Humanitarian demining results for September

On November 19, the IV International Conference on Food Security Food from Ukraine is taking place in Kyiv – an important international platform for strengthening cooperation on matters of global food security and developing strategic partnerships between Ukraine and countries around the world.

Within the framework of the conference, bilateral meetings involving world leaders, ministers, representatives of international organizations, and leading experts took place.

During a bilateral meeting between the Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Sultan Al Shamsi, the creation of agricultural hubs in the UAE was discussed. It is expected that these hubs will receive Ukrainian products for further packaging and distribution to countries in need of assistance. In particular to Gaza, Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, and other regions. This will optimize logistics and increase the efficiency of food delivery to those who need it most.

At the thematic panel discussions within Food from Ukraine 2025, Deputy Ministers of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi and Denys Bashlyk presented Ukraine's vision regarding strengthening the global food system, expanding humanitarian aid, and developing innovative forms of cooperation with countries of the Global South. Specifically, during the panel "Ukraine-Africa Forum on Aligning Partnerships: Shared Technologies and Production for the Future," dedicated to developing cooperation with African countries, Taras Vysotskyi emphasized the importance of transforming the "Grain from Ukraine" initiative into an expanded concept "Food from Ukraine," which encompasses not only food supplies but also the creation of joint technological and production solutions.

"Ukraine has long played a key role in global food security and is a reliable partner for Global South countries. Despite the war and russia's attempts to hinder our exports, since 2022 we have delivered over 40% of Ukrainian grain exports to Asia, Africa, and Latin America. We don't just deliver food, but offer technologies, expertise, and production models that ensure long-term food stability. This forms equitable partnerships that strengthen the resilience of economies of all participating countries," noted Taras Vysotskyi.

Within the panel "Food from Ukraine - Ukraine's Agricultural Potential to Resolve Global Humanitarian Crises," Deputy Minister Denys Bashlyk presented analytics of Ukraine's food supplies to countries in Africa and the Middle East and outlined the humanitarian and diplomatic components of the initiative.

"Despite all the challenges of the war, Ukraine remains a reliable food supplier for African and Middle Eastern countries. Last year, we supplied 12 million tons of wheat - this is 7.5% of total imports by Global South countries, as well as 10 million tons of corn - 8.2%. This demonstrates the importance of the stability of Ukrainian exports and the high value of humanitarian assistance for the most vulnerable regions," noted Denys Bashlyk.

For the first time, Raed al-Saleh, the Syrian Minister of Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief, took part in the forum. He noted that for his country, which suffered greatly during the war, it is very important to adopt Ukraine's experience in humanitarian demining. He joined the thematic panel "Humanitarian Demining and Responding to Food Crises in Emergency Situations." At the event, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Ihor Bezkaravainyi pointed out that humanitarian demining of agricultural lands and their comprehensive restoration is highly critical for global food security.

"Demining fields is not an end in itself. Because if there is no development on the cleared land, if no one works there, why are we doing it? Every cleared hectare must work both for Ukraine's economy and become a part of global food security," said Ihor Bezkaravainyi.

Conference participants highlighted that Food from Ukraine goes beyond traditional humanitarian aid, and Ukraine once again confirms its role as a global guarantor of food security, demonstrating that even during difficult wartime, it is capable of supporting the world with food and innovations for countries experiencing product shortages.

"Food from Ukraine" has become a new stage of the "Grain from Ukraine" initiative, launched by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2022 to strengthen Ukraine's role in combating the global food crisis. Its main idea lies in supplying Ukrainian grain to countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and other regions on the brink of famine.

Since 2022, over 320 thousand tons of agricultural products (wheat and flour, corn, peas, oil) have been shipped to 18 countries in Africa and Asia within the framework of the initiative: Bangladesh, Djibouti, Congo, Yemen, Ethiopia, Zambia, Kenya, Mauritania, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, and Chad. As a result of three "Grain from Ukraine" summits, over 370 million US dollars of donor funds have been raised.