Strategic Session “Enhancement of Membership and Board Meeting of the Carpathian Taste PU”

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A strategic session “Enhancement of Membership and Board Meeting of the Carpathian Taste PU” took place in Lviv on December 21, 2020. The event was organized with the support of the UNDP “Strengthening SME Business Membership Organizations” project.

Among the attendees were Board members, PU members, and experts. During the event, the participants approved Activity Plan 2020 and discussed Development Plan 2021. In a close circle, the producers had a chance to talk and exchange the experience of working under quarantine restrictions and share their achievements.

The President of Carpathian Taste PU, Pavlo Tüzes, delivered his welcome speech. He thanked all the producers and the team who, despite the hardships, continued working hard and creating plans for the future.

The (online) floor was then given to Viktor Shutkevych, Deputy Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Ukraine (Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine). He stated that the year 2020 was challenging for everyone, particularly for the tourist industry, which is directly linked to the activities of Ukrainian farms. Viktor Shutkevych, who has multiple years of experience of working with the Carpathian Taste PU, wished the PU and all the participants to move forward successfully and expressed hope for future cooperation within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian program “Higher Value-Added Trade from the Organic and the Dairy Sector in Ukraine” based on friendship and partnership.

The participants discussed important issues, including HACCP and changes to food legislation. Food expert Yuriy Ohlashennyi and PU inspector Andriy Mylianych also took the floor. It should be noted that a precondition for entering the PU is the completion of an annual inspection, which checks the products and farms for compliance with Taste of the Ukrainian Carpathians TM criteria.

According to the Carpathian Taste PU Director, Halyna Batyus, the year has been challenging. Despite all the difficulties, the PU continued diligent work (participated in fairs, exhibitions, international forums, held tasting events, etc.). Many plans lie ahead, including the opening of an online store of Taste of the Ukrainian Carpathians TM and new tasting rooms. According to Halyna Batyus, “for the Carpathian Taste PU, this has been a bumpy year, but we continued moving forward, hoped for the best, and realized that life goes on.”

The second part of the session included work with the UNDP expert on developing a strategy for an organization. Volodymyr Vorobey, CEO of PPV Knowledge Networks, analyzed all challenges and tasks set before the PU and offered valuable advice on how to ensure the best development of the PU.

All the session participants were able to undergo training and exchange experience and talk to colleagues. They all desired a better 2021 and support the development of the PU in general and each producer and Ukrainian farms in particular.

The event has organized within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian project “Strengthening SME Business Membership Organizations” (Stage 2) implemented by UNDP Ukraine in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine with the support of the Swiss Confederation.

This event is supported by Switzerland within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian Program “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland), www.qftp.org.