Some of the most fertile land in the world, the so-called black lands of Ukraine, are being rendered unusable by Russian bombing. Grain production halved in one year of war. War not only kills and injures men, it also mutilates the earth. The effect is more pernicious, less impressive than a destroyed building surrounded by rubble, but very devastating. As the Russian army launches a new offensive, Ukrainian territory bears the many scars of a year of war: charred tanks on the sides of roads or in the middle of fields, fields disfigured by shells and mines, forests torn apart by trench crossings. The effects of the invasion on the soil of Ukraine, breadbasket of wheat and corn on the European continent, are already visible – and quantified. According to the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA), the cultivated area was reduced by a quarter between 2021 and 2022 due to the Russian invasion, which made sowing difficult. For this year, forecasts are lower: UGA anticipates a cereal and ...
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