Agriculture is a fundamentally important human activity that intrinsically depends on nature and at the same time poses a threat to it. Agriculture depends on healthy ecosystems and ecosystem services, such as fresh water, soil fertility, nutrient cycling, pest regulation and pollination. Biodiversity forms the foundation of food production: without...

FAO held a workshop on the project entitled "Forest resilience of Armenia, enhancing adaptation and rural green growth via mitigation" to sensitize the project actors of the effective start of the project and to discuss details related to taking the project forward. With a USD 10 million grant from the Green...

 Life in the rural areas of Armenia has perks but has never been easy. Around one-third of villagers live below the poverty line. This situation has been further exacerbated by COVID-19, which has imposed greater financial challenges by restricting the opportunities for trade and seasonal work abroad. At the same...

Life in rural areas has its beauties and hardships. Yet, Qyaram Khachatryan said he would never want to exchange his village life in northern Armenia for living in a city, even after he lost virtually everything in the devastating earthquake of 1988. Lost everything but his good spirit and hope,...

FAO Armenia brochure is dedicated to the FAO's 75 anniversary and the work in Armenia since the founding of FAO Armenia Representation office in 2004. It covers the main projects implemented in the country, the major outputs, key stakeholders, beneficiaries, donors, etc. The purpose of this publication is to inform the...

Armenia, which is highly vulnerable to climate change, has signed up to increase its forest cover and carbon removal from forests by reducing fuelwood demand and by introducing sustainable and climate-adaptive forest management techniques. This is envisaged through a forestry project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations...

The background for conducting country studies on the challenges, needs and constraints of smallholders and family farms in seven countries has been a wish to further strengthen the Regional Initiative and develop the initiative towards a stronger programmatic approach at both the regional and country levels. To provide support to...

Climate change threatens over 15 percent of Armenia’s higher plant species with extinction. Semi-desert and desert areas are projected to expand by 30 percent, accelerating desertification. More frequent summer droughts and water stress will reduce the growth rate of trees and increase susceptibility to pests and diseases; at the same...

In recent years, Armenia has gone through severe structural changes that have affected the forest sector. Forests, which were formerly under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, are now the responsibility of the Ministry of Nature Protection, together with areas dedicated to nature conservation. These changes allow for a harmonized...

In Europe and Central Asia, and particularly in countries not part of the European Union, food loss and waste have major implications on food nutrition and security through inefficiencies in the food value chains. FAO is now working with four southeastern European countries to develop strategies for food loss and...

Agriculture is one of the key sectors defining the sustainable development of Armenia. The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia, which is responsible for implementing and monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to food and agriculture, identifies targets, aligns policy planning documents and, together with the Statistical...

With a signing ceremony and press conference in Yerevan, FAO launched a new project to make substantial improvements to dairy operations in the Republic of Armenia. Also, FAO introduced a unique platform for uniting donors working to improve the country’s agriculture sector. The overall goal of the dairy project in Armenia is...

Geographical indication (GI) schemes can play a special role in promoting sustainable rural development, improving farm income and opening new export potential. Natural factors such as soil, climate and plant varieties play a major role in producing a unique product. Usually, GIs comprise knowledge and skills passed on from generation...

Greenhouses are opening in rural schools in Armenia’s Ararat region today with the goal of increasing schoolchildren’s dietary diversity and improving their nutrition. All three greenhouses – in the public schools of Vedi, Verin Artashat and Surenavan – are equipped with modern heating, ventilation and drip irrigation systems. This activity is...

An FAO workshop on 19 November in Yerevan, Armenia, provided an opportunity for the country to kickstart its efforts towards developing a national e-agriculture strategy. Nowadays, agriculture is much more than farming; it has become more and more integrated with other sectors, and this integration requires optimization through digitalization. E-agriculture is the...

Viticulture, the science of growing grapes, dates back as far as 8 000 years in Armenia. The country has a favourable setting for grape production and it is a lucrative business even today. But not paying enough attention to preserving genetic resources and maintaining healthy vines could jeopardize future good prospects...

Gender equality is a key to eliminating poverty and hunger, as it has been demonstrated by the FAO throughout its research worldwide. As part of the FAO efforts on generating evidence and knowledge, and in compliance with the FAO Policy on Gender Equality, the purpose of the Country Gender Assessment...

A model fish-production farm that uses new, water-saving production methods is being inaugurated today in Sayat-Nova, in Armenia’s Ararat province. The new installation was made possible by an FAO project and a public private-partnership. Groundwater levels in the Ararat Valley have been falling in recent years due to overutilization – by...

Cooperatives are a relatively recent business model, dating back only to the 1840s, but their short history has been full of twists and turns. Today, in countries once part of the Soviet Union, cooperatives operate under a wide variety of laws, regulations and tax codes. Now those laws, civil codes and...

More than 40 percent of economically active women in Armenia are employed in agriculture, compared to about 30 percent of men. The vast majority of those women are informal workers on family farms however, and this fact has major implications for rural livelihoods and wellbeing, according to a report just...