Oxfam's work in Albania in depth

Since Albania’s communist regime collapsed in the early 1990s, the country has undergone the difficult process of adapting to a free market economy. With a growing gap between rich and poor people and little investment to support people’s livelihoods, Oxfam is working with people in rural areas to make their way of life sustainable and profitable.

Oxfam in Albania

Oxfam began working in Albania in 1992, giving support to poor mountain communities. During the 1999 Kosovo crisis we provided water and sanitation for displaced people, and we established the Albanian Disability Rights Foundation.

Local organisations work with us, developing innovative ways for people to make a secure living; and helping producers to improve production and to reach potential markets. Such initiatives help to create new jobs within a community. More widely, Oxfam is campaigning with and for small farmers, so that they can have a part in developing the rural economy.

Health for all

Much of Albania’s rural, mountainous heartland is difficult to reach, with poor roads and transport, but there is a living to be made from the land and forests. If well supported, these resources could stop younger people from leaving the country in search of work abroad.

Farmers who produce wine, olives, herbs, and who rear livestock are developing associations. With training funded by Oxfam, they are improving their ways of production and marketing, and are creating stronger links with local and national markets. For instance, a co-operative of grape growers in Hajmel has improved and packaged their wine so they could sell it in the capital, Tirana. Now, their new brand, Zadrima, is ready to grace the tables of the most discerning wine-buffs, which is a great step forward for these farmers who were struggling to make ends meet not so long ago.

Farmers in business

Although half of the Albanian population relies on farming,livestock, and forestry to make a living, the market is set against them; people have to compete with highly subsidised imports from European Union countries, and there is no protection for their fragile farming economies. Farmers and producers are promoting their wares – and increasing their opportunities to sell to consumers and traders – at agricultural trade fairs that Oxfam helped them to set up.

Tackling rights

The needs of poor farmers are often overlooked when the national and regional governments make planning decisions. But their needs should be included on the government’s agenda – so Oxfam is encouraging the opening-up of communication channels between farming communities, civil society organisations, and government. With dialogue on rural development issues, farmers are beginning to have more of a say in budgeting and planning decisions that affect them.

Last updated: July 08