Cooperatives for the Reconstruction of the Ukraine’s Agri-Food Sector

Proponent

Legacoop – Lega Nazionale delle Cooperative e Mutue, Cooperatives Europe, Cooperative Academy – Ukraine, Socodevi – Canada

Dimension

Business Dimension, Human Dimension

Date & Time

July 9, 2025, 10:00 – 12:30

Location

Legacoop headquarter, Via Guattani 9, Rome

The event will address the role of cooperatives in contributing to the Reconstruction of the agri food sector in Ukraine and its overall strategy 2030 for agriculture and rural development. Introducing cooperative cases from Italy, Ukraine and other partner Countries, the workshop will investigate through real cases and commitments the contribution of cooperatives in addressing challenging as market access, gender empowerment, job integration and EU accession.

Prior registration is requested before 6th July at the following link:

Registration

Programme

9:30

Registration and Welcome Coffee

10:00

Opening remarks

Vitaliy Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine

Attilio Dadda, Vice-President of Legacoop, Board member of the International Cooperative Alliance Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation (tbc)

10:30

Panel 1 - Cooperatives: a powerful tool to access markets

Sofia Burtak, President of Rural Women Business Network & founding member of Cooperative Academy

Peter Couchman, Partner, DEMOS Partners

Stefano Minin, Responsible for institutional relations, Alleanza 3.0

Case studies from Ukraine & Italy:

Nazar Karpyn, Cooperative member & agronomist, Fiana Polyana cooperative

Simone Belletti, Group Manager Director, Consorzio Sativa/Cooperativa Agricola Cesenate

Tetiana Senchu, President, Sviy Do Svoho Cooperative

Moderates: Erin Mackie, Programme Manager, SOCODEVI Agrifood cooperatives in Ukraine and the Export pioneer programme

11:15

Panel 2 - Beyond the URC: challenges ahead for the reconstruction of the agri-food sector

Challenge #1 - Gender equality: the response of the cooperative model

Oksana Osmachko, Vice minister, Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine

Maria Taddesse, Head of Business Development, We Effect

Challenge #2 - Job integration: social agriculture reviving rural communities

Angelo Moretti, President, Consorzio Sale della Terra

Challenge #3 - EU accession: EU acquis conditionalities relevant for cooperatives

DG ENEST, European Commission (tbc)

Moderates: Annalisa Vallone, International Development Coordinator, Cooperatives Europe

12:00

Q&A

Closing remarks & signature of two agreements:

#1 Memorandum between the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, the Dnipropetrovsk Agricultural Advisory Service, Socodevi, and the Rural Women Business Network, kickstarting the new project supporting the Ukrainian agri-food cooperatives.

#2 Memorandum between Legacoop and Cooperative Academy, defining a cooperation scheme to leverage the experiences and expertise of the Italian cooperatives for a win-win collaboration with the Ukrainian cooperatives.

Speakers

Vitaliy Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine

Attilio Dadda, Vice-President of Legacoop, Board member of the International Cooperative Alliance

Sofia Burtak, President of Rural Women Business Network