Gagalyuk, Ta as; Ko alo a, Ma yna
A icle — Published Ve sion
Digi al echnologies as a d i e o esilience and
ins i u ional ans o ma ion: The case o Uk ainian
ag oholdings
In e na ional Food and Ag ibusiness Managemen Re iew
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Leibniz Ins i u e o Ag icul u al De elopmen in T ansi ion Economies (IAMO), Halle (Saale)
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Gagalyuk, Ta as; Ko alo a, Ma yna (2024) : Digi al echnologies as a d i e o
esilience and ins i u ional ans o ma ion: The case o Uk ainian ag oholdings, In e na ional Food
and Ag ibusiness Managemen Re iew, ISSN 1559-2448, B ill, Leiden, Vol. 27, Iss. 1, pp. 5-25,
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Digi al echnologies as a d i e o esilience and ins i u ional ans o ma ion:
The case o Uk ainian ag oholdings
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Ta as Gagalyukai and Ma yna Ko alo ab
aSenio esea che , Leibniz Ins i u e o Ag icul u al De elopmen in T ansi ion Economies (IAMO),
Theodo -Liese -S . 2, 06120 Halle (Saale), Ge many
bDi ec o , Ag iTech Ma ke De elopmen LLC, Va sla a Ha ela Bl d. 8, 03124 Kyi , Uk aine
Abs ac
The p esen pape explo es how implemen a ion o digi al echnologies (DTs) assis s i ms in ansi ion
economies in add essing weaknesses o he ins i u ional en i onmen su ounding hem, in pa icula ia
es ablishmen o collec i e go e nance sys ems. Based on case s udies o h ee la ge-scale ag oholdings
ope a ing in Uk aine, he pape aims o ill he esea ch gaps wi h ega d o he ollowing: mo i a ion o
he i m o ini ia e DT-enabled collec i e go e nance sys ems; he ules hese sys ems a e based on; and
he easons behind he i m’s choice o a pa icula go e nance mode – closed, sha ed o open – o hese
sys ems. The indings gene ally suppo he ins i u ional heo y a gumen ha complex echnology enables
coo dina ion o exchange ela ionships no only wi hin bu also ou side i m bounda ies. A ha , he choice
o a go e nance mode be ween closed, sha ed o open ins i u ional in as uc u e is likely o depend on he
i m’s owne ship concen a ion, co po a e anspa ency, a ailabili y o esou ces and social embeddedness.
Keywo ds: ag oholdings, case s udies, digi al echnologies, ins i u ional in as uc u e, Uk aine
JEL-codes: O13, O32, Q16, Q55, Q12, Q15, D02, D23, D25, M11, M14
i Co esponding au ho : [email p o ec ed]
In e na ional Food and Ag ibusiness Managemen Re iew
Volume 27, Issue 1, 2024; DOI: 10.22434/IFAMR2023.0071
Recei ed: 15 June 2023 / Accep ed: 21 Sep embe 2023
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In e na ional Food and Ag ibusiness Managemen Re iew
1. In oduc ion
The ise o la ge-scale ho izon ally and/o e ically in eg a ed ag oholdings ope a ing millions o hec a es
o a mland in eme ging and ansi ion economies is well documen ed (Gagalyuk e al., 2021). S udies on
he de elopmen o hese huge business g oup-like s uc u es in he ag icul u e o Eas e n Eu ope, La in
Ame ica and o he pa s o he wo ld ha e a emp ed o explain he easons behind hei iabili y o e he
pas wo decades. The ea ly li e a u e on ag oholdings has main ained ha such la ge co po a e en e p ises
may be e icien only by oppo unis ically capi alizing on he oids p esen in hei p edominan ly weak
ins i u ional en i onmen s (Koes e , 2005). Mo e ecen ly, his iew has been ex ended by he o ganiza ional
esilience a gumen (Cas ellacci, 2015), acco ding o which ag oholding a ilia ion p o ides a sa e (and mo e
e icien ) ha en o en e p ises also in he p ocess o g adual imp o emen o ins i u ional amewo ks, in
pa icula hose ela ing o ag icul u al ac o ma ke s (Gagalyuk and Valen ino , 2019).
Howe e , seemingly, bo h pe spec i es ha e ailed o gi e a ull accoun o he easons o long-las ing
iabili y o ag oholdings as he ole ha ag oholdings hemsel es a e playing in he p ocesses o ins i u ional
change and ma ke de elopmen has been paid li le a en ion. The abo e li e a u e s eams ha e gene ally
ollowed he logic o he ansac ion cos heo y (Williamson, 1985) and laid a majo ocus o inqui y on he
e iciency-d i en local ins i u ional a angemen s (B ousseau and Raynaud, 2011) be ween ag oholdings and
hei s akeholde s. Along hese lines, ag oholdings ha e been shown o ela i ely easily access ou side capi al
and engage in a ious independen and collabo a i e s a egies (Do oban u e al.,2017) o educe agency
and o he ins i u ional cos s induced by a a ia ion in hei immedia e ins i u ional en i onmen (Gagalyuk
e al., 2021). These s a egies in ol e ac i i ies such as e ical in eg a ion, co po a e social esponsibili y
ini ia i es, olun a y commi men s o hi d-pa y disclosu e and ce i ica ion s anda ds, as well as lobbying
ac i i ies (Ma yukha e al., 2015; Visse e al., 2019; Hajdu e al., 2021).
S udies om sec o s o he han ag icul u e ha e shown ha such local ins i u ional a angemen s o i ms
ha e he po en ial o ans o m in o mo e gene ic ones shaping and bene i ing he ins i u ional en i onmen
as a whole (B ousseau and Raynaud, 2011). Wi h espec o he ins i u ional a angemen s o ag oholdings,
s ill li le is known abou hei po en ial o con ibu e o he ma ke de elopmen and imp o emen o a
gene ic ins i u ional en i onmen in he ag icul u e o ansi ion and eme ging economies. Acco dingly, om
he p ac ical pe spec i e, he po en ial o hese a angemen s o e en ually become gene al ules go e ning
he sec o o he bene i o an ex ensi e se o ac o s is s ill unclea . F om he heo e ical pe spec i e, ou
unde s anding o he ole o he i m in he p ocesses o ins i u ional change emains incomple e.
The p esen pape aims o ill hese gaps a leas pa ly. I con ibu es o he g owing body o li e a u e
(e.g. Cas ellacci, 2015; Do oban u e al., 2017; Gagalyuk e al., 2021; Ga ignon and Cap on, 2023) ha
ex ends he abo e iews on he de elopmen and ole o business g oups by posi ing ha he abili y o
adap o exis ing ins i u ional weaknesses alone is insu icien o explain why ag oholdings p oli e a e. An
addi ional ocus on he ag oholdings’ capaci y o ans o m and s eng hen he en i onmen hey ope a e in
is needed o complemen ou unde s anding o ag oholdings’ iabili y. Mo e speci ically, we sugges ha
ag oholdings e ol e no only due o hei p opensi y o in e naliza ion o unce ain ansac ions (ins i u ional
oids pe spec i e) o accessing la ge pools o esou ces and supe io capabili ies (o ganiza ional esilience
pe spec i e), bu also because o hei abili y o build ma ke -based ins i u ions and shape he ins i u ional
en i onmen by p oac i ely add essing a b oad spec um o s akeholde s.
One s iking example o such ans o ma i e ac i i ies o ag oholdings may be he implemen a ion o digi al
echnologies (DTs). Empi ical e idence om one o he global b eadbaske s, Uk aine, sugges s ha local
ag oholdings a e widely using a ious p ecision a ming ools and cus omized IT solu ions o in eg a e he
ob ained da a in o en e p ise managemen and he eby imp o e own e iciency and p oduc i i y (Gagalyuk
e al., 2022). Recen esea ch sugges s ha a wide adop ion o DTs may gene a e posi i e impac s also beyond
o ganiza ional bounda ies, as i en ails da a-, knowledge- and in as uc u e-sha ing ac i i ies ha do no
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seem o bene i o ganiza ions alone (see e.g. Hinings e al., 2018). The ques ion ha a ises in his espec is
whe he he use o DTs by ag oholdings may esul in es ablishing ins i u ional in as uc u es ha empowe
and bene i a b oade se o ac o s.
In his con ex , he eme ging idea o he i m as an a chi ec o open ins i u ional in as uc u es (Dubois
e al., 2019; Ga ignon and Cap on, 2023) is pa icula ly ele an as i ex ends se e al es ablished no ions. Fo
example, o da e, he e has been a b oad ag eemen ha ins i u ional a angemen s seek o lowe ins i u ional
cos s o a ocal i m while lea ing unchanged o inc easing ins i u ional cos s o o he ac o s (Do oban u
e al., 2017). Recen e idence, howe e , complemen s his iew and sugges s ha ocal i ms engage in
he es ablishmen o open ins i u ional in as uc u es ha bene i no only a ocal i m alone o e en i s ,
bu also and a he he o he ac o s in he en i onmen su ounding he ocal i m. Examples o such open
ins i u ional in as uc u es include comme cial skill de elopmen and p o essional ainings among u al
popula ion (Gagalyuk e al., 2018) as well as a ious ecological, social and communi y de elopmen ini ia i es
(Ga ignon and Cap on, 2023).
Ye , o da e, i is no ully clea wha mo i a es he i m o ini ia e such collec i e go e nance sys ems. I
he e a e no ecognizable pecunia y bene i s, hen wha a e he easons behind he i m’s decision o in es
in such sys ems? Wha ules a e hese sys ems based on? Las bu no leas , wha de ines he i m’s choice
o a pa icula go e nance mode, i.e. closed, sha ed o open (Ga ignon and Cap on, 2023), o ins i u ional
in as uc u es? The p esen pape aims o answe hese ques ions by s udying he DT-d i en ins i u ion-building
ac i i ies among Uk ainian ag oholdings.
The pape makes he case ha echnological p og ess no only gi es a boos o e iciency imp o emen s
amid p oblems o an ins i u ional en i onmen bu also acili a es he eme gence o go e nance ins umen s
ha con ibu e o ma ke de elopmen ia imp o emen o he ins i u ional en i onmen . These go e nance
mechanisms will be shown o play an enabling ole in he ope a ion o ag icul u al business g oup-like s uc u es,
also known as ag oholdings. Based on case s udies o h ee o such ag oholdings ope a ing in Uk aine wi h
di e en ypes o in e ac ions wi h s akeholde s such as land lesso s, employees, supplie s and compe i o s,
he pape desc ibes i) how hese in e ac ions a e go e ned by DT-enabled ins i u ional in as uc u es,
ii) wha mo i a es ag oholdings o es ablish such in as uc u es, and iii) how hese in as uc u es de elop
o e ime om locally designed a angemen s owa d b oade ma ke -based ins i u ions.
The pape is s uc u ed as ollows. We i s elabo a e on he empi ical con ex by desc ibing how ag oholdings
as an o ganiza ional o m o ag icul u al p oduc ion ha e e ol ed in Uk aine. Subsequen ly, we p esen he
esul s o he case s udies demons a ing how DTs assis he ag oholdings unde sc u iny in es ablishing
and main aining closed, sha ed and open ins i u ional in as uc u es. Finally, we discuss he esul s and
esea ch limi a ions and conclude.
2. The con ex : de elopmen o ag oholdings in Uk aine
An ag oholding e e s o an o ganiza ional o m ha consis s o a mo he company ha con ols dozens o
hund eds o ho izon ally in eg a ed a ms and manages housands o e en millions o hec a es o a mland
(Os apchuk e al., 2021b). Apa om huge size, ag oholdings a e (o en) cha ac e ized by e ical in eg a ion
and imp o ed access o ou side capi al (Gagalyuk e al., 2021b), o en h ough poli ical connec ions (Ma yukha
e al., 2015). Gi en ha he deg ee o owne ship concen a ion and co po a e go e nance among ag oholdings
di e (Tleubaye e al., 2021), one can dis inguish be ween a ious ypes o ag oholdings based on hese
c i e ia. Fo ins ance, Kuns and Visse (2016) sugges o di e en ia e be ween “oliga ch-led” and “in es o -led”
ag oholdings based on he co po a e go e nance model adop ed. The i s ype o companies has only a
mino i y o sha es aded on a s ock exchange, while he bulk o he owne ship emains in he hands o he
ounde o he company o an en i y con olled by he ounde . Fo ‘in es o -led’ companies, mos sha es
a e in ee- loa ading (c . He mans e al., 2017, p. 177).
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In Uk aine oday, ag oholdings play an impo an ole in ag icul u al p oduc ion and land use. As o 2019,
he e we e abou 120 ag oholdings each ope a ing mo e han 10 000 hec a es (La i undis .com, 2020).
F om 2005 o 2018, hese ag oholdings ha e managed o g ow hei ope a ed land a ea 3.5 imes, o nea ly
6 million hec a es, o 29% o he en i e a mland in use o comme cial a ms (UCAB, 2019). The la ges
ag oholdings in e ms o land a ea, such as Ke nel and Uk land a ming, ope a e abou 500,000 hec a es o
a mland each (La i undis .com, 2020). Fu he mo e, ag oholdings accoun o app oxima ely one i h o
o al c op p oduc ion and one hi d o o al li es ock p oduc ion in Uk aine oday (Os apchuk e al., 2021a).
The p oli e a ion o ag oholdings in Uk aine was acili a ed signi ican ly by he de elopmen s on he wo ld
ma ke s. Mo i a ed by he inc easing in e na ional demand, he e was a wo old inc ease o he p ices o
ag icul u al commodi ies om 2006 o 2008 and a u he g ow h o p ices o his high le el un il 2013
a e a sho - e m decline caused by he 2008 economic c isis (FAO, 2020). Among o he hings, his
emendous p ice g ow h made ag icul u al p oduc ion a highly p o i able indus y, pa icula ly in he c op
sec o . Fo example, Uk aine’s sun lowe p oduc ion has main ained an a e age p o i abili y o o e 20%
h oughou he p eceding wen y yea s, wi h some yea s eco ding a no ewo hy high o 80% (Gagalyuk
e al., 2022). The enhanced p o i abili y le els in ag icul u e ha e mo i a ed in lows o capi al om ou side o
ag icul u e, acili a ing in es men s in mode n p oduc ion echnologies and business expansion o capi alize
on he p oduc i i y imp o emen s and economies o size (see Table 1), espec i ely. The a ac i eness o
ag oholdings o ex e nal in es o s has been hen u he ein o ced by hei la ge sizes, which in u n ha e
led o he concen a ion o ma ke powe and a o able access o land (G aubne e al., 2021).
Posi i e de elopmen s on he global ag icul u al ma ke s we e no he sole d i e o he expansion o
ag oholdings. The ins i u ional en i onmen in Uk aine has also signi ican ly con ibu ed o he de elopmen
o his business g oup-like o m o o ganiza ion o ag icul u al p oduc ion. In gene al, he e a e wo compe ing
iews ha can be conside ed as easible explana ions o he pe sis ence o business g oups in eme ging and
ansi ion economies.
Fi s is he so-called ins i u ional oids pe spec i e, acco ding o which business g oups play an impo an
unc ion o economic de elopmen by p o iding necessa y in as uc u es when ac o ma ke ins i u ions a e
weak, hus illing ins i u ional oids (Cas ellacci, 2015). In his con ex , Uk ainian ag oholdings ha e been
shown o ou pe o m non-holding ag icul u al en e p ises in ge ing access o inancial capi al, in pa icula
on in e na ional capi al ma ke s, hus ob ia ing he p oblem o ine icien local inancial ma ke s and c edi
ins i u ions (Gagalyuk and Valen ino , 2019). Ag oholdings ha e been shown also o add ess he p oblem o
weak supply o quali ied labo , i.e. ine icien labo ma ke s, h ough he o ganiza ion o own quali ica ion
imp o emen cou ses o he employees (Gagalyuk and Valen ino , 2019). In addi ion, ag oholdings ha e
been ound o employ mo e people pe hec a e and cow and o pay, on a e age, 18% highe sala ies o hei
employees han non-ag oholding a ms (Gagalyuk and Scha , 2016). Fu he mo e, by means o b oadly
implemen ed u al communi y de elopmen p og ams, ag oholdings in Uk aine ha e been able o success ully
deal wi h ongoing land ma ke impe ec ions ha eme ged as a esul o land e o ms in ea ly 2000’s. These
impe ec ions included (and s ill include) i) an a omis ic s uc u e o land owne ship consis ing o millions
o smallholde landowne s and ii) land lease as he only possible (and highly insecu e) way o use land o
ag icul u al en e p ises. The la e is due o he o icial mo a o ium on a mland sales ha is subjec o be
g adually li ed in 2021–2024 (Gagalyuk e al., 2022).
Ano he iew, a so-called o ganiza ional esilience pe spec i e, sugges s ha business g oups a e mo e
esilien han s andalone i ms no only when ins i u ions a e poo bu also when he quali y o ins i u ions
imp o es (Cas ellacci, 2015). This is he consequence o wo dis inc e ec s: an e iciency e ec , acco ding
o which g oups ha e g ea e incen i es o es uc u e and become mo e e icien du ing ma ke ansi ion;
and a cumula i eness e ec , acco ding o which g oups also ha e supe io esou ces and capabili ies o
exploi he new oppo uni ies p o ided by he ma ke de elopmen p ocess (c . ibid: 46). Wi h ega d o he
e iciency e ec , ag oholdings ha e been epo ed o design new app oaches o co po a e go e nance and
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Table 1. Land use, e ical in eg a ion and ou side capi al o 10 la ges ag oholdings o Uk aine, 2018.
Company
name
Land a ea
(×1000 ha)
Specializa ion
(c op/li es ock, %)
P ocessing and o he
businesses
Ou side capi al
Uk land a ming 570.0 85/15Egg p oduc s, suga ,
eeds u s, s o age and
expo in as uc u e
Lis ed on AIM (Al e na i e
In es men Ma ke , a sub-ma ke
o he London S ock Exchange),
loans om Deu sche Bank
Ke nel 550.0 92/8 Sun lowe oil, s o age
and expo in as uc u e
Lis ed on Wa saw S ock
Exchange (WSE)
Ag op ospe is
G oup
400.0 97/3 Feeds u s, ce eals,
lou , s o age and expo
in as uc u e
Equi y und NCH (New Cen u y
Holdings) Capi al
MHP 370.0 27/73Mea p oduc s,
eeds u s, biogas, e ail,
s o age and expo
in as uc u e
Lis ed on London S ock
Exchange (LSE), loans
om In e na ional Finance
Co po a ion (IFC), Eu opean
Bank o Recons uc ion and
De elopmen (EBRD)
As a a 250.0 88/12Suga , eeds u s,
biogas, s o age and
expo in as uc u e
Lis ed on WSE, loans om IFC
Con inen al
Fa me s G oup
165.0 99/1 Seed p oduc ion, s o age
and expo in as uc u e
Fo me ly lis ed as M iya on
F ank u S ock Exchange
(FSE), loans om IFC, EBRD,
US EXIM; cu en ly owned by
Saudi A abia’s ag icul u e and
li es ock in es men company
(SALIC)
Ha Eas 127.0 85/15Feeds u s, seed
p oduc ion, s o age and
expo in as uc u e
Sys em Capi al Managemen –
ene gy and me allu gical holding
owned by Rina Akhme o ;
Sma Holding owned by Vadim
No inskiy
IMC 123.9 90/10 Feeds u s, s o age and
expo in as uc u e
Lis ed on WSE, loans om IFC,
EBRD
Epi sen Ag o 121.4 90/10 S o age and expo
in as uc u e
Cons uc ion chain Epi sen K
owned by he Ge ega amily
Uk p omin es 116.5 93/7 Suga , ce eals,
eeds u s, e ail, s o age
and expo in as uc u e
Equi y und associa ed wi h
o me P esiden Po oshenko
Sou ce: La i undis .com (2020), UCAB (2019), company websi es.
anspa ency ha add ess pe sis en agency p oblems. Especially, publicly lis ed ag oholdings in Uk aine ha e
been ound o deploy ins umen s such as di e se execu i e boa ds, independen audi ing and disclosu e o
in o ma ion on owne ship and inancial aspec s, which al oge he unc ion as p o ec i e mechanisms agains
obscu e ope a ional p ac ices commonly encoun e ed in ansi ional economies (Gagalyuk e al., 2021). As
ega ds he cumula i eness e ec , Os apchuk e al. (2021a) ha e shown how Uk ainian ag oholdings make
use o mo e open and compe i i e ma ke s no only ia acqui ing less compe i i e a ms bu also by making
hese a ms mo e e icien h ough complex esou ce econ igu a ion p ocesses.
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Howe e , ecen e idence sugges s also ha he e is a need o an ex ended iew ha would augmen
he abo emen ioned pe spec i es wi h ega d o he in e ac ions o ag oholdings wi h hei ins i u ional
en i onmen . In pa icula , he a angemen s ha ag oholdings design o educe he cos s esul ing om
incomple e ins i u ional amewo ks o en go beyond hei immedia e exchange pa ne s, e.g. landowne s,
employees and sha eholde s. These a angemen s in ol e c oss-sec o pa ne ships ha bene i and empowe
no only ag oholdings and hei di ec s akeholde s, bu also a b oade se o ac o s.
Fo ins ance, se e al ag oholdings ha e es ablished long- e m pa ne ships wi h (s a e-owned) uni e si ies
o imp o e and mode nize hei cu icula and p o ide p ac ical ainings o ag icul u al s uden s ha no
necessa ily will become he employees o hese ag oholdings in he u u e (Ag okebe y, 2023). Fu he mo e,
in coope a ion wi h non-go e nmen al o ganiza ions and communal au ho i ies in u al Uk aine, se e al
ag oholdings ha e in oduced he p og ams o en ep eneu ship p omo ion ha include inancial and ad iso y
suppo o business s a -ups ha a e comple ely independen o hese ag oholdings (Gagalyuk e al., 2018).
Mo eo e , ag oholdings inc easingly engage in he es ablishmen o mu ual exchange and c ea ion o a
cul u e o open dialogue o aise awa eness o p oblems ha pe sis in he business en i onmen . These
ini ia i es in ol e he use o a ious communica ion ins umen s anging om egula mee ings wi h u al
communi ies o in oduc ion o cha bo s ha collec indi idual eques s om u al popula ion (Gagalyuk
e al., 2021). In he con ex o Uk aine, whe e a low le el o gene al coope a i eness pe sis s among a m
s akeholde s, his app oach se es as an essen ial s ep o wa d in he p omo ion o p i a e ini ia i e and he
o ma ion o ci il socie y (c . Gagalyuk e al., 2021: p. 730).
The abo e de elopmen s poin o he es ablishmen o wha Ga ignon and Cap on (2023), a guing along
he lines o Elino Os om’s p inciples o polycen ic go e nance, e e o as sha ed and open ins i u ional
in as uc u es. In con as o a closed ins i u ional in as uc u e ha p ima ily bene i s a ocal i m engaging
wi h key s akeholde s on an ins umen al basis, sha ed and open ins i u ional in as uc u es a e designed o
he bene i o a b oade se o pa icipan s. A sha ed ins i u ional in as uc u e eme ges when a i m joins
public o nonp o i ini ia i es o imp o e exis ing ins i u ional in as uc u e o he bene i o a b oade se
o pa icipan s who sha e access o i . In u n, when he i m builds an open ins i u ional in as uc u e, i
in es s in a pool o esou ces widely accessible beyond i s exchange pa ne s and empowe s o he ac o s
wi hin mul ila e al c oss-sec o pa ne ships (c . Ga ignon and Cap on, 2023: pp. 48–49).
Ano he , mo e ecen , example o such ans o ma i e ac i i ies o ag oholdings is he implemen a ion o
digi al echnologies (DTs). Empi ical e idence om Uk aine sugges s ha local ag oholdings ha e been
and a e widely using p ecision a ming ools and cus omized IT solu ions o imp o e own e iciency and
p oduc i i y (Gagalyuk e al., 2022). Howe e , as he p esen pape shows, adop ion o DTs gene a es posi i e
impac s also beyond he ag oholdings’ own needs, as i en ails da a-, knowledge- and in as uc u e-sha ing
ac i i ies ha do no seem o bene i hese ag oholdings alone. In wha ollows, he pape p esen s he esul s
o h ee case s udies o Uk ainian ag oholdings o show how DTs assis hese ag oholdings in es ablishing
sha ed and open ins i u ional in as uc u es in addi ion o he use o DTs o he ag oholdings’ own bene i .
3. Case s udies
The case s udy analysis is based on da a collec ed du ing in-dep h in e iews wi h co po a e manage s (see
Table 2) o G ain Alliance, Con inen al Fa me s G oup and As a a. In he p ocess o selec ion o ag oholdings
o ou analysis, we aimed o choose he ag oholdings ha no only belong o he la ges and mos anspa en
ag icul u al companies in Uk aine, bu also make subs an ial in es men s in he implemen a ion o DTs
in a ious segmen s o hei ope a ions. Thus, we aimed o ind he ag oholdings ha use DTs no only in
ag icul u al p oduc ion bu also in he sphe es o land managemen , human esou ce managemen , logis ics,
machine y, in en o y managemen , planning, epo ing and o he s. Fo ha pu pose, we ha e used he
in o ma ion om a ious mass media po als, such as Aggeek.ne (2023) and La i undis .com (2023a,b)
and consul ing publica ions (e.g. Ag ohub, 2019). Based on hese sou ces, we ha e ini ially selec ed
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Table 2. Cha ac e is ics o s udied ag oholdings.
Company name
G ain Alliance Con inen al Fa me s
G oup
As a a
Manage s in e iewed E geniy Zaglada, Сhie
Financial O ice
Ye hen Ko niienko,
Head o Field Ag onomic
Moni o ing Depa men
Nonna Shmidik, Head o
PR and Social P ojec s
Na aliia Bogache a,
Di ec o a Ag iChain
Ruslan T u ano , Head o
Sales Depa men
Yuliya Be eshchenko,
Sus ainable Business
De elopmen and IR
Di ec o
Lilia Ma achkane s, Head
o Co po a e Pa ne ship
and Communica ions
Depa men
Land use (2022) 57 000 ha 195 000 ha 220 000 ha
Numbe o employees 1044 (as o 2021) 2400 (as o 2021) 6500 (as o 2022)
Re enues (2022) EUR 55 million n.a. EUR 510 million
P oduc ion po olio (main
c ops o animal p oduc s)
Co n
Soybeans
Sun lowe
Win e whea
G ain s o age – 7 uni s,
330 000 ons
Ca le a ming
Co n
Soybeans
Sun lowe
Win e whea
G ain s o age –
474 500 ons, 5 ele a o s
Seed p oduc ion –
420 ons pe day
Po a o – s o age capaci y
106 200 ons, 2 plan s +
po a o p ocessing plan
C op p oduc ion (whea ,
co n, apeseed, soya,
sun lowe );
Seed p oduc ion – 2 plan s;
Suga p oduc ion: No.1
p oduce in Uk aine wi h
250 000–500 000 ons o
suga p oduc ion p.a.;
Ca le a ming: No.1
p oduce o indus ialized
milk in Uk aine wi h
100 000 ons o milk
p oduc ion p.a. and 22 000
heads o ca le;
Soybean c ushing: No.2
in soybean p ocessing in
Uk aine wi h a c ushing
capaci y o 230 000;
Bioene gy: designed daily
capaci y o 150 000 m3 o
biogas
Majo a eas o DT
applica ion
C op p oduc ion
Land managemen
Ope a ional managemen
(En e p ise Resou ce
Planning)
C op p oduc ion
Land managemen
Machine y and equipmen
managemen
C op p oduc ion
Land managemen
Machine y and equipmen
managemen
Logis ics
CSR expendi u e (2022) EUR 105 000 EUR 1.6 million EUR 14.8 million
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Majo s akeholde s Local communi ies
In es o s
Employees
Socie y
Local communi ies
In es o s
Socie y
Employees
Local communi ies
Employees
Socie y
ESG goals Reduc ion o soil
exhaus ion
Inc ease he sha e o
enewable uels
Reduc ion o soil
exhaus ion
Ca bon a ming/g een
economy
O ganic a ming
Owne ship s uc u e BZK GRAIN ALLIANCE
AB (Sweden) – 100%
AGRO LV LIMITED
LLC (iden i ica ion code
34943719)
CFG TRADING LLC
(iden i ica ion code
39675472)
MRIYA SERVICE LLC
(iden i ica ion code
38554271)
Exac sha es no a ailable
The amily o Vik o
I anchyk ( he CEO) –
40.0% o o al sha es
ou s anding h ough
Albacon Ven u es Limi ed
Fai ax Financial Holdings
L d – 29.9%.
F ee loa on Wa saw S ock
Exchange held mainly
by Polish ins i u ional
in es o s, EU and US
in es men companies –
30.1%
Sou ce: in e iews wi h manage s, company websi es and annual epo s.
Table 2. Con inued.
10 ag oholdings ha me ou c i e ia. A e an ini ial ou each o hese companies, only h ee ou o he en
con ac ed ag oholdings ha e ag eed o be in e iewed o he pu poses o his s udy.
The selec ed ag oholdings a e join s ock companies wi h di e en deg ees o o eign capi al in he owne ship
s uc u e and belong o he op 25 ag oholdings-land use s in Uk aine. The in e iews wi h he manage s
we e conduc ed online (and eco ded upon ag eemen wi h he esponden s) in Feb ua y-Ap il 2023. The
ob ained da a we e u he complemen ed wi h a chi al in o ma ion om a ailable company documen s,
such as annual inancial and non inancial (sus ainabili y) epo s, p esen a ions o in es o s and company
websi es. Un o una ely, we ha e no been able o in e iew he s akeholde s o ag oholdings, such as
landowne s, small a me s o policymake s, due o he ongoing Russian in asion o Uk aine ha complica ed
communica ion wi h hese g oups o esponden s. This issue is add essed in g ea e de ail in he desc ip ion
o esea ch limi a ions and impac o wa in he concluding sec ion o he pape .
3.1 G ain Alliance
■Company in o ma ion
G ain Alliance is now an ag icul u al p oduc ion company wi h mo e han 20 yea s o expe ience al hough,
ini ially, i was se up as a business p o iding illage se ices o ag icul u al p oduce s. The company was
ounded in 1998 by he Ame ican en ep eneu Alex O ono as The Ha es Moon Eas L d. Ini ially, he
company has a med wo housand hec a es o leased land and has g own in e ms o bo h land a ea and
p oduc po olio since hen. By 2008, he o al a ea ope a ed by he company eached mo e han 27 000 ha.
Cu en ly, he ag oholding con ols a ound 57 000 ha o a mland, o which 54 000 ha a e being cul i a ed,
while u he expansion is a pa o he company’s s a egy (G ain Alliance, 2023b).
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The implemen a ion o a land managemen sys em is bene icial no only o As a a o Ag iChain clien s
bu also o hei smallholde land lesso s. The land managemen sys em educes ansac ion cos s and
imp o es he e iciency o managemen o land lease ag eemen s, as he needs o unnecessa y mee ings,
documen exchange and communica ion diminish. As a long- e m esul , u al communi ies also bene i
om implemen a ion o land managemen so wa e: educed ansac ion cos s enable land lessees, such as
As a a o Ag iChain clien s, o pay highe land en als o landowne s. Acco dingly, landowne s can pay
highe axes and he eby imp o e he budge s o local communi ies. This is pa icula ly impo an in he
iew o ou da ed physical and social in as uc u e in u al communi ies o Uk aine.
In addi ion, a he holding le el, As a a is using digi al ools o indi idual in e ac ion wi h landowne s.
“Smallholde u al landowne s – ou land lesso s – wan o be ou pa ne s and hey a e a pa o ou
ecosys em. We would no be able o wo k wi hou hem. In o de o conside hei needs mo e ca e ully, we
ha e de eloped a cha bo ha p ocesses hei eques s and helps o ecei e a ious pieces o in o ma ion,
o example, a p oo o income o p oo o land en al paymen om us o p esen i o ax au ho i ies o
simila ”, explain he manage s.
The manage s o Ag iChain a e awa e ha , in o de o achie e bes possible syne gies and e iciency
imp o emen s, a so wa e pla o m should be lexible and easily adjus ed, and he p oduce willing o
implemen i has o be open-minded and eady o change o own business model. Howe e , e en in his
case, an indi idual app oach ma e s as he de elope s a e willing o sell a cus omized p ojec , no a so wa e
p oduc . “We y o only wo k wi h companies ha a e eady o change, look deepe in o hei p ocesses
and o e ailo -made solu ions o hei needs. We implemen hese solu ions by wo king in join p ojec
g oups”, explains a p oduc manage .
Wo king wi h sha ed in as uc u es equi es p ese a ion and p o ec ion o da a. E en hough Ag iChain is an
in-house de elope o As a a and can be conside ed he ag oholding’s “digi al wing”, As a a i sel does no
ha e access o he cus ome da a o he Ag iChain pla o ms. Mo eo e , many o he holding’s compe i o s
on he a mland ma ke a e using he Ag iCahin applica ion. “Almos all As a a’s compe i o s, namely 7 ou
o 8, a e ei he pa ne s o clien s o Ag iChain. As a a has no p oblem wi h his and he e is a con ac ual
ag eemen ha Ag iChain does no g an As a a access o he da a o i s clien s”, commen s a manage .
Cu en ly, As a a is using i s DT expe ise o de elop sha ed ins i u ional in as uc u es ha go beyond
he in e ac ions ha bene i local communi ies and o e solu ions also o he de elopmen o he coun y’s
economy as a whole. Fo example, in 2022, As a a comple ed es ing o he elec onic managemen sys em
o anspo consignmen no es. The de elopmen o he sys em was led by he Minis y o In as uc u e o
Uk aine o simpli y and speed up logis ics by eplacing pape anspo consignmen no es wi h elec onic
ones o ensu e eigh anspa ency (As a a, 2023a). This way he solu ion de eloped by a single ma ke
playe e ol ed in o an app oach bene icial o he whole indus y.
Fu he mo e, in he a ea o educa ion, As a a has launched IT Educa ion in Ru al A eas, he p ojec ha
aims o imp o e compu e li e acy among u al popula ion and p o ides IT ainings o child en and adul s in
u al a eas. The agenda o child en includes isual p og amming in Sc a ch, designed a he Massachuse s
Ins i u e o Technology, and Robo ics.
Ano he impo an di ec ion o DT-based p ojec s is en i onmen p o ec ion. In 2020, As a a in coope a ion
wi h he non-go e nmen al o ganiza ion In e na ional En i onmen al Secu i y s a ed an online p ojec
Eco-educa ion in Communi ies aimed a p omo ing en i onmen al awa eness among he you h. In addi ion,
he company in oduced and implemen ed he esou ce and ene gy e iciency p og am Bes A ailable
Techniques a i s suga plan s o achie e ene gy e iciency goals. The company’s a ming en e p ises ha e
al eady wi nessed a educ ion o ene gy consump ion due o he use o mode n ag icul u al machine y
and inno a i e IT ools o ag icul u al managemen . Fo ins ance, ene gy consump ion in he ag icul u al
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segmen educed by 16% o 871kGJ ep esen ing a 26% sha e in o al ene gy consump ion o he holding
(As a a, 2023a). As a pa o he G een Economy concep and ocusing on sus ainable de elopmen , As a a
implemen ed a sys em o accoun ing and calcula ing emissions o g eenhouse gases and o he con aminan s
unde he equi emen s o he GHG P o ocol and na ional legisla ion. The sys em in ol es he use o DTs
as pa o moni o ing, analysis and de ec ion p ocedu es.
4. Discussion and conclusions
The p esen pape demons a es how implemen a ion o digi al echnologies by i ms con ibu es o ma ke
de elopmen and imp o emen o he ins i u ional en i onmen in he ag icul u e o one o he Eas e n
Eu opean coun ies, Uk aine. The said imp o emen s occu a di e en le els, including in e nal i m
ope a ions and in e ac ions wi h immedia e exchange pa ne s, in e ac ions wi h a b oade se o ac o s, e.g.,
a he communal le el, as well as he ins i u ional en i onmen as a whole.
The indings gene ally suppo he a gumen ha complex echnology enables coo dina ion o ac i i ies
no only wi hin bu also ou side i m bounda ies. Fu he mo e, wo o he h ee s udied ag oholdings ha e
been ound o ac i ely es ablish DT-enabled ins i u ional in as uc u es ha no only pu sue e iciency
imp o emen s o own bene i bu also ans o m exis ing ins i u ional se ings.
Mo e speci ically, we ind ha , i s , DTs assis he s udied ag oholdings in engaging wi h key s akeholde s
wi hin closed ins i u ional in as uc u es ha mainly bene i he ag oholdings’ own needs on he one hand. Fo
example, all o he s udied ag oholdings a e using cloud so wa e, da a om sa elli e and d one moni o ing as
well as AI-based analy ics o adminis e ing housands o land lease ag eemen s wi h smallholde landowne s.
On he o he hand, such ac i i ies add posi i ely o exis ing ins i u ional in as uc u es cha ac e ized, o
ins ance, by s ill incomple e public cadas al sys ems in Uk aine. Reduc ion o ansac ion cos s associa ed
wi h in e ac ions wi h nume ous landowne s ans o ms in o highe landowne s’ incomes and, espec i ely,
gene a es mo e ax e enues ha can be spen on in as uc u e imp o emen s in u al a eas.
Second, he ag oholdings unde sc u iny ha e been shown o launch DT-based ini ia i es ha b ing abou
bene i s o he pa icipan s who sha e access o hem as well as o a b oade se o pa icipan s. The As a a
ag oholding has se up he e-pla o m called Ag iChain, which p o ides ag o echnological, cadas al and
p ocu emen ad ice no only o i s subsidia ies o he a me s ha supply i s s o age and p ocessing acili ies
bu also o As a a’s compe i o s (based on ees). I seems sa e o conclude ha , by selling i s p oduc o he
compe i o s, As a a s eng hens hem, as in addi ion o ha ing mo e expe ise and expe ience o wo king
in hei local clima ic and na u al condi ions, hese compe i o s ob ain a cus omized digi al solu ion ha
imp o es hei e iciency.
Ano he ag oholding, CFG, coope a es wi h a p ecision a ming company ha p ocesses CFG’s da a and,
upon an es ablished ag eemen , may sha e hese da a also wi h CFG’s compe i o s. On he one hand, he
adop ion o such pla o ms aims o ob ia e he p oblem o unde de eloped public and p i a e ex ension
ne wo ks in Uk aine (Ko ine s and Ya oshko, 2023) and hus o imp o e supplie compliance wi h quali y
equi emen s. On he o he hand, he use o own DT expe ise o build he ma ke o cus omized digi al
solu ions (G ain Alliance and As a a), indi ec da a sha ing wi h compe ing en e p ises (As a a and
CFG) as well as olun a y abs en ion om he po en ial (mis)use o i s compe i o s’ in o ma ion (As a a),
sugges ha i ms may ini ia e an e en b oade ans o ma ion p ocess. The la e would in ol e no only
he es ablishmen o a new ma ke o DTs, bu also he de elopmen o he ins i u ional ounda ions o his
ma ke ha can also sp ead o o he ma ke s and sec o s. In ou s udy, hese ounda ions a e exempli ied by
us -based exchange ela ionships among ma ke pa icipan s and, in he con ex o ag icul u e, p omo ion
o good ag icul u al p ac ices and biodi e si y.
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To his e ec , ou s udy shows ha DTs help i ms o ake on an e en mo e ac i e ole by se ing as a
b idging o ganiza ion o ins i u ional in e media y (Ga ignon and Cap on, 2023), hus subs i u ing o
public and nonp o i ac o s in es ablishing open ins i u ional in as uc u es. In his ole, i ms may os e
and engage in c oss-sec o coope a ion ha bene i s and empowe s a b oade se o ac o s. Pa icula ly wi h
ega d o ou s udy, some o he DT-enabled in as uc u es de eloped by he s udied ag oholdings educe
ins i u ional cos s no only o hese ag oholdings alone bu also, and p ima ily, o o he ac o s. The launch
o he applica ion o beekeepe s and o he CSR map by CFG a e good examples o such in as uc u es.
In e es ingly, he choice o he go e nance mode o DT-enabled in as uc u es may di e among ag oholdings
e en wi h ega d o he same ins i u ional p oblem aced. Fo ins ance, in he iew o poo ag o echnological
ex ension se ices, ag oholdings in Uk aine a e gene ally in e es ed in sha ing hei expe iences o using
p ecision a ming echnologies and mode n DTs wi h o he ma ke pa icipan s. The willingness o sha e
such sensi i e in o ma ion, in pa icula wi h neighbo ing (and hus compe ing) a ms, has been ini ially
d i en by an ins umen al mo i e o e ec i ely p e en he sp ead o pes s and diseases om he ields o
he neighbo s (Shmo hun, 2019). Howe e , in he p ocess o exchange, addi ional ad an ages in he o m
o new knowledge o p oduc ion app oaches ha e a isen also o he ag oholdings ini ia ing such exchange.
One o he ag oholdings s udied in his pape , CFG, has ecognized he bene i s o knowledge sha ing
o he sec o a la ge and ini ia ed a eely accessible pla o m o ag o echnological exchange. Ano he
ag oholding unde sc u iny, As a a, has been ound o engage in sha ing i s ag o echnological expe ise on
a comme cial basis ia i s subsidia y, Ag iChain. Ye , he o he ag oholding, G ain Alliance, wan ed o apply
an app oach simila o As a a bu did no succeed due o esou ce limi a ions. O e all, ou indings sugges
ha all h ee ag oholdings la gely ecognize he ins i u ion-building and ma ke de elopmen po en ial o
DTs. Howe e , he choice o he go e nance mode as well as he ou comes o he e o s he ag oholdings
make o encapsula e his po en ial ha e been ound o di e .
The easons behind he di e ing choices wi h ega d o go e nance modes o exchange ela ionships
ca alyzed by DT implemen a ion may depend on he o ganiza ional and manage ial cha ac e is ics o he
i m. The example o As a a sugges s an impo an ole o leade ship in a i m’s engagemen in he p ocesses
o ins i u ion-building, such as he de elopmen o an elec onic anspo consignmen sys em in close
coope a ion wi h public au ho i ies. Based on he esul s o ou s udy, one can also assume ha ag oholdings
like As a a may be less conce ned abou sensi i i y o engaging in da a sha ing ini ia i es due o a ela i ely
low le el o owne ship concen a ion (as compa ed o he o he s udied ag oholdings). A subs an ial po ion
o As a a’s sha e capi al is being in a ee loa on an in e na ional s ock ma ke . In his con ex , ecen
s udies ha e poin ed o a posi i e e ec o in e na ional lis ings on co po a e anspa ency and disclosu e o
ag oholdings om ansi ion coun ies (Gagalyuk, 2017; Gagalyuk e al., 2021). On he o he hand, as an
in e na ionally lis ed company, As a a is pa icula ly conce ned wi h he in e es s o i s sha eholde s and
has o conside possible isks and be p o i -o ien a ed. These ac o s may ha e con ibu ed o he choice o
a comme cial, con ac -based knowledge dissemina ion app oach in ol ing he es ablishmen o a sepa a e
legal en i y (Ag iChain). Al oge he hese examples o As a a’s ac i i ies poin o he choice o a sha ed
mode o go e nance o DT-enabled ins i u ional in as uc u es.
As ega ds ela i ely mo e owne ship-concen a ed ag oholdings, in pa icula CFG, ou indings demons a e
ha , in addi ion o a he o malized sha ed a angemen s, hey ely on ela ional no ms in go e ning sec o al
and c oss-sec o al exchange wi h espec o digi al echnologies. P e ious esea ch sugges s ha ela ional
capi al is he cha ac e is ic o an open ins i u ional in as uc u e ha in ol es a polycen ic go e nance
model (Ga ignon and Cap on, 2023). One eason behind his choice may be he ac ha CFG is, e.g., less
spa ially dispe sed han As a a, which makes i be s ongly socially embedded in he egions o communi ies
o i s ope a ions. This embeddedness may, in u n, cause he choice o a mo e inclusi e go e nance app oach.
The case o G ain Alliance, ha has decided o use own DT-based solu ions in e nally o he momen ,
sugges s ha he i m may lean owa d he choice o a closed ins i u ional in as uc u e i i is o some
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eason suscep ible o ins i u ional u bulence (Gagalyuk and Valen ino , 2019). As ou s udy shows, G ain
Alliance has aced lack o quali ied pe sonnel on he pa o i s pa ne s ha made i di icul o scale-up own
digi al in as uc u e and expe ise. Mo eo e , he ag oholding has ound i sel in a lock-in si ua ion when
he po en ial exchange pa ne s would supposedly be eluc an o using he p oposed echnology (o Russian
o igin) because o mo al conside a ions (caused by he Russian in asion o Uk aine).
4.1 Resea ch limi a ions, u u e esea ch and impac o wa
We ealize ha his s udy has limi a ions, as i is based on h ee case s udies in one coun y in ol ing a small
numbe o in-dep h in e iews wi h he ep esen a i es o he s udied i ms only. This may aise ques ions
ega ding gene alizabili y o ou conclusions. Howe e , we belie e ha a leas some aspec s should be
applicable beyond he empi ical con ex o he p esen esea ch. In pa icula , he e is e idence o apid
de elopmen o la ge-scale ag oholdings in many coun ies, pa icula ly in ansi ion and eme ging ma ke
economies cha ac e ized by weak ins i u ional en i onmen s (Gagalyuk e al., 2021b). These ag oholdings
a e using digi al echnologies o p oduc ion and o he pu poses a an inc easing pace (Ag ohub, 2019;
Chaddad and Valen ino , 2017). Thus, i is concei able ha he DT-enabled in as uc u es could be used
by ag oholdings in o he ansi ion and eme ging coun ies o add ess oids in ma ke -based ins i u ions o
hose coun ies.
Fu he mo e, ou s udy ocused on bo h p i a ely held and publicly lis ed ag oholdings, implying ha
some o hei p ac ices could be applied in di e en ypes o companies. Fo ins ance, he expe ience o
bo h he publicly lis ed As a a and p i a ely held CFG may be use ul o he unde s anding o how digi al
echnologies can be used beyond own p oduc ion needs and help o engage wi h a b oad ange o in a- and
c oss-sec o al ac o s.
Ne e heless, u u e esea ch is ce ainly needed o iden i y he o he impo an ac o s ha a ec he scale-up,
spillo e and, ul ima ely, ins i u ionaliza ion po en ials o DT-enabled in as uc u es. Fu he mo e, ou
unde s anding o he iabili y o sha ed and open ins i u ional in as uc u es ha he p esen pape b ings
o he o e on , will imp o e i u u e esea ch gi es a de ailed accoun o he ules and ule en o cemen
mechanisms go e ning hese in as uc u es.
In he con ex o his s udy, he abo e s eps ha e been a he impossible due o he ongoing Russian in asion
o Uk aine. The in e iews made in e ms o he s udy had o be escheduled o pos poned many imes due
o equen blackou s caused by he Russian missile a acks on ci il in as uc u e in Uk aine. Du ing he
in e iews, ou esponden s old ha hei businesses ha e unde gone subs an ial changes, also wi h ega d
o he aspec s add essed in his s udy. Fo ins ance, he e is an o icial equi emen om he Uk ainian
go e nmen o limi he use o ag icul u al d ones. On he o he hand, he demand o sa elli e moni o ing
is g owing signi ican ly. Howe e , o e all, Uk ainian ag icul u e aces se e e p oblems because o he wa .
Fi s o all, almos all g ain shipmen s h ough he Black Sea a e unce ain due o blockades o Uk ainian
po s and ships. This makes p essu e on domes ic s o age in as uc u e and commodi y p ices. Second,
p ices o absolu ely all inpu s, uel, spa e pa s and seeds inc eased signi ican ly whe eas bank loans ha e
become ha dly accessible.
Despi e hese complica ions, ou esponden s ha e epo ed ha , o ins ance, all a ailable unds hey
planned o expendi u e in e ms o CSR p og ams we e ealloca ed owa d humani a ian needs. The
ag oholdings used hei p oduc ion bases empo a ily as logis ics cen e s o humani a ian aid. Tons o
humani a ian aid om ab oad passed h ough hem. They handed o e hei p oduc s and pu chased medical
equipmen o he Uk ainian Mili a y Fo ces. The o al suppo om he s udied ag oholdings amoun ed o
USD 12.5 million in 2022.
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In e na ional Food and Ag ibusiness Managemen Re iew
P oduc ion capaci ies o ag oholdings, especially hose loca ed nea he bo de wi h Russia, su e ed om
mili a y ac ions and occupa ion. Fo example, a he beginning o he wa , a agmen o a shell caused damage
o an ele a o o G ain Alliance in Nizhyn, Che nihi egion o Uk aine, and abou 5000 ha we e mined o
con amina ed by shell agmen s. Consequen ly, he company did no cul i a e hese lands. “To al di ec
damages o he holding excluding losses, los p o i s, e c. amoun o se e al million eu os”, says a manage .
Wo king unde ma ial law and he cons an changes o wa ime caused changes in ypical p ocedu es and
ope a ional p ocesses. “Since he beginning o he wa , we clea ly unde s ood ha i is necessa y o ha e
wo king mobile e sions o all so wa e solu ions, o mobile applica ions, including hose wi h an o line
mode, in o de o enable people o wo k wi h da a and make decisions in a ious condi ions”, says a manage
o As a a.
The communica ion and app oaches o wo king wi h cus ome s, pa ne s and supplie s also changed
signi ican ly. All he pa ies showed since e in e es and unde s anding o all he ci cums ances and we e
open o p o iding suppo , pos poning paymen s, and aking ac ions o help each o he su i e. “We ha e a
clien who has all he lands loca ed in he occupied pa o he Khe son egion. We suppo he company and
p o ide he oppo uni y o use ou so wa e and wo k unde cu en condi ions”, says a manage o As a a.
CFG implemen ed a e aining p og am o in e nally displaced people. The educa ional p ojec aims o c ea e
new employmen and ca ee oppo uni ies o p o essionals who ha e los hei jobs due o he si ua ion in
he coun y and ha e been o ced o lea e hei egions o esidence. The p ojec ( i led Con inen al Res a )
also p o ides an oppo uni y o apply and expand enginee ing and echnical quali ica ions, gain p ac ical
skills in ag icul u al enginee ing, as well as employmen in ag icul u e.
Acknowledgemen
The publica ion o his a icle was unded by he Open Access Fund o he Leibniz Associa ion.
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