World Bank outlines key priority for Azerbaijan's agriculture sector

The main priority in Azerbaijanchr("39")s agriculture is the adaptation of small farmers to climate change, Stefanie Stallmeister, World Bank Country Manager for Azerbaijan, said during her speech on the second day of Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026), Olaylar informs.

According to her, the World Bank has long been a partner of Azerbaijan and particularly of its agricultural sector:

"Our activities in the country began in the 1990s, initially focusing on land reforms. Since then, we have implemented nearly nine projects with significant financing, including support for small landowners (farmers) and investments in large‑scale agriculture. The bank views agriculture as a core part of Azerbaijanchr("39")s economy. This sector combines many pillars of the countrychr("39")s socio‑economic development strategy - social, human, economic, as well as environmental and climate change. It is a field that contributes greatly to the non‑oil economy, creates important employment, and provides opportunities for diversification."

Stallmeister emphasized that the sector is vulnerable to climate change and degradation: "This includes higher temperature forecasts, variable and declining rainfall, heavy rain events, and reduced productivity. It also negatively affects livestock through changes in pasture productivity, reducing yields. The negative impacts of climate change on agriculture primarily harm small farms, which have fewer opportunities to implement adaptation measures. On the other hand, there are adaptation solutions that are not too difficult to apply on both large and small scales. Our task is to deliver these solutions to farmers. In Azerbaijan, small farmers dominate the agricultural economy."