More than 30,000 houeholds received seeds and cash transfers from FAO and this has helped to reinforce the local economy and build resiliency.FAO is also working on reducing fossil fuel consumption in the agricultural sector and exploring options such as solar energy and bio-fuels. This ultimately saved the 2022 harvest and stabilized the global situation. In that sense their preoccupations around harvests, their livestock, maintaining production and selling to markets are very much similar to the concerns of other farmers I have met around the world in places like Mali, Ethiopia, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. I am impressed by the solidarity of farmers in Ukraine, who are motivated to restart their production, resume their normal lives and provide agricultural products for their communities, despite being affected by circumstances outside their control. Agricultural businesses, particularly the larger ones, were seriously affected at all levels, but they turned out to be extremely resilient, and demonstrated an ability to reorganize and resume operations. FAO’s goal is to remove half a million households, or one million people in rural areas, from humanitarian assistance by the end of 2023 and to enable them to become self-sufficient and thus contribute to reviving the rural economy. FAO/Dmytro Koreniev
There is an estimated one million hectares of land affected by mines and unexploded ordnance left in the fields.
Avoiding the collapse of agricultural production
UN agencies have helped secure power generators so food production can continue in Ukraine. Security remains a major concern, especially for our staff, who often live on the outskirts of the cities where we are based. But we remain vigilant about exposing ourselves to unnecessary risk.” The fall in agricultural production of between 30% and 40% due to the war will have a significant impact on the national economy and on food security, so it’s crucial that farming is supported.
And crucially, FAO is working with the World Food Programme (WFP) to identify and prioritize land in need of demining and rehabilitation to ensure the safety of farmers and to allow agricultural production to take place in a safe and efficient manner as soon as possible.
2023 priorities
On the other hand, small-scale farmers, small businesses, and rural families were very vulnerable; they produce food for the rest of the country and are in need of humanitarian aid. “One of the difficulties we faced, once the war began, was that many of our own colleagues were forced to leave their homes and move to safer areas. Despite this challenge, we managed to respond rapidly to the needs of those affected. We have also distributed generators, with the support of Germany, so food producers and other elements of the food chain have the power to carry on. So, for example, we have given generators to large bakeries in Kyiv and Kherson so they can bake bread. © UNOCHA/Saviano Abreu To prevent the total collapse of agricultural production, FAO, in coordination with the government and partners was able to purchase and provide nearly 6 million tonnes of grain storage capacity. This meant that farmers, many of whom had lost infrastructure due to the war, could store their production and avoid losses. Almost every day, we have to resort to our bunkers for protection, but we continue to work.
Solidarity amongst farmers
In 2022, Ukrainian ports, which exported more than 80-90% of the country’s grain to countries in Africa and Asia, were blocked. FAO set up a special programme to support farmers in frontline areas by providing seeds so they can maintain their production.
Work continues despite challenges
Pierre Vauthier is the chief of office for the FAO in Ukraine. He told UN News how the FAO team in the country – around 100 staff members, mostly Ukrainian specialists in agriculture-related areas – was dispersed throughout the country, in often difficult working conditions. Pierre Vauthier, Head of FAO Country Office in Ukraine, at the distribution of agricultural equipment in Chernihivska in November 2022. The ongoing war is complicating humanitarian operations, particularly in areas where military activity is intense.
