On 30 October 2018, a fruit garden was established in Lerik district within a long-term project that aims to improve the welfare of low-income families in the regions of Azerbaijan. The Fruit Gardens project is run by IDEA, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and UN Azerbaijan.

A total of 312 walnut trees were planted on a 2-hectare area in Lerik. The garden was divided between three local families that will be growing and harvesting the trees, being able improve their financial situation.

In the first stage of the pilot project, fruit trees were planted on land plots in Ismayilli district of Azerbaijan on 6 April 2017. The planting took place with the participation of IDEA founder and FAO Goodwill Ambassador Leyla Aliyeva, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, head of FAO’s Partnership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan and local youth. Gardens like this have already been established in Shamkir, Aghstafa, Tovuz, Aghdash, Gakh, Lankaran, Beylagan, Sabirabad, Aghjabadi and Barda districts and distributed among low-income families, including the war veterans and a martyr’s family members.

Nearly 15,000 hazelnut, pomegranate, apricot, feijoa, date, walnut and apple trees were planted and allocated to a total of 41 low-income families in 12 districts.

The project carries an important social, economic and environmental impact, helping the impoverished families of the country generate income in a sustainable way and improve their livelihoods, as well as contribute to efforts to lower the country’s dependency on the import of agricultural products.

Next tree planting events within the project are expected to continue throughout the month of November in the district of Guba, Imishli, Gazakh, Gabala and Goygol, and cover the rest of the country in the near future.

Special thanks go to the 200 helpful volunteers who joined and organizations that supported the event.