This project aims to (a) support ongoing policy and institutional reforms in Ukraine’s agricultural and rural development sector based on the Ukraine-EU Strategic Action Plan, and (b) ensure a more inclusive, sustainable and competitive agricultural sector that is focused on increasing rural incomes, improving environmental protection, and slowing down rural migration.

The specific goal of the project is to support ongoing agricultural and rural development (ARD) reforms with which central and decentralised government institutions can support private sector development in rural areas, particularly in the agriculture sector.
The project's overall objective is to contribute to a resilient, inclusive, sustainable, and competitive agricultural sector. This aims to a) ensure stable rural incomes, b) improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, c) encourage investment, and d) prioritize environmental sustainability through the adoption of good agricultural practices (GAPs).

The project has three expected results:
1: The Ukrainian legislation related to ARD has been revised; newly proposed legislation has been drafted, discussed, and harmonised with the EU Acquis, as well as adopted; and implementation procedures that are in line with those applied in the EU have been developed and are supported by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine
2: The standards and policies needed to implement EU approaches for ARD development, especially smallholder agriculture, are improved through capacity building and restructuring, as well as the establishment of administrative and control systems based on the EU Acquis.
3: Stakeholders’ awareness of developments in the ARD sectors is increased particularly related to a) state support programmes, b) sustainable small farm development, c) rural diversification, and d) the Agriculture Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS).