On 4 March, the 3-year EU Green Agriculture Initiative (EU - GAIA) assistance program totalling € 11.7 million was officially launched in Yerevan, reported arka.am. The European Union will allocate 9.7 million euros for the program and the Austrian Development Agency will provide 2 million euros. 

Armenian Deputy Minister of Economy Arman Khojoyan told reporters that the program is 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 in the country.

EU-GAIA project is aimed at supporting the development of sustainable, inclusive, innovative and market-based agribusiness particularly in the northern Marzes of Armenia – Shirak, Lori and Tavush. EU-GAIA has a strong focus on technical assistance and capacity development to the relevant stakeholders for ensuring green, inclusive and rights-based agriculture development. A big portion of the project support will be rolled out directly to Armenian producers and processors through a call for grant applications. The EU has been actively supporting the development of agriculture in Armenia for the past five years. Before the GAIA project, the EU offered assistance to Armenia through the European Neighborhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) and the Organic Agriculture Support Initiative (OASI).