North Macedonia steps up efforts to digitalize agriculture: national consultation workshop Held in Skopje
FAO has supported MAFWE in conducting a comprehensive assessment of the current state of digitalization in North Macedonia’s agri-food sector.
Skopje, 28 April 2025 – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy of North Macedonia, organized a national consultation workshop today in Skopje to accelerate the digital transformation of the agri-food sector.
The event around 40 representatives from government institutions, civil society, academia, the private sector, farmers, and young students to discuss the current state of digitalization in agriculture and jointly develop concrete policy recommendations for sustainable progress.
North Macedonia has a strong foundation for digital transformation, thanks to its robust digital public infrastructure. Key systems such as the data interoperability platform, digital IDs, the national electronic services portal, and digital registries provide a critical base to build upon. Leveraging these systems presents significant opportunities for the food and agriculture sector to reap the benefits of digitalization.
The country has made notable progress in aligning its e-government systems with EU pre-accession requirements. However, several challenges remain. Improvements are needed in data collection and availability, system interoperability, updating of existing platforms, introducing missing key services, and ensuring that digital systems meet the current needs of the agricultural sector.
Additionally, despite high internet access and widespread ownership of digital devices, farmers in North Macedonia often face low levels of digital skills. The adoption of digital technologies in farming remains limited, and addressing the barriers to adoption is essential to improving productivity, sustainability, and resilience in the sector.
To address these gaps, FAO has supported MAFWE in conducting a comprehensive assessment of the current state of digitalization in North Macedonia’s agri-food sector. The assessment covers country’s ICT infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, human capital and innovation ecosystem, the digital solutions market, and existing government systems, and more. Based on this, policy recommendations will be developed in consultation with local stakeholders to guide the sector’s transformation.
“Modernizing agriculture is not only an economic necessity—it is also a strategic and social priority,” said Borce Serafimovski, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy. ‘’Digitalization offers powerful tools to improve competitiveness, sustainability, and the livelihoods of rural communities. Through this workshop, and with FAO’s support, we are taking a concrete step toward identifying gaps and shaping digital solutions that are accessible and relevant to our farmers” – he added.
The consultation workshop presented the key findings of the situational analysis conducted by FAO and featured interactive working sessions where participants co-identified challenges and opportunities for digital agriculture. These discussions will directly inform the final report and help formulate practical policy recommendations that align with national development goals and EU integration processes.
“North Macedonia has a strong digital foundation, but to unlock its full potential for agriculture, we need to close the gaps in skills, systems, and services,” said Kristina Mitic Arsova, FAO National Programme Coordinator. “This workshop is an opportunity to bring all voices to the table—from institutions to farmers and students—and to co-create policies that will drive inclusive digital transformation in the agri-food sector” – she added.
This initiative is part of FAO’s broader support to North Macedonia under its Country Programming Framework, which focuses on inclusive and sustainable agricultural development, food security, and climate-resilient agri-food systems.
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FAO Digital Services Portfolio
www.fao.org/digital-services/en
Innovation, digitalization and resilience in agrifood systems are key for Europe and Central Asia
FAO in North Macedonia
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