TIRANA, June 25 /ATA/ The Albanian Government in cooperation with United Nations partners has launched the “Digital Agriculture and Rural Transformation” (DART) program, an ambitious three-year program (2024 — 2027) financed by the UN Fund for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The DART program will initiate implementation in those areas that are currently underserved by digital services and opportunities. It will use digitization to transform agri-food systems to be more sustainable, more equitable, and to enhance and protect livelihoods in rural areas.
The program will implement systemic interventions such as policy developments, e-government services and digital agriculture capacity-building activities targeted at public employees, schools and vocational education and training centers, students and small-scale farmers, especially those who are more disadvantaged, such as women, the elderly, the young and the disabled.
“Albania is on the way to join the European Union (EU) while pre-accession negotiations are taking place in many areas, including food, agriculture and rural development. This process will lead to the establishment of electronic information systems that are in line with those required by the EU as crucial in the establishment of modernized agri-food systems and policies, as well as the mobilization of resources to support the development of farmers’ skills and the acquisition of digital technologies,” according to FAO.
The focus of the project is the improvement of the existing e-government system and services. Support in improving the Farmer Portal to provide essential information and advisory services to at least 15,000 farmers, benefiting both men and women, especially in remote areas, and aligning Albania with EU requirements for electronic public information systems.
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