Formation of the competitiveness of agricultural products in world markets

Abstract

The article substantiates the conditions, determinants, and mechanism for forming the competitiveness of agricultural products in world markets amid changing demand, technological transformation, stricter sanitary, phytosanitary, and environmental requirements, price volatility, and geopolitical risks. The study aims to systematize the components of international competitiveness of agricultural products, identify current trends in global agricultural markets, and assess the structural characteristics of Ukraine’s agri-food exports. The methods include systems analysis, comparison, structural and dynamic analysis, and calculation of export specialization and commodity concentration indicators. The information base includes OECD–FAO, FAOSTAT, FAO Food Price Index, WTO and Codex materials, and official Ukrainian trade data. It is established that agricultural competitiveness is determined not only by price advantages but by a combination of productivity, supply reliability, quality and safety, compliance with standards, processing depth, logistics, innovation, market diversification and resilience. Global markets are characterized by production growth driven mainly by productivity, high export concentration for selected commodities, a stronger role of middle-income countries, shifts in demand towards livestock products, stricter traceability and sustainability requirements, and persistent price volatility. The analysis shows that food products accounted for about 59.1% of Ukraine’s merchandise exports in 2024, while sunflower oil, maize, wheat and soybeans generated approximately 60.4% of agri-food exports. This confirms strong export specialization but also reveals commodity concentration and an insufficient share of higher value-added products. A contour-based competitiveness mechanism is proposed, combining resource and production, quality and standardization, innovation and technology, logistics and market, institutional, and adaptive-resilience components. Its implementation should support a transition from cost-based competition to sustainable advantages based on productivity, quality, processing, branding, and integration into global value chains. Keywords: competitiveness, agricultural products, world agricultural market, agri-food exports, quality, productivity, logistics, standards, value added, Ukraine.