When we talk about the export of Ukrainian agricultural products, many people immediately imagine a caravan of trucks with wheat, corn or sunflower. But the world has changed – niche crops have entered the arena, which are bought no less willingly in the EU. And they don’t just buy them, they pay many times more. Because they are superfoods, a source of organic protein, fiber and minerals.
As Europeans increasingly replace traditional meat with plant-based protein, seek alternatives to gluten, and seek out products that have not been processed with chemicals, this is where the Ukrainian success story with amaranth, chickpeas, spelt, and organic berries begins.
🔹 What is it? An ancient Indian culture that contains complete protein, calcium, magnesium, and iron. Ideal for vegans, athletes, and people with celiac disease.
🔹 Where is it grown? Poltava region. The Eco-Ranok farm grows amaranth on 35 hectares and supplies it to Germany and Italy.
🔹 Why buy? The EU is actively looking for gluten-free products with high protein content. Amaranth is processed into flour, cereals, and bars.
🟢 The price of organic amaranth can exceed $2.5/kg. For comparison, wheat yields $0.2–0.3/kg.
🔹 What is it? A legume that is widely used in hummus, soups, and salads. A source of fiber and protein.
🔹 Where is it grown? Cherkasy region. The Green Way cooperative exports chickpeas to Austria, Spain, and France.
🔹 Special feature? Chickpeas grow well even on poor soils, do not require excessive watering and are drought-resistant.
📦 One container of organic chickpeas can bring in $10–12 thousand in revenue, with relatively low costs.
🔹 What is it? An ancient relative of wheat with a less aggressive form of gluten. The taste is nutty, the texture is dense, ideal for pasta and bread.
🔹 Where is it grown? Farmers in Transcarpathia and Frankivsk region. The farm “Organic Karpaty” sells spelt to Switzerland and Belgium.
🔹 Demand? High among people who want to reduce their consumption of regular gluten but are not ready to give up baked goods completely.
🍞 There are over 300 bakeries in the EU that produce only spelt bread. They are looking for proven suppliers of organic raw materials.
🔹 What? Raspberries, blueberries, sea buckthorn, aronia – all of these are valuable antioxidants.
🔹 Where is it grown? Transcarpathia, Chernihiv region, Volyn. The Karpatski Yagody farm has direct contracts with Polish and German processors.
🔹 Advantage? Frozen organic berries have a stable demand in the EU, because they are used in smoothies, desserts, and pharmaceuticals.
❄️ Organic raspberries in IQF (quick freeze) can cost $3–4/kg for export. At the same time, the yield is up to 7 tons/hectare.
🔸 LLC “Agroorganic”, Poltava region
They export amaranth to Austria. In 3 years, they went from 5 hectares to 60. They installed their own mini-cleaning and packaging line.
🔸 FG “Sunnyachne zerno”, Cherkasy
They grow chickpeas, lentils, and mustard. They work with a Dutch company through the Organic-Bio.net platform.
🔸 Cooperative “Transcarpathian Berry”
They have 50 small producers. They have united for certification and export through one logistics company.
Ukraine is not only the breadbasket of Europe, but also its organic pharmacy. Superfoods, plant proteins, ancient crops are a chance for Ukrainian farmers to reach a qualitatively new level. In this game, it is not hectares that are important, but the ability to see demand and respond to it correctly.
🌍 And while the world is fighting for healthy eating, Ukrainian fields already have the answer.
Greening agro is not a fad, but a reaction to the fact that excess nutrients are becoming a source of soil and water pollution, and biodiversity loss.
Digestate with biochar and glauconite is an innovative organo-mineral composite for reducing nutrient losses, prolonged plant nutrition, and increasing soil fertility.
Soil degradation and water pollution are increasingly merging into a combined environmental crisis, especially in arid and post-industrial regions.
