Impulses from the German state of Lower Saxony for Ukraine

As part of a multi-day expert information trip to Germany organized by the APD to promote rural areas, the delegation from Ukraine also spent two days visiting the German state of Lower Saxony. These two days were organized by our project “German-Ukrainian Cooperation in Organic Agriculture (COA)”.

During these two days, participants gained a comprehensive insight into how Lower Saxony supports rural areas with both its own state funds and EU subsidies. In three specialist presentations, representatives of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Agriculture gave the Ukrainian expert group an overview of the various support programs offered by the German federal state. The focus was particularly on the EU LEADER program and village development.

The presentations were followed by two excursions to regions north and east of Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony. A total of ten exemplary projects funded by state and EU funds were visited there. It was particularly impressive to see the positive impact that targeted funding can have: for example, the conversion of a former cowshed into a café, the purchase of a mobile fruit press for processing regional fruit harvests, and the building of a medical center to ensure medical care in rural areas.

All these projects impressively demonstrate what can be achieved through civic engagement, political support, and targeted funding. It was particularly valuable that the projects were presented directly by the committed local stakeholders, often supported by mayors who took the time to welcome the expert group from Ukraine.

This expert information trip, organized jointly by the APD and COA, provided numerous inspiring examples that could also be implemented in rural regions of Ukraine, adapted to local conditions. The trip showed that with citizen engagement and targeted support, many sustainable developments can be initiated and implemented.