Bledar Meta, Country Representative of YPARD Albania, recently participated in an person workshop of the FOLOU Twinning Regions programme, held in Barcelona on November 4-5, 2025. This significant gathering brought together leading agricultural organizations, research institutions, and regional representatives from across Europe to advance collaborative solutions for reducing food losses in primary production a critical challenge for achieving sustainable food systems.
The participation of YPARD Albania in this initiative underscores the Chapter's steady commitment to addressing systemic challenges in agricultural value chains. Food loss in primary production represents not only an economic inefficiency but also a fundamental threat to food security, environmental sustainability, and rural livelihoods. YPARD Albania recognizes that tackling such complex issues requires collaborative, evidence based approaches that bridge research, policy, and practice.
The Barcelona workshop provided an exceptional platform for practical engagement with FOLOU's cutting edge methodologies. Participants, including representatives from YPARD Albania, engaged in a comprehensive two day programme that combined field based learning with strategic dialogue:
The delegation conducted practical testing of innovative food loss measurement methods at the Parc Agrari del Baix Llobregat, gaining firsthand insights into how primary agricultural producers can quantify and mitigate losses throughout the production cycle. Participants also engaged directly in gleaning activities, experiencing the practical realities of food recovery and the crucial role that community driven initiatives play in reducing waste. The workshop introduced advanced monitoring technologies, including drone based systems, which represent the future of precision agriculture in loss prevention. Additionally, participants explored evidence based policy frameworks and stakeholder engagement strategies essential for scaling food loss reduction interventions across European regions.
This collaborative initiative brought together a distinguished consortium of organizations committed to advancing sustainable agriculture: BETA TC, Espigoladors, ACR+, DARPA, MIO-ECSDE, the University of Bologna (UNIBO), the Polytechnic University of Marche (UNIVPM), Ghent University (UGent), and participating Twinning Regions. The diversity of expertise spanning food recovery organizations, environmental networks, technical centers, and academic institutions created a dynamic environment for meaningful knowledge exchange and the identification of replicable best practices.
Bledar Meta's participation assisted direct engagement with these leading organizations, positioning YPARD Albania as an active contributor to advancing European food system sustainability. This exposure to cutting edge methodologies and international networks strengthens the agency of young professionals across the Balkans and Mediterranean regions.
The FOLOU Twinning Regions workshop illustrate how YPARD Albania fulfils its core aims: connecting young agricultural professionals with innovative solutions, building capacity for evidence based decision making, and creating pathways for young voices to influence agricultural policy and practice at regional and European scales.
The insights gained from testing food loss measurement methodologies, combined with knowledge of drone based monitoring systems and policy tools, provide YPARD Albania with concrete resources to strengthen agricultural innovation within the country. These learnings will inform YPARD Albania's advocacy efforts, capacity building programs, and mentorship initiatives aimed at equipping young farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs with tools to optimize production and minimize environmental impact. The engagement positions YPARD Albania as a crucial bridge between European best practices and Albanian agricultural realities. The knowledge and methodologies gained from the Barcelona workshop will be systematically transferred and adapted to the Albanian context, addressing the specific challenges faced by smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and agribusinesses operating within the country's unique agroecological and market conditions.
YPARD Albania will contribute to introduce food loss measurement frameworks tailored to Albania's primary agricultural sectors whether in fruit and vegetable production, viticulture, or other critical value chains. The practical methodologies tested in Barcelona can be piloted at the national level, enabling Albanian farmers and producers to quantify their losses, identify intervention points, and implement cost effective solutions. Additionally, the policy insights and stakeholder engagement approaches will inform YPARD Albania's dialogue with national agricultural authorities, supporting evidence based policy development aligned with both national priorities and European sustainability standards.
This knowledge transfer ensures that Albania benefits directly from European research and innovation, while simultaneously positioning YPARD Albania as a contributor in translating international best practices into locally relevant solutions.
As Europe intensifies efforts to achieve the European Green Deal objectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, initiatives like FOLOU and YPARD Albania's active participation demonstrate the essential role that networks of young professionals play in accelerating the transition toward circular, resilient, and sustainable food systems.
Looking forward, YPARD Albania remains committed to translating these collaborative insights into actionable interventions at the national and regional levels. The continued cooperation across European regions, fostered through platforms like FOLOU, promises to unlock significant potential for innovation, knowledge transfer, and transformational change in how agricultural losses are understood, measured, and ultimately prevented.
About FOLOU: The FOLOU project works to better understand food losses in the European Union, develop innovative measurement methodologies, and support regions in implementing evidence based strategies for food loss prevention in primary agricultural production.
https://www.folou.eu/folou-twinning-regions-two-day-in-person-workshop-in-barcelona advances-food-loss-prevention-work/
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