Agroforestry systems to be introduced in four Armenian regions of  Armenia 

ArmInfo.The launch of the initiative group of the Armenian Agroforestry Association was announced in Armenia, which will allow for the effective development of a new area for our country - agroforestry. 

The statement was made during the first Agroforestry Conference (AFCA  2024) in Yerevan, which was held on October 25 within the framework  of the FORACCA (Forest Restoration and Climate Change) program of the  Swiss Office for Development and Cooperation (SDC). 

The event, which is attended by representatives of the public sector,  educational institutions and international industry experts, is held  to discuss the prospects for the development of agroforestry in  Armenia in environmental and socio-economic aspects. Thanks to the  program, according to Ursula Laubli, Regional Director of the Swiss  Office for Development and Cooperation, agroforestry will be  developed in Armenia as one of the effective tools for adaptation to  climate change, development of local communities and through  effective solutions for combating poverty in the regions of the  country. Noting that practical actions within the framework of  FORACCA will begin in February next year, she emphasized that the  program is aimed at the efficient use of subsoil resources and  environmental protection.

According to the Deputy Minister of Environment of Armenia Aram  Meymaryan, agroforestry will help combat land erosion, preserve soil  moisture, conserve water resources, prevent biodiversity loss and  fight pests. In addition, communities where agroforestry systems are  introduced will have an effective income.  On the sidelines of the  conference, answering a question from an ArmInfo correspondent,  FORACCA program coordinator at the National Agrarian University of  Armenia (NAUA) and advisor to the rector Emil Gevorgyan said that the  University's research group headed by him conducted a study on the  introduction, development and sustainability of agroforestry systems.  As a result of the work, he said that a decision was made to begin  introducing these systems in 4 regions of Armenia - Syunik (Balak  community), Aragatsotn (Ttujur), Shirak (Mets Mantash) and Lori  (Lernavan). In addition, it is planned to plant windbreak forest  strips in the Vedi community of the Ararat region. Thanks to the NAUA  study, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has been  provided with a plan for the implementation and management of  agroforestry systems for each of these locations.

This program, as Gevorgyan noted, will be implemented over 10 years,  the budget at this stage is 10 million Swiss francs.

He explained that one of the components of the program is the  restoration of non-classical forest areas in rural areas, which will  help create a microclimate, prevent soil erosion, wind erosion,  preserve soil moisture, efficiently use water resources, create an  environment for increasing crop yields, and in the context of climate  change - create more sustainable systems.

According to the latest data, the forest fund of Armenia occupies 11%  of the total area of the state, but forest plantations account for an  even smaller percentage. Let us recall that SDC is a technical body  of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss  Confederation. The competence of SDC includes the general  coordination of activities in developing countries and Eastern  European countries with the work of other Federal departments, as  well as the implementation of humanitarian aid from Switzerland. The  goal of cooperation for development is to reduce poverty. SDC  promotes, among other things, the strengthening of economic and  political self-sufficiency, contributes to the improvement of working  conditions, helps to solve environmental problems and promotes access  to education and basic health services. SDC operates with a total  annual budget of CHF 1.87 billion (2012) and around 550 employees  working at home and abroad, as well as 900 local staff.