Director-General meets Markiyan Dmytrasevych, Adviser to the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, at the FAO Regional Conference for Europe

Lodz, Poland/Rome - On the occasion of the 33rd Session of the Regional Conference for Europe, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met the Delegation of Ukraine led by Markiyan Dmytrasevych, Adviser to the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.

During the meeting, Adviser to the Minister of Ukraine Dmytrasevych and the Director-General discussed the impact of the war on national food security, damages and losses in agrifood systems, food production capacity particularly of smallholder farmers, as well as interruption in the capacity to export grain and sunflower due to sea ports’ blockade, and destruction of storage and logistics capacities. 

The Delegation of Ukraine expressed appreciation for the long-standing partnership with FAO and the recent Rapid Response Plan developed with and supported by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, and the information and data produced by FAO on the impact of the war on food and agriculture in Ukraine and globally. The delegation requested FAO to pursue and intensify these efforts.

FAO informed about the progress of action taken on the ground with its team of 115 national and international staff working closely with the Ministry in regions where access is feasible. 

Specific concerns were raised with regards to: the need to timely fund the Rapid Response Plan; the importance of removing all constraints to the export of food commodities; work on assessment of damages and losses on the value chain infrastructure; the emergency response needs and also reconstruction and investment plans when security conditions will allow.  The discussion also reiterated the urgency of allocating resources for strengthening quarantine and phytosanitary laboratories at border points to ensure increased surveillance against the spread of transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases – this in the context of possible temporary alternatives for the export of food commodities-export through neighboring countries.

FAO’s Rapid Response Plan (RRP) was launched as part of the UN Consolidated Humanitarian appeal for 2022 to support Ukraine food and agriculture. It has received only USD 11 million so far against urgent needs estimated conservatively to USD 115.4 million (10 percent funded only). The emergency plan prepared with and fully aligned to the Ministry of Agriculture’s priorities aims to: 

• Maintain critical production systems – delivering inputs and cash and interventions to support vegetable, potato, cereal (wheat and oilseed) and livestock production.
• Support agrifood supply chains, value chains and markets (collaborating with the Government, agribusiness, farmers and associations), including through urgently needed strengthening of quarantine and phytosanitary laboratory capacities  in the case of alternative export of food commodities.
• Ensure accurate analyses of the evolving food security conditions and needs, including through coordination of the Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster.

During the meeting, reference was made to the use of the recognized excellence of expertise of Ukraine in food and agriculture matters which could be expanded to support FAO programmes in the country and internationally.

FAO and the Delegation of Ukraine agreed on the need for protecting food and food supply chain infrastructure from military action including to allow farmers to plant and harvest their crop safely in all parts of the country.

FAO reiterated its full commitment to support the Ministry’s action working as a team to support Ukrainian consumers, farmers, livestock owners and fishers, and particularly the most vulnerable such as women headed households, elders and families hosting displaced persons, in these tragic circumstances.