What is BioAdria

BioAdria Association is a farmers association which engaged in producing organic products, implementing the system of Biological Agriculture (also known as Organic Agriculture or Ecological Agriculture).
BioAdria is established under this name in 2005, but the technical staff is assisting and working with the actual farmers since 2001. Years before, these farmers were supported by OAA association, but since this association was being oriented more in environmental problems and not organic agriculture ones, in 2005 farmers expressed their will to be supported by BioAdria, which was better protecting their interests. In the beginning, BioAdria association was a branch of OAA association, in order to assist the production and marketing of the seaside regions like Durres, Ishem, Divjaka and later on it was converted in a national association as it is known even today. Donors supported this association because the aim of the Swiss Government was to support precisely the farmers. The farmers of BioAdria association produce organic vegetables, fruits, grape, wine, olive oil, medicinal herbs, etc. The production is supplying mainly the local market, but you can find Albanian products (from BioAdria farmers) even in the international market (export activity).
Some points of sale of organic products are set up mainly in Tirana, Durres and Vlora.

The organization of BioAdria association

Membership with about 100 members, from whom 80% are farmers and processors.
President
Board, compound of 7 members
The Executive Director of the technical staff
The technical staff, compound of three organizational units, with the respective sections as below:

The Production Unit is in charge of the Vegetables, Fruit-culture, Vineyard, Olive grove and Plant Protection section; and the regional offices in Vlora and Shkodra.

The Marketing Development Unit is in charge of the local market and the export market of organic products.

The Logistic Unit, which is compound of the finance officer, publication and international relations specialist and the specialist in charge of vehicles and transportation.

The technical staff of BioAdria association has 8 employees. Also, a good number of local and institutional experts are contributing in activities on BioAdria behalf toward payment, for micro-projects implementation included in BioAdria activity planning frame.
The infrastructure possibilities of BioAdria technical staff allow to have a fully accomplishment of BioAdria activities.

Where are located BioAdria farms?
About
- 70% are located in Durres and Tirana region
- 20% in Vlora region
- 10% in Lushnja region
The geographical expansion of BioAdria farms is in continuous growth. Shkodra and Korca regions will be our focus for the coming years. In Vlora there is an employed full-time BioAdria expert, performing its activity in our Vlora regional office, to expand the production and marketing of organic products in the south of Albania.

What is the Organic Agriculture?
The organic agriculture is an environmentally friendly agricultural system as described in the below statement:
"The Organic Agriculture is the agricultural system which uses healthy inputs for production, harmonizing the economical, ecological and social requirements for the present and future generations"

The future of BioAdria Association
BioAdria aims to operate in the whole country, increasing the number of organic farmers, diversifying the ecological and geographical areas, diversifying the products, increasing the volume of offered products in the market, developing the export and improving the authority of bio label which is owned by the association itself.

Looking at the scientific aspect, the staff will approach at the level of an organic agriculture Institute, in order to develop the organic agriculture within its membership frame and at other operators who are interested in developing the organic agriculture system, as well. BioAdria aims to apply this system in the whole Albanian speaking part like Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and Macedonia.

From different activities of BioAdria