FAO and Ukraine strengthen strategic collaboration for frontline recovery and agricultural resilience
A recent mission to Ukraine by Rein Paulsen, Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), reaffirmed the strong partnership between FAO and the Government of Ukraine in addressing the ongoing challenges facing the country’s agriculture sector.
During the mission, Paulsen met with national counterparts and visited several oblasts, including Zaporizhzhia, to observe how FAO’s assistance is helping farmers sustain production and protect their livelihoods. In Kyiv, together with Mohammed Azouqa, Head of the FAO Office in Ukraine, Paulsen met with Vitalii Koval, the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, and Oksana Osmachko, the Deputy Minister, to discuss priority areas of collaboration.
“The collaboration between FAO and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food remains central to our ability to reach farmers and rural farming families in need,” said Paulsen. “We recognize the immense pressures the sector is under and are committed to advocating with donors for greater assistance – especially to rural households and frontline communities, whose recovery is essential to Ukraine’s overall resilience. FAO will continue working hand in hand with the Ministry and local authorities to ensure our assistance is timely, practical and respond to what vulnerable farmers are requesting.”
The meeting focused on strengthening support for rural households and small-scale producers in frontline areas and building more resilient food systems. Both sides agreed on efforts to deepen cooperation in critical areas such as agricultural demining and other priorities from FAO’s multi-year recovery plan.
“FAO has already implemented hundreds of targeted interventions that helped Ukrainian farmers sustain production even during energy attacks and blocked logistics,” said Vitalii Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine. “What matters most is that we share a common understanding of the way forward and full synergy in our priorities. Our partnership is key to ensuring producers in frontline regions get the support they need. Together with FAO, we are building the resilience of our agricultural sector – step by step, with practical solutions that respond to today’s challenges and prepare us for the future.”
As the year reaches its halfway point, urgent needs persist across rural areas, while critical funding gaps continue to constrain the full implementation of FAO’s Emergency and Early Recovery Plan for 2025–2026. Sustained international support and close coordination with national authorities remain key to addressing these challenges.
In this context, FAO will continue to provide targeted assistance and work alongside partners to ensure that Ukraine’s agri-food systems can recover, adapt and remain resilient even in the most challenging conditions, while redoubling efforts to ensure that the needs of vulnerable rural households remain visible and prioritized.
