The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, the Canadian NGO SOCODEVI and the Dnipropetrovsk Regional NGO Agricultural Advisory Service have signed a memorandum of understanding on the Entrepreneurship Development for the Conflict-Affected Rural Population in Ukraine (WeProsper) project.

The parties agreed on potential cooperation in the field of agriculture and the implementation of the Entrepreneurship Development for the Conflict-Affected Rural Population in Ukraine (WeProsper) project.

The aim of the project is to increase the involvement of agricultural producers in business activities in Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Mykolaiv regions. It also aims to ensure the economic empowerment of women in the agricultural sector. In particular, by creating opportunities for the development of individual production activities, the establishment of agricultural cooperatives and more active participation in the socio-economic development of the region. The project is funded by the Government of Canada through a grant on a non-refundable basis.

Vitalii Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, stressed the importance of rural development and job creation. “Today, we are talking about the agricultural sector not only as a business or economic sector, but also as a pillar for the stability of rural areas. In these areas, the cooperative movement and the organisation of processes related to women’s employment and leadership are crucial,” he said.

According to him, today 14 million Ukrainians are involved in agriculture because they live in rural areas. And 5 million jobs are directly related to agriculture.

SOCODEVI representatives highlighted Canada’s commitment to maintaining awareness of the crucial role that small and medium-sized family farms (cooperatives) play in Ukraine’s economic growth. They also emphasised the importance of strengthening gender equality markers in the Ukrainian agricultural sector.

Background

The project focuses on three main value chains: dairy, vegetable/berry, and grain. As part of the project, more than 700 people (75% of whom are women) have been trained in climate-smart agriculture, and 492 cooperative members are using new services. 144 board members and employees of cooperatives were trained.

The Rural Women Business Network also reached most of its 1,000 members through online education and training programmes.