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Landmines

Asked by Wendy MortonConservativeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled Answered 12 May 2025UIN 48938

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of demining programmes on (a) the economy and (b) food security.

Answered by Stephen Doughty

In countries with significant levels of contamination, demining programmes can have a huge impact on the economy and food security by releasing land for return to productive use. In Ukraine, for example, some 139,000 square kilometres of land need to be surveyed for potential contamination, and an estimated 28,000 square kilometres of agricultural land has been abandoned because of landmines and other impacts of the war. One recent report found that, compared to 2021, mines and explosive ordnance impact Ukraine's GDP by $11.2 billion annually. Until 2022, Ukrainian agricultural products could feed 400 million people around the world annually, so demining in Ukraine affects food security both in Ukraine and globally.

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