The first agroforestry conference (AFCA 2024) has been held in Armenia. The event is part of the “Forest Restoration and Climate Change in Armenia” (FORACCA) project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Within the framework of the FORACCA project, the Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU) team is conducting research for the design and implementation of agroforestry systems in Armenia.
Hambardzum Matevosyan, Chief Advisor to the RA Prime Minister; Ursula Laubli, Regional Director of the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency; Aram Meymaryan, Deputy Minister of the Environment of the RA; Hrachya Zakoyan, Acting Rector of the NAAU and representatives from international, non-governmental organizations and interested departments took part in the conference.
The AFCA 2024 aims to present and discuss the possibilities of establishing agroforestry systems in Armenia from an environmental and socio-economic perspective. The event will also foster cooperation among key stakeholders, which will help creating an inclusive and enabling environment for the implementation of agroforestry systems in Armenia
In his speech, Hambardzum Matevosyan, Chief Advisor to the RA Prime Minister, highlighted the importance of afforestation from the point of view of climate and economic development of communities.
In his speech, Aram Meymaryan, Deputy Minister of the Environment of the RA talked about the environmental benefits of agroforestry.
"In the recent decades, our society has faced many environmental challenges: climate change, desertification, land degradation. All these factors negatively affect agriculture and ultimately food security.
Agroforestry offers us effective solutions to overcome these threats. The inclusion of forest plants in agricultural landscapes helps to improve the structure of the soil, increase the level of moisture and reduce erosion", noted Aram Meymaryan and referred to the current largest initiative aimed at the establishment of agroforestry systems, which is implemented with the funding of the Swiss Government, "Forest Restoration and Climate Change in Armenia" within the framework of the FORACCA project. In order to provide a scientific basis for the implementation of the agroforestry component of the FORACCA, the ANAU research team is conducting initial research on agroforestry system site selection and agroforestry system establishment and management plans.