Makarenko Yu. P.,

Doctor of economic sciences, professor

The Dnipropetrovs’k National University named after Oles’ Gonchar

PRODUCTION OF ORGANIC FOOD: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND PROSPECTS FOR THE DOMESTIC AGRICULTURAL SECTOR OF UKRAINE.

In current conditions before the international community has appeared a very relevant problem of providing the population with ecologically pure food. Therefore, the production of safe food using alternative methods of organic farming becomes widespread in the global space. Now, when the Ukrainian agrarian market of organic food is on the stage of the main priorities of its development should be the production and sale of ecological food. But the lack of government support, the national system of certification, and the specific culture of agrarian business is causing a problem marketing of organic food, both in domestic and foreign markets, which is crucial and takes its relevance in today's conditions.

In Western and Eastern Europe, the US and some countries with transitional economy they have conducted theoretical studies, developed the legal framework and implemented in the production various directions of alternative agriculture. In EU countries they generally considered the term "ecological agricultural production", but in other countries they also used the name "organic," "biological" agriculture.

Over the last decade in Europe plantations under organic farming have increased by more than 7%. The EU organic area has increased from 4.3 million to 7.6 million hectares.

Spain is the largest producer of organic food in Europe, organic production of which involved 1.13 million hectares. In the UK organic sector employs 0.72 million hectares. In Austria, organic plantations constitute 15.5% of the total acreage.

The feature of the market for organic food is a constant growth in demand and price increase by 20-50% as opposed to the traditional market. Thus, among the European leaders we can identify these average costs for the consumption of organic products per capita as Switzerland (€103), Sweden (€47), Germany (€38), France and the United Kingdom (€27), Italy (€24).

Consumers in these countries prefer to purchase organic products in specialty stores and on the shelves of conventional supermarkets.

Certainly, for the consumer who wants to buy more useful and delicious food, who cares about his/her health and the health of his family, availability of organic food in one place in the store - a significant step forward.

Studying the experience of European countries on the organization of marketing organic food can help Ukraine to develop a clear indication of becoming its own market for organic food and presenting it in foreign markets. Potentially, domestic producers have the opportunity to become major manufacturers and suppliers of vegetables to Europe as our climatic conditions for doing much better than those of vegetable in Spain, which supplies 30% of vegetable production in Europe, and the conditions of Poland, which also found its niche on the European vegetable market.

Today Ukraine has a great potential for the production of organic food. Promising for Ukraine is the growing of organic vegetables in the open and under glass, fruits and berries. According to IFOAM in Ukraine there are 260 thousand. hectares of land certified for organic agriculture. Therefore, for Ukraine it is necessary to develop an appropriate infrastructure of organic market, the establishment and harmonization of legislation with international standards, state financial support for organic producers.