In border communities, each new production site is more than just a workplace. It is a sign of confidence that it is possible to live, work, and develop one’s own community here without fear of tomorrow. Funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the “Empowering Local Actors for Development in Lori and Tavush Regions” program, which promotes community participation in local development processes, supports the establishment of production capacities and the creation of new partnerships.
Hasmik Kocharyan, head of FAO’s “LEAD” program, notes:
“Within the EU-funded ‘LEAD’ program, the Food and Agriculture Organization provided equipment to the ‘Eco Garden’ company, which resulted in job creation for our compatriots forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. This cooperation created a model where international, public, and business sectors joined forces to solve social issues, and yes, this is a format that can be replicated in other communities, especially border ones, if financial resources are available.”
The “Eco Garden” production company operating in border village Aygedzor received new work equipment within the program framework, which directly increased the efficiency of the production process.
The company, engaged in canned food production, cooperates with more than 100 farms, procuring fruits, berries, wild herbs, and vegetables. The new tools will allow it to expand production, reach up to 200 or more suppliers, and also create new jobs, including for residents displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.
According to program experts, this is only the beginning: the LEAD program aims to create an environment where local self-government bodies, the private sector, and international organizations work together for community development.
Astghik Hakobyan, head of the Berd community, notes:
“The cooperation between the community, private companies, and international organizations is an effective and important process aimed at community development. Our cooperation with the FAO is quite close, and seeing its positive activities in the community, we have provided office space. As a result of this cooperation, the ‘Eco Garden’ company has been provided with a number of tools.”
The need for work equipment in the production workshop was strongly felt, and now thanks to them, economic activity in Aygedzor will become more noticeable.
