(based on the Green Dossier Discussion Place)
Rural development is the second pillar of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Communities are becoming key players, as it is at the local level where the green transition actually takes place. For Ukraine, shifting from a purely “agricultural development” approach to a comprehensive vision of rural development opens new opportunities. During our Discussion Platform, we explored how environmental aspects are integrated into EU policies and how these approaches can serve as practical tools for Ukrainian communities in the context of future CAP accession.
The Pryvilne community (Rivne region) has been actively implementing numerous projects with the support of partners and donors, defining its strategic priorities in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Examples include electric bicycles for rural medical workers, independence from natural gas, and solar systems installed in kindergartens where children already know that it’s the sun heating their water. The community also focuses on soil health, creating an eco-industrial park based on hemp cultivation (which restores soil fertility), providing grants to residents for eco-friendly practices at home, and prioritizing education and awareness-raising programs while planning ambitious future projects.
Enthusiasts of ecovillages – peaceful, self-sufficient rural communities with alternative lifestyles could hardly have imagined being drawn into war.
Yet at the onset of the full-scale invasion, they sheltered 3,500 displaced people and distributed tons of humanitarian aid. Over time, they concluded that large projects and grants can be exhausting, while small, tangible actions such as community clean-ups, bike repair workshops, and pond restoration bring inspiration and unity. Today, Ukraine’s ecovillage network comprises 55 locations engaged in agriculture, environmental restoration (recently winning an international award for land regeneration), and even exploring carbon credits and “crypto-grants” for sustainability.
In Kharkiv region, 37% of land in frontline and de-occupied areas remains mined, while communities face water contamination and debris accumulation from destroyed infrastructure.
The most active actors are the de-occupied communities: gathering in newly created community development centers, often in basements, they are writing project proposals and local sustainable development strategies, including environmental components. They are ready to work but recognize the need for more knowledge, skilled professionals (especially environmental specialists), and less bureaucracy. Sites for debris collection and sorting are being set up, though systematic demining is still lacking. Kharkiv communities face far greater environmental challenges than most other Ukrainian regions, which may lead to further socio-economic difficulties.
Rural communities in Ukraine are extremely diverse, making comparisons meaningless. Yet all depend on national legislation, strategic directions of the country, and international commitments. As Ukraine moves steadily toward the EU, our Discussion Place examines all these issues in the context of Ukraine’s future accession to the CAP after 2027.
Rural development, the second pillar of the EU CAP, focuses not only on supporting farmers but also on investing in local infrastructure, social services, innovation, and environmental solutions.
“We are moving toward systemic, multi-year planning, changing the logic of state support, and building new institutions,” explained Mykola Moroz, Director of the Rural Development Department at the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine. “We are trying to move beyond the idea of agriculture as mere production to take into account all aspects, including environmental ones, to implement a truly sustainable policy.”
According to the EU Enlargement Report 2025, Ukraine has made significant progress in agriculture and rural development through adopting the Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy 2030 and the updated Operational Plan 2025–2027, as well as legislation establishing the State Agrarian Register (DAR). The European Commission recommends that Ukraine continue implementing the strategy, strengthen administrative capacity, adopt framework laws on the paying agency, Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN), Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS), and land parcel identification.
These recommendations are already becoming achievements: shortly after the reporting period, the Verkhovna Rada adopted amendments establishing the institutional framework for CAP implementation in Ukraine. This includes the creation of a Paying Agency, the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS), Ukraine’s analogue of the EU system, and the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN).
Transitioning to EU standards should be smooth for farmers. Yet it is at the community level that multiple policies intersect and must be implemented and explained. Serhii Zamidra, First Vice President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities, stressed the need for comprehensive local strategies aligned with national and regional development frameworks, integrating land use plans and environmental risks. International projects are already helping communities draft such strategies and adopt EU best practices.
For example, the AKIS system (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System) is being introduced as a digital knowledge-sharing platform with a network of regional hubs. The Ministry places great hopes in this system, but communities must also be aware of it and willing to use it.
The EU has set ambitious goals: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, restoring biodiversity, and adapting to climate change.
The Rural Pact brings together communities, businesses, governments, and civil society to achieve the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas 2040. The community-led local development (CLLD) approach and the LEADER initiative demonstrate that successful change happens when communities are equal partners, not mere recipients of policy. Ukrainian authorities and international programs are working to embed this experience. Many EU-tested practices can be applied in Ukraine: ecovillages are already part of the global network, the Pryvilne community aligns its projects with the UN SDGs, and demining and land restoration have become shared global challenges.
Meanwhile, Leida Rijnhout, Director of ECOLISE (the European network for community-led initiatives on climate and sustainability), warned frankly:
“When using the EU’s experience, do not repeat our mistakes — learn from them! Rural areas in the EU are not all idyllic: agri-giants lobby for their interests, and although rural development is supported by EU legislation and the CAP, small farmers need far more support. Communities must have a voice and the right to set their own rules on their territories. Subsidies should go not to large farms but to those genuinely committed to a just transition, so that people want to live in these places. There are associations and networks that defend communities’ rights to a clean environment at the EU decision-making level.”
Discussions on how to take into account the presence of Ukraine’s agricultural sector in the future development of EU agriculture are ongoing during negotiations and strategic planning. We are pleased that EU representatives already recognize many positive examples in Ukraine and even refer to our Carpathian farmers as an inspiration for European farming. It would be great if, upon joining the EU, we could contribute examples of our unique culture, production, and consumption patterns. Being a farmer is not just about business or commodity production — it is a way of life.
We continue this dialogue, engaging as many diverse people and organizations as possible. We thank all participants in the discussion and encourage everyone to join the process of developing strategic documents together with ministry representatives.
Special thanks for the insightful stories from rural life to: Svitlana Roik, Pryvilne community, Rivne region; Maksym Zalevskyi, President of the NGO “Global Ecovillage Network of Ukraine”; and Valeriia Hontar, Coordinator of working groups on safety and community cohesion in Kharkiv region.
Thanks to all our participants! Speakers presentations and recordings are available on our website, along with a useful materials and links in the Library sector (Ukrainian only).
Materials of the event:
- Presentations (available below in the original language)
- Full video recording (in English)
This article prepared in the frame of “AgriFuture UA: Driving Sustainable Agriculture and EU Integration through CSOs” project implementing by ICO IC «Green Dossier» with the support of the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation within the framework «Whole Society Accession» project.
Its content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation.
