Russia's War and Ukrainian Agriculture

Russia’s war has grievously harmed Ukrainian agriculture. The destruction of the country’s agricultural infrastructure—storage, ports, export terminals, and the Kakhovka dam—is likely among some of the war’s most costly and lasting damages, with far-reaching consequences for Ukraine and the world. Ukraine is one of the largest agricultural exporters, and the war has severely disrupted global trade, causing food crises across many countries. This talk looks at the effects of Russia’s the war through the lens of corn, a critically important commodity crop. Wengle traces these events back to Russia’s history of controlling the Ukrainian countryside in the 20th century and to the corn-driven boom of Ukrainian agriculture in the 21st. Based on an analysis of the type, extent, and timing of damage to Ukrainian agriculture and grain infrastructure, she argues that Russian troops have deliberately targeted the country’s ability to export food to global markets. Although Russia’s war is not only about grain, Wengle concludes that it is also about grain: grain is a critical driver Ukraine’s future prosperity, and Russia’s attempts to control Ukraine’s future has placed agricultural assets at the center of the war. 

If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch this lecture on Zoom. Click here to register.

Susanne Wengle is Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Uppsala University, Sweden. Her research examines Russia’s post-Soviet political and economic transformation and engages with questions how we study market creation in this context and beyond. Her first book, Post-Soviet Power: State-led Development and Russia’s Marketization (2015), examined the political economy of newly created electricity markets in Russia, suggesting that the Russian government is actively involved in shaping market institutions. Prof. Wengle’s new book, Black Earth, White Bread: A Technopolitical History of Russian Agriculture and Food (2022), is an interdisciplinary history of Russia’s agriculture and food systems, that documents the complex interactions between political goals, daily cultural practices, and technological improvements. Her publications address many other aspects of the post-Soviet transition, including on the effects of sanctions on Russia’s, on welfare reforms, the politics of expertise and on shifting themes in Russian public discourse. She is also the editor of Cambridge University’s new textbook on Russian politics, Russian Politics Today: Stability and Fragility (2023).