Georgia: Climate resilience
Widespread improvements in the quality of life of many of the world’s populations have gone together with increased demands on natural resources. The planet is struggling to keep up, with increases in the average global temperature and the frequency of extreme weather events transforming ecosystems worldwide. Moreover, climate change impacts the world’s vulnerable people the most, many of whom lack the resources to adapt to new climate realities.
The dismal economic situation in Georgia has its most profound impact on rural areas which suffer from a high unemployment rate. We have been supporting agriculture in Georgia, as it is the source of livelihoods for most inhabitants.
PIN helps small subsistence farmers and their families escape poverty and supports the formation of cooperatives of like-minded farmers and gives them access to the information, knowledge, markets and services they need to develop their livelihoods.
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Ongoing aidORPast aid programmes
Introducing EU Phytosanitary Standards to Georgia
To contribute to the increase of the incomes of Georgian agriculture, it is necessary to improve the competitiveness of the country's producers for both local and international markets. This is the aim of the Project supported by USAID, to enhance the positive impacts of the planned national phytosanitary reform, that will allow country's agricultural sector to implement the national and EU legislation in plant health, pesticides and fertilizers, and laboratories. PIN will be working with various local partners to ensure that Georgian producers of plants and plant products are aware of phytosanitary requirements and able to comply with them.
Strengthening Rural Development Models in Georgia
To ensure the sustainability of the region it is necessary for people to come together and agree on a good strategy of development. LAGs - Local Action Groups - bring together members of civil society, entrepreneurs and local institutions to develop successful strategies for the future of their region. PIN supported in the past the creation of the LAG in the mountainous region of Kazbegi and now continues its effort to put in practice, based on good practices and lessons learned during the previous project, best ways to make LAGs more professional and sustainable, building their knowledge and capacity and providing them with the tools to allow them to operate independently after the project's completion.
Sustainable Development of Beekeeping in Georgia
Over the next 2 years, People in Need and the Czech Development Agency will be supporting beekeepers in five regions across Georgia. Working together, our aim is to increase the quality and quantity of bee-products.
People in Need will provide trainings to small-holder beekeepers as well as a modified manual, grants for equipment and establish a regional beekeeping education centre in Tbilisi.
The Czech Development Agency will also work directly with the Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture to introduce seven new methods for monitoring the quality of products. The laboratory will receive new equipment in order to be able to apply these quality measures and conduct better analysis of bee-products. Staff at the laboratory will also be trained on how to use the new equipment.
People in Need will provide trainings to small-holder beekeepers as well as a modified manual, grants for equipment and establish a regional beekeeping education centre in Tbilisi.
The Czech Development Agency will also work directly with the Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture to introduce seven new methods for monitoring the quality of products. The laboratory will receive new equipment in order to be able to apply these quality measures and conduct better analysis of bee-products. Staff at the laboratory will also be trained on how to use the new equipment.
Support for micro-sized enterprises and small farmers’ cooperation
In order to improve the economic situation of rural areas in particular, People in Need has provided small business owners and farmers with the support needed to establish their own businesses since 2006. All those applying for a grant are offered consultations and seminars aimed at the development of business plans.
Those who succeed in open competition are then provided with grants to purchase the equipment needed to start their business. The grant conditions include the obligation of each business owner and farmer to re-invest part of the grant value back in their village. This investment can be used for example on repair of a local healthcare centre or kindergarten. , In this way, over the past nine years People in Need has supported the establishment of over 200 micro-sized businesses in three regions of western Georgia as well as in the capital, Tbilisi. In addition, more than 100 community projects have been implemented.
Since 2009, People in Need has mainly supported cooperation between farmers and agribusinesses. The organization's experience shows that cooperation is essential for the development of agriculture as an economic sector. Since 2010, these efforts have resulted in the establishment of eleven cooperatives that bring together dozens of small farmers.
In 2013, People in Need launched project activities aimed at poverty reduction in rural areas of Georgia. In this scheme, People in Need provides support to business-oriented small farmers’ and rural entrepreneurs in Imereti and Racha regions with the aim to increase their productivity and income through membership in business coalitions – cooperatives and associations which provides an alternative to the prevailing practice of individual independent farming on fragmented fields with limited cooperation between particular enterprises. Membership in cooperatives and associations enables the reduction of operational costs, increases efficiency, improves quality of production and thus to make core markets more accessible. This is supported by project activities that include intensive organizational capacity building, technical sub-granting and ongoing field support. Development of enterprises and cooperatives is ensured through tailored trainings complemented by on-farm demonstrations of modern farming techniques and grant system. Agricultural enterprises are also being empowered to influence agricultural policy making processes at local, regional and national levels.
People in Need supports the setting-up of businesses that employ people from disadvantaged groups, such as refugees, women and young people from large families. Since 2012, the organization has taken part in the development of social entrepreneurship, which offers job opportunities to disadvantaged groups. By the end of 2014, four social enterprises employing socially disadvantaged youth were supported.
Those who succeed in open competition are then provided with grants to purchase the equipment needed to start their business. The grant conditions include the obligation of each business owner and farmer to re-invest part of the grant value back in their village. This investment can be used for example on repair of a local healthcare centre or kindergarten. , In this way, over the past nine years People in Need has supported the establishment of over 200 micro-sized businesses in three regions of western Georgia as well as in the capital, Tbilisi. In addition, more than 100 community projects have been implemented.
Since 2009, People in Need has mainly supported cooperation between farmers and agribusinesses. The organization's experience shows that cooperation is essential for the development of agriculture as an economic sector. Since 2010, these efforts have resulted in the establishment of eleven cooperatives that bring together dozens of small farmers.
In 2013, People in Need launched project activities aimed at poverty reduction in rural areas of Georgia. In this scheme, People in Need provides support to business-oriented small farmers’ and rural entrepreneurs in Imereti and Racha regions with the aim to increase their productivity and income through membership in business coalitions – cooperatives and associations which provides an alternative to the prevailing practice of individual independent farming on fragmented fields with limited cooperation between particular enterprises. Membership in cooperatives and associations enables the reduction of operational costs, increases efficiency, improves quality of production and thus to make core markets more accessible. This is supported by project activities that include intensive organizational capacity building, technical sub-granting and ongoing field support. Development of enterprises and cooperatives is ensured through tailored trainings complemented by on-farm demonstrations of modern farming techniques and grant system. Agricultural enterprises are also being empowered to influence agricultural policy making processes at local, regional and national levels.
People in Need supports the setting-up of businesses that employ people from disadvantaged groups, such as refugees, women and young people from large families. Since 2012, the organization has taken part in the development of social entrepreneurship, which offers job opportunities to disadvantaged groups. By the end of 2014, four social enterprises employing socially disadvantaged youth were supported.
