“The breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine, has for years exported vast quantities of grain through the Black Sea. But after Russia’s invasion disrupted those routes, the EU stepped in, removing tariffs and establishing solidarity lanes, or alternative land routes that would allow Ukrainian cereals to reach other countries by passing through Eastern Europe.” The article adds, “cheap Ukrainian grain entered their markets, and stayed—sparking an uproar among local farmers.” – writes Foreign Policy in an article analyzing the current situation around imports of Ukrainian grain through Eastern Europe.
The article quotes Joseph Glauber, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, who said: “This is just one of the consequences of the war, in the sense that this isn’t where grain would normally be traded. If you’re a Ukraine exporter, you’re not typically selling it to other countries in Eastern Europe that have their own grain supplies. You’re selling it to places where there are grain deficits.”
“If those countries were to shut off any access out through the solidarity lanes, that would create even more problems within Ukraine in terms of lower prices,” Glauber added.
Read the entire article with more comments from Joseph Glauber.