Ukrainian Agriculture and the European Green Deal

Ukrainian Agribusiness Club together with UCABEvent agency invites you to the third online discussion “Ukrainian Agriculture and the European Green Deal”.

• May 21, 2024 (Tuesday)
• 11:00 - 12:30 (Kyiv time)/10:00-11:30 (CET  time)
• English

Access is free of charge: https://forms.gle/kz4HZdDZhdVvvdQ96 

Agenda

11:00 - 11:15
Kick-off remarks
Alex Lissitsa, President of UCAB

11:15 - 12:00 Panel Discussion
Moderator: Nazar Bobitski, Head of the UCAB EU office

Panelists

• Taras Vysotskyi, Acting Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine (tbc)

• Anja Klatt, senior manager public and government affairs, crop protection, BASF

• Cezar Gheorghe, Founder, AGRIColumn, Romania

• Marta Trofimova, head of sustainability, Kernel (tbc)

• Thomas Brunner, director, AgroPlus 2006 (Ukraine) (tbc)

12:00 - 12:20 Q&As from online audience.

12:20 - 12:30 - Alex Lissitsa, President of UCAB, concluding remarks.

Context:

The European Green Deal initiative, launched in 2019, completely reshaped the policy and regulatory landscape for almost all sectors of Europe’s economy, and the agriculture was not an exception. Back then European farmers were requested to take their share of responsibility for pushing back against climate change in various areas, from the use of fertilizers and pesticides, to combatting deforestation and maintaining biodiversity. Today, the European farmers protest against what they believe is an unfair burden, as they suffer from competing agrifood imports from countries not respecting their climate responsibilities. The EU and its Member States respond to this through a variety of policy initiatives, from ‘mirror clauses’ in trade agreements, to deforestation legislation.

The Ukrainian agricultural sector often finds itself involved in this fiery debate, facing accusations that agrifood imports from Ukraine to the EU do not conform with Europe’s climate regulations. What will the future bring as Ukraine will prepare for pre-accession negotiations?

At the third UCAB online discussion we will address this topic by looking at the following set of questions:  

1.      How do new ‘green’ requirements affect European farmers’ productivity and competitiveness? A look into the use of plant protection products, fertilizers, land use, other sustainability requirements?

2.      The challenge of European Green Deal for agriculture and Ukraine. How the war and the needs of Ukrainian farmers shape the state policy response?

3.      How would Ukrainian farmers cope with issues of green rules compliance if Ukraine was the part of the EU? Any lessons from Ukraine?

4.      Is innovation the way forward to retain competitiveness while protecting the environment? Comparing European and Ukrainian experiences.