Mission
To grow agro players’ profitability
Goal
To protect farmers’ rights and support them to compete on marketplace
History
Farmers in Georgia complain that in recent decades agrarian policy did not consider their problems and concerns. The lack of a strategic development plan and clear vision caused dissatisfaction. In 2012 the government of Georgia prioritized agriculture sector development and encouraged the initiation of a new law on cooperatives; it was clear that the majority of the farming communities are only symbolic in nature and are not ready to meet the challenges in the frame of new initiatives. Encouraging of the unification of legislation and the exchange of data is necessary to help the sector to progress. Most farmers are smallholders working on less than a hectare, often divided into separate micro-plots. Fragmentation and resulting tiny outputs reduce access of these farmers
to both input and output markets and limits options, since large-scale processors and marketers are not interested. With limited ability to achieve economies of scale, farmers have little incentive to raise production or increase quality. Most farmers also lack improved farming methods to do so. Other barriers are limited access to services and finance, weak infrastructure, unfavorable policies fostering import and lack of entrepreneurship.In Georgia there are small Industry specific associations, whose aim is to identify specific problems and to inform relevant government agencies and play a role in agricultural policy change / improve, but the issue of lobbying with such a mechanism is often useless, because having specific emphasis and not reflecting it in common context as part of a systemic change is unproductive. This problem led to creation of Georgian Farmers Association which would fill the space and gap between the state and its beneficiaries, also to play a role as “umbrella” organization, which aims to unite communities.
GFA’s call center provides farmers and stakeholders with useful information and helps to analyze current issues in agriculture
GFA establishes its value to members by giving guidance on governmental programs; links to service providers and sources of funding, markets and technical support; consultation on policy issues and representation of members’ interests; defense of smallholder farmers’ rights; participation in policy making; and advocacy of fair access to markets and resources.
Services
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Consultancy
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Capacity building of farmers by involving in different activities
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Workshops, seminars, trainings
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Research collaboration
Development/Capacity building
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Information gathering and dissemination
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Actual matchmaking
Linkages
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Problem dialogue between private sector and government;
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Recommendations;
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Lobbying farmers interests.
Advocacy
Committees and boards
Agricultural Projects' Management Agency at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Land Pricing Strategy Committee at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia
GUAARD board
Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Georgian SME Association
UNDP Platform for VET and extension in Agriculture.
National food agency advisory board
