Webinar on sustainable value chain of chestnuts in Albania

10.00-11.30 (CET) 

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Join us for this insightful webinar on the sustainable value chain of chestnuts, the special agricultural product of Albania. Organized by the FAO One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Secretariat in partnership with the FAO Country Office in Albania and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Albania, the event highlights Albania’s efforts in sustainable development of chestnuts value chain.

This webinar will be a forum to share knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned in the sustainable production, processing, and marketing of chestnuts in Albania and inspire other countries that are interested in implementing and promoting chestnuts or other SAPs through the OCOP initiative.

Participants will gain insights into the role of chestnuts in rural development and agritourism, with updates on current projects to enhance the chestnuts value chain. The discussion will also address sustainable strategies to increase production, improve market access, and support local economies.

The OCOP initiative, launched by FAO in September 2021, assists countries in developing sustainable value chains for unique agricultural products tied to their geography and culture. By optimizing production, processing, storage, and marketing, OCOP promotes these products globally while minimizing environmental and social impacts. Since its inception, over 87 countries from all five FAO regions have joined the initiative, promoting 53 special agricultural products.

Agenda

TIME (CET)	ITEM AND PRESENTER
10:00-10:05	Welcoming remarks by Jingyuan Xia, Executive Secretary of the OCOP Secretariat, Special Advisor to the Director-General, FAO
10:05-10:10	Video on OCOP initiative by MH Kawsar Rudro, Communications Specialist, FAO
10:10-10:15	Regional update on OCOP in Europe and Central Asia by Pedro Marcelo Arias, Economist, Regional Office in Europe and Central Asia (REU), FAO
10:15-10:20	Video documentary on resilient agrifood systems with OCOP initiative in Europe and Central Asia
10:20-10:25	Importance of chestnuts in Albania by Valdete Buca, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Albania
10:25-10:30	Overview of the OCOP chestnuts project by Agim Pepkolaj, National Project Manager, FAO Albania
10:30-10:40	Chestnuts value chain in Albania by Engjëll Skreli, Professor, Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania
10:40-10:50	Chestnuts agritourism – case study from Albania by Shpresim Domi, Associated Professor, Agricultural University of Tirana
10:50-11:00	Case study on chestnuts as a forest product by Shiroma Sathyapala, Forestry Officer, Forestry Division, FAO
11:00-11:15	General discussion by all participants
11:15-11:20	Closing remarks by Zhimin Wu, Director, Forestry Division, FAO

Moderator: Hafiz Muminjanov, Technical Advisor, Plant Production and Protection Division and Global Coordinator of the OCOP initiative, FAO.

Read more about the webinar HERE.