One of the Most Fertile Nations Wants to Feed the World

Ukraine will introduce long-awaited land reforms next month just as food prices rise to the highest in almost a decade.

Ukraine is the biggest exporter of sunflower oil.Photographer: Evgeniy Maloletka/Bloomberg
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It was nicknamed the bread basket of the Soviet Union, and now Ukraine might finally be able to start living up to its agricultural potential in an era when the world appears to need it most.

On July 1, a new law will allow the buying and selling of farmland for the first time in two decades. The government says the advent of a functioning market means one of the most fertile places on the planet is the first step toward bigger, more efficient farming by fostering investment.