A BRIEF Q&A WITH PETAR GJORGIEVSKI, PRESIDENT OF THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK OF NORTH MACEDONIA
Petar Gjorgievski is the President of the Rural Development Network of North Macedonia. With over 20 years of experience in agriculture and rural development, he is a specialist in community development, utilizing participatory tools for local community actions and cooperation between communities at the local, regional, national, and international levels.
The union of civil associations “Rural Development Network of North Macedonia (RDN)” was established in March 2010, as a movement organized at a national level to provide a voice for rural communities in the Republic of North Macedonia. What were the main reasons for the establishment of the organization, how did it all begin?
The main reason for the establishment of the Rural Development Network of North Macedonia was to mobilize rural communities, to become stronger advocates of local development, and participate in the design and implementation of rural politics and programs at the local, national, regional, and EU level. RDN established effective cooperation and mutual assistance between individuals and organizations in rural areas, in order to ensure effective representation of the needs and interests of the rural population, supporting the flow of information between government and non-governmental bodies at all levels.
For more than 10 years, RDN operates as a leading organization for promoting innovative and sustainable agriculture and rural development through initiation and implementation of a variety of projects, and thus improving rural livelihoods of citizens. What are some of the RDN greatest achievements since its establishment?
One of the main achievements of RDN is that in the last 10 years it has united over 85 civil society organizations operating in the field of rural development, building partnerships and cooperation, influencing rural development policies locally and nationally. During this period, RDN provided support to the rural communities through activities, building their capacities, abilities, skills, and knowledge promoting conditions for equal development and sustainable use of natural resources. One example that can be highlighted is the promotion and introduction of the EU LEADER approach and the establishment of Local Action Groups as an innovative integrative model of public-private partnership for community development. The Local Action Group (LAG) is a legal entity comprised of representatives of the public, private, and civil society, representing local interests of different socio-economic sectors in the area. The LAG’s legal form is as a non-profit organization. The introduction of the LEADER approach in North Macedonia laid the foundation for community-led development in rural areas involving key sectors such as municipalities, businesses, and civil society.
We believe that this inclusive approach will ensure greater sustainability of diverse interventions for the socio-economic development of local communities funded through rural development programs.
Within the last 3 years, RDN is active in the promotion of the green economy and entrepreneurship in the Western Balkans. This has been achieved through the EU-funded project Networking and Advocacy for Green Economy — NAGE that contributed to capacity building of grassroots civil society organizations on advocacy and green economy, public awareness, and policy recommendations including the preparation of a road map for the introduction of the green economy in the Western Balkans.
As one of USAID EDGE partners, RDN staff and members were part of the study tour „Capacity building on green entrepreneurship and agriculture in Croatia” alongside your counterparts from the Rural Development Networks of WB6 and the Croatian Rural Development Network. What were the specific activities of this study tour, and how was this experience beneficial for the participants and your organization?
The participants of the study tour “Capacity building on green entrepreneurship and agriculture in Croatia” were 12 representatives from the Rural Development Networks of WB6 that are active members of Rural Development Networks from WB, or active members of NGOs involved in Agriculture, Rural and Local Development, Rural Diversification, Green Economy and Entrepreneurship.
The study trip was organized over the course of three days and included knowledge-gaining sessions with combined in-door presentations and on-site training through visiting successful green businesses or specific green initiatives implemented by the Local Action Group(s) in Croatia. Three Local Action Groups were visited during the study trip: LAG Srijem, LAG Bosutski niz, and LAG Shumanovci. These LAGs were selected due to their proactivity in the implementation of green economy and community development projects.
During the visits, the study participants got acquainted with the green economy concept and learned what makes these businesses “green” yet profitable at the same time. The participants were familiarized with the EU Green Agenda concept and learned which steps need to be taken in the process of adjusting WB countries legislation to advance this concept in their relevant countries. Main presenters were owners of green businesses and LAG Managers i.e. the participants experienced on-site exposure to successful examples of green economy and entrepreneurship.
The possibility to interact with LAG members and owners of green businesses and gain first-hand knowledge on the challenges and benefits from practicing in the green economy will, in turn, contribute to strengthening the capacities of rural development networks and their grassroots constituents.
Upon completion of the study trip, all participants improved their understanding and increased knowledge on:
· The implementation requirements regarding the EU Green Agenda;
· Adjustments needed in the national legislation to increase implementation and advancement of the green economy concept in agriculture and rural development;
· The progress, prospects, and constraints of green businesses, how green businesses operate, and their influence on rural community development;
· Latest trends of combining/merging green economy with social entrepreneurship.
In the last decade, sustainable agriculture and green entrepreneurship, including the fruit & vegetable sectors, have become priorities for the agroindustry. What are some of the most common problems in this sector and what are the activities that RDN is undertaking in these areas?
The production of fresh and processed fruits and vegetable is export-oriented, with over 80 percent of production going to the EU and neighboring markets. Still, there is an insufficient amount of production in North Macedonia due to issues with quality and consistency of the supply of raw materials in the fruits and vegetable processing industry, as well as a lack of supplier sophistication, lack of skilled workers, and difficulty accessing financing. The Rural Development Network analyzes value chains and through its activities conducts trainings for producers and processors on how to increase the quality of products by introduction of international quality standards (EUREPGAP, HACCP) and provides expert support on how to reduce the number of operators in the production chain. Such activities should contribute to the quality and price of production. In this process, RDN stimulates the process by promoting organized production for the establishment of an association of producers as well as contract production between farmers, processors, and traders. This should improve the quality but also provide sufficient quantities in accordance with market demands for fresh and processed fruits and vegetables.
RDN is implementing many projects in support of rural development, and recently commenced a new project with USAID North Macedonia support — Community Development Program (CDP). Who are your partners in this project and what are the main goals you are hoping to achieve?
The overall goal of the Community Development Program is to support the development of rural areas and to engage local actors in the identification and prioritization of the real community needs so that communities can rely on their own resources to undertake socio-economic and environmental-friendly investments, with increased commitment from (local) public and private sector.
The project has three main goals:
· Local actors working together to lead local development;
· Local actors mobilizing resources to address development priorities that will benefit the community;
· Develop models that can be replicated that can be sustained and scaled up.
The main partners of the project are five Local Action Groups (LAGs) — LAG Plackovica, LAG Malesh-Pijanec, LAG Belasica-Ograzden, LAG Bojmija, LAG Aber-2015, and consulting company SEG Consulting. The five LAGs are covering a territory of 18 municipalities: Bogdanci, Valandovo, Gevgelija, Dojran, Bosilovo, Vasilevo, Novo Selo, Strumica, Konche, Karbinci, Radovish, Shtip, Berovo, Delchevo, Pehchevo, Staro Nagorichane, Kumanovo and Lipkovo.
