Not by raw material alone: the EEPO’s contribution to promotion of the Ukrainian organic sector

In 2021, the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office (EEPO) conducted comprehensive work aimed at development and promotion of the organic sector of Ukraine: from capacity development of organic producers to presenting the export potential of Ukraine in the international arena and strengthening the image of Ukraine as a producer of high value-added products. All these tasks were implemented through a number of activities initiated by the EEPO and conducted with support of the international technical assistance projects.

Why have we focused on the organic sector?

First of all, the demand for organic products is growing rapidly and they will become increasingly popular among consumers, as organic products fully correspond to the modern trends of caring for health and well-being.

Secondly, Ukraine has been confidently gaining a place of a reliable supplier of organic food products at the global trade map for several consecutive years by exporting organic products to 35 countries and has competitive advantages to expand both its export geography and product ranges.

That is why the EEPO has decided to reveal the export potential of the Ukrainian organic sector to the international community, help Ukrainian organic producers to properly present their products in the international arena and find new partners.

We decided to implement a number of tasks in our work with the Ukrainian organic sector through organising an unprecedent international online event - the Ukrainian Organic Export Days 2021 (UOED 2021)*.

EEPO’s flagship project in 2021

The Ukrainian Organic Export Days 2021 were held from 20 September to 1 October 2021, however, the preparation to it had lasted since the beginning of the year. In the frame of the event we carried out a number of activities: official launch of the Project, capacity development activities for organic producers, a number of business negotiations with importers, a forum for SMEs which consider conversion to organic production, etc. 31 organic producers participated in UOED 2021. It was the first time the EEPO had worked with the sector so profoundly. It was painstaking and conscientious work of the team of 20 people.

Official launch of UOED 2021

On 20 September the Project was officially launched with the participation of policy makers who helped to draw the attention of the international community to the Project. For the recording of the event follow the link.

Result: the Project broadcast had over 700 views.

Preparation to B2B meetings

Before the business negotiations of Ukrainian producers with foreign importers actually began, the EEPO had held a number of educational events to build the capacities of Ukrainian producers to enter new markets and hold B2B meetings:

• Webinar “Export Talks: Trade Opportunities on the Food Markets of the EU and Switzerland” with the participation of international consultants.

  Result: the event participants received practical advice on entering the new markets, considered the conditions and requirements for cooperation with the retail chains in the EU.

• Webinar on effective business negotiations with the participation of experts.

  Result: the participants learnt the basic principles of preparing to B2B meetings.

B2B meetings

In the frame of the Project the EEPO organised numerous business meetings of the representatives of Ukrainian companies with the international buyers from the Netherlands, Serbia, Austria, Romania, Germany, France, Lithuania, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium. Every representative of Ukrainian companies had on average 3 meetings with potential partners, and some – about 10.

The В2В meetings were held on the B2match platform which is a professional tool for business-to-business communication used in 98 countries worldwide.

Result: 90 В2В meetings between the representatives of Ukrainian companies and international buyers were held.

Sector development in the country

As early as in 2020 the EEPO team realised that the Ukrainian organic market has a powerful export potential, so it decided not just to promote the export of Ukrainian products but also endeavoured to develop the sector in the country: to encourage local enterprises to convert to organic production, tell them how to do it, how to get certified, how to choose their own niche and target the specific audience, how to find their customers, etc. Thus, on 30 September, in the frame of the project, the forum “Converting to Organic Production: Advantages for Ukrainian Food and Agricultural Enterprises” was held. Its main aim was to encourage Ukrainian producers to convert to organic production.

Result: 90 Ukrainian companies learnt the advantages and were interested in converting to organic production.

In addition, to promote organic production among Ukrainian companies the EEPO experts prepared and published in the media a number of analytical and promotional materials related to working with the organic sector of Ukraine. To read the majority of publications follow the link.

Result: the EEPO experts published 15 articles dedicated to the Ukrainian organic sector in the media.

During 2021 the EEPO analysts also conducted a number of studies of the organic markets, namely, the markets of Ukraine, Europe and Gulf countries. In these overviews the EEPO experts revealed the relevant opportunities for export and import, trends and factors of organic sales growth during the Covid-19 pandemic, and potential of organic production.

Organic sector promotion in the international arena

The first step in promoting the Ukrainian organic sector in the international arena was creation of the Catalogue of Ukrainian Organic Exporters which we published on the international page of Diia.Business dedicated to export, as well as our LinkedIn page which targets international buyers and similar entrepreneurship and export promotion institutions from other countries. The Catalogue contains the information on 70 organic producers from all the regions of Ukraine with their contact details and product lists.

71 profiles of organic producers were also published on the ITC platform Sustainability Map. One can use the filter “Ukraine” to learn about a company and its products. The final stage of work with the organic sector in 2021 was organisation of the collective stand of Ukraine * at the Middle East Organic and Natural Product Expo, which was held on 6-8 December in Dubai. 7 Ukrainian organic food producers became the exhibitors of the collective stand.

Photo: Deputy Director of EEPO Andrii Lytvyn is presenting the potential of the Ukrainian organic sector to the media from Middle East

Results:

• Ukraine was presented at the Middle East Organic and Natural Product Expo for the first time;
• Ukraine was promoted as a powerful producer and reliable exporter of organic products with great potential;
• 1000+ people visited the collective stand of Ukraine;
• Ukrainian producers had 250+ business meetings with potential customers and understood the subtleties of working on the market of Middle East;
• The potential of the Ukrainian organic sector was presented to the local media;
• A visit of Ukrainian exhibitors to the Ukrainian pavilion at EXPO 2020 was organised, where the Days of Ukrainian Organic Products were held at that time, with the video presentation of organic exhibitors of the collective stand of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Organic Export Days 2021 (UOED 2021) were implemented by the State Institution “Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office of Ukraine” and the Ukrainian Berries Association. This activity was made possible through the support of Switzerland within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian Program “Higher Value-Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland), and The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through thе USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine (CEP) and thе USAID’s Agriculture Growing Rural Opportunities Activity (AGRO) implemented by Chemonics International.

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The collective stand of Ukraine was implemented by the State Institution “Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office of Ukraine” together with Unite Ukraine NGO with support of Switzerland within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian Program “Higher Value-Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland) and EEN Enterprise Europe Network.

The collective stand of Ukraine was financed with support of Switzerland, EEN Enterprise Europe Network, state budget of Ukraine and exhibitors of the collective stand.

Author: Andrii Lytvyn, Deputy Director of the State Institution “Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office of Ukraine”