A labourer cleans rice paddy at a grain market in Jalandhar on October 14, 2024. Picture: AFP
Image: Picture: AFP
In the past year, BRICS+ has quietly positioned itself as a dominant force in global agricultural trade, a shift that could have profound implications for food security, trade, and economic sovereignty.
While much attention has been paid to the bloc’s push toward de-dollarisation and energy independence, its growing hold over the world’s grain supply is emerging as an equally significant development.
With the introduction of the BRICS+ Grain Exchange in 2024, the bloc has taken a decisive step toward controlling grain exports, stabilising prices, and reducing reliance on Western-controlled agricultural markets. BRICS+ nations now account for over 50% of global grain production, positioning them as the primary suppliers of wheat, corn, and other essential food staples.
At a time when food security is increasingly weaponised in international politics–the ability of BRICS+ to control who eats and at what price for themselves–could redefine the global economic order.
A Record-Breaking Agricultural Boom
Despite concerns over climate volatility and economic disruptions, global grain production in 2025 is projected to reach 2.31 billion tons, even after a downward revision of 10 million tons. Much of this resilience can be attributed to BRICS+ nations, which continue to break records in agricultural output.
China remains the world’s largest producer, with an estimated 706.5 million tons of grain, while Brazil is expected to reach 322.3 million tons, cementing its role as a leading supplier of soybeans and corn. Russia, a major wheat exporter, has recorded 125 million tons of grain production, with India following closely behind at over 110 million tons. South Africa, though smaller in scale at 15.2 million tons, remains a crucial maize exporter for the African continent.
Beyond the founding BRICS members, new entrants and partner countries have strengthened the bloc’s agricultural dominance. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are key wheat producers, while Indonesia and Malaysia bring rice and palm oil into the equation. Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have been investing in grain storage and production, ensuring long-term food security for the Middle East. Meanwhile, Nigeria and Uganda are expanding grain production to meet Africa’s growing demand.
This consolidation of food production and trade under BRICS+ has raised questions about whether the bloc will use its newfound leverage to dictate global grain markets, much like OPEC has done with oil.
The BRICS+ Grain Exchange: A Direct Challenge to Western Agricultural Markets
The BRICS+ Grain Exchange, launched in 2024, represents a fundamental shift in global agricultural trade. Designed to facilitate intra-bloc grain transactions in local currencies, the exchange bypasses Western-controlled grain markets and pricing mechanisms, reducing dependence on US and EU-based agricultural systems.
For decades, Western nations have used grain as an economic and political tool, imposing export bans, trade sanctions, and price manipulations that disproportionately affect developing economies. The BRICS+ Grain Exchange directly challenges this model by creating an independent trade platform that allows Global South nations to secure stable grain supplies at fair prices.
By moving away from dollar-based pricing and prioritising trade among BRICS+ nations, the exchange enhances food security for member states while also giving them the ability to influence global food prices on their own terms.
For example, the success of OPEC in controlling oil markets has demonstrated the power of commodity-based alliances in shaping global trade. Now, BRICS+ appears to be following a similar path with grain production.
By coordinating wheat exports, managing corn production, and establishing trade agreements outside Western frameworks, BRICS+ could create a structured agricultural supply mechanism capable of influencing global food security policies.
If BRICS+ successfully consolidates grain trade regulations and pricing strategies, it could redefine who gets access to affordable food, which countries depend on BRICS+ supply chains, and how agricultural markets function globally.
A New Era in Global Agriculture
The emergence of BRICS+ as the world’s leading grain producer and exporter signals a profound shift in global food security and trade. No longer dependent on Western pricing systems and trade networks, BRICS+ is creating an independent agricultural framework that prioritises food security, economic sovereignty, and South-South cooperation.
As global power continues to decentralise, the question is not whether BRICS+ will dominate food production, it already does. The real question is: How will the world adapt to this new reality, where the power to feed nations is increasingly shifting toward BRICS+?
This transformation is not just about economics, it is about the ability to shape global governance, trade relations, and the very foundation of food security in an increasingly multipolar world.
Written by:
*Dr Iqbal Survé
Past chairman of the BRICS Business Council and co-chairman of the BRICS Media Forum and the BRNN
*Chloe Maluleke
Associate at BRICS+ Consulting Group
Russian & Middle Eastern Specialist
**The Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL.