- Albania
Character and comparative advantage: In Albania, chestnuts hold OCOP status due to their significance as both a cash crop and a dietary product for smallholders locally and regionally. The country has favourable conditions for sustainable chestnut value chains, driving inclusive socioeconomic development. These chains, which often involve rural tourism, benefit mountainous and rural communities by expanding domestic economic prospects. Chestnuts are a major agricultural export of Albania, positioning the country among the top 10 worldwide for chestnut export potential according to the International Trade Centre.
Producing areas: Chestnuts are cultivated throughout Albania, with approximately 90 percent of production concentrated in the Tropoja area. Chestnuts from this region are highly esteemed for their sweetness, consistency, aroma and size.
Demands: From a market perspective, the project aims to develop niche products with distinctive attributes, such as certified organic status and/or geographical indications, to enhance market competitiveness and consumer appeal.
Consumption: The project endeavours to boost chestnut consumption by improving management practices, post-harvest handling and processing techniques to increase the availability of high-quality chestnuts for consumers in Albania and beyond.
Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries of technical assistance through the project are expected to actively share their experiences and lessons learned with other interested groups – sharing business plans, offering facilities for demonstration purposes and actively participating in capacity-building sessions and events organized by the project. Furthermore, by strengthening the capacities of national stakeholders, the project aims to facilitate the transfer of knowledge to farmers and local agricultural extension specialists.
Contact
Mr. Agim Pepkolaj
National Project Manager
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
REU
Using one wasp to fight another: FAO establishes biological control plan to protect Albanian chestnuts
FAO, through its global One Country One Priority Product programme, has launched a project to support Albania in implementing a comprehensive programme to monitor Asian chestnut gall wasps, prepare a biological control plan and build capacity among local farmers and extension officers.
Activities in Albania under the One Country One Priority Product initiative
Chestnut production in Albania has the potential to transform the livelihoods of marginalized communities, particularly in the mountain areas of Tropoja, Malësia e Madhe, Shkodër, Dibër, Bulqizë, Pukë, Fushë-Arrëz, Vau i Dejës, Librazhd and Pogradec. However, this is not without potential challenges, including forest renewal, disease management and an underdeveloped value chain.
Sustainable chestnut production boosts rural development
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with Albania’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, have recently launched in Albania the FAO One Country, One Priority Product (OCOP) programme aimed at transforming agrifood systems. Through establishing sustainable chestnut value chains, the project in Albania will, foster economic growth, and enable community empowerment in the pilot region of northern Tropoja.