ABSTRACT

As the participant of the EU Eastern Partnership Initiative, being one of the leading producers of agricultural goods in the South Caucasus and holder of more than 70% share in the GDP of the very region, Azerbaijan continues its efforts in economic diversification, non-oil sector development, further promotion of equal progress of the country’s regions, increasing national economic competitiveness and improving export structure. In this context, agricultural sector plays an exceptional role and has promising perspectives in breaking into strategic markets such as Germany. Agriculture remains an important sector in Azerbaijan’s non-oil economy as it has a great potential and absorbs highest share of employment, contributes to the livelihood and welfare of the whole population. The employment in agriculture stood at approximately 40% in 2017. Agriculture had almost 6% share in total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017. The year of 2015 was proclaimed as the Year of Agriculture in Azerbaijan to further advance the diversification of economy, reduce poverty in rural areas and create employment opportunities for vulnerable groups. In this regard, application and promotion of advanced and high technologies in agricultural production sector, development of research, technical and advisory services, modernization of the whole sector and increase of the competitiveness of agriculture sector were determined as the key priorities and targets for the coming years. The article analyses the current situation with regard to agricultural exports of Azerbaijan and, by exploring international cooperation and through SWOT analyses, presents possible elements for relevant strategies.

Keywords: sustainable agriculture, food security, agricultural policy, digitalization, bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

JEL Classification Codes: Q18, O13, Q17, L66, J43.