Together Means More: How a Community Can Open New Opportunities for Craft Producers

When we began supporting this project, for us it was primarily about food security and rural development. Today, we see that large producers are under constant attack and are suffering losses. Under these conditions, small and medium-sized producers are helping protect food security by supplying people with food locally. This is also important for the economy: businesses must develop, jobs must be created, and regions must continue to live.

Craft producers are the best evidence at a time when negotiations with the EU are underway and we are being told that Ukraine only has large agricultural holdings. In fact, we have a legion of small producers who, on the one hand, can ensure food security at the regional level and, on the other, contribute to the social development of villages.

Right now, everyone faces the same challenge — the war, which affects everything. And European integration may seem like something distant, but it is a huge opportunity. It is not only about the possibility of exporting products, but also about access to financial resources, rural development instruments, greater predictability in agricultural policy and participation in scientific projects. It opens many more doors.

An association can provide significant support to producers in matters of food safety and HACCP implementation. Even if craft producers make completely different products, many of the challenges they face are similar. Within a community, they can exchange their own experience, suggest practical solutions to one another, and share contacts of trusted consultants, auditors and other food safety specialists. Someone has already gone through this process and knows where difficulties arise and who is best to contact for help. And that is of great value.

Proper implementation of the requirements of a safety management system based on HACCP principles is always a challenge, and most participants will still have to overcome it. Every craft producer must clearly understand that the key to the success of their product is quality and safety, which must always come first. This means strict compliance with legislative requirements, which are also subject to state supervision.

The interests of craft producers are probably among the least represented at the state level today. We lack an association that could communicate and defend the legislative initiatives the sector needs. But to do that, we need to understand who we are and what we look like. At the moment, we are not talking about a specific form — a cooperative, cluster or association. For now, we call it a community, and the community itself should decide what it wants to become.

There is an enormous amount of work behind each of the projects presented. I think even preparing for the pitching session gave producers an opportunity to take another look at their own businesses, see their strengths and think about how to move forward. It is especially encouraging to see that craft producers are paying increasing attention to marketing, thinking about exports and looking for development opportunities despite all the challenges of today. And it is important to continue this exchange of experience within the community.

We talk a lot about how to ensure that small businesses, small-scale producers and craft producers have a voice and can communicate their position. Clustering could be one such mechanism. It is an opportunity not only to communicate with one another but also to jointly represent their interests and communicate them to those who shape state policy.

Such associations become particularly important in the context of European integration, alongside access to financing, information and other support instruments. A draft law on associations of agricultural producers is expected to be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada in the near future.

When dozens of small producers enter international markets, each acting separately, that is one development scenario. But when they are united in a community, there are significantly more opportunities. The development, support and scaling of such associations can become an important tool for strengthening the export potential of Ukrainian businesses.