Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia

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Otar Shamugia signed the Agreement for the New Project "Inclusive Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture".

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Mr. Otar Shamugia, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Georgia, Mr. Raimund Jehle, signed an Agreement for the new Project "Inclusive Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture", aiming to promote an increase of competitiveness in the agricultural sector, boost food production, adopt new technologies, and raise knowledge among farmers while alleviating poverty in rural areas, supporting a gender-responsive, inclusive, and participatory approach and achieving social balance in the field.

"I would express my sincere appreciation to FAO and the Austrian government, particularly the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), for their long-standing support and collaboration. We have completed several significant projects through joint efforts. As we are aware, Georgia is at a new stage of cooperation with the European Union, and I would emphasize that the involvement of FAO and partner organizations in the mentioned process is particularly important. Moreover, we have to fulfil several recommendations since acquiring the EU candidate status thus, ensuring their timely and effective implementation is our agenda and priority. I believe that with coordinated efforts, the new project will significantly contribute to strengthening the agricultural sector and support the effective implementation of recommendations," said Mr. Otar Shamugia.

The representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Georgia, Mr. Raimund Jehle, thanked the Minister, stating that the signing of the new project is the confirmation of the support for Georgia and future collaboration with the Georgian side.

According to Mr. Raimund Yele, FAO supports the rapprochement of Georgia with the European Union. He also emphasized that the signing of the new project marks the beginning of a new stage in the agricultural development in the country.

It is worth mentioning that the project has a budget of USD 4 million and will run for four years with the technical assistance of local and international experts.
The target groups of the ‘’Inclusive Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture’’ project are farmers, cooperatives, rural households, educational institutions, private sector representatives, and owners of family farms, which will be selected at the initial stage of the project from two pilot municipalities, in consultation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, FAO, ADC, and other stakeholders.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will implement the project in collaboration with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, with financial support from the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), and in close cooperation with the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia.