“REDISCOVERED ARMENIA” CONCEPT PAPER

(to Support the Development of Rural Armenia)

15 March - 10 April 2009 Rome- Italy and Paris- France Preface The idea created and concept paper drafted by Dr. Armen Mehrabyan, PhD Food Technology and Master of Ethno-Botany and shared for comments and notes to the group of professional, Armenian Diaspora who are appreciate and underline feasibility and actuality by reply. Special thanks to all professionals who provide valuable comments and recommendations and express their readiness to support on materialization of this concept. Great appreciation to Mr. Zohrab Malek, Ambassador of Armenia in FAO and IFAD - Rome; Mr. Sasun Sugy – President of G2i Association- Frnace; Ms.Karine Arabian – Fashion Designer, President of Arabian Co - France, Paris; Mr. Alen Alexanian – Fine Food Chef, President of Alexanian Consulting, Chef of Alexandrin restaurant, France – Lion; Mr. Mark Beghian – international expert of agriculture and food safety, Italy- Milan; Ms. Ahgel Kara – fashion bijou designer and President of Angel Kara Co, France - Paris; Ms. Catherina Botero – UN FAO expert on agronomic culture, Italy-Rome; Ms. Marta Bruno – UN FAO expert on Rural Agriculture Development, Italy-Rome; Mr. Armen ter-Tachatian – President of Low consulting Co, Armenia; Mr. Gagik Yegiazarian – President of KPartners Consulting, Armenia; Ms. Jaqueline Karasalian - Professor of MIT, President of AREVIK NGO, USA - Boston; Ms. Ana Sortun – James Bred Foundation awarded best chef on Mediterranian cuisine, USA - Cambridg; Ms. Karoline Mugar – President of FarmAid, USA - Cambridge; Dr. Aram Hajian – Vice-President of Armenain American University, Armenia - Yerevan; Dr. Rafi Semirjian – President of CSP Middle East, Lebanon - Beirut; etc. An Introduction From where the idea of «Rediscovered Armenian» are came from?

Armenian culture dates back to the sunup of civilization and scraps exist in a continuous 12000 years old record. The artistic genius engendered by Armenian civilization, the superb condition of many rock-crafted petrography and cave-paintings, with support of the dry climate, archeological findings and ethnographic research, have made possible to reconstruct a majority part of the history of culture, social and economic achievements of the people lived in prehistoric and medieval land called Nohas earth. By demonstrating developed culture of wild harvesting and hunting, agricultural and horticulture, hand crafting and carpentry, art and science Armenia is shown to be one of the sources of the high developed science, culture and technology of the world that started civilization from the fertile crepes.

The preliminary sources of records gave us strong references about unique and productive agriculture system and science nearby Tavros Mountain in Asia. And particularly from 7000 to 3000 BCE Hittite and Urartian (Pre-Armenian), Schumer and Acadian, Egyptian and Persian, Nubian and Ethiopian, Libyan and Narts populations fusing with immigrants formed a people,

created the history of Mesopotamia. These mingled peoples of Asia Minor are established a highly advanced science, agricultural technology and formed a food system in Mesopotamia. This tradition of gathering and cultural exchange that were passed from generation to generation and reached us trough cryptographs, manuscripts, archeological and ethnographic research demonstrate just a small part of antique culture that modern Armenia were able to hang about. Why do we need to maintain the rehabilitated ancient Armenian science, culture, technology and agronomy? To explain the unknown the Armenians created a complex and bewildering theology that drew on the sun and the sky, the four elements and man, as well as every form of life, that was included a pantheon of human gods and goddesses in pagan time. Their beliefs greatly influenced the ancient world and have been incorporated into many ancient religions such as Zoraostriszm and Manuizm.

A study of Armenian history underscores the ancient origins of agriculture that influenced to the science and art. The modern world is in debt to this great civilization which contributed many of our basic agricultural innovations: cultivation and irrigation technology and the horticultural arts. Ancient Armenian agriculture is also shown to be the Mother of Science providing the resources to enable the construction of vast public works and temples and the basic inspiration to progress from mathematics to chemistry and from medicine to metallurgy. Despite advances in technology, Armenian culture became ever increasingly conservative and traditional, so that continued advances were thwarted. Progress was hampered by the restraints of a rigid society first run by an uneasy alliance between nobles and priests, and when racked by internal instability, deteriorating to a stagnant theocracy. The decline was evident about 525 BCE and Armenia succumbed to pressures from invading cultures: Persian, the armies of Alexander, Roman legions, and the proselytizing desert warriors from Arabia who introduced a new religion and eliminated the old. After the 12th century, Armenia was controlled by the Ottoman Turks and later in the beginning of 19th century, influenced by the colonial power of Russia. It is hoped that an independent Armenia will be spurred on by the archeological evidence that dominates the landscape and is continually uncovered. These ancient relics, ignored for thousands of years, should be an inspiration to restore the glory in innovation, art, and agriculture that was the hallmark of ancient Armenia.

This remarkable experience of the ancient science and agricultural practices of our grandfathers that created a renaissance in the culture of food in the Land of Noah, and passed from generation to generation, neglect today and hided from our day to day culture. Unfortunately this tradition of art, science, agriculture and balance food dining are injured by modern “civilization”, materialistic science and mechanization. Especially, Soviet system destroys those and even memory of harmonic development and balances agriculture were unfurnished. After the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia was left without an infrastructure and management system. How it can support the rural Armenia community development? Many people, because of the circumstances, learned farming practices from their elders who still remembered the methods of the pre-Soviet era. Today tradition of art, culture, fine dining and agriculture is alive because of the ethnic knowledge were passed from generation to generation and rural people return to tradition. With the help from outside interests and Armenians willing to preserve traditions, Armenians are finding a balance of ancient and modern techniques to ensure fine art, culture, technology, agriculture production and rehabilitation of the food culture as a part of social gathering and fin

dining. It is possible that with the return of a vital economy, the reality of a true cultural renaissance will be realized and majestic art and food culture will be rehabilitated. Independent Armenia with its 29,000 sq.km area is a small country in compare with the Greater Armenia in ancient, which was sprout from Black Sea to Mediterranean and Caspian Sea and covers more then 700,000 sq.km. But the geographical location of today Armenia with its multi-elevation ecology, divers climatic zones, biodiversity and natural conditions, unique location and weather, really major contributors to the delicious fruits, vegetables, cereals and derivate grapes and grains that found within its borders. Today as never before is the right moment to promote the rehabilitated pre-historical and ancient Armenian culture and science in a modern way by underlining the importance for rural areas development as a main source keeper of the elements of that ancient culture. Research, References and Sources of Information Knowledge of the history of ancient Armenian science and art, agriculture and carpentry can be gleaned from the archeological record supported by surviving written Armenian, Assyrian, Sumerian and Egyptian documents, temple inscriptions, the books of Genesis and Exodus in the Hebrew bible, as well as commentaries from antiquity including those of the Greek historian Herodotus (484-425 BCE), Strabon, Xsenophon, Sophocles, Apuleos, the philosopher Theophrastus (372-288 BCE), etc. Field visits to farms in the Aragatsotn, Ararat, Vayots Dzor, Lori, Syunik, Armavir and Kotayj regions, assessments, research and discussions with farmers, have helped to bring a reality to the fishable concept that will help rural Armenia development and make possible to enjoy Rediscovered Armenia in coming future. What is the Main Aim of this concept? The main objective of this concept is to support to rehabilitate ancient Armenian culture and represent it as a part of the world by showing its precious role and influence to the development of science, technology, art and agriculture of ancient civilization and do not aloof or detached it from the world culture. The General Objective of this Concept is to establish the good coordination, management and monitoring mechanism for implementation of complementary projects under one umbrella that will strengthening the local capacity and by straight-line activities will support social, economic, cultural and institutional development on a technically eligible, financially sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.

Social - means to support (i) most vulnerable groups of villagers and families from the community identified and supported by local authorities, shall benefit of proposed initiatives; (ii) initiative shall contribute to reduction of poverty; (iii) proposed initiative shall not create any social tensions and/or conflicts in the community

Economic support – means that developed proposal must be economically feasible and will

provide income generation and sustainable local development

Institutional – means that group of beneficiaries, initiative implementers (cultural, carpenters and agricultural) shall have a local institutional status, and demonstrate capacity to manage and implement proposed project initiative

Above mentioned supports must be: a) Technically eligible – means that (i) proposed initiative shall be identified through transparent community mobilization and local development planning processes; (ii) project proposal shall be accepted and approved by local public administration in partnership with elected Project Committee; and (iii) only technically feasible, executable by local people, initiatives will be accepted to appraisal and implementation processes b) Financially sustainable – means that proposal must show cost recovery, and ensure capacity to finance recurrent cost, operational and financial self-sufficiency, should be economically, institutionally, environmentally sustainable and shall demonstrate resilience to such exogenous factors unstable security in the project area , price variability and market access c) Environmentally friendly – means that proposed initiative should not have any negative impact on the environment

Specific Objective of the concept is to support rural development, community agriculture and ethnic food and art culture by realizing the following 4 project proposal under one umbrella project that are complement each other:

1. Rural Agriculture development – a long growing season for many fruits and vegetables and the variety, especially of fruits, with a potential for export gives Armenia the future possibility of becoming a specialty agro-product exporter. As an example of a “slow food country”, Armenia has a future in exporting fine products in limited quantities at high prices, taking its place alongside the finest food producers in the world. The main objective of rural agriculture development is: i) to support the identification and implementation of demand-driven agricultural production and post-harvest projects by producer groups: adding value to village level production and diversifying rural activities and employment opportunities and facilitating market access and ii) increasing levels of understanding of opportunities to respond to climate change and reduce the level of risk associated with extreme and changing weather conditions by the development of specific regional and community programmes that focus upon appropriate and good practices.

2. Food Culture development – agricultural traditions have given Armenia an excellent food

culture of freshness and good taste. The small size of the country allows the housewife in Yerevan the luxury of buying fruits and vegetables picked in the morning and available in the markets that day. Promotion of forgotten fine dining and food culture trough publication of ethnographic researches related to the food culture, organization of ethnic Armenian dinners - will include recipes and commentary that will celebrate the importance of the two sides of Armenian agribusiness, the old traditional methods that help to create the high quality and the new techniques and ideas that support the old and celebrate the new. Those initiatives will endeavor to bring the world’s attention to the positive future of Armenian agriculture.

3. Jewelry, Carpentry and Handcrafts development – means support to development

modern technology of production and marketing of rehabilitated ethnic carpentry, jewelry and handcrafts by involvement of world wide famous fashion designer, technical professionals from Armenian Diaspora and strengthening the capacity of local management knowledge and marketing skills that will make possible to open new job places in rural areas for materialization of project.

4. Perfume, Cosmetic and Aromatery - “ O’Dor and Aroma d’Armenie” project initiative

objective is to support bringing into the world market rehabilitated Armenian unique perfume and cosmetic products by using the current positioning of famous Armenian

perfume makers. For example such kind of products as Vanay Grease – body oil of Queen Sarah, Armenian lubricate – sacred oil from Armenian wild “shusma” squash for princess Tsovinar, Gooma Armeniaca – incense body cream from armeniaca vulgaris gum decoction, Royal Smear - royal body massage oil form acacia, Armenian paper – fumigation aromatery, Aqua D’Sevan – toilet water with fresh with pirus natural stones, Aroma d’Armenie – perfume from Benzoin with Thuja with natural Obsidian stone, Oilo Tigran the Great – specialty oil made for Armenian King of Kings Tigran the Great for foot relaxing can be developed, experimented and marketed under the patronage of Mr. Frencisk Kurkjian.

Project Profiles

The Project Profiles annual budget for first year pilots:

1. Rural Agriculture development ( full package includes 3 project for 2 years with the budget cost of 498,000 USD) and pilot project budget is following:

– budget 52,442 USD – communities 2 villages in Lori and 1 villages in Arrogation region – direct beneficiaries 45 small scale farmers – indirect beneficiaries 500 farmers from 3 communities of 2 district

2. Food Culture development

– Budget 38,500 USD – direct beneficiaries Armenian Culinary Federation – indirect beneficiaries 10 restaurants and food service accounts

3. Carpentry, Jewelry and Handcrafts development (with expected support and

promotion of famous fashion designer Kaarine Arabian) – budget 25,000 USD – direct beneficiaries 1 jeweler in rural area of Armavir and 1 carpenter

from Lori region – indirect beneficiaries about 5 professional jewelry shop in Yerevan

4. Perfume, Cosmetic and Aromatery - “ O’Dor and Aroma d’Armenie” (with expected support and promotion of famous perfume maker Francisk Kurkjian)

– budget 25,500 USD – direct beneficiaries 1 scientist and 2 interns from the Institute of

Archeology and Ethnography on NAS, 1 scientist and 1 intern from Matenadaran and 2 scientist and 1 intern from the Institute of Microbiology and Armenian Agriculture Academy

– indirect beneficiaries about 200 students from Yerevan State University and Armenian Agriculture Academy

Average duration of pilot projects: 1 year Average budget for GOE: 25, 000 USD Average budget for Project Management and monitoring: 35, 000 USD TOTAL BUDGET OF CONCEPT PILOT PROJECTS is about: 194,000 USD