Зерно з України | |
Formation | November 26, 2022 |
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Purpose | food security[1] |
Grain From Ukraine (Ukrainian: Зерно з України) is a humanitarian food program that was launched on November 26, 2022, on the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the Holodomor of 1932–1933, by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to supply grain to the poorest countries in Africa.[2]
Prior to 2022, Ukraine was one of the key World Food Programme grain suppliers and the world's 4th largest grain exporter. The country also accounted for over 15% of global corn exports, 10% of wheat, 15-20% of barley and over 50% of sunflower oil.[3] The blockade of Ukrainian ports by the Black Sea Fleet in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion interrupted grain exports, rapidly increasing global food prices and fueling food crises, greatly increasing the risk of famine in the poorest countries.[4]
David Beasley, the Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme, has estimated that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed around 70 million people to the brink of starvation worldwide.[5]
Grain exports from Ukraine were resumed within the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July and August 2022.[4] From August to November 2022, over 11 billion tons of supplies went to 38 countries, and WFP and USAID resumed humanitarian shipments to the poorest countries.[6]
The Grain from Ukraine program was proposed by the president Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the 2022 G20 Bali summit as a way to support humanitarian shipments to the countries in need and Ukrainian grain producers.[7][8][9] The initiative was officially launched on November 26, 2022, at the International Summit on Food Security in Kyiv, held on the 90th anniversary of Holodomor.[10][11]
Ukrainian authorities emphasized that the Grain from Ukraine program aims to highlight the role of Ukraine as a responsible member of the global community and to challenge the Russian propaganda which puts the blame for the food crises on Ukraine and its Western partners.[11]
To date, the Grain from Ukraine program has accumulated financial support of around 220 million USD, and more than thirty countries and international organizations have joined the initiative.[12] The Ukrainian Government is working to increase the number of donor countries participating and the financial contributions received to the program.
The goal of the Grain from Ukraine program is to prevent famine and provide food to no less than 5 million people in the poorest countries of Africa and Asia, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Sudan, Southern Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Kenya, and Nigeria. Grain from Ukraine is due to be expanded, with support provided to more countries including Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, Djibouti, Liberia, Mauritania, Lebanon, and others.[13]
Ukrainian authorities have scheduled around 60 shipments to take place under the program, each providing food to up to 90 thousand people.[14] Donor countries purchase the grain from a separate pool, accumulating harvest from small and medium-sized farms. The freight costs are covered by the Grain from Ukraine program participants.[8][9][15]
Since the start of the initiative, 170,000 tons of wheat have been sent to countries facing food insecurity and famine.[16] Notable shipments include:
Ukraine has also established the International Co-ordination Group for the Prevention of Hunger, which includes representatives of governments, corporations and philanthropists who can directly influence the food needs of millions of people around the world.[21] The Co-ordination Group will develop a joint global action program – a roadmap to prevent the global food crisis from worsening. The World Food Programme, together with Ukraine and donor countries, is identifying recipient countries for Ukrainian grain among those facing acute food shortages.
Donations to Grain from Ukraine total around US$220 million from over 30 countries and international organizations.[7]
As of March 2024, seven ‘Grain from Ukraine’ ambassadors have been appointed to promote the program and its impact on alleviating hunger around the world: