The women Farmer Group of Gargar village in Lori Province cultivate herbs and other agricultural goods without chemical week killer, providing unique organic food for consumers in Armenia. PHOTO PROVIDED BY GREEN LANE AGRICULTURAL ASSISTANCE NGO.
Organic in Armenia?
That’s the goal of Nune Sarukhanyan, chairman of Green Lane, which delivers fresh produce each week in Yerevan grown by farmers in the Tavush region.
Tavush boasts the smallest amount of legal and illegal pesticides, says Sarukhanyan: “It is the safest region to grow organic products.”
Green Lane, an NGO existing since 2004, has been training farmers, sending experts out to help farmers use organic methods, and more importantly, distributing and selling their produce to larger local markets. Recently, they’ve been pushing the use of reusable cloth bags to their customers to cut down on plastic bag use (see “Armenia’s big trash problem”).
“For example, cultivated plants are injected with specially prepared substances, say garlic solution, rather than toxic chemicals,” Sarukhanyan said.
Sarukhanyan’s larger goal is to get Armenian products to meet European organic standards.
“We’ve got many herbs and berries, particularly medicinal ones, that could be sold abroad,” she said. “There are greens unknown to us but there are many Diaspora living in Armenia familiar with those species, who are the main consumers of these products,” Sarukhanyan said.
WANT TO SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS AND BUY ORGANIC PRODUCE?
Greenlane will deliver directly to your home or office each week. To get on the mailing list and order weekly products, e-mail: market@greenlane.am
For more information on Green Lane projects, go to www.greenlane.am
-By Armine Gevorgyan/Radio Hay
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