Minderoo Foundation announces new partnership to support the demining of Ukraine farmland

27 Feb 2024 – Minderoo Foundation has today committed $5 million to de-mine large swathes of Ukraine’s most productive agricultural land, removing a threat to human life and helping communities and farmers in the war-torn country get back on their feet.

The announcement comes as the world marked the grim second anniversary of the war in Ukraine, with Minderoo Foundation being the first philanthropic partner to support the World Food Programme’s (WFP) food system project with a de-mining component - a joint project with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The project was initially funded by Croatia, the Czech Republic, the European Union, Finland, France, Norway, Poland, and the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).

The Ukraine de-mining program uses satellite imagery to map out mined land, then dispatches specialised teams to survey and clear it – prioritising productive areas that can be quickly and safely restored. The program will prioritise rural communities and farmers in Mykolaiv and Kharkiv oblasts who can no longer cultivate land due to suspected or confirmed contamination. Minderoo’s $5 million will contribute to the program, supporting approximately 4,900 households and over 12,200 people with explosive ordinance risk training.

Minderoo Foundation Chair and Founder, Dr Andrew Forrest AO, said nearly 1 million people in Ukraine’s agricultural sector had lost their livelihoods as a result of the conflict and were unable to return to their land until it is safe.

“Coming from a long line of farmers and pastoralists, my family and I know how important it is for the people to get back on their land and do what they do best,” Dr Forrest said. “Ukraine’s agricultural sector is vital to global food supply and is the largest supplier of wheat for WFP’s famine relief programs, meaning the resumption of farming is critical for many people around the globe.”

Prior to today’s announcement, Minderoo Foundation had committed just under $14 million in critical aid to the people of Ukraine, including projects to enhance food and energy security as well as the protection and development of the children of Ukraine.

Minderoo Foundation Co-Chair and Founder, Nicola Forrest AO, said Ukraine was now the most heavily mined country in the world, ahead of Afghanistan and Syria.

“An area two-and-a-half times the size of Tasmania is now estimated to be contaminated with deadly land mines and unexploded ordinance – or 25 per cent of Ukraine’s landmass,” Mrs Forrest said. “A large portion of these landmines are in prime agricultural land whose continued presence is a hindrance to investment, food security, and an endangerment to human life. Minderoo’s support will save lives and livelihoods.”

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, thanked Minderoo Foundation for its support and urged other donors to assist Ukraine in her hour of need.

“Assistance should not be exclusively in the realm of foreign aid or governments. Philanthropy and business have a key part to play in the Ukraine recovery,” Ambassador Myroshnychenko said.

“This is the kind of thing which citizens around the world can do. Minderoo Foundation is setting an example; we need other citizens and organisations to follow.”

About Minderoo’s Ukraine support

Minderoo Foundation has now committed just shy of AUD$20 million in critical aid to the people of Ukraine. Some of the projects funded include:

• Minderoo Foundation provided a grant of just under AUD$2 million to the United Nations World Food Programme to enable the chartering of a bulk carrier vessel to enter Ukraine’s to deliver a shipment of 23,000 metric tons of wheat grain to WFP’s humanitarian response in the Horn of Africa. Minderoo’s support helped feed 192,600 beneficiaries in Ethiopia and acted as a catalyst for broader grain shipments.
• Minderoo Foundation provided AUD$4.57 million towards grain storage for Ukraine farmers. This funding covered the procurement, delivery, and distribution to Ukrainian farmers of grain storage sleeves, loading machinery and modular grain storage. More than 29,000 grain sleeves have now been distributed to over 1,600 farmers throughout Ukraine with 244 modular storage units to be distributed in 2024.
• Following a request from the Ukrainian Government, Minderoo Foundation procured 169 generators which were delivered to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service. The generators (worth AUD$3.2 million) were donated to support the ‘Points of Invincibility’ project to provide warmth, food and water for Ukrainians impacted by power outages.
• Minderoo Foundation provided AUD$1.67 million towards the construction of 14 houses for large foster families who have lost their homes from the war, in partnership with the Olena Zelenska Foundation (Foundation of the First Lady of Ukraine) on their ‘Room for Childhood’ project for foster families.
• Minderoo Foundation is working with our partner, International Step by Step Association, to support thousands of children with shelter and ECD service delivery hubs for and families and equipping and training educators to support children with trauma.