Support will strengthen women farmers in Ukraine and protect biodiversity
The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), together with Ukrainian organisations Ecoaction and Rural Women Business Network, has been granted project funding from the Swedish Institute’s Ukraine Cooperation Programme.
The project will strengthen women’s leadership in agriculture while promoting sustainable, pasture-based livestock systems that protect biodiversity and improve food security in rural areas in Ukraine.
Women sustain small-scale agriculture in war-torn Ukraine
The war in Ukraine is having a severe impact on the country’s agricultural sector, food security, and biodiversity. In rural areas of conflict‑affected regions such as Mykolaiv, Kherson, Odesa and Dnipro, it is often women who keep small‑scale farms running, as many men have been mobilized into the army. Despite managing farms that are vital for local food security, women often lack formal access to land, education, advisory services and decision‑making.
Sustainable livestock management as a path toward increased resilience and EU alignment
The rapid decline of pasture areas due to land conversion, the expansion of monocultures, together with insufficient crop rotation threaten not only biodiversity and environmental stability but also the viability of smallholder and women-run farms.
Supporting appropriate pasture and livestock management in Ukraine is essential for sustainable land use and biodiversity protection. The resilience of all farmers significantly depends on the health of the soils they use and the overall state of the environment. The war and climate crisis have created additional challenges which farmers need to address. The project will benefit stakeholders and bring Ukraine closer to EU biodiversity and climate goals, says Mariia Bielkina, Deputy Director, NGO Ecoaction.
Small‑scale farms are strengthened and local food security improves
The conversion of pastures into arable land worsens the already severe food insecurity faced by local communities, since conventional agriculture depends on external inputs such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides that are in limited supply during the war, and because a large share of the food produced by large‑scale agricultural enterprises is exported.
The conversion of pastures into arable land worsens the already severe food insecurity faced by local communities, since conventional agriculture depends on external inputs such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides that are in limited supply during the war, and because a large share of the food produced by large‑scale agricultural enterprises is exported.
Ukraine’s agricultural sector is also under pressure to meet national livestock development goals and align with the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including requirements related to biodiversity and pasture preservation. However, without targeted support, women‑led farms risk being left behind in the transition toward sustainable and climate‑resilient agriculture.
The project strengthens women’s skills, networks, and economic empowerment
The project specifically targets women who run small‑scale farms, who will receive capacity development and connections to relevant networks for sustainable agriculture and livestock management. Through the establishment of multi-stakeholder dialogue, farmers, agricultural advisors, environmental organisations, and rural communities will jointly address key rural development issues.
The project specifically targets women who run small‑scale farms, who will receive capacity development and connections to relevant networks for sustainable agriculture and livestock management. Through the establishment of multi-stakeholder dialogue, farmers, agricultural advisors, environmental organisations, and rural communities will jointly address key rural development issues.
