Does the War in Ukraine Reveal a New Environmental Crime Against Agriculture?

The massive destruction of agricultural land in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion raises an unprecedented question: how to name and penalize the deliberate ruin of the systems that feed us? Researchers propose the term agriecocide to describe this phenomenon, where war does not merely devastate cities or forests but directly attacks soils, crops, and the infrastructure essential to global food production.

Ukraine, Europe’s breadbasket, is home to some of the most fertile soils on the planet, the chernozems. Yet, nearly a third of its territory is now contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance, while heavy metals from bombardments poison the land. Wheat, barley, and corn crops have fallen by nearly 30% in one year, and unique seed reserves, such as those at the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources in Kharkiv, have been destroyed. Targeted attacks on grain silos, irrigation systems, and water reserves, such as the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, further exacerbate the crisis. These acts threaten not only the Ukrainian economy but the food security of millions of people far beyond the country’s borders.

However, current laws—whether Ukrainian or international—do not allow for the specific prosecution of these destructions. Environmental war crimes do exist, but they focus on general harm to nature without recognizing agriculture as a vital ecosystem to protect. The concept of ecocide—the massive destruction of the environment—is insufficient, as it does not cover the human and social consequences of induced famine. Agriecocide would fill this legal void by targeting the destruction of soils, crops, livestock, and agricultural knowledge, as well as the disruptions to supply chains that result.

The authors of the study emphasize that this crime is not limited to Ukraine. In Syria, for example, mined fields and destroyed agricultural infrastructure have also plunged populations into food insecurity. But Ukraine presents an emblematic case: here, it is not just factories or roads that are targeted, but the very heart of food production. Occupied lands become uncultivable, farmers face labor shortages due to mobilization and exodus, and logistical costs skyrocket, making exports nearly impossible. Natural reserves, such as Askania Nova, burn under shelling, while entire regions, once exporters, find themselves cut off from the world.

In response to this reality, concrete proposals are emerging. In Ukraine, legal experts suggest adding a specific article to the penal code to punish agriecocide, alongside the already recognized ecocide. They also recommend strengthening soil protection laws by incorporating demining measures, bioremediation, and financial support for farmers. Insurance mechanisms against war risks and preferential tax zones in liberated territories could help restart production.

The stakes extend beyond Ukraine. If the international community does not recognize this type of destruction as a distinct crime, those responsible could evade any sanctions. Worse, nothing would prevent these strategies—which use hunger as a weapon—from being repeated elsewhere. Agriecocide is not just a new word: it is a call to protect what allows us to eat, today and tomorrow. Without an appropriate legal framework, fertile lands will remain silent targets, and famines, accepted consequences of conflicts.

Source Mentions

Cited Publication

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53941/eesus.2026.100008

Title: Introducing “Agriecocide”: Framing War-Related Agricultural Destruction in Ukraine

Journal: Earth: Environmental Sustainability

Publisher: Scilight Press Pty Ltd

Authors: Paulo Pereira; Rinata Kazak; Tetiana Kurman