Trilateral Memorandum of Understanding on the Grain Verification Scheme between Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Latvia

The parties will use scientific methods to verify the origin of grain in order to combat grain exports from temporarily occupied territories

Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Latvia are stepping up their cooperation to combat grain exports from temporarily occupied territories that are claimed to belong to Ukraine. The three countries signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding on the Grain Verification Scheme (GVS) on 21 October 2026. The document sets out mechanisms for the joint verification of the origin of agricultural products using scientific methods. The aim is to identify suspicious grain shipments and establish an evidence base regarding potential exports.

The memorandum was signed by three ministers

The memorandum was signed by Taras Vysotskyi, Ukraine’s Minister for Agricultural Policy and Food; Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); and Uldis Augulis, Latvia’s Minister for Agriculture.

The signing ceremony took place as a follow-up to the agreements reached at a working meeting between Ukraine and Latvia held in Riga on 25 September 2026. At that meeting, the parties had agreed on practical steps for the implementation of the GVS and had reached a consensus on the preparation of a trilateral memorandum involving the United Kingdom.

The Grain Verification Scheme, which will serve as the key instrument of this cooperation, enables the geographical origin of agricultural products to be determined through isotopic and chemical analysis. Samples taken for this purpose will be compared against a reference database containing information on products of verified origin. The verification process will cover wheat, maize, barley and sunflower seeds.

According to the parties, this approach will help to identify shipments of dubious origin and to obtain scientifically based data suggesting that these products may have been illegally exported from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

Minister Vysotskyi stated that Russia has no right to profit from Ukrainian grain exported from the occupied territories. Vysotskyi stated that agricultural products must not be allowed to enter global markets under the guise of legally sourced goods, adding that this requires reliable evidence and coordinated action by international partners. According to Vysotskyi, the grain verification scheme will ensure that the product’s origin is scientifically confirmed and will create additional opportunities in the fight against illicit trade. The Minister emphasised that any attempt to legitimise stolen Ukrainian grain must be met with an appropriate response.

The signed memorandum also sets out the mechanisms for cooperation between the three countries. The document provides for access to the GVS system by the competent authorities, the sharing of scientific data and the coordination of the work of specialised laboratories. To ensure effective cooperation, the parties will appoint authorised representatives, hold regular technical consultations and coordinate joint actions in the event of the detection of suspicious consignments of agricultural products.