Israel on Monday signed a grain deal with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to form a first-of-its-kind regional alliance with the Muslim countries for the supply of wheat. 

The agreement will reportedly guarantee all of Israel's wheat needs, against the backdrop of the global food crisis amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. According to reports, the deal is “long term” and was developed out of Israel’s desire to diversify its sources of wheat. 

Every year, Israel imports over 90 percent of the wheat it consumes – mainly for animal feed. The war in Ukraine, and even earlier the economic impact of Covid, has made it much more difficult for the Jewish state to import goods, causing a stark price increase in goods. 

In return for the wheat, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan will receive from Israel advanced technologies in the field of agriculture. 

“As part of the vision that we lead in the Agriculture Ministry to ensure food security… today, we are advancing another significant step toward ensuring agricultural produce, most of which is not produced in Israel,” said Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter.

“In this period of global uncertainty, many countries are interested in advancing with us out of common interests. We will continue to create more partnerships between the State of Israel and other countries, thereby ensuring food security for the citizens of Israel.”

According to the United Nations, there will be some two billion people in the world suffering from hunger by 2050. This will be due to, among other things, climate change and the decrease in wheat production as long as Russia’s assault on Ukraine continues.