Traditional knowledge for modern solutions - Implementing agroforestry in Armenia

Ever since I got my master's degree in the field of sustainable agriculture, I was eager to participate in an international program in that field. I was already a PhD student when I found out about the ASA program. A member of Shen presented the program, the application procedure and the necessary criteria in detail. I was immediately interested and motivated to apply for the program and started collecting the necessary documents. When everything was ready, I applied to the program and went to the interview organized by the partner organization. Finally, the long-awaited call came and I was informed that my application had been successful. With great anticipation, I started preparing for the seminars and subsequent first phase of the program in Germany.

The ASA-seminars helped to gain important and necessary knowledge to succeed in the program. We took a deeper look at the Sustainable Development Goals and how they relate to each other. Communicating with different people, we developed interpersonal communication skills. Our first project phase began with visits to different sites of several agroforestry systems in the region around Kleve. Additionally our team joined a research project on meadow orchards, a widespread traditional German agroforestry system, in which the grassland between the fruit trees serves as a grazing ground for livestock. It was our task to perform measurements on trees and vegetation, which were later analyzed in the university’s lab, experience that would come in handy later on. While getting to know agroforestry first hand, we started preparations for the second phase in Armenia, laying out the tasks and activities as well as preparing the questionnaires. The entire time we were in close contact with the university staff, who assisted in solving any problems. In sum, the phase in Germany went smoothly and after initial uncertainty about the scope of our work, provided the knowledge and experience to properly organize work in Armenia.

Our preparations payed off and we were able to get to work as soon as we arrived in Armenia, where the NGO Shen hosted us. Shen has been working to address some of the most urgent humanitarian issues in Armenia since being founded by a group of professors and students from the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute in 1988. Some of these issues became very apparent during our second project phase, as Armenia has experienced significant socio-political and economic shocks in recent years. Operating in a turbulent and uncertain geopolitical context, the country struggles with low investment rates, weak attraction of foreign direct investment, limited human capital and connectivity constraints both within Armenia and with other countries. Still the people at Shen worked hard and succeeded in providing us with uninterrupted transportation and access to equipment, as well as personal support. During our many visits to the study area, we performed soil sampling to determine the chemical composition and made profile cuts of the soil to analyze the different horizons and the depth of the fertile layer. Based on the results of the analysis, we made recommendations for the preferred species to use in the agroforestry system. We also prepared questionnaires for separate group discussions and individual interviews, which we conducted with the community’s residents. Most interviews were conducted with farmers to understand how agriculture works in the Lernavan region and what the farmers main concerns are, regarding agroforestry. Analyzing all the data obtained as a result of the research, we have presented a model of the agroforestry system created by us, which can be implemented in the given area.

Overall, I think that from a scientific and developmental partnership perspective our project in Armenia can be counted as a success, even though the final results will only be measurable in future years. However personally my participation meant much more to me than that. When looking back at my time in the ASA-program I think about the fun we had as a team, travelling, spending our evenings together with games, singing and dancing in both Germany and Armenia. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this program. It helped me rediscover myself and overcome all my fears. The program inspired me to prioritize the sustainable development goals and to follow them in any action, as well as providing me with tremendous theoretical and practical experience and knowledge in the field. My participation gave me the chance to live and integrate into another society for 3 months, working with such a great international team and having a successful project as a result. Finally but not least, ASA has helped me to realize my initial wish: To become a specialist who now has international knowledge in the field and experience working with large team projects.