Astarta and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have agreed to collaborate on developing remote learning opportunities for Ukrainian agricultural professionals.

Astarta’s experts will share their knowledge and practical experience through short, interactive online courses on the AgriAcademy platform.

As part of the partnership, 25 courses are planned, focusing on cultivating, storing, and processing oilseed crops. The first two courses—”Sunflower: Biological Characteristics” and “Sunflower: Cultivation Technology”—are available on the platform.

Andrii Balashov, Head of Professional Development at Astarta, said:

“Talent acquisition is a major challenge for all Ukrainian businesses today, and we are no exception. People remain the key carriers of knowledge, but modern conditions demand new knowledge retention and transfer approaches. We have implemented an internal online learning system for mandatory training and upskilling our employees. We are now ready to share these developments to support the broader growth of Ukraine’s agricultural sector.”

In recent years, Ukrainian agribusinesses have faced an acute shortage of qualified specialists, which has significantly affected the sector’s competitiveness. The need for high-quality and accessible professional education is more urgent than ever, and AgriAcademy was created specifically to provide free access to agricultural knowledge.

Vasyl Hovhera, Senior Corporate Consultancy Expert at the EBRD, commented:

“We are grateful to our partners at agricultural holding Astarta-Kyiv for their openness and willingness to contribute the expertise of seasoned professionals to developing learning materials. We are confident that our joint educational initiative will help more people enhance their knowledge in the agricultural sector.”

AgriAcademy is a free online learning platform for agricultural workers and students of agricultural institutions. The EBRD launched it in December 2022 as part of its Food Security Support Program in Ukraine. Its mission is to increase the competitiveness and resilience of this vital sector of Ukraine’s economy, which the Russian invasion has heavily impacted.

All lectures, training materials, and online courses from leading Ukrainian experts and international universities are available in Ukrainian. The platform hosts 23 courses, offering nearly 300 hours of educational content for beginners and experienced professionals. Each course includes knowledge assessments, and students receive certificates upon successful completion.

The development and management of the platform—including course creation, educational tours, and more—is supported and funded by the EBRD, along with:

  • The EBRD’s Multi-Donor Account for the Stabilization and Sustainable Growth of Ukraine (donors: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union as the largest donor);
  • The Republic of Ireland through the EBRD’s Small Business Impact Fund (additional donors: Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Taipei, China, and the United States);
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).