This paper was prepared within the “Cooperatives and their alternatives” component of the Agrarian Structures Initiative (ASI) which a regional program of FAO in Europe and Central Asia. This paper outlines some of the main issues influencing the development (or not) of farmer and rural organisations and presents in further detail the specific situation in Armenia, Georgia and Moldova. All three countries returned ownership of the majority of land to the rural population.
Geographical indication (GI) schemes can play a special role in promoting sustainable rural development, improving farm income and opening new export potential. Natural factors such as soil, climate and plant varieties play a major role in producing a unique product. Usually, GIs comprise knowledge and skills passed on from generation to generation, helping to protect local heritage. This report is a synthesis of the five national reviews of the legal and institutional frameworks in Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, and the Russian Federation.
Belarus and FAO have been implementing a number of development programmes to encourage agro-industry growth, rural development and trade facilitation since 2005, when the country became a member of FAO. In providing assistance, FAO is and will be focusing on increasing efforts to prevent the African Swine Fever, to help eliminate obsolete pesticides, to harmonize the standards of quality for agricultural products with the European standards, to develop climate change projects and to provide training to the Belarusian agricultural specialists.
Cooperation between Bulgaria and FAO started in 1967 and has continued to grow, with Bulgaria providing sustained support to the achievement of FAO’s Strategic Objectives. In recent years, their partnership has focused on supporting small family farms and giving greater recognition to their role in ensuring the country’s food supply. Their collaboration is now focusing on the key role of academia and research institutes in achieving food security and nutrition.
Meeting Name: European Commission on Agriculture
Meeting symbol/code: ECA 36/10/3
Session: Sess. 36
Unprecedented pressures on land have been created as new areas are cultivated, taken over by expanding urban centres or are abandoned due to degradation, climate change and conflict. These developments have strained the rules, processes and institutions that determine which land resources are used, by whom, for how long and under what conditions.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and other development partners are working together with countries to prepare Voluntary Guidelines that will provide practical guidance to states, civil society, the private sector, donors and development specialists on the responsible governance of tenure. By setting out principles and internationally accepted standards for responsible practices, the Voluntary Guidelines will provide a framework and point of reference that stakeholders can use when developing their own policies and actions.
This paper reviews the experiences of introducing land consolidation and land banking instruments in Central and Eastern Europe, largely to address the structural problems of small and fragmented farms. The introduction has been uneven with some countries having established operational programmes while others have taken steps with differing levels of success, and a few have not taken action. The paper assesses the driving factors for the introduction and the approaches used in individual countries.
This publication describes the experience of a number of transition countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union with crafting regulatory frameworks for irrigation water users’ organizations. It also seeks to distil a number of key regulatory requirements. As a result, this study serves as a design/drafting manual for policymakers and for drafters of legislation on water users’ organizations.
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