Project puts conflict zone produce on supermarket shelves

Produce from Georgia’s conflict zones is being sold on supermarket shelves as part of a government project to integrate the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia into Georgia’s economy.

Project coordinator Juba Maruashvili said that the initiative does not only involve ethnic Georgians.

“Ethnic Ossetians living on Georgian-controlled territory as well as on separatist-controlled territory are involved in the project. It is true that the number of the participants is not too high but each entrepreneur is very important for us. There is some contact with the Abkhaz side as well,” Maruashvili said.

The produce comes from Georgian-controlled areas of the South Ossetian conflict zone as well as Gali district in Abkhazia, according to the newspaper Ekonomikuri Palitra.

Supermarket chain Populi now sells nuts and honey from the conflict zones, and is due to begin stocking dairy and meat products from the areas. Conflict zone goods are marked with a special logo.

The project began a year ago, and Georgian companies such as Wissol Petroleum and Elit Electronics have opened branches in the conflict regions.