Ukraine and the EU are celebrating Organic Day

   On 23 September 2021, the European Parliament, European Council and European Commission launched the annual EU Organic Day on 23 September. This is a part of the Action Plan for the development of organic production in the EU, adopted by the European Commission on 25 March 2021, aiming to increase the consumption of organic products, expand organic production, improve the sustainability of agriculture and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the EU Strategy “From Farm to Fork” and the EU Biodiversity Strategy.

   On September 23, Ukraine celebrated Organic Day together with the European Union, with the aim of European integration, implementation of the European Green Deal in Ukraine, raising awareness about the organic products and promoting the key role of organic agriculture in the transition to sustainable production and consumption in Ukraine.
   The event was attended by representatives of the Educational and Scientific Laboratory of Economic Theory and Bioeconomy of the NULES of Ukraine and higher education holders of the doctor of philosophy degree.

   This online conference is organised by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, State Institution, “Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office” in partnership with the Organic initiative* with support of Switzerland within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian Programs “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP) and “Organic Trade for Development (OT4D).
   Objectives of the online conference:
1. To inform on the latest news of the Ukrainian organic sector.
2. To show that Ukraine celebrates Organic Day together with the EU and makes its efforts to implement the European Green Deal in Ukraine.
3. To inform about international cooperation aiming at organic market development in Ukraine.

   WELCOME WORDS AND COOPERATION IN THE ORGANIC SECTOR
Mr Taras Vysotskyi, First Deputy Minister, Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine - The current situation of organic legislation in Ukraine. Operational monitoring data of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine (as of 31.12.2021)
Mr Miltiades Krimizis, Head of Sector International - Organics Unit, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission - EU Organic Day and Ukraine
Mr Viktor Shutkevych, Assistant Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine - 20 years of Swiss support for organic market development in Ukraine
Mr Christian Hell, Agriculture Sector Manager, Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine - EU supports Ukraine in approximation of Ukrainian organic legislation to the EU organic regulation

   ORGANIC MARKET IN UKRAINE
• Mr Andrii Remizov, Acting Director, State Institution “Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office”. - Ukrainian organic export
• Mr Sergiy Galashevskyy, General Manager, Organic Standard LLC. - Results of the Organic Market Survey in Ukraine (2021 and January-August 2022): Organic Export
• Ms Olena Manziuk, Deputy Head of the Certification, Standardisation and Quality Department, Organic Standard LLC. - Results of the Organic Market Survey in Ukraine (2021): Organic Domestic Market

   SUPPORT FOR ORGANIC SECTOR OF UKRAINE
• Ms Yuliia Voroshchuk, Director, Organic Expert LLC, Mr Ivan Grechkivsky, CEO, Family Garden LLC, Mr Andriy Nikolaiuk, General Director, Ethnoproduct PrJSC - Experience of Ukrainian organic producers who has received support
• Ms Olena Deineko, Coordinator, Organic Initiative. - Grant program of the Organic Initiative “Support of Organic Sector in Ukraine”
• Mr Oleksandr Kaliberda, National Expert, project “German-Ukrainian cooperation in organic agriculture”. - Grant initiative “Emergency aid for organic agriculture in Ukraine”
• Ms Olena Korohod (Berezovska), President, Organic Ukraine NGO - International campaign #IGrowYourFood - Stories of organic farmers from Ukraine

Inna GUSHCHA,
Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economic Theory