Agri-Food Trends and Policy: Green Deal Challenges and Opportunities in EU preaccession countries (Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia)

The EU pre-accession economies, namely Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, rely heavily on agriculture, a key employer in rural areas. The agriculture in these countries challenges slow productivity, lack of infrastructure, and poor access to finance and markets. EU membership aspirations and the European Green Deal influence regional agricultural policies, emphasizing sustainable practices and organic farming. The need for balanced increase in production and demand, improved supply chains, and compliance with EU standards is evident. Although, the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans (GAWB) emphasizes the countries commitment to agriculture sustainable agriculture, yet implementation is inconsistent due to low level of support for agriculture and rural development in terms of environmental benefits, and for organic agriculture specifically. Developing marketing channels, financial support, and educational activities is crucial for sustainable transformation. Further research on economic viability and behavioral factors affecting environmentally linked policy adoption is necessary to inform policy interventions.