Science has long proven that half of the global social product depends on nature. Due to this fact, man is destined to live and create in symbiosis with nature ("all from the earth, all to the earth"). However, the essence of this message has not yet been recognized in Montenegro? Or rather, life in our country is floating in the jaws between voluntarism and modern European and world practice!
ŠThe range of natural gifts to man is wide and extensive. There are volumes of professional and scientific works on this topic in the world, which are unique in that human life is destined to develop and develop in symbiosis with nature. Hence the irrefutable position of science, no country and society in the world can be economically stable in the long term, without maximum use of the natural potential at their disposal.
In this brief review, I will keep the readers' attention on the question of how much attention is paid in our country to the use of natural resources (gifts) in food production and rural - mountain tourism, as a phenomenon of contemporary cultural and economic development.
The past as a role model or a curse?
Montenegro had a dynamic and successful development in the food industry in the period 1960–1989. At the end of that period, Montenegro was satisfying its market needs from its own food production, with about 55–60 percent (production + export). Early food products from Montenegro (Zeta), in the mentioned period, found their place in the markets of Milan, Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt, Prague and Warsaw, not to mention the former Yugoslav market space. So, let someone now say that we were not part of the European market at that time?
Back in 1989, 37 percent of agricultural land was used. Unfortunately, today that figure is around 6 percent. In countries with a developed agrarian economy, the percentage of agricultural land used for production purposes is between 80 and 100 percent. In some of these countries (the Baltic countries), that percentage is not enough, so they are pushing the sea towards the open sea in order to expand their production potential for new production intended for world markets.
In the pre-transition period, the Law on Agricultural Land protected this unique resource from various abuses and devastation on the one hand, and on the other, it had a solution for the land reclamation problem – transforming the land as a natural substrate into land capable of highly productive food production, whereby at that time Montenegro had about 7.000 hectares of reclaimed land, built on European principles. Potential for respect even for much larger countries, let alone for small Montenegro. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the transition period (1991–1992), this wealth was taken away by the murky Marica.
The organization and management of the agrarian system were decentralized at that time, and the profession and science were worthy of their task.
Thus, in 1991, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management formed an expert scientific team that undertook the development of a Strategic State Project, under the name "Development agriculture in Montenegro on the basis of market economy", the so-called "Green Strategy"The solutions in question were based on both the professional scientific knowledge and practice of agriculturally developed countries in Europe, as well as the edaphic, ecological and climatic specificities of the agricultural area in Montenegro and, finally, the demands of the domestic and foreign markets in the short and long term.
With this act, the Montenegrin agricultural economy entered s p r e m n a in the complex transition processes it faced, during which social property became history, and private property became hope for the future of the state and its people. The strategic document in question was adopted by consensus by the Parliament of Montenegro in November 1992.
In the first two years (1993–1994), major steps were made in the implementation of the "Green Strategy" in practice, and the outlines of European practice in the economic area in question were felt.
Unfortunately, the fate of the project in question was short-lived and tragic. Namely, at the beginning of 1994, the agrarian authorities of the time, by a unilateral decision, removed it from the life "Green Strategy" without any explanation for this act, which is to strike the first and heavy blow this industry from which it has not recovered to this day.
In early April 2012, while reviewing the book "Thirteen Juli builders at the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, academician Dr. Radoje Pajović, historian, stated: "It was the Age of Pericles in the development of Montenegrin agriculture, which will not be repeated soon"!
The transition is moving forward (1990–2023)
In reference to the transition period from 1990 to 2023, a Montenegrin analyst from the indicated field stated: "The transitional period in the Montenegrin agricultural economy not only destroyed everything good that was built in the previous political and economic and social system of Montenegro and Yugoslavia, but also o b e s m i s l i l o and some core values and c lj eve, which were then established on European foundations in the Montenegrin agrarian system, and related to the assumptions for achieving the adopted goals of the 'Green Strategy' in the short and long term.
Honor to the exceptions, said the aforementioned analyst at the time, "who have found the strength and knowledge in this very "difficult period of Montenegrin development, agriculture and rural economy, not only to survive but also to achieve serious results, in areas such as: viticulture and winemaking, meat production (Mesopromet Bijelo polje), honey production, beer production, olive oil production, vegetables, etc."
On the other hand, the unprecedented demographic emptying of villages in Montenegro, in a somewhat later period, caused a rural exodus (the flight of young people from the countryside) so that today there is no life or economy in 75-80 percent of the agricultural area in Montenegro, on the one hand, and on the other, that time pushed the Montenegrin agricultural economy into n a z a d a k so today it is in the penultimate or last place on the ranking list of agriculturally developed countries in Europe.
The next major blow of the transitional period to Montenegrin agriculture and rural development was a kind of waste of profession, science and education from the agrarian economic practice of Montenegro (predominance of voluntarism), which led to severe disruptions both in the current reproduction sector and in the areas of the market, internal economy and development.
Furthermore, during the three and a half decades of the transition period, previous economic entities, development institutions and services that were the backbone of development efforts in the pre-transition period were wiped off the face of the earth, while the new transitional agrarian government rushed headlong into the development of this very complex economic sector; the "Green Strategy" became not only a thing of the past but also a scarecrow for people in this economic sector (events up to 2010; at that time, around 39 large production, market and development entities from the previous agrarian system were closed down), and to this day, a new agrarian structure has not been built as a substitute for the previous agrarian economic structure, which Montenegro and its people expected.
Honor to those who held their own in the market in the period 2010–2024, and showed that the plague that occurred until 2010 could not have happened to them!
That is why the saying still circulates among the people today: ""Evil work, near trial"!
Finally, to complete this obscure story about the agricultural economy in Montenegro during the indicated transitional period, today Montenegro meets its market needs in goods for the nutrition of the population and tourists from its own production with some 25–30 percent (this is an estimate, as there is no official data), while exports are at the level of 12–15 percent.
The financial value of Montenegro's food deficit in 2023 amounted to more than one billion euros, with expert and scientific estimates that 70 percent of imported goods can be produced in Montenegro.
Finally, today even the birds understand how much our own misconceptions and lack of understanding of the problem have cost us on the one hand, and on the other, how devastating it was. n e s e l e k t i v n a application of the concept of neoliberal market economy in the Montenegrin agricultural economy, which represented a "hawthorn stake" in the back of this economic sector. Unfortunately, even today, market neoliberals stubbornly hold on to the message: "The powerful arm of the market will solve all our problems. problems and to everyone's satisfaction"?! Cheers!
The European way
One might ask here - why this pointless story, when more or less everything has been known for a long time, and if it was pointed out, to my knowledge, no one was concerned - let alone if someone asked the question of what we should do to stop the typhoon of retrograde processes - so today we have two groups of strategically important and open questions:
The first A group of problems is represented by climate change, which has long been taking its toll on this economic sector. The issue is all the more complex, as agricultural production is by far the most vulnerable economic sector to climate change compared to all other sectors of the economy. I am not aware of any specific measures being taken in Montenegro in this regard to reduce the damage that this phenomenon entails?
On the other hand, some advanced Nordic and other countries have investigated this phenomenon, and offered their countries a new concept of human nutrition, if climate change wipes out the conventional way of life in human nutrition?
Another one A group of problems is represented by the fact that Montenegrin agriculture and rural economy are at a certain stage of development. r a s k r s n i c i between traditional i survivor agricultural and livestock farming times and the new agea, in which modern man in the countryside and mountains seeks an oasis of peace, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, and the hectic city life, and who seeks a way out in returning to nature to which he belongs. Specifically, modern world nomads want to visit Montenegro, they want to see and experience its beauty and culture and enjoy them. However, Montenegro does not even have a tourist product in this area (or it is present in rudiments), let alone food production. Production o r g a n s k e food in Montenegro today is reduced to 1,2 percent of annual food production. And that's the end of it, contrary to the official claims of some state officials that "Montenegro has no particular problems on its path towards the European Union, except for some issues on sectors of phytosanitary food safety and zootechnical problems in livestock farming". God forbid it be so?!
Since the creation of the "Green Strategy" (1992), it has been scientifically proven that Montenegro should produce only two types of food in the field of organic food production - exclusive and high-quality food product, while the third category of food should not exist in Montenegro!
In our decades-long transitional practice, this recommendation has lasted as long as the "cat husband" on one side, and on the other, no one mentions the fact that Montenegro can produce (nominate) 11 exclusive and 18 high-quality products, which would represent the backbone of a new strategy for agrarian and tourist development in the countryside and mountains, on whose valid projects it would rest. all state and bank competitions, who advocate for support for the new and modern quality of the offer of these two important and complementary industries.
And finally, compared to the situation we have in the aforementioned economic areas, Montenegrin biotechnical and economic science you are silent, regardless of the fact that these are two extremely important economic sectors for the economic stability of Montenegro. Specifically, there is no creative scientific and professional thematic discussions, on the one hand, and on the other, there is no answer to the question of what we should do on our European path, in order to escape from the last or penultimate position on the list of agriculturally developed countries in Europe?!
Bonus video:
