Mine Action and Food Security: The Complexities of Clearing Ukraine's Agricultural Lands

Authors

Markus Schindler, Fondation suisse de déminageFollow
Anthony Connell, Fondation suisse de déminageFollow

Abstract

Over the past decade, peace has eluded Ukraine. The annexation of Crimea and a separatist insurgency—sufficiently concerning in their own right—proved to be a mere prelude to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The largest land-war that Europe has seen since the Second World War is causing immense human suffering, devastating destruction, and extensive explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination. Mines, submunitions, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) continue to cost the lives of countless civilians and the death toll is rising by the day. Mine action organizations such as Fondation suisse de déminage (FSD) are working in Ukraine to clear these hazardous remnants of war and to prevent and mitigate their impact on Ukraine’s people and infrastructure. This article provides an overview of FSD’s operations in Ukraine, both prior to and during the war. It particularly emphasizes FSD’s work to clear Ukraine’s vital agricultural areas, highlighting the intricate link between mine action and food security. The article also underscores some of the key challenges that FSD has encountered while working in war-torn Ukraine.

Recommended Citation

Schindler, Markus and Connell, Anthony (2023) "Mine Action and Food Security: The Complexities of Clearing Ukraine's Agricultural Lands," The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction: Vol. 27 : Iss. 2 , Article 3.
Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol27/iss2/3