Ukraine’s farms once fed billions but now its soil is starving – The Conversation

Report on Soil Nutrient Depletion in Ukraine and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Threat to Global Food Security and SDG 2

Ukraine has historically been a critical contributor to global food security, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). Before 2022, its exports of sunflower oil, maize, and wheat supported over 400 million people globally. However, a severe crisis of soil nutrient depletion now threatens the sustainability of its agricultural systems. This degradation poses a significant risk to Ukraine’s long-term productivity and, consequently, to the stability of the global food supply, directly challenging the achievement of SDG 2.

Historical Context and Nutrient Imbalance

Research into Ukrainian agriculture over the past four decades reveals a dramatic reversal in nutrient management, with significant consequences for multiple SDGs.

• Soviet Era: Farmland experienced excessive fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This overuse surpassed crop absorption capacity, leading to significant air and water pollution, which contravenes the principles of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
• Post-Independence (pre-2022): A sharp decline in fertilizer use occurred due to import reductions and collapsed supply chains. This resulted in a severe nutrient deficit, with phosphorus and potassium application rates falling 40-50% and 25% below crop uptake levels, respectively. Soil organic matter dropped by nearly 9%. This unsustainable practice of “nutrient mining” directly undermines SDG 2.4, which calls for sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices. Furthermore, the waste of approximately 90% of available manure represents a failure in achieving SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

Impact of the 2022 Invasion on Agricultural Sustainability

The full-scale invasion has critically intensified the pre-existing nutrient crisis. The conflict has disrupted supply chains, damaged storage infrastructure, and caused fertilizer prices to soar, forcing farmers to reduce applications to mitigate financial risk. This has accelerated soil degradation, jeopardizing progress towards SDG 15.3 (combat desertification and restore degraded land and soil).

Data from 2023 indicates an alarming trend:

• Harvested crops removed up to 30% more nitrogen than was applied.
• Harvested crops removed up to 80% more phosphorus than was applied.
• Harvested crops removed up to 70% more potassium than was applied.

Continued nutrient deficits on this scale threaten to cause lasting degradation of Ukraine’s soil, compromising its capacity to contribute to global food markets and recover post-conflict, thereby impeding the long-term achievement of SDG 2.

A Strategic Plan for Soil Fertility Restoration and SDG Achievement

A strategic plan has been developed to improve nutrient use efficiency, reduce waste, and restore soil health, aligning with several Sustainable Development Goals. These measures are designed to maintain farm productivity and profitability while mitigating environmental damage.

1. Precision fertilisation: Applying fertilisers at the right time, place, and amount to match crop needs. This enhances efficiency and supports SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
2. Enhanced manure use: Establishing local systems to collect and redistribute surplus manure. This creates a circular economy model, reduces dependence on synthetic fertilisers, and aligns with SDG 12.
3. Improved fertiliser use: Employing enhanced-efficiency fertilisers that release nutrients slowly, reducing losses to the environment and thereby protecting ecosystems as outlined in SDG 14 and SDG 15.
4. Planting legumes: Incorporating crops like peas or soybeans into rotations to naturally fix nitrogen and improve soil health, directly contributing to the targets of SDG 2.4 and SDG 15.3.

Implementation of these solutions can be supported by international partnerships and recovery funds, such as that backed by the World Bank, reflecting the importance of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) in post-conflict reconstruction and sustainable development.

Global Implications and the Urgency for Sustainable Nutrient Management

Ukraine’s nutrient crisis serves as a global warning. Intensive and unbalanced farming practices are fundamentally unsustainable and threaten both food security (SDG 2) and environmental health. Mismanagement of nutrients contributes to pollution and land degradation, hindering progress on a wide range of SDGs.

The findings underscore the global need for effective nutrient management to achieve food security, climate resilience (SDG 13), and improved water and air quality. Supporting Ukraine’s farmers in adopting sustainable practices presents an opportunity not only to rebuild a nation’s agricultural foundation but also to advance a global transition towards more resilient and sustainable food systems for a secure future.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article directly addresses SDG 2 by focusing on Ukraine’s role as a global “breadbasket” that helped “feed more than 400 million people worldwide.” The central theme is the threat that soil nutrient depletion poses to the country’s agricultural productivity and, by extension, to global food security and supply chains.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  This goal is central to the article’s discussion of soil health. The text highlights a “deeper, slower-moving crisis: the depletion of the very nutrients that make Ukraine’s fertile black soil so productive.” It details the loss of soil organic matter and nutrient imbalances, which are key aspects of land degradation, directly connecting to the goal of protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The article discusses unsustainable agricultural practices, which fall under SDG 12. It describes the “mismanagement” of nutrients, from historical “excessive fertilisation” leading to pollution, to the current situation where “90% of the manure still produced is wasted.” The proposed solutions, such as precision fertilization and enhanced manure use, aim to promote the efficient use of natural resources.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  SDG 6 is relevant due to the environmental impact of fertilizer mismanagement. The article explicitly states that during the Soviet era, the application of nutrients “at levels far beyond what crops could absorb… led to pollution of the air and water.” This connects agricultural practices to the degradation of water quality.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger):

  • Target 2.4: “By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production… and that progressively improve land and soil quality.” The article’s entire focus on the unsustainability of Ukraine’s current agricultural system due to soil nutrient depletion and the call for solutions to “rebuild soil fertility” directly align with this target.

• Under SDG 15 (Life on Land):

  • Target 15.3: “By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil… and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.” The article’s analysis of how Ukrainian soil is facing “lasting degradation” due to nutrient imbalances and a drop in organic matter directly addresses the need to restore degraded land and soil.

• Under SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production):

  • Target 12.2: “By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.” The article points to the inefficiency of current practices, noting that “about 90% of the manure still produced is wasted,” which represents a significant loss of a natural resource. The proposed solution to set up systems to “collect surplus manure and redistribute it” is a direct strategy for achieving this target.

• Under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation):

  • Target 6.3: “By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution…” The article’s reference to historical “pollution of the air and water” caused by excessive fertilization links directly to this target. The proposed solutions, such as using “enhanced-efficiency fertilisers that release nutrients slowly,” aim to reduce nutrient losses to water systems.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article provides several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Indicators for Soil Health and Agricultural Sustainability (SDG 2.4 & 15.3)

  • Nutrient Balance Deficit: The article quantifies the imbalance, stating that in 2023, crops took up “30% more nitrogen, 80% more phosphorus and 70% more potassium from the soil than they received.” Tracking this nutrient balance over time would be a direct indicator of progress towards sustainable soil management.
  • Soil Organic Matter Levels: The text mentions that “the soil’s organic matter had dropped by almost 9% since independence.” Monitoring the percentage of soil organic matter is a key indicator of soil health and degradation.

• Indicators for Resource Efficiency (SDG 12.2)

  • Percentage of Wasted Resources: The statistic that “about 90% of the manure still produced is wasted” is a clear indicator of inefficiency. Reducing this percentage would show progress towards more sustainable resource management.
  • Monetary Value of Wasted Resources: The article quantifies the waste as “equivalent to roughly US$2.2 billion (£1.6 billion) in fertiliser value each year.” Tracking this economic loss provides a powerful financial indicator of resource inefficiency.

• Indicators for Environmental Impact (SDG 6.3)

  • Nutrient Pollution Levels: While no current data is provided, the article’s mention of past “pollution of the air and water” from excessive fertilization implies that measuring nutrient runoff into water bodies would be a relevant indicator to assess the environmental impact of agricultural practices and the effectiveness of solutions like precision fertilization.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: theconversation.com