New research into the impacts of war on Ukraine’s farmland is set to launch with £500,000 funding from Defra to the Royal Agricultural University.

Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner today set out how this research will support Ukraine’s farmers – guardians of the breadbasket of Europe. The research will fund UK researchers to analyse the impact of the war on Ukrainian soil, establish bespoke facilities in Ukrainian laboratories, and train specialists in Ukraine.  

Soil pollution caused by Russia’s illegal invasion is a pressing issue for Ukraine. Ukraine’s farmland has suffered significant damage from Russian bombardments and other war-related toxic pollutants, as heavy metals and chemicals are leached into the earth, leading to the degradation of soil health.  This damage to Ukraine’s soil presents real, and potentially long term, risks to the food production, yields and farmer safety.    

This research is vital to understanding the impacts of this pollution, as well as potential solutions. It is crucial to help develop Ukraine’s capacity to analyse and address soil health in the long term, strengthening the food security of Ukraine and in turn global food security.       

Daniel Zeichner, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, said:    

The UK’s support for Ukraine is ironclad.   

This research is vital, helping Ukraine in understanding the impact the pollution from war has had on its soils and give them vital tools to recover farmland.  

This funding forms part of our commitment in 100-year partnership with Ukraine to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their farmers to deliver food production and environmental protection for the nation. 

Professor Mark Horton, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at the Royal Agricultural University, said:  

The war in Ukraine has severely damaged soil health across bombarded agricultural regions, threatening future food production and the country’s long-term recovery. This research will enhance Ukraine’s capacity to restore and manage its soils, laying an early groundwork for a more resilient, productive, and sustainable agriculture.  

With this funding, the Royal Agricultural University will work closely with our Ukrainian partners to train local experts, establish state-of-the-art soil laboratories, and analyse thousands of soil samples across key farming regions.   

These efforts are essential to building the tools and capacity Ukraine needs to safeguard its soil, ensure food security, and support national regeneration.

The Royal Agricultural University will work with Ukraine’s Sumy National Agrarian University in training experts in the country, establishing soil analysis functions in laboratories, and analysing over 8,000 soil samples across five regions, including Sumy and Kherson.   

This funding follows the launch of the UK’s Grain Verification Scheme, announced earlier this year alongside the 100 Year Partnership, to help track grain stolen from occupied areas of Ukraine.