Russia’s full-scale war has disrupted rural livelihoods across Ukraine. Damage to productive assets and infrastructure, displacement, labour shortages, constrained finance and interrupted market linkages have reduced income opportunities for rural households and small businesses. Producers also face land contaminated by mines and other explosive remnants of war and growing climate-related production risks.
Agriculture remains critical for rural incomes, employment and food supply in the projects’ focus regions. With many men serving in the armed forces, women have assumed greater responsibility for farms, enterprises and household income. Yet women and other producers at risk of exclusion often lack access to technical knowledge, inputs, advisory services, finance and reliable buyers.
Small-scale farms have sustained local food supplies despite these pressures. With stronger services and market connections, they can protect livelihoods, diversify income and contribute to inclusive local recovery.
Empower AgriWomen is a four-year livelihoods and economic inclusion project that uses the Swisscontact Inclusive Systems Development (ISD) approach to strengthen rural market systems in the Chernihiv and Kyiv regions.
The project supports predominantly women in small-scale agriculture, while also including internally displaced people and other vulnerable groups. Participants organise into producer groups or cooperatives, acquire technical and entrepreneurial skills, and gain better access to inputs, advisory services, finance and commercial partners.
Swisscontact works through local public and private partners, including Regional Development Agencies and State Administration, training and advisory providers, financial institutions, producer organisations, processors and buyers. Strengthening these actors and their services helps create support structures that can continue beyond direct project funding.
Climate-smart and resource-efficient practices help producers manage risks, improve productivity and build businesses that can withstand economic and environmental shocks. Together, these measures aim to support more stable incomes, stronger local economies and food security.
Stronger Livelihoods through Producer Cooperation
The project helps small-scale producers form interest groups and cooperatives so they can improve storage and marketing and strengthen their position in the market. Participants gain access to production materials, tools, training, finance, legal advice and locally available business services. Savings groups and service hubs offering product testing and soil analysis are also being piloted.
Skills and Services for Productive and Climate-Resilient Agriculture
Working with local providers, the project supports technical and business training for livestock and vegetable producers. Topics include water management, energy efficiency, animal health, pest control, business planning and marketing. Climate-smart practices are integrated into training to improve productivity, reduce risks and strengthen long-term business viability.
Inclusive Market Linkages and Business Models
The project connects producer groups with processors, buyers and service providers, helping them establish reliable commercial relationships and access organised markets. It supports aggregation, value addition and business models that respond to buyer demand. Solar energy, composting and organic fertilisers are promoted where they can lower costs, improve efficiency and strengthen resilience.
Financial Inclusion for Sustainable Growth
Small-scale producers gain access to microgrants, leasing and insurance models. The project works with financial institutions and private-sector partners to develop suitable products for rural enterprises, while financial training helps participants assess risks and use funding responsibly. Large processors may act as guarantors where this can improve producers’ creditworthiness.
By 2028, the project expects to achieve the following results:
This project is part of the Swisscontact Development Programme, which is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA. The project is also supported by additional funding partners, including Katholisch Stadt Zürich.