Food security of the Southern region under the conditions of martial law

Abstract

Food security is one of the key elements of national security, especially under martial law. The southern region of Ukraine, which includes the Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, plays an important role in providing the country with food due to its specialization in the cultivation of grain, oil crops and vegetables.However, the war significantly affected the agro-industrial sector of the region, creating a number of challenges that negatively affected food security.

The article describes the main problems caused by martial law, namely the loss of agricultural land, the destruction of infrastructure, the blockade of ports, the shortage of labor resources and the increase in the cost of production. A large part of the land in the region is mined or damaged as a result of hostilities, which makes it impossible to carry out sowing and harvesting operations.The destruction of elevators, granaries, transport hubs and irrigation systems led to reduced production and lower yields. The blockade of the Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhnoye seaports significantly complicated the export of Ukrainian agricultural products, which led to financial losses for farmers and overloading of alternative transport routes.

A separate problem revealed by the author was the shortage of labor resources caused by mobilization, evacuation of the population and the death of agricultural workers. In the conditions of the war, there is also a significant increase in the cost of agricultural production, which is due to the increase in the price of fuel, fertilizers, seeds and other resources, as well as the disruption of logistics chains.

In addition, it is necessary to stimulate the development of local production and processing industry, which will reduce dependence on imports and stabilize the domestic market. Measures to create strategic food reserves and support socially vulnerable population groups are also important.

Food security in the Southern region under martial law is under threat, but thanks to a comprehensive approach that includes state, international and regional initiatives, it is possible to stabilize the situation and provide the population with quality and affordable food.