Implementing entities
The Quality FOOD Trade Program is implemented under the leadership of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Switzerland together with SAFOSO, a Swiss consulting company for safe food from healthy animals.
FIBL, founded in 1973, is the world’s largest research establishment for organic agriculture, employing 120 staff members in Switzerland, 15 in Germany and 1 in Austria. FIBL’s strengths include close links between different fields of research and the rapid transfer of knowledge from research to advisory work and agricultural practice. FiBL has a long-standing commitment to the international development of organic agriculture. It works closely with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and other international organizations. FiBL has highly competent staff with extensive expertise in organic soil management, plant production, holistic animal health, animal welfare, and organic animal breeding. socioeconomics (including comprehensive analyses of organic markets) and in organic food processing and distribution.
SAFOSO is a Swiss consultancy and capacity-building company founded in 2003 by the former director of the Swiss veterinary authority. It works towards achieving the global goals of animal health, food safety, and food security for consumers and the sustainable trade in animal-derived food products, such as meat and milk. SAFOSO works with private companies, governments, international organizations, consumer groups, diagnostic companies, and academic institutions – whichever are the relevant stakeholders. SAFOSO emphasizes the pre-harvest food-chain because food safety management is at its most effective when it begins early in the production process. Its technical expertise is the foundation of all of SAFOSO’s work. Its staff remains scientifically up-to-date to provide the best available knowledge to its clients.
Development partner
The program is implemented with financial support provided by the Swiss Confederation through Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
In 1997 the Swiss Confederation and Ukraine signed a bilateral agreement for technical cooperation, in the framework of which the Swiss Cooperation Office was opened in Kyiv to coordinate the cooperation programs in Ukraine. The Swiss Cooperation Office in Ukraine operates on behalf of three governmental organizations – the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Human Security Division (HSD), which are part of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), which is part of the Swiss Federal Department for Economic Affairs. The Swiss support to Ukraine in 2015 – 2018 focuses on Sustainable Economic Development, Sustainable Energy Management and Urban Development, Governance and Peacebuilding as well as Health. Besides, the Swiss Confederation provides humanitarian assistance to the regions and target groups affected by the conflict in the East of Ukraine. For more information, please visit the website of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine.
Our team
Tobias Eisenring Program Director (FiBL, Switzerland)
Igor Kravchenko Local Program Manager
Grygoriy Fedak Finance Manager
Natalie Prokopchuk Organic Component Coordinator
Toralf Richter Senior International Short-term Advisor (FiBL, Switzerland)
Yuriy Ohlashennyy Senior National Long-term Advisor Organic Component
Anastasiia Pivniuk Senior National Long-term Advisor Organic Component
Olena Svyripa Junior National Long-term Advisor Organic Component
Iryna Vysotska Dairy Sector Component Coordinator
Viktoria Lets Senior National Long-term Advisor for the Dairy Sector Component
Tetiana Garkavenko Senior Advisor for the Dairy Sector Component
Beate Huber Member of Backstopping Unit (FiBL, Switzerland)
Manon Sсhuppers Member of Backstopping Unit (SAFOSO AG, Switzerland)
Markus Arbenz Member of Backstopping Unit (FiBL, Switzerland)
