Ukraine Supplies More Than 60% Of Cyprus Sunflower Oil Imports

Cyprus continues to depend heavily on imported sunflower oil to meet the demands of its dynamic food industry. With local production limited, the island relies on a sophisticated international supply chain that supports retail, HoReCa, catering, bakeries, and food manufacturing.

Key Supplier Rankings

Recent data from the World Integrated Trade Solution / UN Comtrade for 2024 reveals that Cyprus imported approximately 15.34 million kg of sunflower and safflower oil, encompassing both crude and refined products. The following supplier countries stand out:

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Ukraine — 9.26 million kg
Ukraine leads the market by a significant margin, offering large-scale production capabilities, competitive pricing, and a robust export infrastructure.
Bulgaria — 2.85 million kg
An important European supplier, Bulgaria benefits from its regional logistics network and proximity to the EU.
Hungary — 1.41 million kg
Hungary serves as a vital source, particularly for processed and refined oil products.
Greece — 734,949 kg
Leveraging geographic proximity and historical trade links, Greece continues to be a reliable supplier.
Romania — 294,177 kg
Supported by its agricultural base and Black Sea trade routes, Romania maintains its relevance in the supply mix.

International B2B Supply Channels

In addition to direct imports, Cypriot businesses benefit from established international B2B supply networks. For instance, QP Foods UK exemplifies a supplier that bridges production operations in Ukraine with global distribution channels, ensuring flexibility in order fulfillment and product assortment tailored for professional markets.

Ukraine’s Dominance And Logistical Excellence

Ukraine remains pivotal in Cyprus’s sunflower oil market. With over 9.26 million kg supplied in 2024, the nation’s large-scale production and strong export capacity are complemented by efficient Black Sea logistics. Robust maritime infrastructure, encompassing major ports and storage facilities, ensures that Ukrainian sunflower oil is delivered efficiently, supporting the island’s dependency on imports.

Strategic Importance Of Diversification

While Ukraine commands the lion’s share, reliance on a limited group of countries underlines the need for supplier diversification. Incorporating multiple sources such as Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, and Romania can mitigate risks associated with supply interruptions, offer varied packaging options, and provide flexible contract terms, thereby strengthening long-term strategic planning for Cypriot businesses.

Considerations For Cypriot Buyers

Price stability, product quality and delivery reliability remain key factors for importers operating in Cyprus’ food sector. Given the scale of sunflower oil consumption across food manufacturing, hospitality and retail, even relatively small price movements can affect operating costs and profit margins. Industry participants also continue to place increasing emphasis on food safety standards, supply consistency and long-term contractual arrangements when selecting suppliers.

The Broader Implications For Cyprus

The import data underscores the importance of international agricultural supply chains to Cyprus’ food industry. As demand continues to rely heavily on imported products, businesses are likely to focus on balancing cost competitiveness with supply security through a diversified sourcing strategy.

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Women Make Up A Majority Of The EU’s Science And Technology Workforce But The Real Gap Is Elsewhere

by News Editor

June 25, 2026

Women now make up the majority of the EU’s science and technology workforce. According to Eurostat, in 2025, more than 81.6 million people aged 15 to 74 were employed in science and technology occupations across the EU. Of those, 52.5% were women, equal to 42.8 million women. The number of women in these occupations rose by 27.9% compared with 2015, an increase of more than 9.3 million over a decade.

On the surface, the numbers resemble progress. However, Eurostat’s category requires context before that figure can be read accurately. The data refers to HRST, or Human Resources in Science and Technology, specifically people employed in science and technology occupations. These are roles where the main tasks require professional or technical knowledge in physical and life sciences, but also in social sciences and humanities. That definition is wider and broader than engineering, ICT, laboratory science, or high-tech research alone.

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Zooming In

The gender picture changes once the data moves from a wider definition of the workforce to the narrower scientist-and-engineer (research and manufacturing) subgroup.

Scientists and engineers represented almost a quarter of all people employed in science and technology in the EU in 2025. Eurostat describes scientists and engineers as often being the innovators at the centre of technology-led development, making them an important subgroup to focus on separately.

Women accounted for only 40.8% of scientists and engineers in 2025, despite making up more than half of the wider category. That share has increased by a mere 0.5 percentage points over the past decade. The absolute number of women working as scientists and engineers rose from 5.3 million in 2015 to 8.2 million in 2025, despite the push from national and international organisations to increase the number of women in the field. Europe has expanded the number of women in science and technology occupations over ten years. However, that expansion has not extended equally into the scientist-and-engineer subgroup, where much of Europe’s research and innovation work is conducted.

In 2025, of the 39.4 million women aged 25 to 64 working in science and technology occupations in the EU, 35.5 million worked in service activities. Only 2.7 million worked in manufacturing. Women accounted for 57.5% of science and technology employment in services, but only 31.3% in manufacturing.

In 2025, the highest shares of women employed in science and technology occupations were recorded in Latvia at 62.4%, followed by Hungary’s Great Plain and North region at 61.1%, Estonia at 60.5%, Poland’s Central macroregion at 60.4%, and Lithuania at 60.3%. No EU country recorded a majority of women among science and technology workers in manufacturing.

Break-down

Eurostat’s figures measure employment in broad science and technology occupations. They do not show job security, pay levels, management roles, promotion rates, research leadership, or whether women are concentrated in junior or senior workplace positions.

The classification of “senior” also requires additional explanation. Eurostat reports that 45.9% of science and technology workers aged 25 to 64 in the EU were classified as “senior” HRST in 2025. In this dataset, “senior” refers to workers aged 45 to 64. It does not mean senior manager, senior researcher, team lead, or decision-maker.

A high female share in the wider Human Resource Science and Technology (HRST) category does not parallel equal representation across scientists, engineers, manufacturing roles, senior posts, pay, research funding, or decision-making. These figures also reflect the occupational mix inside each country or region, not only structural progress across all areas of science and technology.

The Case Of Cyprus

Eurostat data places Cyprus’s overall science and technology employment at 37.2% of the labour force in 2025, slightly above the EU-27 figure of 36.9%, and above Greece at 26.8%, Malta at 33.9%, and Turkey at 18.2%. This figure covers the total share of the labour force employed in science and technology across all genders.

Progress Or Work-in-Progress?

52.5% in the broad category. 40.8% among scientists and engineers. 31.3% in manufacturing. Europe’s gender gap in science and technology hasn’t closed yet, and there is still work to be done to encourage and support more women to enter the field, especially in research and manufacturing.

Let’s not wait another decade for another couple of percentage points of hope.

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