AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN UKRAINE: ECOLOGICAL CHALLENGES AND IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE

Abstract

The main ecological challenges of agricultural production of Ukraine in conditions of European integration are considered. The relevance of the chosen topic is justified by the high agricultural potential of Ukraine, which has common values and common interests with the European economic space. This is confirmed by the benchmarking analysis of the security and efficiency of land use in Ukraine among the EU-28 countries. It is known that the life quality of the society depends on the health of the environment, and the intensification level of the agricultural production and processing sector. Studies have shown that Ukraine lags behind the EU countries both in terms of living standards and social development. Therefore, the issue of forming a program to protect the soil resources of Ukraine from degradation and their effective use, with respect to social needs and environmental risks, is an important problem for the European countries as a single ecological system. The authors identify areas for agricultural production intensification in Ukraine, taking into account the requirements for quality and safety of the products. The need for the legal framework harmonization to regulate agricultural production and ensure sustainable development of ecosystems on the principles of a green economy is substantiated.