Georgia, a renowned biodiversity hotspot, boasts a wealth of traditional and unique foods.
FAO and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia celebrated World Food Day with Georgian government officials, ambassadors, international organizations, non-governmental and private sectors and academia. This year, the event focused on traditional Georgian products with Geographical Indications (GIs) which is a public label that recognizes the clear link between a high-quality product and its place of origin, protecting that link as an intellectual property right.
Joining 150 countries celebrating the World Food Day worldwide, the event calls for faster and more ambitious action to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and make healthy diets available and affordable for all. To support this global goal in Georgia, FAO -- together with the EU-funded ENPARD programme and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) -- implements projects to support food systems by supporting inclusive value chains, preserving agricultural traditions and biodiversity in the country.
The event was opened by Mr. Levan Davitashvili, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and Mr. Raimund Jehle, FAO Representative in Georgia. Jehle highlighted FAO’s global role in improving nutrition and promoting healthy and sustainable diets, through capacity development and awareness raising. He stressed in this context the crucially importance to preserve traditional products and to support their producers.
“Women and men who work in agriculture play a vital role in providing nutritious, affordable food. Their knowledge and traditional practices are vital in a world where food production faces challenges such as climate change and limited natural resources. FAO is committed to support Georgia developing policies to promote healthier diets and and nutritious food as well as supporting increase of incomes for smallholders and farmers,” Jehle said.
The presentation of a short documentary by National Geographic was held during event. The film “Unique Georgian Taste” is dedicated to the traditional Georgian agrifood products protected with GI labels. In it, Sulguni cheese and Tushetian Guda cheese are focused on as these products have qualities that stem from their place of production, owing to natural factors like plant varieties, animal species, climate and soil, as well as the local know-how passed down from one generation to the next.
Another highlight of the event was a photo exhibition “Taste of Home” about the Georgian culinary traditions, the process of how the Georgian taste is born, the people who are creating Georgian taste and the local environment in which this taste is being created. The exhibition included the 25 best entries of the Your Shot competition by National Geographic. At the end of the event, best exhibition’s best three photographers were announced and awarded.
World Food Day coincides with the birthday of FAO. The organization was founded 74 years ago and is nowadays represented in 194 countries of the world, including Georgia.
Watch the video documentary on Georgia GIs here.
And check out the Your Shot competition page here.