Walking through
Montenegro’s markets, fresh produce is abundant. Citrus goes for about 50 cents a kilo, vegetables are abundant, and fresh cheese is pungent and goes well with anything one finds for his or her next meal. But there is an issue: much of it is imported to this country of less than 700,000 people.
Breaking away from its loose association with
Serbia--Montenegro always beat its own drum, even using the Euro the past several years--was a bold and brave mood, but its future is tenuous. Unemployment is high, its people are jaded by government inaction and corruption, and the economy is reliant on tourism. And therein lies the problem: dependence on an industry that is cyclical and volatile, and provides many only low wages, does not provide much comfort and security for Montenegrins.
The NGO
Production of Organic Food (
Proizvodnja Zdrave Hrane) is trying to create more
opportunities for Montenegro’s rural folk. Led by Juvo Radulovic, the organization is focused on protecting local traditions and culture through cultivating organic farming. Radulovic’s organization faces several challenges, however: organic food is too pricey for many Montenegrins; most of the public is either apathetic; financial resources are strained; and farmers lack the tools and technology needed to grow certified organic agriculture. Some successes have occurred, however; an organic food store opened in Podgorica, and similar products have ended up on the shelves at Maxi, a popular supermarket chain found throughout the region.
Like its
neighbors, Montenegro could benefit from “eco-villages” that offer tourists a different experience, locals economic opportunity in micro-industries like cheese making or beekeeping, and schoolchildren education in their country’s land and heritage. Niche products could be exported to Western Europe or even beyond; whether the private sector and government can push forward in this space, however, remains to be seen.
