4th Regional Workshop on Rural Development

The annual workshop on Rural Development, organized by FAO REU in cooperation with the Czech Ministry of Agriculture, this year focused on issues related to the diversification of rural activities that can provide appropriate and attractive means for living for young people. Participants were representing the key institutions dealing with rural socio-economic problems in Western Balkan countries, the Regional Environmental Centre (REC) and the Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group in South Eastern Europe (SWG).

The workshop provided a great opportunity for information sharing and mutual learning on green economy good practices in relation to rural tourism, organic agriculture, regional product labeling, rural renewable energy production and infrastructure development. The event facilitated group discussions where participants tried to identify problems and opportunities related to green job creation and the involvement of rural youth. What kind of policy measures should be implemented in order to create new and rewarding "green jobs" inside a productive, sustainable and "green" agricultural sector? How green investments can be stimulated? And is ecological farming a solution?
These are some of the questions the workshop tried to answer.