Empowering local voices: social media training for Armenian farmers’ groups

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has trained Armenian farmers’ formal and non-formal groups in social media to modernize the way rural communities tell their stories and promote their initiatives. 

The Local Empowerment of Actors for Development (LEAD) project, supported by the European Union and implemented jointly by FAO and the United Nations Development Programme, is strengthening farmers’ groups, and giving them the effective social media tools and skills to reach out from rural Armenia to the world to promote their local products. 

The focus of the LEAD project is on enhancing local governance and promoting sustainable agricultural growth through a participatory and inclusive approach. FAO has supported the creation of twelve farmer groups to implement increased local governance. Among these twelve groups, six have already been registered as agricultural cooperatives, while six others are currently in the registration process. All twelve groups were provided with targeted technical support and capacity development opportunities, including the preparation of 77 grant applications. 

These efforts have led to the successful funding of eighteen agriculture projects for the Local Action Groups (LAGs), contributing to the sustainable development of Armenia’s rural areas. Now, these groups are stepping into the digital world with confidence.

FAO’s social media training taught 12 representatives from the newly formed groups how to design and manage social media pages, use advertisements to promote their initiatives and build stronger connections with their communities. FAO also equipped these groups with essential digital skills to amplify their online presence with the creation of Facebook pages for the LEAD project beneficiaries marked a significant step toward increasing the visibility of local initiatives and empowering the cooperation framework. 

“Social media is an essential tool for newly formed formal and non-formal groups to increase their visibility via sharing their stories” said Hasmik Kocharyan, FAO Project Manager. “Through this training, we are empowering newly formed formal and non-formal groups to better advocate for their needs, promote their agricultural products, and foster collaboration for sustainable development.” 

Beyond training, FAO continues to provide further online consultations to provide ongoing support and guidance as they navigate the evolving digital landscape. 

Social media contributes to more than visibility; it’s about building a foundation for sustainable growth. With every post and campaign, social media is part of the transformation to more sustainable agrifood systems with strong local participation and connections between farmers and their rural communities.