On 3 September 2026, the final event of the “Green & Healthy BiH” project was held in Višegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project was funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented by CIHEAM Bari in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The final event was preceded by the inauguration of two of the seven Innovation Hubs established by the project. These spaces are designed to connect producers with markets through exhibition areas dedicated to promoting and selling local products, while also serving as meeting places where traditional craftsmanship, local gastronomic heritage, digital innovation and sustainability come together. The initiatives were attended by representatives of the Embassy of Italy, AICS Tirana, CIHEAM Bari and the Bosnian institutions involved in the project, including the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry.
The closing event provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress made over more than three years of work aimed at promoting sustainable rural development in the country, supporting institutions, small-scale producers, women producers and local communities on a gradual path towards alignment with European Union standards. Key achievements include strengthening public capacities to monitor and control agri-food value chains, including support to four public laboratories responsible for food safety; providing more than 150 local producers with equipment, certification and technical assistance; and supporting over 50 producers in their transition towards organic farming.
A central component of Green & Healthy project was the development of value chains for typical agricultural and agri-food products in the participating territories, with the aim of making them more resilient, inclusive and sustainable, while increasing the value of local production. In this framework, the project developed an information system dedicated to local product value chains, promoted programmes and protocols supporting the transition towards greener and more sustainable production models, and supported pilot initiatives aimed at enhancing the positioning of local products in national and European markets.
