Ten representatives of the state institutions involved in the development of the National Sapling Certification System in Georgia participated in the study tour in Italy. The event was organized by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the EU funded project the Innovative Action for Private Sector Competitiveness in Georgia under the EU4Business initiative.

Representatives of the different institutions that depend of the Georgian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) in the development of a sapling certification scheme, participated in a four day study tour in Italy, where they were able to learn about the Italian system of seedling certification and the roles and responsibilities of the different public and private actors involved in the process of seedling certification.

Members ofthe Scientific Research Centre of Agriculture (SRCA), the National Food Agency (NFA) and the Laboratory of MEPA, together with FAO staff, visited several institutions, nurseries, and laboratories. The study tour provided an opportunity of obtaining knowledge on the policies and practices that are successfully implemented for decades in the EU member states, and will help to lay the foundation to the certification system for Georgia, that will allow to unleash the competitive potential of the private nurseries in the national and EU markets.

As stated by Javier Sanz Alvarez, FAO Programme Coordinator, “The certification system of seedlings is beneficial for Georgian farmers and cooperatives as they will be assured that the fruit trees and grapevines that they plant will be of a certified quality and free of viruses and diseases”.

This project, implemented by FAO, is part of the Innovative Action for Private Sector Competitiveness in Georgia, an EU-funded initiative implemented by FAO and other UN agencies in cooperation with private companies and business associations. Drawing on an overall budget of up to 6 million USD, the initiative will continue until the end of 2023. 

The project is part of the wider EU4Business support to the private sector development in Georgia, which aims to assist Georgian entrepreneurs, improve legal environment, facilitate access to finance and strengthen the ties with the European Union.