In the last years, Agroecology Europe started to map agroecological initiatives in different countries or regions of Europe with the aim to support the development of agroecology in Europe, raise awareness for it and thereby strengthen agroecology in Europe. This work, namely the mapping of initiatives, writing of reports and coordination...

FAO experts have been visiting farms across Montenegro this week, to collect up-to-date information and data to be fed into the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) system. Established by the European Union in 1965, the Farm Accountancy Data Network allows farm managers to keep track on their transactions at farm level...

The Atlas of typical food from Montenegro seeks to promote not only the high quality traditional products presented in this volume, but also to raise awareness of the importance of preserving and protecting Montenegrin culinary heritage, local traditions and the rural economy. This Atlas builds on the inventory of origin-linked...

FAO is leading a two-day simulation exercise on African swine fever starting today in Podgorica, Montenegro. The exercise is part of a wider FAO effort helping Balkan countries bolster their capacities for responding to a possible outbreak of African swine fever, a dangerous transboundary animal disease without a cure or...

In March of 2021, a Montenegrin cow became the first known exemplar of the species – indeed, the first farm asset of any kind – to be bought with a virtual currency in the western Balkans. Comically but appropriately enough, she was named Bitkoinka. The animal went for 0.013 bitcoin, the...

In Montenegro, smallholder farmers rely heavily on traditional agriculture practices for their livelihoods. So much so, that a poor blueberry harvest or honey season can have devastating impacts on rural households. That’s why the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and...

By supporting local traditions to build better livelihoods and empower communities, FAO and its partners are working toward a world free of poverty and hunger.  

Some 5 000 northern Montenegrin farmers still make the traditional dried beef Crnogorska Goveđa pršuta, which, along with the Montenegrin dried and smoked sheep meat Crnogorska Stelja, is poised to receive geographical indication (GI) status, an origin-based label that signals quality, authenticity and tradition. This development is the result of work...

Montenegro is building on its rich cultural and food heritage and well-preserved natural beauty to become a destination for sustainable tourism. The country’s fast-growing tourism industry already accounts for nearly a quarter of Montenegro’s gross domestic product, with most of that tourism concentrated along the Adriatic coast. Keen to attract visitors...

Today, a number actors in Montenegro’s fruit and vegetable value chains – including producers, retailers, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development – came together at a workshop in Podgorica, Montenegro, to discuss the benefits of agricultural cooperatives. The workshop was organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the...

Montenegro is looking to strengthen the links between agriculture, food and tourism, uniting its mesmerising coastline and spectacular mountains with its traditional foods – ranging from speciality cheeses and cured hams to bitter greens and crisp wines. As part of this agritourism push, at the end of June a Montenegrin delegation...

Ministers of Agriculture and Food from South Eastern Europe (SEE), Heads of Delegations and representatives of the national bodies in charge of animal health, gathered on 25th of January 2017 in Podgorica at the extraordinary ad-hoc meeting organized under the joint auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development...

ALTER is implemented by a consortium of rural networks in Western Balkan countries and Turkey, encouraged and supported by Prepare – Partnership for Rural Europe. The goal of ALTER is to stimulate an enabling legal and financial environment for civil society, as well as to empower civil society to be effective...

The Montenegrin landscape is only partly used for intensive agriculture due to its natural conditions and the specific development of agriculture in the past. Intensive farming is practiced only in vicinity of the capital Podgorica and close to urban area of Niksic (second largest city in the country). In almost all...

The present work takes guidance from the FAO  flagship publication, “The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2010-2011: Women in agriculture – Closing the gender gap for development” (FAO, 2011a). The SOFA report argues that, “despite the diversity in the roles and status of women in agriculture, the evidence...

Hosted on CIHEAM’s website (ciheam.org), the Mediterranean Observatory aims at contributing to the exchange of ideas by providing information and analyses on agriculture, food and development within the Euro-Mediterranean area. In this regard, various statistical indicators were collected and processed in order to offer essential information for all those who,...

“Quality” and “competitiveness” were the keywords at a conference last week in Podgorica focused on Montenegro’s meat sector. Organized by FAO, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and Montenegro’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the event also served as the formal launch for a two-year project designed to...

Montenegro is a candidate country for EU membership. In October 2007, Montenegro signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) that entered into force in January 2008 as the Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade-related Issues. The SAA entered into force in May 2010. Also in 2010, the European Commission issued...

Agriculture dominates the rural economy. Pastures and meadows occupy 90% of the farmland and the remaining 10% is mainly devoted to horticulture, vineyards and orchards. The structure of farming is dominated by small family farms, which provide all or most of their income for over 50,000 rural households, many of...

The South-eastern European region (SEE) has made substantial progress towards stability, economic reforms, and European integration, which is one of the overriding political and economic challenges in the region. At the Zagreb Summit in November 2000, leaders from the European Union (EU) and the SEE countries confirmed their full commitment...