DISINFO: Grain harvested in Ukraine belongs to US companies, not Ukraine
SUMMARY
The wheat harvested on the territories of Ukraine is not Ukrainian. Three years ago the black soil territories of Ukraine were sold to three American companies, including Monsanto. They harvested it and it is their grain, not Ukraine's. Obviously, Ukraine is given a certain percentage from that for the budget, but this is a drop in the ocean. All the grain belongs to these American companies.
Only 2 ships full of grain went to African countries. The rest all went to European countries.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Ukraine, consistent with a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative aiming to deflect Russia’s responsibility for the growing food crisis and supply insecurity by claiming that most of Ukraine's grain ships are sent to rich European countries. This claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged.
The claim that American companies bought 17 million hectares of Ukrainian agricultural land is disinformation and has been previously debunked. In fact, the sale of agricultural land to foreigners and foreign companies is prohibited by Ukrainian law.
Regarding the claim that most of Ukraine’s grain shipments are sent to rich EU countries, it is easily rebutted by reviewing the database of the UN Black Sea Grain Initiative, showing that the majority of shipments headed for other countries, such as Turkey, Egypt, China, India, etc. Importantly, this doesn’t mean that these are the final destinations of the grain shipments as they are redistributed from receiving harbors to other countries. Furthermore, as of 17 November, the total tonnage of grain and other foodstuffs exported from the three Ukrainian ports is 11,186,228 million metric tons. A total of 941 voyages (470 inbound and 471 outbound) have been enabled so far.
See similar cases in our database, claiming that The West and Zelenskyy cause famine in Ukraine and beg Russia for help, that Russia suspended grain deal because all Ukrainian grain goes to Europe, that EU is causing a global food shortage by keeping all the grain from Ukraine, that Ukrainian grain does ot reach the poorest countries, that only 3% of Ukrainian grains end up in poor countries; the rest go to EU countries, or that Ukrainian grain goes to Europe instead of poor and developing countries.