FarmForce: Small-scale agroforestry farmers’ inclusive and fair value chains from ‘farm to fork’ for resilient local and regional food systems in Ukraine

FarmForce aims to strengthen the role of small-scale agroforestry farmers in developing resilient, inclusive, and equitable food systems by improving value chains from “farm to fork”, with a particular focus on Ukraine in a context of crisis, recovery, and long-term sustainable development.

FarmForce is an international collaborative project that addresses the structural challenges faced by small-scale agroforestry farmers, particularly in Ukraine, where the war has severely affected industrial agriculture. In this context, small-scale producers have become essential for maintaining local food supply, yet they are often constrained by limited market access, lack of financing, and insufficient processing capacity.

The project brings together actors from Sweden and Ukraine—including research institutions, civil society, and the private sector—to jointly develop solutions that strengthen sustainable and inclusive value chains. Through knowledge exchange, network building, and hands-on activities, FarmForce contributes to improving product quality, enabling production diversification, and developing value-added products, while opening up new market opportunities both locally and internationally.

FarmForce focuses on four selected value chains—apples, cheese, winter wheat, and rapeseed—which represent key sectors with strong potential for local value creation and market development. Within these value chains, the project identifies bottlenecks, promotes innovation, and supports the development of sustainable and competitive products adapted to both local and international markets.

A central component of the project is capacity building through training sessions, workshops, and peer-to-peer learning. These activities aim to equip farmers and other key stakeholders with the tools needed to enhance resilience, align with EU food standards, and implement sustainable agroforestry practices. The project also has a strong focus on social inclusion, with targeted efforts to support women and internally displaced persons by creating job opportunities and promoting economic participation.

Furthermore, FarmForce engages in policy dialogue and advocacy to strengthen agroforestry as a nature-based solution for food security, climate adaptation, and local development. In doing so, the project positions agroforestry as a key component in Ukraine’s recovery and in the development of more robust regional food systems.

The project is funded by the Swedish Institute and implemented in partnership between SLU, Agroforestry Sweden, WWF-Ukraine, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. Agroforestry Sweden is the project owner, and Anders Lindén is the project manager.