Daniel Bilak, 

managing partner, CMS Cameron McKenna Kyiv

It already is. Ukraine is one of the world’s leading producers of wheat, barley, oats, soya, sunflower, sunflower oil – it’s in the top three or four in each one of those. So it’s already there. Last year, tonnage was around 40 million tons of grain, but with the right investments and technologies, you can more than double that.”

Nestor Scherbey, 

president, Customs, Trade & Risk Management Services

“Why limit yourself to Europe? In Asia you have the biggest concentration of growth, improving living standards, rising populations, increasing demand for high value-added food products. In China because of food safety scandals they don’t trust their own food. But they have the money and are willing to import it.”

Olena Oliynyk, 

associate professor

“This depends on too many factors, so there is no simple answer. It depends on political factors, the proper understanding of key issues by actors involved.”

John Shmorhun, 

CEO, Harmelia Holdings

“Ukrainian exports continue to increase. Ukraine feeds itself and exports 25 million tons each year. The US exports 77 million. Because demand in Ukraine doesn’t really change, every additional ton of grain grown is exportable. So what are the dates, maybe 10 or 20 years.” 

Olga Zinchenko, 

director, Brand Consulting Commu­nication

“When there will be a professional approach to writing legislation, when people will understand that they have to live here and manage the country well, that this is our greatest resource, our future … that’s when Ukraine will be the breadbasket of Europe.”