The EU Green Agriculture Initiative (EU – GAIA) assistance program totaling € 11.7 million was officially launched in Yerevan. The European Union will allocate 9.7 million euros for the program and the Austrian Development Agency – 2 million euros.
The 3-year program will be implemented by the Ministry of Economy of Armenia with the support of the UN Development Program.
Deputy Minister of Economy Arman Khojoyan told reporters that the program designed to support Armenian farmers in the production of environmentally friendly food products by improving the soil.
In turn, the head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Victorin, stated that the program is aimed at the economic development of the three regions of Armenia by stimulating organic agriculture. This will be done by improving phytosanitary conditions and creating new jobs.
“For the implementation of the pilot program, those areas were selected whose population has a relatively low income level. The program will resolve three problems at once – food security, ecology and employment,” said Victorin.
According to her, when choosing regions, the European Union was also guided by the need to develop tourism.
This program was first launched in 2015 with the total funding 3.3 million euros. Under the program, 1 million euros was provided to 45 Armenian farmers and producers of the Tavush and Kotayk regions to launch or expand the production of organic products. The program was completed on March 22, 2019.
