Written question asked by Wendy Morton (Conservative) on Tuesday, 29 April 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 1 May 2025. It was answered by Stephen Doughty (Labour) on Monday, 12 May 2025 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Landmines

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.

Answer: 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.

Secondary information