13 March 2026

This week we have been honoured to welcome delegates from both Ukraine and the UK to our UK/Ukraine Soil Pollution Conference which started on Wednesday.

The three day conference marks the conclusion of the “UK/Ukraine: War-Polluted Soils Recovery and Remediation” joint project between the RAU and Sumy National Agrarian University (SNAU) in Ukraine, funded by DEFRA under the framework of the UK/Ukraine 100-Year Partnership.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine just over four years ago, Ukraine’s farmlands have suffered significant damage from Russian bombardments and other war-related activities, with potentially toxic elements, known as heavy metals, polluting the soil which poses a potentially long-term threat to food production, food safety, and agricultural productivity in the country which is known as “the breadbasket of Europe”.

At the conference, researchers presented their key findings from the project  - launched in late 2022 and supported by £500,000 in DEFRA funding - which has been analysing soil samples in five regions of Ukraine to assess levels of pollution and the long-term impact of war on the country’s arable farmland, as well as exploring potential solutions to restore soil health, ensure food safety, and support agricultural recovery.

Click here to see BBC Points West's news item about the conference.