The FINANCIAL — The EU-funded European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) has drawn up a plan together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to support the Georgian dairy sector.
This plan aims to improve legal and institutional frameworks, promote and protect products and make them more valuable, according to EU Neighbours East Info.
Following the proposals of the ENPARD and FAO, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will start a new three-year project to enhance the sustainability of the Georgian dairy value chain through the development and protection of Geographical Indications (GIs).
“Enhancing the efficiency of Georgia’s system for GIs, combined with an effective marketing strategy, can help to strengthen the quality and safety standards and increase consumers’ confidence [in] labels,” said Victoria Zinchuk, Head of Agribusiness Advisory at the EBRD. “This can be achieved through the establishment of reliable control and certification systems for GIs, but also by boosting added-value for products.”
Geographical Indications are food quality labels associating specific products to the geographical location of production, and particular qualities or reputations linked to their origin and traditional methods of production. More than 40 Georgian products have been registered as GIs in Georgia – Chacha, Churchkhela, Meskhetian Chechili, Megrelian Sulguni, Machakhela Honey, Akhalkalaki Potatoes, etc. – but they are not yet being used as a marketing tool and do not generate significant economic benefits in terms of price premium, value chain efficiency, and access to markets.
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