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Food Security and Nutrition Programme Closure Event

Food Security and Nutrition Programme Closure Event

On September 14, 2017 at Expo Georgia, Oxfam hold the closure event of the EU-funded project titled “Improving Regional Food Security through National Strategies and Small Holder production in the South Caucasus”. Project has been implemented by Oxfam and its partner organization “Biological Farming Association Elkana” in Georgia and Armenia during 4 years.

Event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Giorgi Khanishvili, Attaché on Agriculture of the European Union Delegation to Georgia Ms. Christina Casella, FSN project team members, the Georgian Alliance on Agriculture and Rural Development (GAARD), state, non-state actors and international organizations. 

Oxfam Agriculture and Food Security Policy Programme manager Levan Dadiani made presentation on project impact and outcomes as well as the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned with the main focus on  how the results can be taken forward and work continued after the project is over.

At the end of the presentation he outlined policy massages and priorities on which the work will be continued by Oxfam legacy organization Bridge Innovation and Development together with the Georgian Alliance on Agriculture and Rural Development (GAARD).

Mainly they are:

  • Adoption of Law on Food Security
  • Increasing share of agricultural allocations in the state budget up to 10%
  • Increasing annual allocations for financing capital investment grant schemes for SHFs and AG COOPs up to GEL 25m;
  • Adopting Land Code
  • Inclusion of SHFs and local SMEs in the state procurement schemes for food
  • Promoting Gastronomic Tourism

Members of the alliance signed MoU which once again emphasized the willingness of the alliance to continue the advocacy of the project achievements and priorities in the future.

At the end of the event students award ceremony took place. The academic essay competition was announced within the project recently. The authors of three best works were revealed at the ceremony. Winners were awarded with the vouchers valued at 1,000 GEL.

During the project lifetime, several researches were carried out which aimed at developing a food security strategy and promoting local production through the support of small farmers. Researches and other materials are available at the website:  www.foodsecuritysc.com and www.bridge.org.ge.

 

  • AGAJ