These are the results of the survey of Ukrainian consumers’ opinions “Awareness and Perception of Organic Products in Ukraine”. To compare, in 2020, this figure was 46%. At the same time, 43% are aware of organic labelling and only 27% are aware of the relevant organic certification of products.
First of all, this indicates a low level of consumer awareness of organic products. A lack of knowledge about their health and environmental benefits remains an important barrier to increased consumption.
Overall, 75% of consumers in Ukraine say they are ready to buy certified organic products, but poor awareness, including about labelling, inability to find or recognise organic products on the store shelves, and often misleading labelling of nonorganic products result in low demand for certified organic products.
Of course, an important factor in the decline in demand was the full-scale invasion, which affected Ukrainians’ incomes. The number of people who buy premium products, including organic ones, has significantly decreased, while the number of people who buy discounted products has increased by 47%. Moreover, a significant number of organic consumers, including mothers with children, have moved abroad.
According to the 2022 results, the domestic market fell by about 30%. At the same time, experts note a recovery on the market in 2023. The situation is similar in the EU and other Western European countries. There was a slight decline in demand for organic products due to economic factors caused by the full-scale war in Ukraine. But in early 2023, the organic market began to recover.
The results of the consumer opinion survey show that family and children’s health remain the greatest values for Ukrainians, as more than 50% are ready to buy organic products for children, taking care of their health.
Overall, a healthy lifestyle remains a trend for Ukrainians. Some 47% of respondents say they follow a healthy lifestyle, and almost 70% of them associate it with healthy eating. However, low levels of consumer awareness and insufficient information about the benefits of organic production, as well as higher prices, are barriers to choosing organic products.
In Ukraine, the state labelling for organic products was introduced only last year, and its use will become mandatory from 1 July. At the same time, in the EU, organic labelling (the Euroleaf) is the most recognisable labelling. The latest survey conducted in early 2022 showed that 61% of Europeans know what organic labelling is, and this figure has increased by 5% in just the last 2 years since the previous survey.
In Ukraine, this process is just beginning!
For reference:
The survey was conducted online in April-May 2024. It involved the residents of 5 largest cities of Ukraine, i.e., Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Lviv, and Kharkiv (the statistical error is no more than 3%).
The survey was conducted by Organic Initiative Public Association in cooperation with research agency MZ Hub with the support of Switzerland in the frame of the Swiss-Ukrainian programs “Organic Trade 4 Development in Eastern Europe (OT4D)” and “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine”.