Case of the Lavka Tradytsii (Silpo’s Project) Included in the National Review of Ukraine's Progress in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 16.07.2020
This was the report presented by Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, at the high-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development of the United Nations on July 15, 2020.

We are convinced that the Lavka Tradytsii (Ukr. Shop of Traditions) project that supports and promotes local gastronomic entrepreneurs and small businesses meets the Sustainable Development Goals, as it promotes entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation and encourages the official recognition and development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as encourages the development of sustainable tourism, local culture and local production. And of course, the project maintains positive economic, social and environmental ties between urban, suburban and rural areas. We are pleased that Silpo has become part of our business practices to achieve Ukraine's Sustainable Development Goals. We selected the following goals for the Lavka Tradytsii: Goal No. 8. Decent work and economic growth, and Goal No. 11. Sustainable development of cities and communities,” says Olena Tarasova-Krasiieva, Fozzy Group’s Project Manager for Sustainable Development.

This year, for the first time Ukraine is submitting its National Voluntary Review of Progress in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, prepared by the Ministry of Economy, to the Political Forum on Sustainable Development. As part of this document, the UN Global Compact in Ukraine has prepared an overview of the progress of the corporate sector towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, Ukraine presented the cases of Ukrainian companies aiming to work in accordance with the SDGs and incorporating them in their business strategies.

“Our review is an inspiring story of companies that have taken a step towards change benefitting millions of people. In Ukraine, there are many talented entrepreneurs who now develop socially responsible businesses. In the time of global lockdown, we could use some good news, and our National Review of the Progress of Ukrainian Business is a loud call to work together,” said Tetiana Saharuk, Chair of the UN Global Compact Network in Ukraine. She added that in Ukraine there are real examples of how the principles of sustainable development can be successfully incorporated into the company's performance at the strategic level, in operations, communications with stakeholders, and reporting. A separate part of the review covers the role of businesses in the fight against COVID-19 in Ukraine, where Silpo also made a huge contribution. For instance, the company allocated UAH 100 million for the purchase of equipment for hospitals and personal protection equipment for medical workers.

A voluntary review of business progress of Ukraine in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is available at the link.
Full report in Ukrainian: PDF, in English: PDF

Lavka Tradytsii is a project that supports and promotes local gastronomic entrepreneurs and small businesses. Since 2011, the Silpo team has been looking for new faces of the food industry throughout Ukraine: they meet, checks products, production, documents, and help with marketing and selection of the right range. Currently, there are 142 small producers involved in the Lavka Tradytsii, who sell their products in more than 100 Silpo stores. In order to promote entrepreneurs, Silpo holds festivals of local gastronomy True&Local, tastings “Producers’ Treats”, gastronomic school “Foodprosvita”, food tours “Agromandra”, as well as production of craft cheese “Chizarnia” inside of the supermarkets.

The Voluntary National Review of Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals is a report submitted by UN member states every 3-5 years to the high-level UN Policy Forum on Sustainable Development to assess progress towards the goals. Denmark, Japan, Sweden, Finland, and other countries have previously reported on their achievements. This year's theme of the forum is “Accelerated Actions and Ways of Transformation: implementation of the decade of actions and achievements in the interests of sustainable development” (decision GA 74/508). In 2020, Ukraine and 46 other countries will present their reviews.

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