FAO, Montenegro prioritize better natural resource management and inclusive rural development

The Government of Montenegro and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have agreed in the joint priorities for the country’s food and agriculture sector for the coming years. 

According to this, they will work together to contribute to improved state and management of natural resources and to an innovative, competitive, gender-responsive, and inclusive economic development that is climate resilient and low-carbon, too.

This is the main vision of the FAO–Montenegro Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2023–2027, signed today by Nabil Gangi, Officer-in-Charge for the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and Vladimir Joković, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management in Podgorica. The agreement sets out the priority areas to guide the partnership between FAO and Montenegro, leveraging international best practices, global standards, and national and regional expertise.

“FAO will support sustainable, inclusive, and competitive economic development of Montenegro’s agrifood sector, including through sustainable natural resources management (in particular, sustainable forest management) and promotion of green and climate-resilient agricultural practices that reduce the economy’s impact on the environment,” said Nabil Gangi. “We are assisting the country in the path towards realizing its national commitments related to the global Sustainable Development Goals.”

The Country Programming Framework is derived from Montenegro’s United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023–2027, taking into account other key national and international policy documents and strategies.

Agriculture in Montenegro

Agriculture forms a priority sector for Montenegro’s economy, contributing over 6 percent to the national gross domestic product and to the employment sector. Livestock breeding is the most important agriculture subsector in the country, especially for the rural population of the northern region, where opportunities to generate alternative incomes are limited. It is estimated that about 70 percent of the total income of the population living in rural areas is generated through agricultural activities. Agricultural production could be one of the key development resources of northern Montenegro which is not heavily dependent on the tourism sector. 

Farmers require adequate support in improving farming conditions, adopting adequate technologies in milk hygiene and storage, and improving the feeding of livestock. Furthermore, animal diseases, especially zoonotic ones, can hamper the sector’s long-term competitiveness and sustainability.

Towards sustainable and inclusive development

FAO, in close collaboration with the Ministry, will work on increasing institutional and producer capacities to enhance productivity in the agrifood sector through digitalization, knowledge and innovation, improving the sustainability of agricultural holdings, ensuring the long-term security of the food supply and enhancing climate change adaptation and mitigation actions. Particular attention will be given to increasing the competitiveness of selected agrifood, aquaculture, commercial fisheries, and livestock value chains, where FAO already extends technical assistance. The focus will also be on improving farmers’ production efficiency through FAO’s proprietary approach of Farmer Field Schools and promoting the adoption of digital technologies in agriculture.

FAO will contribute to supporting rural communities’ equitable access to natural resources on which their livelihoods depend on, while also protecting and restoring ecosystems.

Specifically, FAO and the Government of Montenegro recognize and prioritize the importance of integrated water resources management for agrifood and aquatic food systems. Under the new Country Programming Framework, several interventions supporting sustainable fisheries and aquaculture will be implemented. 

Forests represent one of the most important natural ecosystems and one of the determinants on which the sustainable development of Montenegro is based. Forests cover over 60 percent of the territory of Montenegro, which ranks it among the three most forested countries in Europe. In the coming years, FAO will work on enhancing national forestry policies and forest management models to address the issues of unrecorded cuttings, forest fires, and biodiversity conservation.

Translating the ‘leaving no one behind’ approach into actions, FAO puts gender and youth mainstreaming and poverty reduction at the heart of its interventions. The Organization is thus aiming to advance women’s economic empowerment, supporting rural women from underprivileged municipalities with the objective of removing some of the structural barriers.