The agri-food sector is a main driver of economic growth and vital for the livelihoods of about 13 million Ukrainians living in rural areas. It has been severely hit by the war, notably through restrictions on movements of goods, damages in critical infrastructures and the presence of mines on agricultural land. Up to 25,000 km2 of agricultural land is estimated to be contaminated with mines and explosive remnants of war, thus seriously affecting farming activities.

The EU has been supporting the agri-food sector and rural employment in Ukraine through a fully-fledged range of instruments, ranging from technical assistance to public services, financial schemes for small and family farms and specific actions addressing the various needs of agri-food stakeholders. Through Solidarity Lanes and other trade measures the EU has been facilitating agricultural trade, the latter representing 60% of Ukraine’s export value.