Major Ukrainian Food Exporter Flips to Feed a Nation at War

  • MHP pivots to supply Ukraine’s army, civilians and hospitals
  • Some of MHP’s grain farms are occupied by Russian troops
Volunteers make food to feed soldiers and civilians at a roadside camp close to the north eastern frontline in Kyiv on March 9.Photographer: Chris McGrath/Getty Images
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Ukrainian food conglomerate MHP SE built its business exporting grains and poultry to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. War forced a pivot, and now the company supplies the Ukrainian army and delivers ready-to-eat chicken to civilians in bombed-out cities.

The shift shows how quickly Ukraine’s farming industry -- a global heavyweight -- flipped from feeding the world to feeding the nation. Russia’s invasion is displacing millions of people and stranding more without access to electricity, water and other essentials.