FAO in Armenia

Raimund Jehle met with the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia

Meeting between the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia and the Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in Armenia
23/01/2025

Davit Khudatyan, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia, and Raimund Jehle, the Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in Armenia met on 22 January to discuss challenges of local development in Armenia. They also explored opportunities for further cooperation.

Agriculture is the most important economic activity in rural areas and the sustainable transformation of rural economies, and the creation of local employment requires an integrated approach where agriculture and the transformation of agrifood systems has a fundamental importance in Armenia.

FAO is implementing a project to support Local Empowerment of Actors for Development in Lori and Tavush regions project. The project is financed by the European Union and jointly implemented with UNDP.

Raimund Jehle presented the main achievements of the project. Among them are the establishment of 5 Local Action Groups (LAGs), the formation of cooperating farmer groups, capacity building initiatives, and the development of agricultural strategies for Lori and Tavush regions. Both parties discussed how such an approach could be further replicated.

Furthermore, Mr Jehle presented the organization's 2024-2025 Country Programming Framework (CPF), which places significant emphasis on sustainable local development enabling and promoting through development of nutrition sensitive and green agribusinesses and value chains, as well as strengthening agri-food systems policies and digitalization capabilities at the national level.

The CPF passed through a series of governmental discussions with involvement of relevant governmental organizations, which ensures that the CPF is consistent with the country's strategic priorities, contributing to the country's economic growth.