Ukraine is one of the largest countries in Europe, and is renowned for its “chernozems," the rich black soils which cover about two-thirds of its territory. Ukraine’s chernozems are among the most fertile soils in the world, and are highly prized for their agricultural potential. Ukraine’s size and outstanding soil quality means it has excellent potential for land-based climate mitigation. Ukraine is also a major grain exporter, and its agricultural sector plays an important role in global food security. As a result, the LMTs we are exploring for Ukraine are agriculture-focused: they are organic farming and reduced tillage.
We’re assessing organic farming’s climate mitigation potential in Ukraine. Here’s how.
We are using a land-use model called LandSHIFT to help us work out the mitigation potential for organic farming in Ukraine. But we are also assessing the risks, co-benefits and trade offs.