On April 18, 2024, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University hosted the Second Kharkiv Food Forum in Karazin safe space!
This year’s theme of the forum was: “Kharkiv on the Way to Food Security: Challenges, Risks, and Prospects for Overcoming Them”. Our event brought together almost 200 participants who joined the forum both offline and online. The forum was organized by the Kharkiv team of the FUSILLI project, and our partners and co-organizers: Food Security and Livelihood Cluster (FSLC), the Relief Coordination Center, the Source of Revival Charitable Foundation, and Kharkiv City Council.
We had wonderful speakers: representatives of international and Ukrainian organizations, local and state authorities, NGOs, volunteer organizations and charitable foundations, as well as the scientific and academic community. The forum addressed issues related to food security in the region, livelihoods, agricultural land demining, local food policy, taxation and state food safety and consumer protection, the environmental situation in the region and the reuse of items, lending and opening new food businesses, humanitarian policy and development programs, etc.
During the Forum, Kateryna Lavrenko (Coordinator of the Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster in Kharkiv Oblast and Humanitarian Department Manager at the Relief Coordination Center), presented the results of the Sustainable Settlement Assessment (SSA), an important tool for understanding and coordinating the humanitarian needs of residents of the Kharkiv region. The SSA is the only platform that collects data on problems and needs at the settlement level.
Photos: Snapshots from the forum
Vitaliy Razzhyvin (Coordination and Information Management Specialist of the Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster of the Eastern Hub) presented the activities of the Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster in Kharkiv region. The cluster works with hundreds of implementing partners to advocate for better coordination and information sharing, and responds to regional requests for assistance to the most vulnerable populations affected by the conflict in Ukraine. The cluster is led by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Ukraine.
Nina Yarosh (Senior Program Policy Specialist, WFP Agricultural Livelihoods and Mine Action Project) spoke about the restoration of livelihoods and food production, in particular about:
- The problem of “blocked” agricultural land due to explosive ordnance.
- Procedures for non-technical and technical survey and land clearance.
- Cash and voucher support for livelihoods.
- Prioritization of land surveys, soil condition assessment, and technical assistance for the resumption of production.
Oleksandr Skorobahatko (National Project Specialist at FAO) reviewed the target groups of beneficiaries, including rural households, small farmers, medium-sized farmers, and enterprises. FAO’s goal is to improve people’s living standards by developing agriculture, increasing productivity, improving the living conditions of rural people, and contributing to global food security.
Watch the video below where we tried to capture our speakers and the amazing atmosphere that was created that day!
These are just a part of what we discussed at our second Forum, stay tuned for a brochure based on the results of our informative discussions!
Photos: Snapshots from the forum
