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Credits Caption: Gooses at Sretenovića Vodenica farm, captured during the media tour to Serbia’s first biodistrict supported by the “From Seed to Sustainability – Food Systems 4 All” project. Photo: © FAO / Sanja Knezević

Published on March 13, 2026

Serbia’s First Biodistrict Brings Farmers Together for Sustainable Food Systems

In western Serbia, a growing network of farmers, producers, and communities is reshaping how food is grown, shared, and valued. In the Kolubara District, this collaboration is taking shape through the country’s first biodistrict.

At Sretenović’s Watermill, visitors can watch traditional flour milling while discovering organic products from across the region. For Tomislav Sretenović, the biodistrict has helped transform the way small producers connect with one another and with their communities.

“Before the biodistrict, many producers worked in isolation. Now there is cooperation, exchange of experiences, and many more people hear about our work,” he says.

The Kolubara Biodistrict brings together organic producers, local institutions, and communities around a shared vision of environmentally friendly agriculture and stronger local food systems.

“Improving environmentally friendly production, increasing the quality and safety of food, and strengthening the role of young people and women in rural areas are among our priorities,” says Tatjana Bankov, Special Advisor at Serbia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. “Projects like this provide a framework for the concrete implementation of these policies.”

The initiative gained momentum through the joint programme From Seed to Sustainability: Food Systems 4 All, implemented from July 2024 to August 2025. Through six specialized training programmes, 189 farmers, including 168 women, strengthened their knowledge and practical skills in sustainable agriculture. Producers also visited Italy’s Cilento region, where the biodistrict concept originated, to learn how cooperation between farmers, communities, and local institutions can support resilient rural economies.

The programme also supported the development of Serbia’s Medium-Term Roadmap for Food System Transformation, which outlines national priorities for sustainable agriculture, healthier food production, and stronger rural communities. Serbia presented its progress during the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake in 2025.

The initiative was funded by the Joint SDG Fund with support from the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and led by the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Serbia. It was implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in partnership with the UN Environment Programme and UN Women, with support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and in close cooperation with Serbia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and other national and local partners.

Note:

All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds, and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.