METHODICAL APPROACHES TO THE EVALUATION OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS

Abstract

The current state of Ukraine's economy can be characterized as emerging. Many aspects of its development depend on our state's accession to the WTO, which causes the search for new forms and methodsof economic management. One of the most stable sectors of the national economy is agriculture, and the most promising is organic agriculture. Production of organic goods by Ukrainian farmers is very promising since in recent years this type of agriculture has become more popular and demanded not only in Europe, but also around the world. As the capacities of the European Union countries can no longer fully meet the needs of consumers, favorable geographical location of Ukraine has the potential to become the prime advantage for the export of its products. Despite there being a rather strong competition in this sector of the industry, our state can confidently occupy its niche by enhancing the competitiveness. Its main method is to determine, evaluate and ensure the competitive advantages of the products. The purpose of this research is to characterize the existing methods and evaluate their relevancy to the production of organic goods. While conducting the study, general scientific research methods were used. In particular, the terminological method was used to clarify the information based on the morphological analysis of such concepts as competitiveness and competitive advantages. Also, the information approach was used for compiling the information base of research and its results. The article briefly analyzes the current state of organic production in Ukraine and the world. It is mentioned that the production of organic food is able to not only ensure the health of the population, but also improve the condition of the planet`s ecosystem. The increase in the number of territories certified for organic agriculture augments the level of employment, the welfare of the population and the level of development in rural areas. Moreover, the export level of Ukrainian organic products to European and world countries was analyzed. The largest amount of goods is exported to France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Lithuania and Latvia. The article characterized the existing assessment methods of competitive advantages and established that entrepreneurs should use several methods simultaneously in order to produce organic goods. It was also found that this issue requires new resolutions and methodologies.