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.
