Perspectives on growth of the agri-food sector in the Western Balkans

Smart Specialisation in the Western Balkans revealed that agri-food features as one of the most common priority areas in the region with the strongest potential for growth. Although the Smart Specialisation process revealed many strengths of this area, the agri-food sector in the Western Balkans' economies is still facing some common challenges, such as lower levels of productivity and product diversification. On the other hand, agri-food stakeholders from the Western Balkan region have the potential to increase the sector's capacities for innovation and technological development and redesign agri-food value chains to make these more efficient, competitive, resilient and environmentally friendly. The business sector is a key driver in the structural transformation of agriculture, but the role of public sector and academia in this process is equally important. Structural transformation of the agri-food sector should stimulate the production of high value products, enable modernisation and digitalisation of the sector to increase productivity and encourage cross-sectoral synergies and cooperation at the regional level.