The project “Organic Berries Development in Amalgamated Territorial Communities” was officially launched in December 2022, and it has already united several communities in Rivne oblast, educators, small farmers, and organic business.
The project is implemented by Organic Life GmbH (Germany) and RSN Trade LLC (Ukraine) and it is aimed at creating the export chains for supply and processing of organic berries, as well as transfer of practical and theoretical knowledge in organic farming among farmers and students in Rivne oblast.
In February 2023 over 90 representatives of Korets, Hoshcha, Ostroh, and Pryvilne communities took the theoretical course in organic berry and vegetable production. Anna Lutsko, one of the best consultants in organic berry production, developed the 8-module training course, and the representatives of Enza Zaden, one of the largest suppliers of organic seeds to Ukraine, shared the experience of organic vegetables production.
In the frame of the project a short video course in organic berry production is created. It will be available for free for those who want to start their own organic business. The video course was recorded during the theoretical training in the communities.
Soon the practical course in organic berry production will take place on the fields of RSN Trade LLC and the Melnyks’ farm where raspberries were planted in the frame of the project. In the future it is planned to cultivate this plot together with farmers and certify it according to the organic legislation. In autumn everyone who has taken the course in organic berry production will be able to receive free raspberry seedlings for own plots and commercial cultivation.
There is an active cooperation with two educational institutions within the project. The National University of Water and Environmental Engineering (NUWEE) participated in the development of the training course in berry production and will partially introduce it for its students. In addition, there is an ongoing cooperation with the Soil Science Department of the NUWEE Institute of Agroecology and Land Management. In the frame of the project a modern mobile soil laboratory was purchased. It will be used both by the institute and university’s specialists as well as students of Pryvilne Lyceum.
In the frame of the reform of the educational system of Ukraine the lyceum plans to focus on agrarian education and primarily plans to teach agroecological approaches to agricultural production, therefore, it is already laying the ground.
The lyceum started the ecological farming club which gathered 17 students. In the new academic year the club plans to attract about 170 students. Pryvilne community has allocated a land plot for practical training of lyceum students. Additionally, a mini-tractor has recently been donated to the lyceum in the frame of the project “Organic Berries Development in Amalgamated Territorial Communities”.
The vegetables grown organically on this plot will get to the lyceum canteen as well as community kindergartens.
The project also plans to build a small berry freezing facility with the production capacity of 60 tonnes.
With support of Ostroh City Council a plot, where a canning factory used to be located, was allocated for this purpose. The plot is currently cleaned and project documents are under approval. Unfortunately, the full-scale invasion made its adjustments into the project implementation plan because now every facility must have a bomb shelter.
Organic Life GmbH and RSN Trade LLC, which implement the project, are already in negotiations with the European partners on further sale of organic products in the EU. In particular, earlier this year the companies’ representatives took part in the world’s leading organic fair BioFach, which takes place in Nuremberg, Germany, where they presented the project at the session “Public-private partnerships in the organic sector to boost public goods – the experience of Eastern Europe”.
Let us remind that this is the first and, so far, the only public-private partnership project in the organic sector of Ukraine. This initiative became possible thanks to cooperation of all the stakeholders on the level of Rivne Oblast State Administration, territorial communities in the oblast, educational institutions, and business.
In early May the representatives of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Swiss Embassy in Ukraine, Swiss-Ukrainian programs “Organic Trade 4 Development in Eastern Europe” (ОТ4D) and “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” came with a mission to Rivne oblast.
The mission participants were able to learn about the achievements, visit the key objects, and meet the project participants. The next mission in planned in autumn this year.
Kateryna Shor, National Coordinator of OT4D in Ukraine, Coordinator of OrganicInfo.ua
For reference:
The project “Organic Berries Development in Amalgamated Territorial Communities” is implemented by a consortium consisting of Organic Life GmbH (Germany) and RSN Trade LLC (Ukraine) in cooperation with the National University of Water and Environmental Engineering (NUWEE) and on the territory of amalgamated territorial communities of Hoshcha, Korets, Ostroh and Pryvilne.
The project is implemented with support of Switzerland in the frame of the program “Organic Trade 4 Development in Eastern Europe” (ОТ4D) which is implemented by IFOAM — Organics International in partnership with HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland).
At the main photo: A mini-tractor donated to Pryvilne Lyceum for practical scientific and research work in the frame of the PPP project “Organic Berries Development in Amalgamated Territorial Communities” which is implemented with support of Switzerland in the frame of the program “Organic Trade 4 Development in Eastern Europe” (ОТ4D).
Photo, from left to right: Director of Pryvilne Lyceum Vitaliy Kramchynskyi, Head of Ecological Farming Club (teacher of labour training) Serhii Karpiuk, Project Manager Kostiantyn Sichnoy, Head of Pryvilne Amalgamated Territorial Community Iuriy Momotiuk.