Ukraine, endowed with vast agricultural resources ideal for organic farming, has significant potential to become a key player in the global organic products market. The country is already among the top five largest exporters of organic products to the EU and exports its produce to more than 40 countries worldwide. At the same time, it meets the demands of discerning consumers on the domestic market amidst economic instability and war.
EastFruit presents the TOP 3 best Ukrainian organic brands of the “fresh” group according to “Organic Standard”:
I place: Danube Agrarian
The Danube Agrarian farm in Odesa region was established in 2013. Thanks to its commitment to organic quality, this company is a leader in cultivating organic watermelons and melons.
It is one of the largest organic farms in Ukraine, cultivating approximately 2,000 hectares of land. On these fertile lands along the renowned 45th parallel, the farm produces natural vegetables, fruits, grains, root crops such as sweet potatoes, and animal products. This farm is the only one in Ukraine that grows organic peaches and nectarines. Additionally, in 2023 they obtained status as an organic producer of honey.
The Danube Agrarian farm tirelessly develops organic animal husbandry and poultry farming, here they raise sheep, chickens, and ducks. The organic production of the farm is certified by Organic Standard.
This company is one of the few national companies that produce more than 160 types of products. It is one of the companies that, in terms of certification, covers almost all product categories required by organic standards.
Danube Agrarian always introduces interesting new products, such as fruit chips made from watermelons, melons, and plums, as well as jams made from fruits and herbs with unique flavour combinations.
Even the challenging situation in the country has not hindered the company’s development. Throughout 2022 and 2023, Danube Agrarian continuously worked on expanding its product range. New products have emerged, such as tomato juice, and new flavours of healthy snacks, including fruits in French chocolate.
Products under the Danube Agrarian brand are widely available in the Ukrainian supermarket chains such as Goodwine, WineTime, Silpo, Novus, Auchan, Velyka Kyshenya, and MegaMarket.
They are also available in the retail stores in the European Union countries: Germany, Romania, and Poland. Additionally, their products are exported to Switzerland (LIDL stores), Canada, and the USA.
II place: Agro Starytsya
The Agro Starytsya brand represents the products of an organic farm located in Kyiv region of Ukraine. This farm was one of the first to start cultivating organic berries in Ukraine, and since 2012, the brand has become an important participant on the Ukrainian organic market. The confirmation of its high quality products comes from the certificates issued by Organic Standard, which verifies the compliance of their production with organic standards.
The diverse range of products offered by this producer includes fresh and frozen vegetables, greens, and fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, currants (black and red), apples, cherries, plums, sea buckthorn, aronia, asparagus, onions, leek, eggplants, zucchinis, pumpkins, radishes, tomatoes, fennel, cauliflower, and kohlrabi.
One of the main customers for the organic products of the Agro Starytsya farm is the Good Wine retail chain, which reflects the recognition of the quality and popularity of these organic products. The wide variety, naturalness, and compliance with high production standards make Agro Starytsya a true leader on the Ukrainian organic market, where quality always comes first.
III place: Organic Terra
The Organic Terra brand belongs to Organic Greenhouse PE.
The company specialises in cultivating organic greenhouse vegetables, including cucumbers, cocktail tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. They were, in fact, among the first in the organic sector to establish stable supplies of fresh vegetables to supermarket chains for almost the entire year. The organic greenhouse cucumber season begins in February, while cherry tomatoes become available at the end of March. Thorough care and modern technologies enable the production of vegetables suitable even for children as young as 9 months old. Rainwater and melted snow are used for plant irrigation in the greenhouses. All aspects of production are subject to control and certification by Organic Standard under the international organic standards.
The full-scale war has significantly impacted the company’s operations since the farm is located in Kharkiv region, just 30 km from the active combat zone. For a certain period the farm lost the markets of Kharkiv and Kyiv, including elite restaurants, food establishments, and store chains, due to fuel shortages and curfew restrictions, which hindered the uninterrupted delivery of products.
”We started selling our produce to local entrepreneurs while slightly reducing the price because, in this case, there were no logistics costs associated with delivery to Kyiv, for example. That’s how we reconfigured our sales market towards local consumers”, notes Oleksandr Yasynskyi, Co-owner of Organic Greenhouse PE.
Over time the company has successfully streamlined its workforce, production, and logistics processes. The company operates its refrigerated truck, which consistently delivers products to distribution centres in Kyiv and Kharkiv twice a week. It also ensures additional deliveries to local stores twice a week.
Furthermore, the company faced the challenges of stable power supply and the necessity of blackout. This situation posed a threat to the continuity of the production process, as the greenhouses required constant lighting. To address this the company has large backup generators at its disposal, purchased as far back as 2014, and operates its own boiler house for heating the main premises and greenhouses, utilising waste from grain processing.
”We need to provide nighttime and evening lighting for the greenhouses, and being located 30 km away from the conflict zone, not adhering to the blackout requirement was simply not an option. Thanks to our Armed Forces, we were able to stick to our planting schedule. By the end of November, we had already sown all the seeds, and by the end of December we had transplanted everything to the final area and adjusted planting density”, notes Oleksandr Yasynskyi.
This year Organic Greenhouse PE plans to expand its area by an additional 0.5 hectares for greenhouses. This project had been planned long before the full-scale war began but had to be put on hold for a year.
The company’s products are available in the organic stores and major Ukrainian retail chains such as Auchan, Silpo, and Novus, as well as local Kharkiv stores like Kharkiv, CLASS, Spar, Wintertime, and Good Wine. Additionally, you can order vegetables online with delivery available throughout Ukraine.
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