimulate trade.
Author: Nick Martin