Courage under cultivation: Farming the frontline
In Ukraine’s Kharkiv oblast, once one of the country’s agricultural heartlands, the land now tells two very different stories.
Before the war, more than 90% of this 31,400 km² region was used for agriculture. Fields of barley, maize, and wheat stretched across approximately 1.3 million hectares, supporting livelihoods and feeding communities.
Today, much of that land is unsafe.
By 2024, farmers could use only 68% of the pre-war sown area. Just over half of all agricultural land remains suitable for cultivation. The rest lies mined, damaged, or too dangerous to enter.
With support from partners like FMC Corporation, land once considered lost is being brought back into production — field by field, farm by farm.
One of those farmers is Ivan Ivanovych.
Hired employees plowing the field using rented tractors
Difference between the cleared land and the land considered to be mined
Caught in the crossfire
Before the invasion, Ivan farmed his land with his son and family. Since 2005, he had cultivated the fields that sustained their livelihood.
When the war began, his village of Ivankove found itself in the epicenter of fighting. His first instinct was to flee with his wife, but within a day escape became impossible.
“I went to sleep in a Ukrainian village,” he recalled, “and woke up surrounded by Russian troops.”
The occupation cost Ivan his entire crop, a loss he estimates at $12,000. For a small independent farmer, it was devastating.
When Ukrainian forces liberated the area in September 2023, Ivan returned immediately. Farming was his only source of income, but instead of fields ready for planting, he found danger. Soldiers warned him that retreating forces had heavily mined access routes and farmland.
His livelihood had been turned into a hazardous zone.
One of the main problems for farmers after their land has been cleared of mines is drones and other explosive devices. Drones, their cargo and debris pose a major threat to crops, especially if professionals are not on hand to help dispose of them in a safe and timely manner.
Land left lethal
At first, Ivan was exempted from paying land tax on unusable plots. But as weeds overtook the land, he felt he had no choice but to act. He began inspecting the fields himself and soon discovered artillery shells, cluster munitions, and other explosive hazards scattered across his property.
Humanitarian demining support became critical.
Teams from The HALO Trust, backed by partners including FMC Corporation, began clearing some of Ivan’s most contaminated land, including trench-scarred areas filled with explosive remnants of war. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine also supported clearance efforts.
Today, around 60 hectares of Ivan’s land are confirmed safe and back under cultivation. Each cleared field means income regained, food produced, and stability restored.
Restoring safety, cultivating recovery
Clearing agricultural land is about far more than removing explosives. It restores the foundations of daily life. When fields are made safe, farmers can return to work, plant crops, and rebuild their livelihoods. Local economies begin to recover, and communities regain a sense of stability.
For Ivan, cleared land means the ability to plan for the next season and believe in the future of the farm he has worked for decades.
Across Kharkiv oblast, each safe hectare signals progress. Fields once defined by danger are being returned to productivity, resilience, and hope — helping Ukraine’s agricultural heartland take root once again.
HALO's life-saving work is made possible by the generous support of FMC.
