9th Spetember 2013, in Valandovo, the Climate Change Caravan, organized by the USAID Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture (ACCA) project, started its autumn campaign throughout Macedonia.  The Caravan will make four stops during this month.  It was designed to reach rural communities and educate small farmers and other citizens about the anticipated effects of climate change, share strategies for adapting to these effects, and emphasize the importance of proactive responses to them at the grassroots level. 

“Because of its sensitivity to climate, few sectors in Macedonia have more at stake with regards to climate change than does the agricultural sector.   About one half of the population here relies on agriculture, either directly or indirectly, for their livelihoods.  The people in this audience understand this better than anyone,” said Matthew Hutcherson, USAID Economic Growth Officer. “This series of events, or Climate Change Caravan, as it is called, intends to reach the people of communities like yours that are heavily engaged in important agriculture-related activities, because these are the communities most affected by the changing climate”. 

The USAID ACCA project is testing, demonstrating and disseminating innovative adaptive agricultural practices that have the potential to minimize some of the expected adverse global warming effects on high value crops grown by small farmers.  The project focuses on the Mediterranean zone, including the Vardar region with parts of Strumica and Gevgelija, agriculturally rich areas that are most affected by climate change. The Caravan will also visit Resen on September 21st, Krivogashtani on September 25th and Sveti Nikole on September 26th.