Current challenges and complications of organic production and land use in Ukraine

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of conventional farming on organic farming, taking into account modern challenges and complications for making management decisions to ensure sustainable use and long-term conservation of land suitable for organic farming. Methodology / approach. The methodological approach involves the study of the practice of regulating the sustainable use of pesticides by analysing indicators: traditional agriculture (area and volume of pesticide application) and organic (area of organic land) and conducting correlation and regression analysis to identify cause and effect relationships and their dynamics; the basis for the calculation were indicators for the period 2018–2023. Results. It has been established that organic production and land use in accordance with the European Green Deal policy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development require the sustainable use of pesticides. The data analysis confirmed that more than 90% of usable organic land is involved in the traditional system of cultivation with the use of a full range of pesticides, the volume of which has increased to 1.56 kg/ha on average. The study of the impact of pesticides according to the indicator system during 2018–2023 showed that while at the beginning of the study period the relationship was rather weak, it increased significantly in 2023 with the increase in pesticide use against the background of a sharp decrease in the area of organic land. It is the upward trend in pesticide application that should not be ignored in Vinnytsia, Kyiv, and especially in Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Khmelnytsky regions, where pesticide use exceeded 1.8 kg/ha. And given the contamination caused by the war, the land may be transformed from suitable to unsuitable for organic use. The current system requires regulation of sustainable pesticide use in accordance with European standards and the introduction of a mechanism for preventive control of contamination of land potentially suitable for organic farming. Despite the current challenges and complications, Ukrainian organic operators continue to develop organic production, providing Ukraine and the world with high-quality organic products. Originality / scientific novelty. For the first time, the impact of conventional agriculture on organic agriculture was assessed by indicators in dynamics and the regions with potentially suitable organic lands were grouped by the level of pesticide contamination, and the need to regulate the sustainable use of pesticides in order to reduce losses in organic production in the face of climate change was substantiated. Practical value / implications. The results of the study can serve as a basis for the development of strategies for the development of agriculture and rural areas in the context of the regions of Ukraine in terms of regulating the sustainable use of pesticides, to improve soil conditions, product quality and environmental protection.