YEREVAN, November 18. /ARKA/. Acba Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and IPC Consulting brought together agricultural experts to discuss the impact of climate change on agribusiness and modern solutions to address it. Innovative approaches to increasing the resilience and productivity of agricultural enterprises were presented, according to Acba Bank’s press service.
To transform climate change-related risks into opportunities for entrepreneurs, farmers, and agribusiness workers in Armenia, Acba Bank, as part of its non-financial services, together with the EBRD and IPC Consulting, has launched an online training course on climate risk management.
This course will soon be expanded with two new educational modules. The training is free and available on Acba Bank’s non-financial services platform, sme.acba.am. Anyone can register and access the course at sme.acba.am.
“All the challenges facing agriculture are also challenges facing the bank. Climate change is a global issue and affects all countries. It’s crucial that we view this challenge as an opportunity and develop the agricultural sector using the latest technologies and innovative solutions available today,” noted Acba Bank CEO Hakob Andreasyan.
“The educational program, implemented jointly with Acba Bank, the EBRD, and the IPC consulting firm, will enable agricultural businesses to manage their farms more effectively. The sector faces many challenges, primarily related to global warming and changing weather conditions. Any farmer engaged in agriculture, if informed, will be able to take the right stance and address climate change in the right way. The first training program is already available on the platform, and next year we will launch two more training modules dedicated to sustainable agriculture. Early next year, we will also launch a business course on ‘Sustainable Agriculture’ and ‘Sustainable Finance,'” noted Norik Nazaryan, Director of International Monetary Funds and Corporate Business at Acba Bank.
“Acba Bank has always been an innovator not only in Armenia but also in the region. In just a few weeks, we will jointly present another innovative solution, the details of which I cannot yet disclose, but we will be the first to make this solution accessible to a specific group of people and businesses. Climate challenges are increasing. We must understand what advanced technologies are and how we can implement these solutions in our agribusinesses to become more sustainable,” noted Georgi Akhalkatsi, Head of the EBRD Resident Office in Armenia.
“We currently have a drought, which is problematic, but it will become even more challenging in the next 20-30 years. We need to conduct agri-environmental calculations for the next 20-30 years. We have a significant advantage over many neighboring countries: we have plains, foothills, and mountains, which means vertical farming. This zoning gives us opportunities, flexibility, and resilience. We can move production to higher altitudes, where it’s cooler and water demand is less. We have this opportunity, and it’s unique. Our mountains protect us and provide us with opportunities,” noted Armen Asatryan, an agricultural expert and development economist at the consulting firm IPC.
Acba Bank continues to promote innovative agriculture, technological solutions, and the development of value chains.
The bank is supervised by the Central Bank of Armenia. -0-
