Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe and one of the largest in the region by territory. Ukraine borders Poland and Slovakia to the west; Hungary, Romania, and Moldova to the southwest; Belarus to the north; and Russia to the east and northeast. To the south and southeast, the country is washed by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Ukraine’s geography is diverse. Its central location has historically made Ukraine a key cultural, economic, and strategic crossroads in Europe.

Since February 20, 2014, Ukraine has been defending itself against the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, which began with the illegal annexation of Crimea and the occupation of parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a new stage of its war against Ukraine — a full-scale invasion that continues to this day. This war has caused thousands of civilian casualties, massive destruction of infrastructure, and one of the largest refugee crises in Europe since World War II. Despite this, Ukraine continues to resist, defending its sovereignty, independence, and democratic choice.

Based on its strong scientific and analytical expertise, The Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (IEF) contributes to several core project components, supporting Ukraine’s transition towards climate-oriented, resilient, and green economic development.

Under Output I  (Policy Action), it supports policy makers by analyzing agro-value chains, aligning national frameworks with EU standards, and preparing recommendations for evidence-based reforms. Within Output II (Business Action), IEF helps strengthen local support structures, disseminates knowledge packages, and contributes to business case demonstrations and peer-learning for farmers and enterprises in the fruits, berries, and nuts sectors. Through Output IV (Green Finance Action), it works with financial institutions to assess green finance instruments, identify barriers, and build capacity for sustainable investment. In addition, drawing on its scientific expertise, IEF also contributes to Output III (Awareness Raising) by promoting sustainable production and consumption, and to Output V (Knowledge Exchange) by sharing good practices across Eastern Partnership countries.

Based on scientific and analytical experience, the IEF also involv in the implementation of tasks related to raising awareness of both sustainable consumption and production of agricultural products (Output III), and also exchange of relevant knowledge and good practices among EaP countries (Output V). 

Within the PROGRESS project, IEF works closely with international partners such as GIZ and OECD, as well as with political partners in Ukraine – the Ministrу of Economy, Environmental Protection and Agrarian Policy. In addition, cooperation with local partners including NUBiP, the Institute of Plant Protection of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine and the Business Development Fund helps ensure practical implementation, knowledge exchange and stronger links with farmers, businesses and regional stakeholders.