On 19 September 2023, online training “State Supervision in Organic Sector: Experience of Poland” was held. About 150 specialists from the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection joined the training and had an opportunity to learn from the international experts from the Polish Agriculture and Food Quality Inspection, as well as independent experts with relevant experience in organic production. 

The purpose of the training was to develop the potential (competencies) of specialists of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine. 

In their welcome speeches the following experts emphasised the importance of acquiring new knowledge about state supervision in the organic sector:  

  • Maryna Kyslytska, Head of the State Policy Division on Organic Production of the Food Security and Excise Products Directorate of the Department of State Policy on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, 
  • Anna Yermak, Head of the Organic Production Division of the Food and Feed Safety Directorate of the Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine, State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, 
  • Natalie Prokopchuk, Organic Component Coordinator, Swiss-Ukrainian Program “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP). 

The training was moderated by Yuriy Ohlashennyy, Senior National Long-term Advisor, Organic Component, QFTP. 

Michal Rzytki, Independent Expert, Director’s Advisor, Polish Centre for Accreditation, spoke about the organic sector in Poland, including legislation, organic action plan, purpose of organic production, importance of state control in the organic sector, and state support. In his report he also elaborated on the control system and the role of state institutions in the organic sector. 

Malgorzata Waszewska, Director, Agriculture and Food Quality Inspection – Department of Organic Agriculture and Regional Products of Poland, spoke in detail about: 

  • general rules and requirements for the activities of operators: primary producers (crop production, livestock production, and aquaculture), processors and traders, as well as how state control (supervision) is carried out; 
  • rules, regulations and monitoring of organic products on the market in order to prevent non-organic products labelled as organic from entering the market. 

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

An important goal of cooperation between experts from Poland and Ukraine and the integrity of the organic sector is to organise similar trainings for the potential (competencies) development, transfer of knowledge, experience exchange and professional training of the SSUFSCP and MAPFU specialists. 

For more details follow the link to the news on the website of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection. 

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