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

The draft law of Georgia on " Management of Pastures" was discussed at the meeting.

During the working meeting, the state officials and representatives of the non-governmental organizations addressed pasture identification, zoning, ownership rights, category changes, the common use of pastures, and pasture management-related issues.

Mr.  Tengiz Nasaridze, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, and Mrs. Mzia Giorgobiani, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, attended the meeting. 
Mr. Nasaridze emphasized current challenges in pasture management, noting that the draft law will be completed shortly.

"Our farmers and local and national governments have struggled with pasture management for years. During the working meetings, we agreed on the top issues, which will be reflected in the draft law. 
We think to present the draft law to the public in the format of public discussions within the next few months. The law was drafted by considering the interests of the residents and farmers," said Mr. Tengiz Nasaridze.

The draft law on pasture management aims to prevent the degradation of pastures, preserve biodiversity, improve productivity, ensure access, and promote sustainable development of the livestock sector by creating legal bases for sustainable pasture management. 
The draft law will regulate the management of pastures in state, municipal, and private hands, and also protected areas, including those managed by the Agency for Protected Areas, protected landscapes, multi-use zones, forests, and pastures located beyond their boundaries.

According to the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, Mrs Mzia Giorgobiani, it is essential to have a dialogue of a similar format to correctly define the role of agencies and prepare everyone to face the reform.

The Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus organized the meeting with the support of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) within the project ‘’Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality Targets of Georgia through Restoration and Sustainable Management of Degraded Pasturelands’’.