APF

The 22nd Agricultural Policy Forum, “Agriculture and Rural Development in the context of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans: Overcoming the Impact of the Global Challenges”. The Forum placed a special focus on the impacts of climate change on agriculture in the Western Balkans (WBs) and the recommended policy actions towards mitigation, including enabling and stimulating organic agricultural production as well as sustainable wine production and finding respective markets for it, sustainable forest management, developing functional Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems, and Regional Soil Partnership in the Western Balkans. Rural youth received attention in the Forum due to its potential to be the major driver of sustainable rural development.

Agricultural Policy Forum (APF) 2021, was a hybrid event that gathered 150 participants from 13 countries. Besides online presence, it was held in-person too, on October 20th and 21st, in Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia. The Agricultural Policy Forum 2021 was held under the joint auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia and the Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group (SWG) in South-Eastern Europe.

The 20th Agricultural Policy Forum, “Agriculture and Rural Development Policy in the Western Balkans in times of pandemic”, was held as an online event. It addressed the impact of COVID-19 on agriculture, food and rural areas in the Western Balkans and stressed the necessity of regional cooperation in times of pandemic. The Forum reviewed recent agricultural policy developments in the context of the EU approximation process and elaborated on the research, innovation and technology transfer capacities in the Western Balkans.