A spatial analysis of human–soil interactions using remote sensing and soil data: impacts of the conflict in Ukraine on food security

Introduction The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to severe disruptions in agricultural production, raising concerns about soil fertility, land-use changes, and global food security. This study aims to conduct a high-resolution and reproducible spatial analysis of how the conflict in Ukraine has affected human–soil interactions within agricultural areas. Methods This study utilizes open-access data (Sentinel-2, ESA WorldCover, and OpenLandMap) on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. Multi-source datasets, including Sentinel-2 imagery, the European Space Agency WorldCover product, and OpenLandMap soil information, were processed within the Google Earth Engine environment. The analysis focuses on temporal changes in vegetation activity within pre-classified cropland areas, using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values from April 2021 and April 2025 to distinguish between cultivated and fallow conditions. Cropland areas were classified based on NDVI values for April 2021 and April 2025, distinguishing between fallow and cultivated land. A custom GEE code block was developed to analyze the spatial distribution of these areas according to the USDA Soil Taxonomy classification. Results The results indicate a decline in mean NDVI from 0.358 (± 0.191) in 2021 to 0.258 (± 0.162) in 2025, suggesting a reduction in vegetation activity across croplands. In parallel, the extent of fallow or potentially abandoned agricultural land increased from approximately 5.6 million hectares to 17 million hectares. This expansion is not spatially uniform but rather shows a noticeable concentration within specific soil groups. Approximately 90% of the impacted areas are related to Endoaquolls, Hapludalfs, Hapludolls, Haplustolls, and Haploxerolls, all of which belong to the Mollisol and Alfisol soil orders. The observed decrease in NDVI variability further indicates a spatial homogenization of cropland conditions and disruption of key ecosystem functions. Discussion The expansion of fallow croplands by 2025 indicates widespread abandonment of cultivation in Ukraine, with these lands concentrated primarily in Mollisol and Alfisol soil orders. The abandonment of these highly productive soils poses serious risks not only to local agricultural sustainability but also to global food supply chains, given Ukraine’s strategic role in grain and oilseed production. The results of this study show that conflict disrupts human-soil interactions, posing a substantial threat to global food security. Conclusion This study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining open-access satellite data and soil information within a cloud-based framework to monitor large-scale agricultural changes under crisis conditions. The proposed approach provides a reproducible and scalable methodology for assessing the environmental dimensions of conflict and highlights the critical role of human–soil interactions in maintaining global food security.