What Ukraine must do on its path to EU to avoid war with Eastern European farmers
Farmers’ protests, blocked borders, spilled grain – these images have long been etched in the memory of both Poles and Ukrainians.
Although Warsaw has been, and remains, one of Kyiv’s main allies in the war with Russia, agriculture has become the source of the sharpest disputes.
Yet, as shown in an analytical report by the Stefan Batory Foundation Podzielone plony (Divided Harvests), Ukraine’s accession to the EU will not necessarily mean a trade war in the agricultural sector.
Read more about the differences between the agricultural sectors of Ukraine and Poland and how Ukraine’s agriculture could be adjusted for a „peaceful” European integration in the article by Sławomir Kalinowski of the Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development of the Polish Academy of Sciences: The harvest of discord: is there a compromise in the agrarian dispute between Ukraine and Poland.
Agriculture in Poland and Ukraine is much more than dry statistical data. It is part of culture, historical memory and an important element of national security. It is no surprise, then, that this sector evokes much stronger emotions than other areas of the economy.
When, in 2023, Polish farmers blocked border crossings and trucks carrying Ukrainian grain were stuck in kilometer-long queues, social media was flooded with images of spilled grain.