AFD approves a grant of Euro300,000 in support of Georgia Land Management Agency for the modernization of agriculture
Tuesday, April 27
On April 26, the Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Georgia, Mr. Levan Davitashvili and the Ambassador of France to Georgia, Mr. Diego Colas visited the farm of Dmanisi Livestock Ltd. During the visit, the French Ambassador announced a Euro 300,000 grant to the French Development Agency in support of the National Agency for Sustainable Land Management and Land Use Monitoring. This document is a presentation of "GREEN ALLIANCE", in the framework of which, namely, French and Georgian investors introduce new technologies and modern training for the development of Georgian agriculture.
Agro Industrial Group "GREEN ALLIANCE" was established in 2019 by Georgian, French and Dutch partners who have many years of experience in the same field. The group is led by Mr. Jacques Flour, who has 25 years of experience in Georgia in the field of agro-industry, and his name is associated with the resumption of production of "Borjomi" and the reconstruction of "Chateau Mukhrani".
In December 2020, the Agence francaise de developpement (AFD) has approved a grant of Euro300,000 under its FEXTE fund (Technical expertise and experience exchange fund) to support the newly established National Agency for Sustainable Land Management and Land Use Monitoring (NASLMLUM) operating within the framework of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA).
The aim is to create the conditions for the development of modern agriculture that generates income for farmers. In October 2020, experts from the Agriculture, Rural Development and Biodiversity division of AFD conducted a mission in Georgia to define the different components of this technical cooperation program.
As part of this program, a detailed study will be launched to further analyze the challenges related to agricultural land management in Georgia, such as the high level of land fragmentation, the level of productivity, security of land tenure etc. This study will compound a historical approach of land management policies in Georgia, and initiate an analysis of the legal, institutional and operational framework and of the land market regulation.
Technical assistance will also be provided to the Land Management Agency, to support the operationalization of the agency, and establish a diagnosis of the land management sector in Georgia.
AFD grant will finance the partnership between NASLMLUM / MEPA and French partners, such as Geofit, the National Institute of Geography (IGN FI) and the Society for Land Management and Agriculture Property of Ile de France Region (SAFER Ile de France).
“This operation is fully in line with AFD's mandate in Georgia to support green and inclusive growth, in a sector identified for cooperation: agriculture. Different challenges exist on the question of agricultural/rural land and its management. For example, only 30% of land is currently registered, the status of communal land systems is not clearly defined and the level of fragmentation is very high. This induces additional difficulties when it comes to environmental protection of the land, as well as productivity”, said the Head of the AFD South Caucasus regional office, Mr. Raphael Jozan.
“After a year of health crisis and the related economic challenge, it is clear that agriculture is a strategic economic sector. Georgia has considerable competitive advantage in this sector and we, in France, working as part of Team Europe, are keen to be a major partner of Georgian authorities as they strive to develop this sector. This determination fits squarely in the emphasis on green and inclusive growth, a key objective both of the AFD and of Team Europe. With FINEXCOOP, an EU-funded and AFD-implemented project, we have, since 2018, provided technical assistance to many small scale dynamic semi commercial farmers. 12 pilots projects are operational, 8 more are projected to be operational before the end of the year.” highlighted HE. Mr. Diego Colas, Ambassador of France to Georgia.
