WASHINGTON, D.C. – Corus International has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) to support agricultural livelihood recovery in Ukraine. In partnership with local agricultural service organizations, Corus is helping Ukrainian smallholder farmers restore production and prepare for next year’s winter months.
The year-long project is centered in Kharkiv Oblast, one of the first provinces targeted by the Russian offensive and where Ukrainian forces have reclaimed thousands of square kilometers of territory.
Launched on May 1, 2023, to align with the planting season, the Agricultural Livelihoods Recovery for Food Security in Ukraine project will reach more than 6,000 smallholders and their families, including returnees, residents that remained in Kharkiv, and families who fled their homes and now reside in Kharkiv.
“This program is critical because a year of war has decimated Ukraine’s agricultural sector and, with it, the livelihoods of people working in the country’s rural economy,” says Corus President and CEO Daniel Speckhard. “More than a third of smallholder farmers are no longer producing crops and nearly half of Kharkiv’s rural population has reported a drop in income. By working directly with local organizations, we can support families as they revive agricultural production, and we can help to reestablish capacities of agricultural advisory services that were disrupted by the war.”
Support includes both material and technical resources to restore or establish small farms. Participants in the project are receiving inputs depending upon their needs, like vegetable seeds, fertilizer, gardening tools, processing equipment, canning kits and pickling containers, chicks, chicken coops and feeders. Local agriculture advisors are providing training in small-scale, climate sensitive farming practices, that can include planting, composting and harvesting, and winterization preparedness, which involves drying, packaging and storing crops.
“The biggest and most consistent mistake the humanitarian community makes is waiting for a crisis to be over before thinking about recovery. At CDP, we know that recovery can start anytime, and as early as possible is best,” says Alex Gray, Director of International Funds at CDP. “Corus was our only partner willing to invest early on in prioritizing the research and engaging in the detailed discussions needed to determine how best to support recovery of the agriculture sector and when.”
Additionally, internally displaced people living in group shelters in Kharkiv are receiving support to start kitchen, or backyard, gardens. The food they grow will provide them with a more sustainable food supply and a diversified income stream to defray their cost of living as they await permanent resettlement.
The project is part of Corus International’s large-scale response in Ukraine, which also includes emergency shelter, health care, material resource distribution, protection and violence against women and girls prevention services and technical assistance for cash transfer programs.
For more information, please contact Muhammad Tahir, Sr. Media Relations Manager, Corus International, @email.
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Corus International unites an array of nonprofit organizations and businesses, each with specialized expertise. Alongside communities and local partners in fragile settings, our expert teams integrate disciplines, approaches and resources to overcome poverty and suffering for those living in the world’s toughest and most difficult circumstances. Our traditional and nontraditional approaches bring together the multi-dimensional, holistic solutions needed to truly achieve lasting change. Corus features global public health leader IMA World Health, international development and aid organization Lutheran World Relief, technology for development consultancy CGA Technologies, impact investing firm Ground Up Investing, and direct-trade company Farmers Market Brands.
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy mobilizes philanthropy to strengthen communities’ ability to withstand disasters and recover equitably when they occur. It provides expert advice and resources while managing domestic and international disaster funds on behalf of corporations, foundations and individuals through targeted, holistic and localized grantmaking. Find out more at disasterphilanthropy.org and on Twitter @funds4disaster.