Position paper

Recovery actions for the post-war reconstruction of the agrifood sector and land use in urban-rural areas of Ukraine
Dr. Vanya Simeonova van der Grift
Manager international relations Eastern Europe WUR

Background
In this position paper we outline the first prospects about the needs
for the post-war reconstruction of the Ukrainian agricultural sector.
The paper reflects on the pre- and post-war trends and outlines eight
recovery packages to guide the formulation of recovery actions in key
areas of concern (Figure 1). We propose that for each recovery
package a set of future key measures will be elaborated in
consultation with experts in specific issues. Furthermore, we suggest
formulating clear objectives for Ukraine and identifying corresponding
actions for the Dutch government. WUR cooperates with Ukraine since
2001 in agri-food and life sciences research & education (Appendix 2).

Pre and post-war perspectives
Prior to the invasion of Russia on 24th February, Ukraine was on the
way of pursuing its ambition to become a strong, sustainable and
responsible international provider of food (speech Zelensky during
food systems summit in September 2021). The moral responsibility
and economic interests of the Netherlands as the biggest EU importer
of Ukrainian produce implied and still implies a significant role in
supporting and cooperating with Ukraine. Such support includes
transfer of knowledge and best practices and capacity building in
fostering the transition of the Ukraine’s agri-food sector towards
modern and sustainable food systems. With the support of Dutch
academic institutions (including WUR), government and agri-business,
first steps have been made in close bilateral collaborations between
Dutch and Ukrainian partners, prior to the war. This includes
introducing and boosting a transition on all levels towards long-term
sustainable food production and consumption, innovations and
initiated dialogue between government, knowledge institutions,
farmers and consumers.
Ukraine is an important agricultural country in Europe and after the
start of the war this fact became even more evident on the global food
security arena (worlds’ granary). Depending on its post-war territorial
integrity and land reclamation, Ukraine will need to continue the
started transitions in the post-war situation with long-term recovery
from the impacts, losses and socio-economic and environmental
consequences of the war. The EU and democratic partners will need to
invest in this recovery by passing on the most up to date knowledge
and practices which can be applied to restart and innovate the
agricultural sector and remediate land and natural resources. Dutch
policy makers, diplomats, academics and professionals play and will
play a significant role in this process and can build up on the good
relations with Ukraine in the agri-food sector, providing pioneering
knowledge to support science-policy interface and innovations.
Expectedly, the assessments of the war’s consequences will identify
the first needs for recovery actions in terms of lost infrastructure,
environmental impacts (water, soil, sewerage etc.), agricultural
services and resources for the primary production (loss of crops, land
use, local communities’ food provision needs etc.), domestic food
distribution and the links to international food value chains. The
recovery process will need to be in a smart and resilient way, in line
with the SDGs and the sustainable food system approach (SFA, WUR).
Wageningen University & Research
Postbus 123, 4567 AB Plaatsnaam
Contact: naam.achternaam@wur.nl
T + 31 (0)317 12 34 56, M +31 (0)6 12 34 56 78
www.wur.nl/xxxxx

The revival of the Ukraine’s agricultural sector
needs to be in a smart and resilient way, in line
with the SDGs and based on the modern
principles for a transition towards
sustainable food systems.
The modernization of the agricultural sector will need to have a special
accent on aspects of efficiency, digitalization, quality of products, new
market perspectives and resilience. Sustainable production, including
animal welfare, plant health and decarbonization will as well be more
important in the post-war situation, with view on the application
process of Ukraine for accession to the EU. Stronger relations need to
be established regionally - between Ukraine and EU’s Eastern
European member states as well as Ukraine and Western Europe.
In 2019 Ukraine exported to the EU agri-food products for about 7
billion Euros, which was 33% higher then in 2018. The Ukrainian and
Dutch trade relations in the agri-food sector have been strong.
Ukraine has more than 30 times the arable land and more than 25
times the wheat production of the Netherlands. Ukraine exported prior
to the war more agri-food products to the Netherlands than vice versa
(e.g., plant oils, maize, oleaginous seeds). Dutch exports included
mostly plants/flowers, seed potatoes (64%), cacao, milk and meat
products. Next to that there was a strong cooperation in knowledge
and technologies transfer. It is expected that in the post-war period
there will be a growing interest in this trade and exchange between
the Netherlands and Ukraine of technologies and knowledge in the
agri-food sector. This cooperation will require a more integrated
approach with rebuilding of infrastructure, logistics and recovery of
the food value chains and local communities in Ukraine, considering
the new situation of the post-war territorial integrity of the country.
Next to that, the issues of climate change and soil quality will remain
important for ensuring a sustainable recovery and development of
food production in the long term. This will have an impact on the
implementation of the EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategies.
The relation of Ukraine with the EU member states and partners such
as the Netherlands will be crucial in introducing incentives for
responsible import/export and agri-food production and for conducting
a dialogue with Ukrainian agri-food businesses and the government.
Moreover, in the post-war period the in 2020 started land restitution
reform will have to be continued with new spatial developments for
rural and urban areas and land ownership regulations, including
cadaster and territorial strategies for sustainable land use in Ukraine.
The Dutch cadaster authorities have been supporting Ukraine in this
process prior to the war. The available land resources will be the
starting point for the recovery of Ukraine’s food system and will have
an impact on the European and international agri-economy and global
food value chains (food production, processing and trade).

Position paper

Recovery actions for the post-war reconstruction of the agrifood sector and land use in urban-rural areas of Ukraine
Dr. Vanya Simeonova van der Grift
Manager international relations Eastern Europe WUR

Key policy actions for the Dutch-Ukraine/EU cooperation
• Continue strong bilateral cooperation (trade, resilience and
knowledge/technologies in agri-food domains and environmental
sustainability) based on the post-war territorial integrity of Ukraine.
• Support, bilaterally and internationally, implementing the SDGs by
introducing innovative approaches for modernization of the agri-food
sector: road map for transition towards sustainable food systems.
• Support the integration of Ukraine into the EU, by intensifying the
relations between the Dutch and Ukrainian knowledge and
governmental organizations and assist its EU accession process.
• Support active participation of Ukraine in EU R&I programmes
(Horizon Europe) to ensure knowledge-based economic recovery fostering European research area and the Farm to Fork strategy.

• Support Ukraine’s integration in the international arena with EU
member states and global international organizations in developing
stronger civil society, fighting corruption, improving the livelihood of
the local population and creating incentives for jobs and education.
• Foster local innovations and a favorable business environment for
agribusiness and SMEs.
• Develop a comprehensive recovery plan with measures (Figure 1)
for gradual
reconstruction of the agri-food sector and the
environment with Dutch and international partners and knowledge.
• Support the exploration of reallocation strategies, for ensuring more
self-sufficient and sustainable food-production and supply chains in
Europe by regional smart specializations, utilizing resources
potential of Eastern Europe and neighboring to Ukraine EU states.

Figure 1: Eight recovery packages for reconstruction of the agri-food sector and the likelihood of the rural-urban areas of Ukraine

Wageningen University & Research
Postbus 123, 4567 AB Plaatsnaam
Contact: naam.achternaam@wur.nl
T + 31 (0)317 12 34 56, M +31 (0)6 12 34 56 78
www.wur.nl/xxxxx

Appendix 1
Eight recovery packages for the reconstruction of the agri-food
sector and the likelihood of the rural-urban areas of Ukraine
Dr. Vanya Simeonova van der Grift
Manager international relations Eastern Europe WUR

Recovery package 1: Agricultural policy and economy
General issues
• Governance and cooperation models for agri-food policies for
Ukraine: national/international
• Effects for grain and vegetable oil markets and quality
• Implications of the war on agricultural activities and trade: EU food
security and supply and global food trade (Africa and Middle East)
• Effect on Dutch & EU agricultural policy
• Resilience of the food system in Ukraine to environmental, policy
and conflict shocks

Recovery package 2: Food security and farming systems
General issues
• Strategic approach of developing value chains with added value to
commodities and livelihoods
• Functional agri-food systems
• Primary production, Availability of crops, genetic material,
agricultural products
• Food consumption and production

Recovery package 3: Environmental impacts, climate and
biodiversity
General issues
• Mapping environmental impacts on agricultural land and loss of
natural resources
• Mapping of soil and water contamination and identification of
remediation measures
• Developing of a recovery monitoring system for natural resources
and biodiversity
• Elaborating new actions plans for climate-prove agriculture and
rural-urban areas.

Recovery package 4: Remediation of Soil, Water and
Irrigation
General issues
• Inventory of lost environmental infrastructure, soil contamination,
and remediation
• Modelling of solutions to recover agriculture and protect the
environment (water, soil)
• Monitoring of the agricultural production on rainfed and irrigated
lands.
– Post-war development and implementation of a modern satellite-based
monitoring system for land use mapping and crop production;
– Including crop yield modelling for yield mapping and forecasting based on
the European wide implemented CGMS monitoring system
– Quantification of the impact of war on agricultural production and irrigation
performance by mapping agricultural land, irrigated area and yield in
2021/22

• Monitoring of fertilizer needs, phytosanitary measures, transport and
alternative export
• A study of the impact of the yield loss for the rest of the world
• Development of Integrated land and water resources management
plans (including sustainable agriculture, water- and landmanagement and rural development)

Recovery Package 5: Education & research capacity and
infrastructure
General issues
• Capacity building programme for students' education
• Capacity building programmes for qualification and education of
professionals and refugees' education
• Integration of Ukraine academic organizations in EU research and
education programmes (Horizon Europe, Erasmus+) for science and
education.
• Advice in research infrastructure, and mobility in European Research
Area
• Support in connecting Science-policy interface for the recovery of
Ukraine

Recovery Package 6: Support for Agri-businesses, SMEs
and local communities
General issues
• Support to agribusiness to restart and recover
• Development of Innovation incentives in new modernized agribusiness
• Developing new market incentives for potential agri-business

Recovery Package 7: Welfare of local communities and
job creation
General issues
• Rural communities' recovery and revitalization of rural areas
• Job creation in agri-food sector activities
• Community participation and empowerment in local rural areas

Recovery Package 8: Urban areas – food, quality of life green cities
General issues
• Assessing the impact on Urban areas and quality of life
• Developing plans for urban revitalization and green cities (climateprove & sustainable)
• Spatial planning and governance of the urban-rural areas

Appendix 2
Key cooperation activities of WUR with Ukraine
Dr. Vanya Simeonova van der Grift
Manager international relations Eastern Europe WUR

WUR cooperation in Ukraine

WUR key partners

WUR cooperates with Ukraine since 2001-until present in different
activities and in different intensity throughout the years. During the
last years, the cooperation has been intensified with different
academic partners in the field of research and in multiple research
projects (EU and bilateral). More cooperation in students’ education
has been as well a wish for the future (appr. 7 student applications
annually in WUR and several study visits of WUR students in Ukraine).
Cooperation in research projects is in different topics of agricultural
and rural development, including sustainable land use, water
management and irrigation, food systems, agricultural economics,
biobased industry and biodiversity etc.

• Dutch Embassy in Kyiv, Agricultural Councilor

WUR researchers and educators are in contact with Ukrainian
academics and international partners about the consequences and
challenges of the invasion of Russia in Ukraine and the expected
implications of the war for the global food systems.

Main fields of knowledge exchange in 2020/2022
• Water-land - soil-food nexus interaction scenarios (based on
national, regional and local needs) to support climate-resilience
measures and smart agriculture/food production.
• Decarbonization of the agricultural sector and
production/consumption
with
climate-resilience
(environment/economic/social).

the food
solutions

• Implementation of the Sustainable Food Systems Approach in
Ukraine - value chains development, resilient consumption and
production, food waste and food loss.
• Economic resilience of individual farmers and SMEs, agricultural
performance in novel socio-economic and climate change scenarios.
• Agricultural and food market and price analysis, agricultural policy
analysis.
• Innovations in the Ukrainian research landscape by embedding
socio-economic research evidence on climate-smart agriculture
within Ukrainian policy frameworks and knowledge agenda
• Sustainable Animal Breeding Strategies – development of Pig
Academy Ukraine and sustainable animal feed farming.
• Biobased products and technologies with FBR researchers and
• WUR students have worked with Ukrainian NGOs on development of
land use scenarios in the region of Donbass/Donetsk.
• Lectures for the Ukrainian Agri-Business Association and a keynote
of Prof. Dr. Louise Fresco at the Ukraine Innovation day, 2021.
• G2G bilateral projects on water management - twinning projects
between Dutch and Ukrainian Municipalities and Water Boards.
• Ukrainian partners in Horizon 2020 projects and new applications in
Horizon Europe, Erasmus+.
• Study visits of MBAs and professionals to WUR facilities
• Students' education and professional trainings (incl. for refugee's)
• Webinar on the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for global food
markets and agricultural policies.

• National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine in
Kyiv (in 2006 MoU)
• Agri-Businesses - meat production
• Ukrainian Association of Agri - Businesses
• FAO - Ukraine
• Ukrainian Ministry of Agricultural Policy
• Ministry of Economic Development and Trade
• Ministry of Environment,
• Kyiv School of Economics - Center for Food and Land Use Research
• Institute of Bioenergy Crops and Sugar Beet-Ukraine
• Ukraine’s Agriculture Academy of Sciences
• Ukrainian Business Association
• ICA-Association for European Life Science Universities - AgriMBA
program in international agribusiness and commerce with the
National University of Life and Environmental Sciences