Authors

Tetiana Grabovska¹;  ¹ FiBL, Switzerland

Discussion

War poses a serious threat to the environment, disrupting essential ecosystem services and worsening issues caused by climate change. The consequences depend on landscape types, the duration, intensity, and spatial and temporal distribution of warfare impacts. The loss of vital natural resources and ecosystem services, particularly fertile soils and water sources, increases the risk of landscape degradation. Armed conflicts reduce the ability of agroecosystems to self-recover, complicating efforts to maintain productivity under wartime conditions. This highlights the need for strategies that can restore essential ecosystem services to stabilize agricultural systems.
In war-affected regions, such as Ukraine, the degradation of critical resources (e.g. the loss of biodiversity and pollinator populations) casts doubt on the resilience and sustainability of agricultural production. These disruptions harm agroecosystems and jeopardize their productivity in supporting food security. Ongoing destruction of natural habitats and agricultural landscapes underscores the urgent need for tools that can restore ecological balance and support food production in conflict zones. This study examines the complex relationship between war and nature, focusing on how conflict accelerates agroecosystem degradation and which tools can be applied to slow the destruction of specific components and restore ecosystem services.
Restoring natural habitats, planting flower strips, integrating polycultures, and increasing landscape heterogeneity enhance functional biodiversity and support populations of beneficial insects (predators and pollinators). Organic farming practices, in contrast to conventional agriculture, contribute to ecological resilience by reducing reliance on synthetic materials and strengthening environmental stability in war-affected regions. By implementing these sustainable practices even amid conflict, we support the potential for agricultural recovery while preserving the surrounding environment. Nature-based solutions are vital strategies for restoring ecosystem services, creating climate-adaptive, resilient food agroecosystems capable of withstanding war and climate stressors.
So, is there hope for sustainable agriculture during war? Yes, but only if we protect and support agroecosystems by implementing nature-based solutions and ecological approaches. We must care for their resilience and biodiversity even in the toughest times, for our future depends on it.