Ukraine to Increase Export of Organic Food Products

KYIV, Ukraine, September 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

The Ukrainian government plans to increase organic foods supply to the international markets. According to President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine will stimulate its organic food industry to evolve in a stronger industry branch. The Ukrainian leader believes that the country is capable of advancing its organic food industry in a way that will allow the country to become a globally recognized organic food producer.

"In the near future we [Ukraine - ed.] will increase the supply of such products at affordable price to the international markets," said the Ukrainian President at the High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases held in New York on September 20, 2011. The Ukrainian government plans to reform the country's agricultural sector in order to transform it into a more efficient industry.

Organic farming is growing quickly on a global scale allowing for the minimal environmental impact; it is energy efficient, provides consumer safety as well as improves nutrition value of the food. Currently, major organic food producers are Austria and Switzerland. North America, Europe, and Australia consume most of the world's organic foods. The organic market emerged from the Green Revolution of the 1940s - 1970s. According to Organic Monitor, between 1990 and 2009 the market grew from nothing to USD 55 billion.

Currently, organic farmland in Ukraine takes up 280,000 - 300,000 hectares (691,895 - 741,316 acres) which is about 0.65 percent of the total arable land in Ukraine. The world's farmland managed organically constitutes 37 million hectares, thus Ukraine's organic farmland amounts to 0,81% of the global organic farming territory. The annual growth potential for the Ukrainian organic food industry is estimated at 80-100 percent.

In addition to its ambitions in the organic sector of agriculture, Ukraine is currently claiming its position of one of the leading agricultural countries in the world. The country possesses 30 percent [sic] of the world's black soil - the most favorable soil for agriculture. This allows for a certain commercial advantage. For example, this year the country became world's third corn supplier, having surpassed Brazil and being inferior to only the USA and Argentina.