26 Jun
Uncategorized

IADAAM Enhancing Advisory Excellence for Sustainable Agriculture in Armenia

The “Training Programme for AEST Staff: Minimum Operational Tools to Ensure Readiness and Performance of Advisory Staff” has successfully concluded, marking an important step in enhancing the professional capacity of Armenia’s Agricultural Extension Service Team (AEST). Designed to improve operational readiness and advisory performance, the training equipped participants with practical tools, methodologies, and guidelines to better support farmers and contribute to sustainable agricultural growth across the country.

The training focuses on four core areas:

🔹 The current state and development pathways of Armenia’s Agricultural Extension Services (AESs).

🔹 Integration of agricultural value chains and effective use of farm-level data.

🔹 Application of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to improve service delivery and ensure quality.

🔹 Innovative advisory models, technologies, and investment options for high-value crops in irrigated agriculture.

Through a dynamic blend of expert presentations, interactive discussions and real-world case studies, participants will enhance their ability to deliver client-centered, evidence-based advisory services.

This training is a meaningful step toward building a stronger, more responsive extension system – one that empowers farmers and accelerates agricultural transformation in Armenia.

Irrigated Agriculture Development in Ararat and Armavir marzes (IADAAM) project, financed through the European Union (EU) with implementation by the French Development Agency (AFD) is an integrated initiative aimed at transforming irrigated agriculture in Armenia.

Within IADAAM project a technical assistance component is implemented jointly by Agriconsulting Europe S.A, Avenue Consulting Group LLC, Strategic Development Agency NGO and 3R Strategy LLC consortium and aims to provide institutional support to the Ministry of Economy (MoE) in the formulation of agricultural policies and reforms in priority areas, provide technical support to the MoE in the implementing project activities, ensure communication and reporting for the IADAAM project.

24 Jun
NEWSARM, NEWSARM, NEWSARM, NEWSARM

LILA: New Horizons for Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Development with the Strategic Development Agency

On June 19-20, representatives of LILA project’s partner tourism organizations and beneficiary businesses gathered in Dilijan to participate in the “Tourism Summer Camp.”

Two days, one location and dozens of industry professionals and businesses came together to share ideas, foster collaborative thinking, and promote the principles of innovation and sustainable development. The camp served as a unique platform for discussing sectoral challenges, exploring new avenues for cooperation and advancing the development of sustainable and responsible tourism in Armenia.

As a strategic partner of the camp, the Strategic Development Agency (SDA) ensured the participation of its team and program partners, showcasing the organization’s long-standing experience in implementing sustainable tourism and community development initiatives. SDA’s contribution aimed to inspire innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth in Armenia’s tourism sector.

SDA representatives Alla Ghazaryan and Lilya Torosyan presented SDA’s various initiatives implemented across Armenian regions, sharing tools and successful models that enriched participants’ knowledge, encouraged the exchange of ideas, and laid the groundwork for new partnerships. They emphasized ways to make tourism initiatives more sustainable, community-driven and impactful in terms of long-term socio-economic development.

An intensive learning program was conducted as part of the camp, through which participants deepened their knowledge in sustainable development, responsible tourism, and intersectoral collaboration. The training concluded with the awarding of participation certificates.

This initiative marked another significant step toward promoting a culture of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and inclusive, long-term tourism development – benefiting local communities and contributing to the full potential of Armenia’s tourism industry.

Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia (LILA) project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by WWF-Armenia in collaboration with SDA NGO.

23 Jun
Uncategorized

MAVETA “Farming as a Business” Five-Day Intensive Training for Forcibly Displaced Persons from Artsakh

Innovative ideas, business thinking and modern agriculture approaches came together during the five-day intensive training course titled “Farming as a Business”, organized within the framework of the MAVETA project.

Launched on May 16 in Syunik and June 17 in Gegharkunik, the training brought together forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh and representatives of vulnerable local groups. The goal was to enhance participants’ knowledge and skills to approach agriculture from a business perspective, foster strategic thinking and contribute to the development of sustainable income-generating opportunities.

Throughout the course, participants gained practical knowledge in developing business ideas, as well as in strategic, marketing and financial planning, with a strong focus on business plan development.

Following the training, each participant received individual consultations aimed at providing professional guidance in the development and effective implementation of their own agricultural business plans.

The MAVETA project is funded by a broad coalition of international and local organizations led by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), including the Austrian Development Agency, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Government of Armenia, the Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) NGO, Izmirlian Foundation, the Strategic Development Agency (SDA) NGO and Vanand Agro CJSC.

The project’s implementing partners are the GIZ and HEKS/EPER with the involvement of SDA and the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (HAFL).

19 Jun
NEWSARM, NEWSENG, NEWSENG, NEWSENG, NEWSENG, NEWSENG

Strategic Development Agency: Leading the Way in Sustainable Tourism and Innovation in Armenia

On June 18, Alla Ghazaryan, Project Coordinator of the Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia (LILA) project, took the stage as a panelist at the Hospitality Investment Forum Yerevan 2025. Participating in the session on Regional Tourism Clusters and Community-Based Development, Alla highlighted Strategic Development Agency’s (SDA) success in driving Armenia’s tourism transformation.

In recent years, Strategic Development Agency (SDA) has taken bold steps to reshape Armenia’s tourism landscape – placing sustainability, local empowerment, and innovation at the core of its mission.

Through initiatives like the Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia (LILA) project, implemented in partnership with WWF Armenia, SDA is not only boosting community-led tourism but also redefining how it should look: green, inclusive, and responsible. From hiking-trails to local guesthouses, LILA supports communities in turning their natural and cultural heritage into lasting economic opportunities.

But SDA’s impact doesn’t stop with nature-based tourism.

Through the RECONOMY-supported Digitizing Sectors for Competitiveness project, SDA is helping Armenia’s tourism sector embrace the digital future – empowering local businesses with tools for promotion, e-commerce, and smart management, while connecting rural destinations to global platforms.

Whether it’s integrating international service standards or championing green infrastructure, SDA continues to position Armenia as a forward-thinking, competitive destination – where sustainability meets opportunity.

Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia (LILA) project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by WWF-Armenia in collaboration with SDA NGO.

RECONOMY is an inclusive and green economic development program of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), implemented by Helvetas in partnership with the Strategic Development Agency NGO and others in the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries.

16 Jun
Uncategorized

LILA “Bee Home” Honey Tasting Room with Apitherapy Service Opens in Areni

On June 16, the official opening ceremony of the “Bee Home” Honey Tasting Room took place in the village of Areni, established within the framework of the “Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia” (LILA) project.

This newly opened tasting room introduces an innovative approach model for promoting locally produced honey by integrating traditional beekeeping with elements of wellness tourism.  Visitors are invited not only to taste a variety of high-quality honeys made from local wildflowers, but also experience the therapeutic benefits of apitherapy in a specially designed beehive therapy room – offering natural methods to support physical and mental well-being.

The “Bee Home” Honey Tasting Room stands as a successful example of a community-driven initiative aimed at introducing creative ways to showcase local products while fostering the development of wellness tourism. Supported by the LILA project, this initiative represents a significant step toward marks an important step toward diversifying the local economy and expanding nature-driven tourism experiences – creating new opportunities both for local residents and visitors to the region.

Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia (LILA) project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by WWF-Armenia in collaboration with SDA NGO.

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