INNOVATIVE DRIVERS OF THE PLANT PROTECTION MARKET IN UKRAINE: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Abstract

Introduction. The plant protection products market in Ukraine operates against a backdrop of both increasingly stringent global environmental safety requirements for agricultural production and the need to ensure high agricultural productivity. Traditional approaches to the use of agrochemicals are gradually losing their effectiveness due to increasing pest resistance, soil degradation and growing regulatory pressure from international environmental standards. In this context, research into innovative drivers of the plant protection products market becomes particularly relevant, as these are capable of striking a balance between the economic efficiency of agricultural production and the requirements of sustainable development.

Purpose. The aim of this article is to provide a theoretical and methodological framework and an empirical analysis of the drivers of innovation in the development of the plant protection products market in Ukraine, as well as to identify the key challenges and prospects for its transformation in the context of ensuring sustainable agricultural production.

Materials and methods. The study employed a range of general scientific and specialised research methods, ensuring the systematic and well-founded nature of the results obtained. In particular, methods of analysis and synthesis were applied to study the theoretical foundations of the plant protection products market, and induction and deduction were used to generalise trends in its development, whilst a systematic approach was employed to identify the interrelationships between innovative, institutional and market factors. The comparative method was used to assess the characteristics of the development of Ukraine’s PPP market in comparison with global trends, whilst structural-logical and cause-and-effect analysis enabled the identification of key drivers and barriers to the sector’s innovative transformation. In addition, elements of statistical and graphical analysis were applied to interpret analytical data on market dynamics and structural changes.

Results. It has been established that the current market for plant protection products in Ukraine is undergoing a period of systemic transformation, driven by the combined influence of global environmental requirements, European integration processes, military and economic challenges, and internal structural imbalances. It has been found that the market is characterised by a high dependence on imports of active ingredients, a significant concentration of international corporations, and a gradual increase in the role of domestic producers in the segment of alternative and biological plant protection products. At the same time, key constraints on development are linked to institutional shortcomings, insufficient levels of innovation, the fragmented adoption of digital technologies, and the prevalence of grey-market and counterfeit products, which collectively hinder the formation of a competitive and environmentally oriented market. At the same time, it has been demonstrated that innovation drivers form the basis for the transition to a sustainable development model for the PPP market in Ukraine. Their synergistic interaction creates the conditions for increasing the efficiency of agricultural production, reducing the environmental impact, and harmonising the national system with European standards.

Discussion. Prospects for further research include an in-depth analysis of the effectiveness of specific innovative tools (in particular, biological plant protection products and precision farming technologies), assessing the economic viability of their widespread adoption across different types of agricultural enterprises, as well as modelling scenarios for the development of Ukraine’s plant protection products market in the context of increasing regulatory pressure from the EU and the global transition to a green economy.