What happens when bread is scarce and grain exporters speak up

When it comes to bread, the conversation can become politically charged very quickly.
 

From the French Revolution to the Arab Spring, price rises and food shortages have fuelled conflict, toppled leaders and overthrown regimes.
 

In the throes of a once-in-a-century pandemic, the headlines in many wealthier nations scream of empty supermarket shelves, of panic buying or the sudden sourdough craze among middle-class home bakers. Poorer nations like Ukraine, a major breadbasket, have limited grain exports and Vietnam, the world’s third-largest shipper of rice, has barred exports of its signature commodity.
 

The coronavirus has done more than disrupt supply chains, it’s