In 1998, Štrpce/Shtërpcë, in southern Kosovo*, saw the arrival of 900 displaced Kosovo Serbs and refugees from Croatia. Two decades on, the town is peaceful and well-integrated. And the area around it has become a virtual breadbasket. It boasts intensely flavored raspberries, fine goat cheese, a nascent pork industry, and delicacies like honey and fresh herbal teas.
But there’s a catch. The unemployment rate stands at a staggering 40 percent, with thousands of young graduates migrating to Switzerland, Germany or Austria in search of office jobs and better lives.
Trade is part of the problem. Kosovo exported €35 million in agricultural produce in 2014 but imported €584 million worth of food from large, subsidized economies. The recent pre-accession deal with the European Union could unlock Kosovo’s organic industry, but for the time being, the cost of doing business with the bloc is prohibitive. And local producers are feeling the pinch.
Overlooked by the snowcapped Sharr/Šar Mountains, the area’s colors are intense. The smell of fresh herbs, drenched in the June sun, present everywhere. Seven years ago, only 10 families were growing raspberries here. That number has since grown to 400.
See at: https://undpeurasia.exposure.co/made-in-kosovo-when-organic-hits-a-ceiling
