Samegrelo. UN Women and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have started promoting the economic empowerment of women farmers in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. „As part of the project “Promoting the Economic Empowerment of Women Farmers through the Support of Farmer Field School (FFS) Approaches”, the representatives of the two UN agencies met with the current and potential partners in the target region and discussed future prospects for cooperation. In particular, the content and goals of the project were introduced to the organizations working on the issues of women’s empowerment in Zugdidi Municipality; a consultation meeting was held with the head of the Social Protection Department, Gogi Revia. As a result, future plans for the cooperation between UN Women and the municipality in raising awareness on one of the components of the project - women’s rights and domestic violence - have been outlined.” Read more… Source: georgia.unwomen.org

Tbilisi. Social Justice Center presents an article by Mariam Devidze – “Visible or invisible: Climate change and work of rural women”. “Climate change is a global problem that confronts all countries around the world with a lot of challenges. According to a statement made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the consequences of climate change hamper the implementation of agricultural activities and water supply, which has an impact on such issues as food safety, availability, and retention of prices. It should be noted that the main contributors to climate change are rich countries and populations, while its detrimental consequences affect mostly poor countries (including Georgia) and marginalized as well as vulnerable groups of the population, and there are also women among them. As a result, social and global inequality is furthermore exacerbated”, - is stated in the article. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a video story: Women’s work – indoor and outdoor. “Women in Georgia spend three times more time on family affairs than men. Nadi tradition is still preserved in Zemo Adjara. Mutual aid was initially based on the principle of voluntary assistance, without any obligations or remuneration. Women share work with each other for free”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

To support practical training in six vocational colleges, we provided GEL 800,000 worth of agriculture machinery and food processing equipment.  This initiative was implemented with funds from the Swiss Development Cooperation in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of Georgia.  Read more…  Source: The page in the social network

Georgia. More than 700 farmers from all over Georgia participated in training programs organized by FAO in 2020 with the support of the European Union (EU), under the ENPARD program. FAO international and local agronomists conducted a comprehensive training program through hands-on field training throughout the country.  The sessions covered many critically-important topics, including soil preparation and seed selection, irrigation, harvesting, post-harvest storage, and transportation to the markets. With more than 40 demonstration plots established in various regions of Georgia, the country's farmers have had the opportunity to observe and learn the best agricultural practices in the field first-hand. Many of these farmers have already succeeded in bringing these modern innovations to their plots and enjoyed the benefits.  Read more…   Source: The web-page of the organization

USAID is partnering with farmers across Georgia to strengthen their post-harvest management, the key to the country’s efforts to build a more modern and profitable agriculture sector.  Read more… Source: The page in the social network

Local Democracy Agency Georgia is holding an agrotour complying with national regulations within the framework of the grant “Racha-Lechkhumi and lower Svaneti Regional Development Initiative”. „This time the farmers from Lentekhi municipality have visited following successful enterprises in Ambrolauri and Oni municipalities: The farm and ham plant of “Blauenstein Georgia”; Honey processing plant in Ambrolauri; Dried fruit processing plant in Ambrolauri. The farmers got information about honey processing methods, the technology of producing different types of ham and dried fruit“. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. In support of women's empowerment, UN Women has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Agricultural and Rural Development Agency of Georgia.  The overall objective of the Memorandum of Understanding is to provide support to women, especially vulnerable women through special economic empowerment programs developed by the Agricultural and Rural Development Agency.  Read more…  Source: Page in the social network

Samegrelo. On September 18, certification of the participants of the Blueberry Farming Consultant training course was held. The course is implemented within the Dual Vocational Education Program. 23 internally displaced people and the conflict-affected youth residing in the Samegrelo region participate in the program. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Young farmers of Tsnori Agro School will supply their harvest to the Tbilisi agro market, Café “Mziuri” on August 7, at 17:00. Young farmers at 8-13 years of age learned at the online agro school of “Knowledge Café” how to grow 5 crops and on Friday, in the yard of Café “Mziuri”, they will meet you at the agro market and bring: cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli. A fun agro quiz is going to be held for young guests of the agro market, winners of which will receive agro stickers as presents. While money gained from the agro market will be transferred by young farmers from Kiziki to construct a building for “Knowledge Café”. Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Shida Kartli. Within the Dual Vocational Education Programme, the short-term vocational training courses in Vet Technicians are underway for the internally displaced people and the conflict-affected youth residing in the Shida Kartli region. The courses have 13 participants.  EU4Youth – Enhancing Youth Education, Employment, and Participation in Conflict-affected Areas in Georgia and Ukraine is implemented by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC) in Georgia. The project is funded by the European Union. Read more…  Source: The page in the social network

Delegation of the European Union to Georgia began Campaign on EU support to Georgian farmers – “A Good Harvest”.  “Over the course of the next two weeks, we told you how farmers can have 40% larger yields with 30% lower costs, and secure against challenges like drought. The EU together with the FAO have been working across the country teaching modern farming approaches, and these are the results farmers are seeing”, - is mentioned in the information the Delegation of the European Union spread.  Read more   Source: The web-page of the organization

Tbilisi. Within the framework of the capacity building program Public Movement Multinational Georgia (PMMG) organized trainings for ethnic minority entrepreneurs residing in Ninotsminda, Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe, Gardabani, Marneuli, and Bolnisi Municipalities.  During the training highly qualified and experienced experts introduced the participants to the stages and ways of developing, planning and implementing a business plan. Participants, including representatives of agriculture businesses received comprehensive information on funding mechanisms through state and non-state programs, as well as on the use of tools under the Free Trade Agreement with the EU.  Read more   Source: The page in the social network

Tbilisi. The marketer collected all grants announced by the United States Agency for International Development in one blog post. Check out the grant competitions and apply in case you get interested. Read more… Source:www. marketer.ge

How to apply for rural development grants? All you need to know is in the Applicants’ Guidelines. The programme is funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP Georgia and the Agency for Rural Development and Agriculture. Read more... Source: EU’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. As a part of this process, the first rural development Advocacy Manual in Georgia “Advocacy for Sustainable and Inclusive Rural Development” has been produced with the EU and UNDP Georgia support. “The document is intended to equip local community members with practical knowledge and instruments to advocate for the local needs-based policies and actions in their respective municipalities”. Read more… Source: EU’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. Due to the Transparency International Georgia GEL 40 Million Being Spent Without Tenders through Village Support Programme. “The Village Support Programme has set a dangerous precedent of a blanket authorization of simplified procurement being issued for multiple procurements. In addition to contradicting the requirements of the law, this also directly contradicts the State Procurement Agency's publicly declared goal of reducing the share of simplified procurement in public procurement. The steps taken toward this goal have yielded impressive results in recent years: The share of simplified procurement in public procurement fell from 37% to 19% between 2016 and 2018. In this context, it is not clear why the State Procurement Agency has issued blanket authorization to spend all of the Village Support Programme's funds through simplified procurement”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

The United State Government actively supports Georgia's agricultural development. The USAID Agriculture Program's innovation grants are one of the ways the United States supports agricultural development in Georgia. If you are an entrepreneur or represent an enterprise, feel free to apply for the innovation grant by December 31, 2020. For details, please visit... Source: Social network

Tbilisi. The European Union and the United Nations Development Program are launching GEL 9 million grant program to help Georgia’s rural regions respond to the economic and social challenges emerging amidst the #COVID19 crisis. „The grants are designed to boost rural entrepreneurship, create sustainable jobs, improve the management of natural resources, and promote climate action“. Learn more... Source: Social network

In the village of Mtisdziri, Vani municipality, Keti Tomeishvili has given her greenhouse to her four women employees for free. COVID19 has left many families without any work and related income. Now they are fully dependent on the salary that women earn at Keti’s cucumber greenhouse. “I have increased women’s salaries, but it was not enough. So, I gave one of the greenhouses to women. In three weeks there is a cucumber harvest and I will also help them to sell the harvest. Staying for some months without profit will not impoverish me, but this income is critical for them and their families” – says Keti Tomeishvili. Keti Tomeishvili is one of the beneficiaries of the UN Women’s project “A Joint Action for Women’s Economic Empowerment in Georgia.” The project is funded by Norwegian Government and implemented by UN Women in partnership with Georgian Farmer’s Association. Read more… Source: Social network

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) releases a statement and demands registration of plots of agricultural land for eco-migrants relocated from Adjara to the Khikhani village. “There are unbearable social and economic conditions in the village. The primary problem of the local community is inaccessibility of land and water resources. Local population have no agricultural land other than homestead land resources, which fact deprives them of the opportunity to develop small-scale agriculture locally. In addition to this there is no irrigation system in the village”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Ajara. Within the framework of the EU-funded project, “Optimising the Potential of Local Assets for Rural Development of Keda Municipality,” the second Rural Development Grant Competition has concluded and the results announced.  By the grant commission of CENN, Institute of Democracy and the Keda LAG board. As a result, 22 projects were selected. The project allocations, according to the priority objectives defined by the Keda Municipality Local Development Strategy, are as follows: Agriculture – 5; Diversification of economic activities – 8; Tourism – 9.  The EU-supported ENPARD project is implemented by CENN in partnership with the Centre for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), Institute of Democracy (IoD) and the Austrian Institute for Regional Studies and Spatial Planning (ÖIR). The project aims to diversify local economic activities, improve the investment climate, and empower competitive agricultural and environmental practices in Keda Municipality via bottom-up strategic planning in rural development.  Read more… Source: http://enpard.ge