Agriculture continues to play a crucial role in protecting rural communities from food insecurity in Ukraine, even as the ongoing war places increasing pressure on livelihoods, according to a new assessment released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The report on food security and agricultural livelihoods is based on interviews with more than 2,800 households across nine front-line oblasts and provides a detailed look at how rural families are coping with the prolonged impacts of the conflict. Despite the challenges created by war-related shocks, declining incomes and limited access to agricultural inputs, farming remains a vital safety net for many households.
According to the assessment, about four in ten households are engaged in agricultural production. For many families, farming not only provides a direct source of food but also helps protect them from market disruptions and rising food prices. However, rural livelihoods are increasingly under strain. One in three households reported a decline in income over the past year, reflecting growing economic hardship among communities already affected by the war.
As financial pressures intensify, many families are turning to coping strategies that may ease immediate difficulties but risk weakening their long-term resilience. More than three-quarters of surveyed households reported relying on measures such as spending savings, borrowing money or cutting essential expenses, including healthcare and education.
Shakhnoza Muminova, Head of the FAO Office in Ukraine, emphasized that agriculture remains essential for rural families trying to maintain stability amid ongoing conflict. She noted that supporting farmers and rural households is critical not only for protecting food security today but also for strengthening the resilience and recovery of rural communities.
The report also highlights the disproportionate challenges faced by vulnerable groups. Internally displaced people, women-headed households and families living near the frontline are exposed to greater risks of food insecurity and repeated shocks. According to Aziz Karimov, Head of the Assessment, Research, and MEAL Unit at FAO Ukraine and a lead author of the report, many rural households still rely on farming as a key coping strategy. However, declining incomes, repeated disruptions and limited access to inputs are gradually weakening this safety net and increasing vulnerability.
The assessment provides important evidence on how the war continues to affect food security and agricultural livelihoods at the household level. By examining the links between economic pressures, production challenges and exposure to shocks, the report helps explain why many rural families remain at risk even when they continue farming.
Its findings have informed FAO’s Emergency and Early Recovery Response Plan for Ukraine for 2026–2028 and are also guiding planning efforts by partners in the Food Security and Livelihood Cluster. The evidence is helping humanitarian organizations and authorities design more targeted support for farmers and rural communities affected by the conflict.
The report shows that agriculture remains a central livelihood strategy, with a large share of households producing primarily for their own consumption. Farming households generally reported lower levels of food deprivation and more diverse diets compared with those not engaged in agriculture. At the same time, financial pressure on rural communities continues to grow, with many agricultural households experiencing declining earnings.
Communities living in frontline areas face particularly severe economic challenges. Many depend heavily on pensions or social benefits as their main sources of income, while a small proportion report having no income at all. Agricultural production is also being affected by the conflict, with a significant number of crop producers reporting reduced harvests and some livestock owners losing animals due to war-related disruptions.
Displacement has further compounded the challenges for rural households. Many families who fled their homes reported being forced to abandon livestock, which has had a lasting impact on their livelihoods and food security.
As the war continues to affect communities across Ukraine, coordinated efforts by national authorities, humanitarian organizations and international donors remain essential. Strengthening support for farmers and rural households is seen as a key step in stabilizing food systems, protecting livelihoods and preventing further deterioration of food security in rural areas.
