Bar, Montenegro – April 2026
The 4th Balkan Rural Parliament, held in the coastal city of Bar from April 21 to 24, 2026, featured the first Regional Farm to Fork Academy Awards ceremony. This ceremony represented an important moment of the project “Farm to Fork Academy for Green Western Balkans – Our shared European future,” funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by the family of National Rural Development Networks across the six Western Balkan countries and Croatia, alongside their regional platform, the Balkan Network for Rural Development.
The awards are established to recognize and promote successful initiatives that contribute to sustainable agriculture and rural development, environmental protection and biodiversity conservation as well as climate change mitigation and adoption. By recognizing these winners, the ceremony serves as an instrument to rural communities to adopt sustainable practices and contribute to a just transition across the region. On this day we came together to celebrate innovation, dedication and inspiring initiatives that are helping to build more sustainable food systems and a greener future across the Western Balkans. Every initiative presented through this process is proof that the region is rich in ideas, talent and commitment to European values and practices as well.
The journey to the ceremony in Bar started with a competitive process of 79 applications submitted during 2024-2025 across the region. National juries evaluated each application against a clear set of criteria: innovation, sustainability, transferability, networking, and youth engagement. Following the national selection, these 18 finalists advanced to a secondary, competitive regional evaluation. A dedicated jury composed of members from different countries from the region identified the three highest-ranking candidates across the Western Balkans:
Network of Young Agriprenenurs with the initiative “Campaign: Youth in Agriculture” in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Celebrated as a pioneering effort and the first of its kind in the country. The initiative combines education with use of modern agriculture tools, transforming the traditional image of farming into a modern, competitive business sector for young people. Read more on the initiative.
GFT BROTHERS DOO BEOGRAD with the initiative “MOBA” in Serbia. Recognized for introducing a specialized digital system for agricultural seasonal employment. The platform brings automation and transparency to the labor market, suppressing the “gray economy” and positioning itself as a leader in agricultural innovation. To learn more on the initiative watch the video.
Beekeeping Etniki in Kosovo
This initiative was selected for excellence in value-chain development and product diversification. By creating high-value products such as organic honey, the initiative links environmental protection with social empowerment, particularly through empowerment of rural women and biodiversity conservation. To learn more visit the official page.
The Regional Farm to Fork Academy Awards highlighted the creativity, resilience, and commitment of rural communities across the Western Balkans. By recognizing these outstanding initiatives, the ceremony not only celebrated current achievements, but also encouraged future innovation, stronger regional cooperation and sustainable development. These winners stand as inspiring examples of how local action can create lasting impact and help build a greener, more inclusive, and prosperous future for the region.