A critical agreement to prevent a worldwide food catastrophe has been extended. Everything you need to know is right here.

Turkey and Ukraine have reached an agreement to extend the Black Sea grain deal, which has enabled the safe passage of ships from Ukraine since last summer. This is the first and only major pact to be made between the warring sides since the outbreak of the war. Russia had been blocking vital grain exports from key Ukrainian Black Sea ports, including Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi, and US intelligence indicated that Russian forces were deploying mines in the Black Sea. The impact of the war on global food markets was immediate and extremely painful, especially because Ukraine is a major supplier of grain to the World Food Programme (WFP). Ukraine accounts for 10% of the world wheat market, 15% of the corn market, and 13% of the barley market, and is a key global player in the market of sunflower oil.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned at the time that 47 million people could be pushed into “acute food insecurity” due to the war. The UN and Turkey brokered a deal with Russia and Ukraine to ensure the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports. As part of the deal, grain ships were able to navigate through a safe corridor in the Black Sea under the direction of Ukrainian pilots, and then pass through the Bosphorus Strait in north-west Turkey. Since being struck, an estimated 900 ships have safely left Black Sea ports, delivering 24 million tons of grain to countries as far afield as Africa and the Middle East.