Lessons from a diagnostic analysis of Albania's Divjaka region

The purpose of the research project reported in this article was to identify a number of key elements, from both a conceptual and an operational point of view, that might facilitate sustainable development in Albania. The flat coastal region of Divjaka, with its substantial agricultural and environmental potential, acted as a 'natural laboratory'. As one of the most productive regions of the country, it was used to test the consistency and feasibility of the current national agricultural policy as well as to formulate and adapt development projects and interventions; and to integrate the diagnostic methodology of agrarian systems with other methods drawn from related disciplines. A comparison was made of the different perspectives and theoretical approaches applied in each case.