On 21 November, a sectoral online workshop was held with Italian partners to strengthen international business participation in rebuilding Ukraine’s agricultural sector and expand access for companies from both countries to new trade and investment opportunities.
The event is one of the practical steps in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), SACE and SIMEST, signed in July 2025 during the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC-2025) in Rome. While the first workshop on 23 October 2025 focused on energy, this session was dedicated to the agri-industrial sector – one of the key drivers of Ukraine’s export potential and post-war recovery.
In his remarks, Taras Vysotskyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, underlined that cooperation with Italian business creates real opportunities for modernising agricultural production and strengthening Europe’s overall food security.
“Ukraine’s agricultural sector remains resilient even under wartime pressure. But today our task goes beyond restoring damaged capacities – we must build a modern, innovative infrastructure for the future. Cooperation with Italian partners brings high-quality machinery, processing technologies, investments and new opportunities for producers across the country,” – said Taras Vysotskyi.
He also highlighted that, according to the latest Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4), the direct damage inflicted on Ukrainian agriculture due to Russia’s full-scale invasion amounts to around USD 11.2 billion. Aggregate losses in foregone revenues exceed USD 72 billion, and the sector’s recovery and modernisation needs over the next decade are estimated at approximately USD 55.5 billion.
Participants received a detailed overview of how businesses can engage in recovery projects:
• UkraineInvest invited Italian companies to explore the Investment Portal of Ukraine, which currently features about 30 investment-ready projects in the agri-industrial and related logistics sectors, with a total capital need of around USD 1.4 billion.
• The Federation of Employers of Ukraine (FRU) outlined the needs of Ukrainian producers and the most promising sectors for cooperation.
• The workshop also highlighted available support instruments for Italian businesses – including risk insurance, financial guarantees and international development programmes.
Following the official session, a series of virtual B2B meetings took place between Ukrainian and Italian companies. Participants had the opportunity to:
• present their projects and specific needs;
• discuss options for localisation of production;
• explore possible formats for future cooperation.
The workshop proved to be an effective platform for strengthening Ukraine–Italy cooperation in the agri-industrial sector. The projects presented, the level of business engagement and the strong demand for technological modernisation demonstrate the significant potential on both sides for further partnership and participation in Ukraine’s recovery.