ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN UKRAINE AS A STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The article describes the meaning of organic agriculture and its importance in modern social and economic conditions. The study deals with the main legal requirements for organic producers in Ukraine. The main economic advantages of organic agriculture for Ukrainian enterprises have been outlined including: higher prices on organic products which create a possibility to earn higher profits, lower negative impact on the environment makes this practice more sustainable over a long period of time, and high demand for organic food products in the world. The economic disadvantages of organic agriculture include lower yield compared to traditional agriculture, additional legal requirements to comply with, and lower consumption of organic products in Ukraine.
The state of organic agriculture in Ukraine is analyzed, in particular the area of ​​land allocated to it and the number of organic operators. The article also describes the situation with organic agriculture in the world, identifies the world's leading countries regarding the area of land used for organic agriculture, and outlines Ukraine's position in it. European Union is identified as the main importer of organic food products from Ukraine, the key imported organic products and their positions in comparison to other countries have been analyzed.
The rapid development of organic agriculture in the world and particularly in the European Union and the increase in the area of land used for it may pose a threat to Ukrainian agriculture enterprises and the positions they have on European and world`s organic markets. While acknowledging the risks the study highlights the importance of further development of organic agriculture in Ukraine.