Despite all the difficulties they face, Ukrainian organic exporters continue to export and participate in international organic trade fairs. According to the analysis of the Ukrainian Certification Body Organic Standard, in 2022, Ukraine exported 225,814 metric tons of organic products to the EU and Switzerland, a 13 % increase compared to 2021.
One key to this success story lies in the financial support of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Switzerland, which finances the Quality Food Trade Program (QFTP), which is implemented by FiBL Switzerland and in partnership with SAFOSO. FiBL has been working in Ukraine to develop the organic sector for about 20 years and didn’t stop their support during the recent war. "The work continued in 2022 and will be continued in 2023, also under the most difficult conditions," stresses Tobias Eisenring, FiBL coordinator of the QFTP. The Ukrainian State Institution Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office (EEPO), together with the QFTP and other partners will bring 23 organic exporters to Biofach 2023, in Nuremberg (Germany) from 14 to 17 February.
FiBL expert Toralf Richter, who in the QFTP is responsible for the marketing activities of Ukrainian exporters, highlights the most important reasons for the export success under wartime conditions: "The brave resistance of Ukrainian organic farmers, their creative and flexible logistic solutions and a big wave of solidarity from international buyers led to the observed success." FiBL supported the efforts of Ukrainian producers with organisations dedicated to online business matchmaking activities, such as the organisation of Online Organic Export Days in November 2022, the international celebration of Ukrainian Organic Day in September 2022, an online conference "Organic export during the War" in June 2022 or the organisation of the Ukrainian National Pavilion at the trade exhibition Biofach in July 2022. Apart from these events, FiBL organised online events or produced podcasts to inform international buyers about the constantly changing export situation and export solutions.
Additionally, it was crucial that the organic farmers were not left alone. Together with the Ukrainian multi-stakeholder platform Organic Initiative, the QFTP coordinated financial support more than 100 Ukrainian organic operators for USD 367,000; this was done within two phases of the grant programme Support of the Organic Sector in Ukraine. With this support, organic farmers could continue to be certified or buy organic inputs for the 2022–2023 seeding campaign.
Further information
Contact
Programme with Ukrainian exporters at Biofach 2023, Nuremberg Trade Exhibition Center
| Time (CET) | Activity | Place |
Tuesday | Official opening of the Ukrainian National Pavilion | Ukrainian National Pavilion, Hall 4A, booth 511 |
Tuesday | Ukraine at the Biofach Congress session: Latest policy developments of organic in CEE regions | Room Kiew, Forum Politics |
Wednesday | Session: Public-Private Partnerships in the organic sector to booster the public goods - The experience in Eastern Europe | Hall St. Petersburg (NCC Ost) |
Thursday | Conference about Ukraine: One year after the beginning of the war – innovation power of organic farmers and global supporting strategies | Room Shanghai (NCC Ost) |
Friday | Session: How is the war in Ukraine affecting food sovereignty? | Room Istanbul (NCC Ost) |
About the Quality Food Trade Program (QFTP)
The overall goal of the QFTP is to increase value-added trade from the organic and dairy sectors in both domestic and export markets by pursuing two objectives: Objective I is to strengthen product quality and safety in the organic and dairy sectors, and Objective II is to increase trade capacity in the domestic and export markets with consumer products from the organic and dairy sectors. The program is implemented by FiBL in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland). The program is funded by Switzerland through the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Links
- qftp.org: QFTP website
- minagro.gov.ua: Article "Export and effective cooperation of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Ukrainian organic sector stakeholders and international partners will save the organic market of Ukraine"
- business.diia.gov.ua: Ukrainian Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office (EEPO)
- fibl.org: FiBL podcast on the war in Ukraine and the effects on global food and feed security (German)
- fibl.org: FiBL podcast on Ukrainan farmers during the war (German)
- organicinfo.ua: Ukrainian Organic Information Portal
- organicinitiative.org.ua: Ukrainian multi-stakeholder platform Organic Initiative