BEAM Grab the Mic webinar
Date: 26 June 2025
Speakers
From Helvetas, RisiAlbania programme of SDC:
Stephan Joss, Project Director
Gramos Osmani, Private Sector Component Team Leader
How can better quality standards in agriculture unlock new markets and create meaningful jobs?
Watch the webinar:
This webinar explored how RisiAlbania’s* innovative youth employment programme is helping transform Albania’s fresh fruit and vegetable sector into a driver of opportunity.
Agriculture plays a crucial role in Albania’s economy, contributing to nearly 16 per cent of GDP and employing over 35 per cent of the population. It also represents a key export sector, with agricultural goods making up over 11 per cent of total exports.
The speakers discussed how RisiAlbania has applied the MSD approach to drive systemic change - introducing and expanding quality management and social compliance systems. These interventions are improving product quality, increasing market access, and enabling farmers and exporters to enter higher-value supply chains.
As Albania moves toward EU accession, strengthening agricultural standards is not just a regulatory need - it’s a key pathway to sustainability, market diversification, job creation and long-term competitiveness.
The webinar looked at how these targeted efforts are transforming the fresh fruits and vegetables sector and making agriculture a more viable and appealing employment option for the next generation.
*RisiAlbania is a youth employment programme of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), implemented by Helvetas and partners in Albania.