ORGANIC'23: TOP 6 Ukrainian Exporters of Organic Value-Added Products

Even considering the full-scale war in our country, Ukraine still maintains a leading position in the export of organic products. According to the European Commission's TRACES (TRAde Control and Expert System) data, in 2022, Ukraine became the third most important supplier of organic products to the EU.

These impressive results have been achieved through the tireless work of organic producers, striving to maintain their enterprises amidst the full-scale war conditionst. Despite the difficult circumstances, some were forced to cease operations, but those who persevered sought new ways for stabilisation, expanded their exports, and overcame logistical difficulties. As a result, among the primary organic export commodities from Ukraine there are grain crops such as corn, wheat, barley, and oil crops such as sunflower, as well as legumes, wild berries, mushrooms, nuts, and herbs.

For three consecutive years, BrandStory, in collaboration with the Organic Standard certification body, announces and publishes rankings of leading organic producers. Even in this period of uncertainties and challenges, this tradition continues, emphasising the importance of reflecting and recognising sustainable development in the Ukrainian organic sector.

UKROLIYA was established in 2001 and is currently recognised as one of the leading producers of organic high oleic and linoleic sunflower oils, as well as organic sunflower cake in Ukraine.

UKROLIYA has two production complexes in the Poltava region: the Ukroliya Organic oil pressing plant and the Ukroliyaprodukt oil extraction plant.

UKROLIYA is certified according to international organic standards, specifically the EU Organic Regulation, the Canadian Organic Regime (COR) and the Bio Suisse standard. All stages of production are certified organic and under the control of the Organic Standard. Additionally, UKROLIYA holds a certificate of compliance with USDA NOP standards for organic production. Compliance with the requirements of the NOP standards has been verified and certified by Control Union.

UKROLIYA actively exports its products to over 50 countries worldwide. The company’s organic products are also available in European Union countries (Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and others), Australia, Canada, the United States, and China.

The products are also available through national retail chains such as Silpo, Goodwine, Auchan, Novus, as well as through the online shop at ukroliya-shop.com.

Website: www.ukroliya.com, www.garnaorganica.com

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Agrofirma POLE LLC was established in 2007. The company is a leading exporter of organic hulled millet to EU countries. It also specialises in the production and sale of various types of groats, including those made from lentils, peas, barley, rye, flax, oats, and others. Furthermore, the company produces durum wheat flour, which is used as raw material in the production of pasta.

The company’s production lines are located in the city of Cherkasy. The production plant is certified according to the EU Organic Regulation and complies with the Bio Suisse standard. All stages of production are certified as organic and under the control of the Organic Standard, adhering to international and Ukrainian standards of organic production. Moreover, the processing facilities of the company are FSSC 22000 certified.

The war in Ukraine has affected the company's operations, as 12 employees of Agrofirm POLE are currently defending the country. Nevertheless, the company is developing and implementing new technologies and alternative options, to ensure uninterrupted operations.

Agrofirm POLE has been actively exporting its products since 2008, initially to the Czech Republic and the Netherlands). Today, the company is a leader among processing enterprises, exporting to 25 countries worldwide. The main markets for its organic products are the EU countries (60%), the United Kingdom (20%) and the United States and Canada (10%).

Website: www.agropole.com.ua

Krasnogirskiy Oil Factory LLC started operations in 2011 and became one of the pioneers of rapeseed oil production in Ukraine. In 2012, the technological line for sunflower seed processing was installed. Currently, the enterprise is a unified complex of production and auxiliary units, ensuring the processing of both sunflower seeds and rapeseed.

Thanks to modern equipment, advanced technologies, state-of-the-art control methods, and efficient management systems, the company ensures consistently high product quality. All stages of production are certified organic by the Organic Standard, meeting international and Ukrainian organic production standards.

Despite these challenges, the company is considering the construction of a new warehouse and acquiring a refinery, and plans to enter the market with the refined oil under its own brand in different European countries in the next few years. The company currently exports unrefined oil, which is further refined in the EU.

All 100% of organic products are exported, and the company is engaged in the wholesale trade with the Netherlands, Lithuania, Germany, and Spain.

Website: www.kroz.com.ua

The Skvyrskyi Grain Processing Factory was established in 1931. That year marked the beginning of the history of the Skvira Organic brand.

he company has been producing certified organic products since 2014 . It is certified according to the EU Organic Regulation by the Organic Standard and also according to the Bio Suisse standard, Switzerland. In addition, they have obtained HALAL and Kashrut certificates, confirming product compliance with specific dietary requirements.

​​According to Yevhen Motsnyi, Commercial Director of Skvyrskyi Grain Processing Factory, the main challenges faced by the producer during the war were related to logistical problems, the trust of the business partners-counterparties, and in particular:

An important aspect of the company’s business is its fruitful cooperation with global baby food brands such as Nestle, Cerealto, and Danone.

In Ukraine, company’s products are available in all the leading national supermarkets such as Silpo, MegaMarket, METRO, Auchan, Fozzy, Novus, and others, as well as in health food stores and organic shops.

Website: www.skviryanka.com.ua

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Nature Green Ukraine LLC was established in 2017. The farm is located in the west of Ukraine, at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. The main product is Shiitake mushrooms, but other types of mushrooms are also grown, such as king oyster mushrooms, grey oyster mushrooms, yellow, pink, and Japanese enoki, and others.

Thanks to the chosen technology, which includes the production of its own substrate, control, and traceability at every stage of production, and controlled growing conditions, Nature Green Ukraine has beenable to produce and export high quality products in its first year of existence.

“One of the main problems was securing the material base and timely delivery of production elements. Sharp price increases for almost all types of goods and currency exchange rate hikes contributed to the unpredictable use of the company's financial buffer”, said Alina Makalyuk, Marketing Manager of Nature Green Ukraine LLC.

“We collaborate with a Hungarian company that transports our products to the EU countries, including Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic”, adds Alina. “Currently, we do not sell our products under our brand, but we plan to do so in the next two to three years. For this purpose, we have already been certified according to the FSSC 22000 standard and have started working on obtaining the BRC standard”.

Export has been the main direction of the company's activity since its establishment. On average, 85% to 95% of the products are exported, while the rest is sold on the Ukrainian market through supermarket chains.

Website: www.naturegreen.eu

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The Spring Drops brand was established in 2012 and is owned by Liluck LLC, located in the Chernivtsi region. Liluck LLC specialises in the production and export of organic birch sap. Their product meets international and Ukrainian organic production standards and has Organic Standard’s compliance certificates.

Before the full-scale war broke out, the company produced over 700,000 liters of birch sap a year under the Spring Drops brand. The company also produces products under other brands. Currently, Liluck LLC has collected and produced approximately 400,000 litres of organic birch sap.

During the war full-scale in Ukraine, the company has faced significant challenges in the supply of packaging materials. After the start of the war in Ukraine, there was a shortage of glassware, which is the main type of packaging for Liluck LLC products. In order to normalise the situation, the company started looking for glassware outside Ukraine and imported a significant amount of glassware from Moldova”, the company representatives said.

One of the key features of Spring Drops is its success in the international markets. The company was the first to put birch sap on the shelves of the European stores a decade ago and continues to lead the juice exporters.

In total, more than half of the products are exported. Most of the products are expored under customers' trademarks, but some of the products is exported under the company’s own trademark, Spring Drops.

The company exports its birch sap to Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic. The popular product can be found in the retail chains such as Lidl and Auchan.

Ukrainian consumers can also find Spring Drops products in stores such as Silpo, Novus, Auchan, and the Okko petrol station network.

Website: ​​www.liluck.com.ua

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The ranking of organic exporters was was formed based on export volumes in 2022 and 2023 and their estimated value according to market research conducted by Organic Standard.

This assessment considered sales made by organic operators involved in the production of food products and the export of value-added products produced on their own facilities. The assessment also took into account the performance results for 2023, analysing the companies' efficiency during this period.

Some companies faced challenges due to occupation and disruptions to production and supply caused by the war. However, many continued to operate, adapting quickly to changing conditions, revising development strategies, and expanding product ranges.

Theranking also contributed to studying the dynamics of the development of the organic sector and identifying promising directions for its growth. The analysis of the companies' activities revealed positive trends in increasing production and expanding product ranges, indicating growing consumer interest in organic products. At the same time, the ability of companiesto adapt to complex conditions was crucial, ensuring stability in production and effectiveness in business management.

The material is available in Ukrainian

The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the development partner and the implementing agencies of the programs.