News
Food Fair for small holder farmers and cooperatives
In December, Oxfam Georgia and the Biological Farming Association “Elkana” organized a New Year’s Food Fair of products by small holders and agricultural cooperatives with the slogan – “Food Sovereignty Now!”. The New Year’s Farmers’ Food Fair was held within the framework of the EU-funded project “Improving Regional Food Security through National Strategies and Small Holder production in the South Caucasus” implemented by Oxfam.
The traditional New Year’s Farmers’ Food Fair featured diverse, healthy and high quality agricultural products which the consumers purchased directly from the farmers. This year 54 farmers participated and the value of the sold product was totaled at GEL 63,000.
Marika Kandorelishvili, the small farmer from the village located at South Osetian boundary line, said: `The small farmers need to have the markets opened and accessible to provide the products directly to the consumer. This will give us chance to sell the products in high rates and the consumer will get it in lower price, as we will avoid the second-hand dealer mark -up, that makes the prices unaffordable for many people`
The objective of the traditional Food Fair is to increase accessibility to markets for small holders and create an opportunity to establish direct contact with costumers, for, on the one hand, consumers to be able to buy fresh local products and on the other hand to support the economic strengthening of small holders. The Food Fair additionally aims to raise public awareness regarding different topics related to food security. The main theme of 2016 Food Fair was Food Sovereignty. The term, “Food Sovereignty” first appeared in 1996 and means the joint participation of food manufacturers, sellers and consumers in the formation of food policy.
The main area of concentration for Food Sovereignty is the needs of the people who are producing, selling and consuming the food products and not market and corporate interests. Therefore this concept includes food production using local agro-ecological methods for costumers to have the opportunity to buy fresh and culturally appropriate food.
One of the mechanisms for overcoming the challenges of food security is the development of small farming and the support of accessibility to local markets for small holders, which on its part will increase the production of local diverse products.
Citizens through buying the farmers products, expressed their support for Food Sovereignty, development of small farming and increase of local production by participating in the Food Fair.
