Strengthening Organic Agriculture in Armenia: Participatory Higher Education and Knowledge Exchange for Development

Due to initial governmental interest in possibilities for its small holder farmers and in improving environmental conditions, the Armenian organic sector is on the rise. In the past five years, key campaigns have brought the Armenian organic movement to a critical point: organic actors must keep up with momentum in order to continue the sector’s growth. The predecessor of this project, BOAA, succeeded in participatory curriculum development and implementation of a 2-year organic master’s program (OMP). As the OMP at the Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU) is highly dependent upon the success of the larger Armenian organic sector, SOAA aims to build upon the existing successes and momentum BOAA began in higher education and go beyond. The SOAA‘s objective is to advance the current masters program, amplify successes at an institutional level, and increase capacity building and outreach efforts. To do so we aim to complete 3 components: Component 1) Brings stakeholders together to advance the current OMP, particularly through the creation of a student farm. Component 2) As the OMP is seen as a model masters program at ANAU, the aim is to amplify it at the institutional level through sharing skills with other institutes and departments. Component 3) Focuses on capacity building and community outreach. SOAA will connect to national development strategies and programs by working with the regional ADA. SOAA embeds the OMP further within its institutional and organic sector contexts in advancing, improving and amplifying BOAA results. It goes beyond BOAA particularly through the innovative farm design course-used to both develop the ANAU student farm and teach farm design. It will activate stakeholders, be a strong presence in course design and student-lead education, and has the opportunity to build capacity within the organic and educational sectors contributing to community outreach. SOAA also addresses ANAUs demand for Institutional amplification—using the organic masters program as a model for other departments/institutes. This project will concretize the scientific foundation that began with the original ANAU and BOKU cooperation.