The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) intends to raise about $290 million to support Ukrainian farmers, of which $150 million will be intended for rapid response, and $138 million for medium-term development, the organization's press service reported following the FAO meeting with agricultural ministers of the G7 countries, as well as the ministers of agriculture of Georgia and Moldova.
Emergency response funding is expected to meet the urgent needs of more than 800,000 rural residents of Ukraine in 2024.
Discussions at the meeting of agricultural ministers were aimed at analyzing existing challenges and identifying immediate and short-term needs until 2030 in the food and agriculture sector, taking into account the EU accession requirements for Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, with a particular emphasis on maintaining Ukraine's role as a key player in ensuring global food security.
FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero presented FAO's Rapid Response Plan for Ukraine in 2024 and FAO's Development Strategy for Ukraine (2024-2027). They said FAO will help improve the competitiveness of Ukraine's agri-food sector, popularize integrated landscape management for sustainable agricultural production, and harmonize the Ukrainian agricultural sector with European Union standards.
According to FAO, since the escalation of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, more than 185,000 rural families have received vegetable seeds, animal feed, poultry, vouchers and cash assistance as part of the support framework. Temporary grain storage equipment, cereal seeds and generators have also been provided for 10,000 farmers.
In addition, with the assistance of partners, FAO relocated the Ukrainian Gene Bank of Plants from the east of the country in 2023, opened laboratories to support grain exports at border sites, and developed a grant scheme in western Ukraine to help small producers develop value chains.
