From west to east: Ukrainians exchange experiences on sustainable farming

Farmers from conflict-affected areas of eastern Ukraine visited Lviv oblast on the western border past week as part of a study tour organized by FAO to promote the exchange of experience among agricultural entrepreneurs. The 17 participants were representatives of the agrarian sector of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

The working visit took place within the framework of AGROPORT WEST 2019, a forum and exhibition of agricultural machinery supported by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and the Lviv Regional State Administration.

FAO has been a traditional partner in the event. This year, special attention was paid to the Sustainable Development Goals and their interconnection with the development of rural areas.

“One of the Sustainable Development Goals is the use of partnerships to help achieve them,” said Mikhail Malkov, FAO development programme coordinator in Ukraine. “At FAO, we are creating the platform for collaboration among farmers from the east and west parts of Ukraine. This will contribute to more sustainable development in Ukraine and to the achievement of the SDGs at the global level.”

In addition to attending seminars and trainings at the forum, the participants from eastern Ukraine learned the sustainable development practices of fishing, livestock breeding and the growing of organic produce, berries, vegetables and other plants. As part of the study tour, farmers visited the largest wholesale market of fresh production in Lviv and the large farms of the Lviv region, learning about the practice of farming in western Ukraine.

Olga Popova is from the town of Chermalyk, located on the contact line in the Donetsk oblast. She is engaged in livestock and has 600 head of sheep, of which 300 are lambs. On 44.6 ha, she produces livestock feed, hay and straw, using the proceeds to buy fuel for agricultural machinery and pay hired employees.

“I have a neighbour, and we are the only ones who are engaging in livestock farming in our region”, Popova says. “We have a lot of obstacles, as we are located close to the contact line. We are trying to help each other: He gives me a technique, and I give him straw, because he cannot grow anything in his 50 ha, as he has no access to them. Partnership is very important for us, as is the exchange of experiences that we received during this visit to Lviv oblast. It opens new opportunities.”

This study tour also served as part of the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, which is intended to strengthen community security and social cohesion, support the economic recovery of conflict-affected communities, and further the implementation of decentralisation and healthcare reforms in the government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. FAO intends to further enhance its presence in eastern Ukraine, including promoting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

25 March 2019, Lviv, Ukraine