Sustainable and organic farming in the UniAdrion countries

by Andrea Segré

Aim of this paper is to show how sustainability, and related policies, may have a positive impact in the dynamic of stabilization of the Adriatic-Ionic Initiative Countries (AIICs). The basic assumption is as follow: the implementation of any sustainable development policies need a continuing process of in-country, country-by-country and region-by-region dialogue. Expanding linkages — among countries, regions and of course economic sectors — form an important part of the story started a the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, when actually sustainability has emerged as an overarching policy goal and the international community adopted Agenda 21, an unprecedented global plan of action for sustainable development (ten years later, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, that will be held from 26 August to 4 September in Johannesburg, South Africa, presents an opportunity for today's leaders to adopt concrete steps and identify quantifiable targets for better implementing Agenda 21).

Concrete national goals of economic well-being, social development and environmental sustainability — these are the widely accepted three dimensions of sustainability — should be coordinated across sectors, countries and regions. This dialogue (but one could also read cooperation) should help to identify specific measures to attain those goals and ways. While recognizing that each country must set its own goals and that successful development strategies must be based on local ownership and local capacity, the offering of a global framework for dialogue-cooperation seems to be a very important exercise. This contribution will give some insights within this global framework referring, in particular, to the South East European Region and to the main issues related to sustainability, environmental protection and agricultural development, including the option of organic farming as an example of technological choice in an (important) economic activity. Two specific projects elaborated and financed in the framework of UniAdrion can be considered as a practical example of implementation of this approach in a concrete context of regional and international cooperation.