Strengthening the role of local agri-food systems in overcoming the consequences of using food as a weapon in Ukraine
One of the vulnerabilities of Ukraine, which was highlighted by the use of food as a weapon in the Russian war against it, was its excessive raw material export orientation and weak internal rooting of the agri-food system, as well as the insufficient resilience of its local links. The purpose of this study was to substantiate the potential for strengthening local agri-food systems through the fuller involvement of small-scale agricultural producers with a focus on meeting the food needs of all segments of the population. The study employed the following methods: system analysis, grouping and classification, statistical analysis, formalisation, abstract and logical. The study covered the manifestations of Russia’s use of food to achieve political and military goals in Ukraine, as well as the role of small agricultural producers in mitigating their adverse consequences. It was found that the key to strengthening the sustainability of the agri-food system at both the local and national levels is to provide farm enterprises and household farms with diversified access to domestic markets by stimulating demand for their agricultural products. The study substantiated the forms of implementation of this task through the introduction of programmes of linked food subsidies for vulnerable groups of the population, public procurement from small producers for school meals, and promotion of solidarity food security at the community level. The study assessed the need for resources for these programmes and the potential of small farms to produce the necessary products, showing that the introduction of these programmes will facilitate the transition of agriculture to agroecology. The study also covered the possibility of financing measures to overcome the consequences of the use of food as a weapon while supporting small producers through the use of the National Bank’s targeted issue with partial involvement of budgetary funds within the framework of strengthening the national rootedness of the agri-food system, as well as donor support.The practical significance of the findings of this study lies in the possibility of their use in the implementation of food support measures for vulnerable groups and the preparation of a lawsuit to the International Criminal Court regarding the weaponisation of food by the Russian Federation in the war against Ukraine
[1] Adopting resolution 2417 (2018), Security Council strongly condemns starving of civilians, unlawfully denying humanitarian access as warfare tactics.(2018). Retrieved from https://press.un.org/en/2018/sc13354.doc.htm.
[2] Agriculture of Ukraine for 2021. (2022). Retrieved from https://ukrstat.gov.ua/druk/publicat/kat_u/2022/zb/09/sg_21_pdf.zip.
[3] Agriculture of Ukraine for 2022. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/druk/publicat/kat_u/2023/ zb/09/S_gos_22.pdf.
[4] Bublyk, O. (2023). Gross crop production will decrease by 2.1%. Retrieved from https://agrotimes.ua/agromarket/vyrobnycztvo-valovoyi-produkcziyi-roslynnycztva-skorotytsya-na-21-%ef%bf%bc/.
[5] Consumer price indices for goods and services (up to December 2010). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://km.ukrstat.gov.ua/ukr/statinf/ct/isc_pm1223.htm.
[6] Decline in production, loss of livestock, fall in purchasing prices for raw milk – results of the year of the dairy sector of Ukraine. (2023). Retrieved from https://avm-ua.org/uk/post/spad-virobnictva-vtrati-pogoliva-padinna-zakupivelnih-cin-na-moloko-sirovinu-pidsumki-roku-molocnogo-sektoru-ukraini.
[7] Dowd, C., Gleason, K., Polzin, S., Ripamonti, D., Garvey, A., & Patel, R. (2023). Conflict and Food Systems Haiti Report. Dublin: Concern Worldwide.
[8] Enterprises increased the production of raw milk by 7% in January-November 2023. (2023). Retrieved from http://milkua.info/uk/post/pidpriemstva-narostili-virobnictvo-moloka-sirovini-na-7-v-sicni-listopadi-2023-roku.
[9] Expenditure and resources of households of ukraine in 2021 year. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/druk/publicat/kat_u/2022/zb/07/zb_vrd_21.pdf.
[10] Farmer from the Kharkiv region moved his business to Zhytomyr and wants to employ 300 people. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.sq.com.ua/ukr/novini/12.06.2023/fermer-iz-xarkivskoyi-oblasti-perenis-svii-biznes-u-zitomirsku-i-xoce-dati-robotu-300-lyudyam.
[11] Gadzalo, Ya., Sychevskiy, M., Kovalenko, O., Deineko, L., & Yashchenko, L. (2020). Assessment of global food demand in unexpected situations. Innovative Marketing, 16(4), 91-103. doi: 10.21511/im.16(4).2020.08.
[12] Gerasymchuk, Z., & Gasukha, L. (2021). Food balance and regional reserves as tools of food security mechanismin regions. Economic Forum, 1, 43-51.
[13] Grants for the development of horticulture, berry growing, viticulture: Key changes, criteria and requirements. (2023). Retrieved from https://minagro.gov.ua/pidtrimka/nadannya-grantiv-dlya-stvorennya-biznesu/granti-dlya-sadivnictva-yagidnictva-ta-vinogradarstva/granti-dlya-rozvitku-sadivnictva-yagidnictva-vinogradarstva-klyuchovi-zmini-kriteriyi-ta-vimogi.
[14] Growing watermelons in Rivne region to replace Kherson watermelons on the markets. (2023). Retrieved from https://rivne.media/news/na-rivnenshchini-pochali-viroshchuvati-kavuni-shchob-zaminiti-na-rinkakh-khersonski.
[15] Grytsenko, A. (2023). Nationally rooted economic development as a local response to the global geoeconomic shifts. Ekonomy of Ukraine, 4, 38-54. doi: 10.15407/economyukr.2023.04.038.
[16] Halytskyi, A., & Michkovska, N. (2023). They love potatoes and salt, but ignore cheese: How Ukrainians eat in 2023. Retrieved from https://focus.ua/uk/economics/587182-lyublyat-kartoplyu-i-sil-ale-ignoruyut-sir-yak-harchuyutsya-ukrayinci-u-2023-roci.
[17] How the poverty level has changed in Ukraine. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2023/05/04/infografika/ekonomika/yak-zminyuvavsya-riven-bidnosti-ukrayini.
[18] HungerMap. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://hungermap.wfp.org/.
[19] Kharytonova, Т., & Hryhorieva, K. (2023). Food security in the conditions of modern military conflicts: Legal experience of foreign countries. Juridical Scientific and Electronic Journal, 2, 287-291. doi: 10.32782/2524-0374/2023-2/65.
[20] Klymenko, N. (2022). Ensuring food security under the martial law: Status, problems, prospects. Public Management and Administration in Ukraine, 30, 128-132. doi: 10.32843/ pma2663-5240-2022.30.22.
[21] Konovalova, O., & Melnyk V. (2023). Free seedlings are grown for the community in Khmelnytsky region. Retrieved from https://suspilne.media/451590-na-hmelniccini-virosuut-bezplatnu-rozsadu-dla-gromadi/.
[22] Krawczyk, M.M. (2021). Hunger as a political weapon. Retrieved from https://wszystkoconajwazniejsze.pl/mateusz-krawczyk-glod-jako-bron-polityczna/.
[23] Krylov, D. (2023). Problems of ensuring food security of Ukraine in modern conditions. Problems of Modern Transformations. Series: Economics and Management, 7. doi: 10.54929/2786-5738-2023-7-03-07.
[24] Kvasha, S. (2022). Measures of agrarian policy in ensuring food security. In Food and environmental security in wartime and postwar: Legal challenges for Ukraine and the world: Materials of the international scientific and practical online/offline conferences (pp. 17-23). Kyiv: FOP Yamchynskyi O.V.
[25] Law of Ukraine No. 1768-III “On State Social Assistance to Low-Income Families”. (2000, June). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1768-14#Text.
[26] Law of Ukraine No. 2710-IX “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2023”. (2022, November). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2710-20#Text.
[27] News. Initiatives. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sadyperemohy.org/novyny/.
[28] Nosalska, I. (2023). Using hunger as a weapon: Putin will find a new iss order. Retrieved from https://uanews.net/post/159786.
[29] Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 1073 “On Approval of Norms of Physiological Needs of the Population of Ukraine in Basic Food Substances and Energy”. (2017, September). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z1206-17#Text.
[30] Over 40,000 households will receive vegetable seeds through USAID. (2023). Retrieved from https://minagro.gov.ua/news/ponad-40-000-domogospodarstv-otrimayut-nasinnya-ovochiv-cherez-usaid.
[31] Overview of community supported agriculture in Europe. (2016). Retrieved from https://urgenci.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Overview-of-Community-Supported-Agriculture-in-Europe.pdf.
[32] Plate of healthy food. (2021). Retrieved from https://moz.gov.ua/article/health/tarilka-zdorovogo-harchuvannja.
[33] Popp, H., & Zavadiak, O. (2023). Owners of around 850 households in the village of Zarychchia in the Zakarpattia region cultivate early vegetables. Retrieved from https://suspilne.media/441513-vlasniki-blizko-850-dvorogospodarstv-sela-zaricca-zakarpatskoi-oblasti-virosuut-ranni-ovoci/.
[34] Preschool education in Ukraine in 2022. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2005/osv_rik/osv_u/dosh_osvit/arch_dosh_osv.htm.
[35] Product prices. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://index.minfin.com.ua/ua/markets/wares/prods/fruits-vegetables/.
[36] Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 305 “On Approval of the Norms and Procedure for Organizing Catering in Educational Institutions and Children's Health and Recreation Facilities”. (2021, March). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/305-2021-%D0%BF#n13.
[37] Skydan, O., Dankevych, V., Garrett, R.D., & Nimko, O. (2023). The state of the agricultural sector in Ukraine during wartime: The case of farmers. Scientific Horizons, 26(6), 134-145. doi: 10.48077/scihor6.2023.134.
[38] Stolnikovych, H., Neiter, R., & Bohonos, M. (2022). Food security in Ukraine in six months wars. Retrieved from https://kse.ua/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1page_6-Months-Food-Security_ukr_mib_final.pdf.
[39] The price of extra-grade raw milk has increased by 5.1%. (2023). Retrieved from https://avm-ua.org/uk/post/moloko-sirovina-ekstra-gatunku-podorozcala-na-51.
[40] This year, farmers harvested 29 million tons of vegetables. Zhytomyr and Dnipropetrovs'k regions are among the leaders. (2023). Retrieved from https://minagro.gov.ua/news/u-comu-roci-fermeri-zibrali-29-mln-tonn-ovochiv-u-liderah-zhitomirshchina-ta-dnipropetrovshchina.
[41] Two-thirds of Ukrainians live below the poverty line – a demographer. (2023). Retrieved from https://ukr.radio/news.html?newsID=102498.
[42] Ukrainian consumer basket 2019 (updated). (2019). Retrieved from https://harchi.info/articles/spozhivchiy-koshik-ukrayincya-sucilniy-minimalizm.
[43]Ukrainian fruit continues to meet the needs of domestic and foreign markets. (2023). Retrieved from https://uaexport.org/2023/07/11/ukrayinski-frukti-prodovzhuyut-zabezpechuvati-potrebi-vnutrishnogo-ta-zovnishnogo-rinkiv/.
[44] Vasylchenko, Yu. (2023). Hunger as a weapon: Will Africa and Asia support a new ICC lawsuit against russia?. Retrieved from https://www.depo.ua/ukr/politics/golod-yak-zbroya-chi-priednaetsya-globalniy-pivden-do-novogo-pozovu-v-mks-proti-rosii-202309271452389.
[45] WFP. (2023). State of school feeding worldwide 2022. Rome: World Food Programme.
[46] Yarovyi, V., & Fraier, O. (2019). The international practice and prospects for the implementation of community supported agriculture in Ukraine. Ukrainian Society, 4(71), 84-98. doi: 10.15407/socium2019.04.084.
[47] Zemko, A. (2022). Food security in the conditions of war: Legal aspect. In Food and environmental security in wartime and postwar: Legal challenges for Ukraine and the world: Materials of the international scientific and practical online/offline conferences (pp. 113-116). Kyiv: FOP Yamchynskyi O.V.
[48] Zhuk, V. (2023). Scientific support for the policy of determining losses and damage to agricultural enterprises from the war. In Development of the agricultural sector and rural areas in wartime and postwar reconstruction of Ukraine: Materials of the international scientific and practical conference (pp. 16-21). Kyiv: NSC “IAE”.