Designed to bring the fruits of research, innovation and experimentation within reach of those who need it – farmers and rural actors – the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) is a powerful tool for climate adaptation and post-war recovery, and can support the process of European standards taking root. Anna Romandash reports from Ukraine.
When Ukrainian winemaker Nataliia Burlachenko wanted to test a new idea in her vineyards in the Odesa region, she started by looking abroad.
Before planting new vineyards, she visited wine-growing regions in France. Today she follows developments in viticulture around the world, from climate adaptation to new cultivation techniques and agrivoltaics – such as the use of solar panels alongside agricultural production.
“There is no reason to repeat mistakes that others have already made,” says Burlachenko, owner of Big Wines and 46 Parallel Wine Group. “We can move faster by adopting proven technologies while also developing new Ukrainian solutions that are suited to our own land and conditions.”
Burlachenko is one of the practitioners following the development of Ukraine’s new Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS), a concept that may be unfamiliar to many farmers but is becoming increasingly important as Ukraine moves closer to the European Union.
At its simplest, AKIS is about getting useful knowledge into farmers’ hands.
The system aims to connect researchers, advisors, universities, government agencies and producers so that information moves more easily between them. Instead of knowledge sitting in research institutes or ministry reports, the goal is to make it available and useful on farms.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy is now developing a national AKIS framework, including regional hubs and a newly launched online platform that will bring together research, advisory services, training opportunities and practical information.
Agriculture at the heart of Ukraine’s economy
The initiative arrives at a difficult moment for the sector.
Agriculture remains one of Ukraine’s most important industries. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the sector accounted for around 10–15% of GDP, employed millions of people directly and indirectly, and generated more than 40% of export revenues. Ukraine cultivated more than 30 million hectares of agricultural land, making it one of Europe’s largest farming nations.
The country has long been a major exporter of wheat, maize, barley, sunflower oil and oilseeds. Its fertile black soils, or chornozem – literally “black earth” – cover roughly a quarter of the world’s total reserves and have helped make Ukraine a critical supplier to global food markets.
The war has transformed the sector. Millions of hectares of farmland have been occupied, mined or damaged. Irrigation systems in the south have been disrupted, particularly following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in 2023. Farmers continue to face labour shortages, logistical challenges and constant security risks.
Yet agriculture remains one of the pillars of Ukraine’s economy.
The Russian full-scale war has also accelerated the country’s economic reorientation toward Europe. The EU is now Ukraine’s largest trading partner, accounting for nearly 60% of Ukrainian exports. As accession negotiations advance, the debate about Ukrainian agriculture increasingly focuses on how the country can align itself with European systems and standards.
Much of that discussion centres on regulations, food safety requirements and the future of the Common Agricultural Policy. AKIS highlights another dimension of integration: knowledge.
What exactly is AKIS?
“The AKIS is a well-established concept that has been adopted by the European Commission,” says Mark Redman, an international expert on agricultural development and AKIS systems.
“It is a regulatory and funding framework both for increasing the flow of existing knowledge to farmers and other rural businesses, and for generating new knowledge and innovative solutions in response to the day-to-day challenges of living and working in rural areas,” he adds.
Across the European Union, AKIS has become an important part of agricultural policy. It is intended to strengthen links between research institutions, advisory services, educational organisations, public authorities and farmers themselves.
Importantly, Redman notes, AKIS is not only about farming.
“The ‘A’ in AKIS stands for ‘Agricultural’, but this is a little misleading since the support for Knowledge and Innovation Systems embedded in the Common Agricultural Policy is intended to go beyond farming to also include forestry and rural development,” the expert explains.
That broader perspective is particularly relevant for Ukraine, where post-war recovery will involve entire rural communities, not only agricultural producers.
For Ukrainian businesses especially, the practical benefits of AKIS may matter more than the institutional details.
Burlachenko says access to reliable information has become increasingly important as climate conditions become more unpredictable.
“Climate change is making grape growing increasingly challenging in southern Ukraine,” she says. “Droughts have become more frequent, and we need solutions that fit our realities.”
Southern Ukraine has experienced repeated droughts and water shortages in recent years. For farmers in the Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, climate adaptation is becoming a daily concern which businesses have adopted throughout harvesting seasons.
One technology Burlachenko’s company is exploring is agrivoltaics. These are solar panels installed above vineyards which can provide shade during periods of extreme heat while generating electricity and helping reduce water stress.
The idea is already being tested in parts of France, Italy and Spain. Burlachenko believes similar approaches could work in Ukraine.
“When I visited vineyards in Champagne, I realised that our conditions in Bessarabia are not fundamentally different,” she says, referring to the south-western parts of Ukraine. “With modern technologies and innovation, we have a chance to move faster than countries that are already established in their traditions.”
Her example reflects one of the main goals behind AKIS: helping farmers identify relevant innovations and adapt them to local conditions.
From information to innovation
Finding that information, however, often requires significant effort.
“Those who possess information possess opportunities,” Burlachenko says, “But equally important is knowing which information is reliable, where to find it and how to use it.”
She spends hours following developments in the international wine sector and says she hopes the AKIS platform can make that process easier for other producers.
“I want to share that knowledge so that others do not have to repeat the same journey,” the winemaker concludes.
The launch of the AKIS Ukraine portal is intended to help do exactly that.
According to Redman, digital platforms have become a standard feature of AKIS systems across Europe.
“One important step towards strengthening the AKIS in Ukraine was the development and recent launch of the AKIS Ukraine portal,” he says. “All EU Member States have some form of digital platform for supporting their national AKIS.”
The portal is expected to provide access to advisory services, training materials, research findings, examples of good practice and information about innovation projects.
At a time when many Ukrainian farmers are operating under extraordinary pressure, reducing the distance between knowledge and practice could make a tangible difference. For Ukraine, the challenge is not to build a system from scratch, but rather, improve on what its neighbours and its own producers have already been doing.
“Ukraine already has an existing AKIS,” Redman says. “The challenge is how to strengthen it. How to make it work better for farmers, foresters and other rural businesses in the face of the pressures and challenges they face.”
Many Ukrainian farmers already exchange knowledge through producer associations, informal networks, universities, agricultural colleges and advisory services. The task now is to connect those pieces more effectively while also preparing for closer integration with European systems.
“It is especially important to understand that a well-functioning AKIS is not just a tool for farm productivity,” says Redman. “It is also an institutional framework for helping align Ukraine’s rural economy with European norms and standards.”
Whether farmers will use the new system remains to be seen. Adoption, trust and practical usefulness will ultimately determine its success.
For producers such as Burlachenko, however, the principle is straightforward. The future of farming will depend not only on access to land, machinery or finance, but also on access to good information. And in a sector facing war, climate pressures and the prospect of EU accession at the same time, making that information easier to find may be one of the most practical reforms of all.
This article is produced in cooperation with the
Heinrich Böll Stiftung European Union.
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