Discussion on “Challenges of Cooperative Development in Armenia at the Present Stage of Agricultural Development” in “Chatham House” format was held on May 15 within the framework of the “Participatory Policies – Sustainable Agriculture” sub-grant project implemented in the scope of the EU-funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue (CCD) project.
The discussion was organized by the International Center for Human Development.
Mr. Armen Galstyan, Executive Director ICHD made a welcoming speech. He introduced the CCD project, its objectives, the “Participatory Policies – Sustainable Agriculture” project, the purpose of the discussion, format and procedural issues.
Mr. Vardan Urutyan, Rector of the National Agrarian University of Armenia, Mr. Varazdat Karapetyan Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Agriculture, Environment and Sustainable Development, Mr. Garnik Petrosyan, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, representatives of the Ministry of Finance and other interested organizations and NGOs were present at the discussion.
During the discussion Vartan Urutyan presented the issues related to the legal issues of the cooperatives, the existing gaps in the current legislative regulation, the successful international experience, and statistics, which confirmed the great role of cooperatives in many countries. The Rector noted that cooperatives serve members and their communities, contribute to the country’s development, poverty reduction, job creation, and rural development.
During the discussion, opinions were voiced as well that the international experience cannot say yet if we do not know whether there is a public order or not, and it is possible to know only form the farmer directly. As a counter-argument, it was also mentioned that the problem had already been raised by villagers.
It was also mentioned when people in the society hear about cooperatives, they think that an international project is being implemented and the outside opinion presented. There were opinions that changing the law would not give anything to the villagers if the latter do not need these cooperatives.
It was mentioned during the discussion, that currently there are existing cooperatives, they just operate informally, and perhaps there is a problem of cooperation that was quickly denied because the recent revolution proved that our nation has no such problem.
Analysis of the Results of Expert Meeting in Chatham House Format.
