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The Diversity of Agriculture in Former Soviet and Western Balkan Countries

Policy Studies on Rural Transition No. 2010-2

Year of publication 2010

Pages 87

Author Mizik, T.;Regional Office for Europe

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The aim of this report is to give a comprehensive picture of the effects of transition on agriculture in the 12 selected countries. The countries are (in alphabetic order): Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Croatia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Ukraine. The collapse of the Soviet regime caused dramatic changes in Eastern Bloc countries. This is especially true in the agricultural sector. F or example, CIS countries have been faced with a 50% plus decline in agricultural output, which has resulted in a growing agricultural trade deficit. The basic ideas that underpin the future plans of these countries vary greatly. In the Western Balkans the key issue is undoubtedly accession to the EU as early as possible, although this seems like a long process for most of them. In the former Soviet countries in Europe (Western CIS) the transition process has not yet been fully finishe d, so they seem to be concentrating on modernisation. In the Caucasian countries resource management could be the most important area of further development. Although accession to the EU cannot be envisaged in the near future for the selected CIS countries, it is important to mention that the European Union initiated cooperation with them in 2009 with a programme entitled ‘Eastern Partnership’. The twentieth anniversary of the beginning of the collapse is a good opportunity to assess developments in agriculture in these countries, and to evaluate the status of the sector in the light of initial expectations. What are these countries’ main objectives in the field of agriculture? Has agricultural productivity and competitiveness improved? Is it possible for these countries to reach an acceptable trade balance? Are agricultural producers better off? What policy lessons have been learned? What is behind the diversity of individual country performances? performances?

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