The Russia-Ukraine grain deal isn’t enough to halt a spiralling global food crisis

I spent the past three weeks criss-crossing war-ravaged Ukraine, talking to farmers under shelling and missile fire, writes Bel Trew

The global food catastrophe goes far beyond the 20 million tonnes of grain that have been stuck in Ukraine (REUTERS)

The deal was heralded as the breakthrough solution to looming world hunger, and the feared conflict and even mass migration that could follow in its wake. But less than 24 hours after the Turkish-brokered agreement to open Ukraine’s blockaded Black Sea ports was signed, Ukraine said Russia had bombed Odesa. Again.

The Black Sea port is the country’s largest and most important, and was the main focus of the deal to restart Ukraine’s stuck grain exports, a move which would help curb soaring global food prices. Under the terms of the agreement, a joint coordination centre staffed by members of the parties was to be set up to monitor ships transiting the Black Sea to Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait, and off to world markets. All sides agreed on Friday there would be no attacks on these entities.

And so, bombing Odesa just a day later throws the entire deal into question and shatters any grains of trust on the Ukrainian side.