Quote Originally Posted by thaimeme
The old saying: The bread basket of Europe.
Sorry, it is wrong: It had been always the Ukraine. However, with the US involvement, it has changed...

Ukraine: From Breadbasket To Basket Case
March 4, 2014
Ukraine was known as the breadbasket of the Soviet Union for its fertile fields of wheat. Now it's just a basket case. The outgoing finance minister said the country needed $35 billion to stave off bankruptcy over the next couple years.

Ukraine: From Breadbasket To Basket Case : Parallels : NPR