Objectives
o Increase the number of organic farms, areas and products in the Albanian terrritory;
o Consolidate the existing and the new organic farms by offering extension services and developing organic production techniques;
o Promote the cooperation between organic farms in production and marketing activitites;
o Guarantee the production continuity throughout the year, through introducing new products in the market;
o Transform BioAdria into a sustainable training and research institute for organic farming in Albania.

What is offering BioAdria technical staff (PU)?

Extension service, for the application of organic agriculture practises in farm level. The elements of this service are: farm visits, trainings, publication for organic agriculture provided to the farmers, organic agriculture inputs supply, successful practises demonstration, visits in the country and abroad for experience exchange, farm promotion by lobbing, etc.

Research activities in the farm. Tests for: different practises are tested like: plant protection products, fertilizers, new seeds and cultivars, new mechanisms; all of them are inputs which are allowed by the organic standard.

Marketing is offering: advisory service, facilities in finding new market channels and establishing contacts with the local and international market, promotion of organic products organizing different activities, public awareness toward organic products, introduction of the market organic label and protection of this label from potential violations.
The Marketing Development Unit (MDU) develops the cooperation between farmers for setting up structures which support all the farmers in marketing their products.
This unit aims to be transformed in a marketing company operating as a business.

Which are the criteria to obtain services by the technical staff of BioAdria Association?
The person should be a member of BioAdria Association or as an operator should sign a cooperation contract with BioAdria for the requested services.
To be registered as a BioAdria member or as a farmer who is willing to convert his farm in organic farm, the production unit should fulfil some conditions and respect the rules mentioned below:

1. The farmer should be motivated to join the organic farming and should present a written request expressing his will to convert his farm in organic farm.
2. The farm should not be fragmented in different locations; and the most important, it should be managed in accordance with organic agriculture practices. The farmer should not manage in the same time, both, an organic farm and a conventional one; or to divide his farm in organic and conventional part and manage both of them.
3. There should not exist any possibility of farm contamination from neighbour farms.
4. The water for irrigation should be taken from clear water resources and must not be polluted by wastes of near or far farms.
5. The market should be easily reachable.
6. The farm should be easily reachable by the extensionists who assist the farm.
7. The farmer should have the necessary information regarding on farm management and should welcome the new information offered by the specialists.
8. The farmer should apply the association rules regarding organic production and marketing.
9. The farmer should strictly use the organic label, which is owned by BioAdria association; producers out of BioAdria are not allowed to use it without an authorization from the association itself.
10. The agriculture should be a main economical activity for the farm family.

What is BioAdria Advisory and Research Network (BAREN)?
BioAdria association has created a network of extensionists and researchers all over the country. The network is compound by specialists of different agriculture research fields and up to now 70 members are registered. The aim of this network is developing the organic agriculture in the whole country. There should be available many organic agriculture experts in different areas of Albania to reach this goal. Therefore BioAdria is suggesting to create, together with the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Consumer Protection, an agronomist licensing system, awarding the title of “Agronomist in organic agriculture” for the agronomists who provide the necessary knowledge on organic agriculture. These specialists will be able to manage projects on organic agriculture fields and to be efficient trainers for the farmers and extensionists.
Most of the BAREN members are also extensionists of the public extension service. These public extensionists are trained by the specialists of BioAdria technical staff. The Directory of Science and Extension Service, nearby MBUMK, has signed a contract with BioAdria association to cooperate on this purpose.