30 June 2026

 

Alongside the soil pollution caused by the ongoing war with Russia, Ukrainian farming operates under conditions of increased risks: agro-climatic conditions are changing, production costs are rising, soil fertility is decreasing, erosion processes are intensifying, and the need to adapt to climate change is growing.

A team from the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), has worked with colleagues at Ukraine’s Sumy National Agrarian University (SNAU) and Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland - and in partnership with the NGO Green Agro Solutions in Ukraine - to develop a unique short course about technologies, profitability, and innovation in sustainable farming.

Professor Mark Horton, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise at the RAU, said: “The new course – which is available online over 12 hours - will give participants all the practical tools they need for modern sustainable and conservation farming, while learning about the global challenges of agricultural production and the impact of climate change. They will be able to dip in and out, choosing from 24 topics. 

“At the end, the participants will be able assess soil health and fertility and have a thorough understanding of modern regenerative, conservation, organic, and sustainable farming systems, and help them to understand how to combine farm profitability with long term environmental sustainability.”

The project, which launched this week, was implemented within the framework of the UK-Ukraine 100-Year Partnership programme to develop capacities in the field of sustainable agriculture farms with the support of Defra. 

Delivered in Ukrainian with English subtitles, the free “Sustainable Farming: technologies, profitability, innovation” course is suitable for agricultural producers, farmers, and agricultural advisors, as well as agricultural students and lecturers, and anyone working in the agricultural sector.

The free course is currently being promoted throughout Ukraine but is also available in the UK. To register for the course and get practical tools for modern sustainable farming, please visit https://prometheus.org.ua/prometheus-free/sustainable-farming/

Professor Horton added: “This course is so important to ensure that Ukraine remains the ‘Breadbasket of Europe’ in the transition to more sustainable agricultural methods, as the country heroically continues to expand its agricultural productively in the face the current difficult circumstances.”