The majority of representatives of small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises in Ukraine believe that agribusiness has a negative impact on the environment, according to the results of a study conducted in the summer of 2023 by the Center for Environmental Initiatives “Ecodia” in collaboration with the Sapienza agency
This was reported by the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association.
Among the main reasons cited were the use of chemicals, plowing of steppes, draining of marshes, improper waste management, and intensive processing leading to soil degradation.
Many farmers, interviewed through in-depth interviews, expressed a lack of understanding of what eco-practices mean in agribusiness. Most of them associate eco-practices purely with organic production, while stating that they do not see economic justification for this approach in their operations.
“However, some survey participants, in the course of the conversation, revealed that they are implementing certain practices on their farms that help reduce or prevent negative environmental impacts. Perhaps they do not always explicitly associate this with specific examples of methods,” said Anna Danilyak, an expert in agricultural eco-management at the Center for Environmental Initiatives “Ecodia.”
At least some of the respondents already intuitively apply some of these practices, but they currently lack a more comprehensive understanding of environmental management in agriculture.
Most participants in the online survey noted that eco-practices need to be implemented and gave a relatively high rating to the priority of their implementation, with an average score of 7.7 out of 10 possible.
“Most respondents who gave a high rating on this issue mentioned that they already use ecological approaches in farming. Respondents growing vegetables, fruits, and berries considered ecological practices the most prioritized (rated 10 points),” noted the association.