Ukrainian agriculture, Russia’s war and what it tells us about resilience in the global food system

Abstract: Russia’s war in Ukraine has grievously harmed Ukrainian agriculture. The destruction of grain storage and export terminals are likely among some of the war’s most costly and lasting damages, with far-reaching consequences for Ukraine and the world. Ukraine is one of the largest agricultural exporters and the war has severely disrupted global trade, causing food crises across many countries. Our work looks at the effects of the war on Ukraine and the global food system through the lens of corn, a critically important commodity crop.   

We show that the effects of the war on the global food system needs to be traced back to the corn-driven boom of Ukrainian agriculture over the last twenty years. We then provide an analysis of the types of damage wrought by Russia’s war. Based on the analysis of the type, extent and timing of damage to Ukrainian agriculture, we argue that Russian troops have deliberately targeted Ukraine’s ability to export food to global markets. Finally, we document the adaptation strategies by Ukrainian corporate agribusinesses, showing that even though export-oriented agribusinesses initially sustained significant losses, these farms have shown remarkable resilience and found ways to adapt and circumvent extremely challenging obstacles. We offer preliminary conclusions on the implications of these findings for how to think about shocks and resilience in the contemporary global food system.  

This research has been a collaborative effort, conducted with Vitalii Dankevych (Polissia National University, Ukraine) and Natalia Mamonova (Ruralis, Norway).

Bio: Susanne Wengle is Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Uppsala University. Her research examines Russia’s post-Soviet political and economic transformation and engages with questions how we study market creation in this context and beyond. Her first book – Post-Soviet Power: State-led Development and Russia’s Marketization (2015, Cambridge University Press) examined the political economy of newly created electricity markets in Russia, suggesting that the Russian government is actively involved in shaping market institutions. Prof. Wengle’s new book – Black Earth, White Bread; a technopolitical history of Russian Agriculture and Food (2022, University of Wisconsin Press) is interdisciplinary history of Russia’s agriculture and food systems, that documents the complex interactions between political goals, daily cultural practices, and technological improvements. Her publications address many other aspects of the post-Soviet transition, including on the effects of sanctions on Russia’s, on welfare reforms, the politics of expertise and on shifting themes in Russian public discourse. She is also the editor of Cambridge University’s new textbook on Russian politics, Russian Politics Today: Stability and Fragility (2023).