On 27 April 2018, CNVP Albania organized a field trip for Daniel Ruiz de Garibay, the World Rural Forum’s Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific (WRF, http://www.ruralforum.org/en/who-we-are). The aim of the visit was to understand the present situation in Albania regarding rural development, forestry and land use. Discussion focused on integrating land conservation with small farm forestry and water management, as well as better use of soil potential with vegetation cover, including cultivation of medicinal plants, forests and fodder production.

CNVP outlined the results it had achieved through the FLED project (which is financed by Sweden and implemented by CNVP Albania) in the administrative unit of Nikel, Kruja Municipality in building models for small forestry farms. CNVP also presented its activities in the Balkans concerning rural development and family farming, and discussed possibilities for cooperation with WRF with which it shares the same interest to connect stakeholders to achieve improved rural development possibilities.

The field visit highlighted the important contribution made by the National Federation of Communal Forests and Pastures to lobby and advocate for forest users rights based on tradition with which to improve the current legal framework.