Ukraine Farming: Mined Fields & Family Survival
Ukrainian families face dire risks as the war disrupts planting and harvesting seasons, threatening their survival. The ongoing conflict has severely damaged the agriculture sector, with billions in losses jeopardizing the food security of the nation. Rural households, already vulnerable, grapple with landmines, labor shortages, and power outages, making farming incredibly difficult. The FAO urgently calls for aid to secure vital resources like seeds and fertilizer,offering a lifeline to over 250,000 families. News Directory 3 covers how sustained support is essential for Ukraine’s long-term recovery, and the FAO’s Emergency and Early Recovery Response plan needs funding to succeed. Discover what’s next for Ukraine’s agricultural landscape, and how the international community is stepping up to help.
Ukraine: Rural Families Face Planting, Harvesting Risks
Updated june 3, 2025
Many Ukrainian families on the front lines are in danger of missing crucial planting and harvesting periods, according to the United Nations. These rural households, often led by elderly relatives or women, rely on agriculture for their survival, tending to small farms.
These families are among the most vulnerable, facing challenges such as land mines, contamination, labor shortages, and frequent power outages as the war enters its fourth year. The World Bank estimates the agriculture sector has suffered $83.9 billion in damages as the start of the war, with an additional $1.6 billion in the irrigation sector.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned Monday that without immediate support, thousands of rural households may be unable to plant or harvest crops, threatening national food security and rural livelihoods.The FAO has provided assistance to more than 250,000 rural families as the war began, including vegetable seeds, animal feed, and financial aid.
Rein Paulsen, director of emergencies and resilience at the FAO, emphasized the importance of agriculture to rural society. “Agriculture is a fabric of rural society…Vulnerable rural families are holding on. They need support not just to survive, but to thrive and rebuild,” Paulsen said during a recent visit to Ukraine.
The FAO is calling for urgent support to help rural households safely access their land and secure essential resources like seeds, fertilizer, storage, and reliable energy. The organization says a sustained and coordinated response is needed to meet long-term needs, as funding shortfalls limit the implementation of the FAO’s Emergency and Early Recovery Response Plan for 2025–2026 in Ukraine.
What’s next
Without increased support, the ability of these families to plant, harvest and recover remains under serious threat, impacting ukraine’s overall food security and the livelihoods of its rural population. Continued international assistance is crucial for the long-term recovery of Ukraine’s agricultural sector.