News

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”. Many challenges to the food system occur simultaneously and are of diverse nature: social – as global food security has been threatened, environmental – as climate change must be tackled, economic – as energy security is currently at great risk and food prices are surging.

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.

The Ohrid Agenda, summarizing all derived policy recommendations, will be presented in the Thirteenth Annual Working Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture from South Eastern Europe (SEE), on 12 November 2019 in Pristina.

APF 2018, “Agricultural Policy: Determinant of the Regional Rural Development and EU Perspectives of the SEE”, was held in Jahorina, Bosnia and Herzegovina on 16 - 18 October 2018. It was organized by the Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group (SWG) in SEE in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It gathered more than 160 representatives of relevant public authorities, civil and private sector, from 15 countries of the SEE region and abroad.

The Agricultural Policy Forum (APF) 2017 was held in Podgorica, Montenegro on 11 – 12 October 2017. Agricultural Policy Forum (APF) 2017 was jointly organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Montenegro and the Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group in SEE in Podgorica, on 11 and 12 October. It gathered more than 130 representatives of relevant public authorities, civil and private sector, from the SEE region and abroad.

The 16th Agricultural Policy Forum (APF), held in Tirana, Albania on 12 – 13 October 2016, brought together around 110 diverse stakeholders from 19 different countries/territories representing relevant international and regional institutions, governmental and non-governmental organizations and academic establishments.

The 15th Agricultural Policy Forum (APF) 2015: “Modern Rural Policy: Competitiveness, investment and well-being in rural regions of South East Europe” was held in Pravetz, Bulgaria in the period of 14th – 15th October 2015.

The 14th Agricultural Policy Forum (APF) “Promoting Sustainable Rural Development through Agriculture in South Eastern Europe was held in Kopaonik, Serbia in the period of 14th – 17th October 2014. This Forum provided an opportunity to review the accomplishments achieved by the APF process over the past period, while considering the challenges and opportunities for the development of agriculture and rural areas in South Eastern Europe (SEE) over the next decade up to 2020.

The Agricultural Policy Forum 2013 in Pristina was held under the joint auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development of Kosovo* and the Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group (SWG) in South-Eastern Europe.