Support in drafting agricultural policies in the context of EU membership

Raimund Jehle, director of the FAO program for Europe and Central Asia, at the same time a representative of FAO in Albania, described, « Agriculture in Albania, an important development sector, which engages 36% of the population in the work and provides considerable income in the country’s economy. » In a television interview today Jehle said that « in Albania agriculture should not be seen merely as a production process, but as a widespread sector in income generation ». Also, he continued, agriculture should also be closely linked to environmental and social issues, affecting how people live and coexist in rural areas. Jehle spoke about the sustainable development of this sector and the support that FAO addresses to Albanian farmers.

« Our goal is to produce food using water resources as efficiently as possible. Albania has numerous water resources, but we must bear in mind that, due to climate change, the situation is gradually changing. Therefore, we need a production methodology that responds to all these challenges. This is exactly what we mean when we speak of sustainable agricultural production. »he said.

Jehle explained that a good example in this regard is the work FAO is doing with an incubator for rural women in Elbasan and the biological protection of chestnut forests. « We are providing them with technology and knowledge so that these women farmers are able to process and sell vegetables, bringing them to the market. This provides them with income and, in this respect, we are developing the entire value chain. rural and promoting rural development ”, said Jehle.

He appreciated the rich biodiversity, the appropriate climate for the cultivation of a wide range of food and geographical position, with great tourist potential, such as the three areas that make Albania unique in the agricultural and rural development sector. According to him, the development of agro -food systems means economic, environmental and social sustainability. Speaking about the digitization of agriculture, Jehle said that this is about using modern, satellite technologies, to produce food and use resources more efficiently.

“Digital agriculture and rural transformation in Albania, which is currently being implemented by the FAO office in Albania, has an important role in this regard. On the one hand, it assists through the portal of farmers, providing farmers access to market information and other important data. On the other hand, the project also contributes to the use of data, These tools help transfer knowledge and knowledge directly to farmers ”Jehle said. He said the European Union membership process is the main stimulating factor of development in Albania. Jehle underlined that agriculture plays an important role in agricultural production, food safety and processing.