Freshness at its Best: TOP 3 Ukrainian Organic Fresh Brands

Organic fruits and vegetables are essential components of our daily diet and an ideal choice for our health. Let your lunches and breakfasts become even tastier and healthier with organic products. 

BrandStory in collaboration with the certification body Organic Standard has prepared a ranking of the most renowned producers of organic fresh vegetables, fruits, and greens.

The material is available in Ukrainian

The Danube Agrarian farm, located in Odesa region, was established in 2013. Thanks to its commitment to producing high quality organic products, this company has consistently ranked as a leader among fresh produce brands for several years.

It is one of Ukraine's largest organic farms, managing approximately 2,000 hectares of land. On these fertile lands along the renowned 45th parallel, a diverse range of organic produce is cultivated, including natural vegetables, fruits, grains, and root vegetables such as sweet potatoes. The company has notably excelled in the organic cultivation of watermelons and melons and it’s the only Ukrainian farm producing organic peaches and nectarines.

Furthermore, these products can be found in retail outlets across the European Union countries, including Germany, Romania, and Poland. Additionally, the company exports its products to Switzerland (LIDL stores), Canada, and the USA.

Website: www.dunagrarian.com

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The Agro Starytsia brand represents the produce of an organic farm located in Kyiv region. This farm was one of the pioneers in Ukraine to commence the cultivation of organic berries and has played a significant role in the Ukrainian organic market since 2012. The high quality of its products is confirmed by certificates issued by Organic Standard, confirming compliance with the standards of organic production.

One of the primary customers for the organic products from the Agro Starytsia farm is the Good Wine retail chain, which reflects the recognition and popularity of these organic products. The extensive range of products, their naturalness, and compliance with high production standards makeAgro Starytsya a true leader on the Ukrainian organic market, where quality always comes first.

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The Organic Terra brand is owned by Organic Greenhouse PE. The company specialises in cultivating organic greenhouse vegetables, including cucumbers, cocktail and cherry tomatoes. They were among the pioneers in the organic industry to ensure consistent supplies of fresh vegetables to supermarket chains for nearly the entire year. The organic cucumber season starts in February, while cherry tomatoes become available by the end of March. Meticulous cultivation practices and modern technologies enable to grow vegetables suitable for 9-month-old children to consume them. All production aspects undergo control and certification by Organic Standard according to the international organic standards.

The full-scale war had a significant impact on the company's operations, primarily because the farm is situated in Kharkiv region, just 30 km from the active combat zone. For a period, the farm lost markets in Kharkiv and Kyiv, which included elite restaurants, food establishments, and retail chains, due to fuel shortages and curfew restrictions that hindered the uninterrupted delivery of their products. Over time, the company successfully streamlined its work processes, encompassing production and logistics.

In the current year, Organic Greenhouse PE intends to expand its greenhouse facilities by adding 0.5 hectares. This project had been planned well before the onset of the full-scale war but was temporarily halted for a year due to unforeseen circumstances.

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The ranking of the most recognized organic brands was developed in several stages, and companies were evaluated based on the following criteria:

The primary source of information was a study of the domestic organic market within the Ukrainian food sector in 2022. The organic operators’ sales volumes were assessed. These were primarily the organic operators certified by Organic Standard (considering that over 95% of organic operators that produce and distribute organic products in Ukraine are certified by Organic Standard, these data are considered to be representative.)

Results from 2023 were also taken into account, evaluating how companies performed this year. Due to the difficulties associated with the full-scale war, some operators were occupied, while others faced disruptions in production processes and supply chains. However, many companies were able to adapt quickly, change their marketing policies, and expand their product ranges.

Firstly, the presence and availability of products in the stores were considered. Marketing experts analysed how many and what retail stores have got products of organic brands. The broader the geographical coverage of stores and chains, the higher the brand's rating.

Secondly, the brand's popularity in the stores was taken into account. The popularity and demand for the brand's products among customers in the stores were assessed. This included sales levels, customer feedback, and other factors indicating the brand's distinctiveness from competitors.

Marketing experts evaluated this aspect based on the information provided by organic and farmer product stores, as well as producers.

The evaluation was conducted based on the results of online monitoring. The quantity and quality of brand mentions in media and social media, overall activity, communication, as well as how well they informed consumers about current events and other details were taken into account. The activity of company pages in social media was also analysed, including the quality of content and interaction with the audience.

Transparency of companies and willingness to communicate were also considered in the evaluation of companies.

The material is available in Ukrainian

*This publication has been produced with the support of Switzerland within the Swiss-Ukrainian program "Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine" (QFTP), implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland).

The responsibility for the content of this publication lies solely with the author(s). The point of view of the author(s) does not necessarily reflect the views of SECO, FiBL, SAFOSO AG.