Deep Roots

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special quality and characteristics resulting from their specific

composition, means of production and processing, but by

their geographical origin as well.

The Republic of Serbia has huge potential in this segment, as

it is a country with vast climate and geographical differences,

rich in culture and tradition. In order to fulfil this potential,

the Programme for Rural Development defines, as one of its

most important priorities, protection of the geographical indi-

cation of agricultural and food products. Its aim is to define

and develop the identity of Serbia’s products and to create

added value, in order to enable family farms to achieve better

prices for their products, better market placement, and higher

levels of buyers’ trust and branding of their products. This is

the right and proper way to achieve one of the priorities of

Serbian agrarian policy – to increase the level of concurrency

of national food production.

According to the number of traditional agricultural and

food products, Serbia is among the countries with a significant

number of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) prod-

ucts. However, for many of these PGI products there are no

adequately authorized producers (authorized for the produc-

tion and marketing of PGI products). Therefore the Ministry of

Agriculture and Environmental Protection is focusing its activi-

ties on increases in production and the inclusion of a larger

number of producers in the production of traditional products

with the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or PGI label.

Being aware of the fact that it is dealing with small produc-

ers, the ministry has adopted the Law on Incentives in

Agriculture and Rural Development, which foresees subsidies

for small farmers. Producers of traditional agricultural and

food products with the PDO/PGI label will receive additional

subsidies for control and certification of their products as well

as for labelling their products with control stamps.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection

recognized the importance and necessity for rural develop-

ment policy to promote specifications of rural areas and

accordingly, the Rural Development Programme will define

incentives for development of the countryside in marginal and

protected areas.

The future prospect of family farms in Serbia is envisaged

in several directions, ranging from the gradual disappearance

of ageing farms to the development of innovative products

and services from rural areas (farms with a vital and highly

qualified labour force and strong social capital), with several

transitional solutions like adaptation to different market flows.

The strategic approach of the Programme for Rural

Development will define developmental concepts, especially

multifunctional rural development, promoting the functional-

ity of rural areas, the significance of the preservation of natural

habitat and biodiversity, ethno-ambience and so on – all of

which make small family farms an important developmental

force in rural areas.

With all the aforesaid, it would be fair to say that one

of the priorities of the Strategy for Agriculture and Rural

Development of the Republic of Serbia 2014-2020 and

National Programme for Rural Development is to support

Serbia’s traditional food production as one of the main forces

of rural development.

Diversification of the rural economy and the income of small family farms is an important part of Serbia’s agrarian policy

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