Through the support of the European Union and Sweden, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), under ENPARD IV, supports smallholder women dairy farmers in Georgia with knowledge and matching grants to improve food safety of their products. Thousands of them have taken part in FAO Farmer...

This assessment evaluates the outcomes and impacts of the Dairy Modernization and Market Access (DiMMA) programme in Georgia, which aimed to improve the productivity of smallholder dairy farming systems through better nutrition and feeding, veterinary care leading to better animal health, and breed improvements. The aim of this study is...

FAO Georgia, through the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) project, provides no-till planting machines to farmers in drought-prone areas with little rainfall.

Despite growing up in Kakheti, a well-known wine region and the agricultural heart of Georgia, Sophio Khutitdze saw herself as a doctor. She was always drawn to the sciences with chemistry and biology being her favourite classes in high school. She even applied to medical school and took the national...

The story centers on Nino Tadiashvili, a former journalist who transitioned into farming, embracing it as a creative and empowering profession. With support from the FAO through the ENPARD programme (funded by the EU and Sweden), Nino became a lead farmer and host of a farmer field school in her...

Agricultural land in Georgia is highly fragmented, limiting productivity and investment in farms and in rural areas in general. Aiming to address this problem, representatives from a wide range of Georgian institutions participated in a 20 November workshop in Tbilisi under the first phase of a planned three-and-a-half-year project to support...

This report explores the impact of rural poultry production on the livelihoods of smallholders in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia. While contrasting perspectives between producers and ag/vet suppliers were documented, the research indicates that poultry production significantly contributes to the well-being of these communities in Europe and Central Asia. In...

Georgian changemaker’s fight for food security turns surplus into sustenance and waste into hope

On the 12th of October, 2024, Biological Farming Association Elkana held an event entitled “Elkana - 30 Years of Supporting Organic Production and Agricultural Biodiversity in Georgia” to mark the 30th anniversary of founding of the Association. The event was orgaised at the Elkana Seed Ark farm, located in the...

This case study comes from the Bilim Alliance and Schola Campesina and is part of the Catalogue of Evidence-Based Cases for Agroecology, a collaborative platform showcasing real-world experiences from grassroots organisations worldwide. Evidence-based advocacy for agroecology raises awareness, engages people in working toward healthier food systems, influences decision-makers, and sustains or restores healthier ecosystems...

Conference Market Prospects of Organic and Fairtrade Hazelnut Production by Small-Holder Farmers Groups in Georgia was organized by Biological Farming Association Elkana and Swiss organization HEKS-EPER South Caucasus Office on June 20, 2024, in the Courtyard by Marriott Tbilisi. The conference was opened by Elkana Director Mariam Jorjadze and HEKS-EPER South...

This case study comes from the Bilim Alliance and Schola Campesina and is part of the Catalogue of Evidence-Based Cases for Agroecology, a collaborative platform showcasing real-world experiences from grassroots organisations worldwide. Evidence-based advocacy for agroecology raises awareness, engages people in working toward healthier food systems, influences decision-makers, and sustains or restores healthier ecosystems...

Nestled in the vast plains of Georgia, in the shadows of the snow-covered Caucasus mountains, Malika Machalikashvili’s farm in Pankisi Gorge was once pretty traditional. She and her family shared the day-to-day work of caring for the livestock and poultry, gardening the vegetables and taking care of the hazelnut orchard,...

Organic farming and agroecology have a potential to considerably improve the agri-food sector and help make it fairer, healthier and more sustainable. Present world crises such as climate change, pandemics and wars create an urgent need for transition to a new, more resilient agroecological food system. Furthermore, due to its...

Agriculture is a fundamentally important human activity that intrinsically depends on nature and at the same time poses a threat to it. Agriculture depends on healthy ecosystems and ecosystem services, such as fresh water, soil fertility, nutrient cycling, pest regulation and pollination. Biodiversity forms the foundation of food production: without...

Exploring Georgia’s gastronomy offers tourists unique insights into the country and its culture.   Enriching tourists’ experiences also has the potential to attract more visitors which can generate vital income in rural communities.   The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are...

Earlier this summer, renowned Georgian chef Guram Baghdoshvili prepared khinkali – a traditional Georgian meat-filled dumpling – on an Instagram live hosted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and FAO. As Baghdoshvili took viewers through the steps – rolling out the dough, mixing the filling, shaping the dumpling just so to prevent...

Continuous improvement of Georgia’s agriculture, agrifood systems, rural livelihoods, export opportunities, and food safety – responding to climate change, land degradation, biodiversity, and other environmental issues – are among the priorities set out in a new agreement of FAO and Georgia signed here today. Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Otar...

Building on its rich gastronomic traditions, cultural heritage and striking scenery, Georgia’s ambition is to become a top sustainable agritourism destination in the region in the next decade.  To help make that happen, FAO and the EBRD are partnering with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, the Georgian National...

Azerbaijani and Georgian teas took centre stage during an online celebration on the eve of the second International Tea Day. FAO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) hosted the roundtable event to highlight the countries’ potential to produce high quality and specialty teas. They also shared findings from their...