Tbilisi, Georgia, October 16, 2014
—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Georgian Farmers’ Association are helping Georgian farmers introduce a key global standard to boost farm production and ramp up exports to the European Union.
IFC and the Georgian Farmers’ Association hosted a two-day workshop in Tbilisi on October 15-16 on GLOBALG.A.P., an internationally recognized set of agricultural standards that are required for export to the EU. The event was supported by Bank Republic Société Générale Group.
“This was the first workshop of its kind in the Caucasus,” said Nino Zambakhidze, Chairwoman of the Georgian Farmers Association. “We joined IFC in this pioneering initiative because we believe that Georgian farmers will benefit from introducing this key international standard, especially in light of the export opportunities provided by the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.”
Maia Tevzadze, Project Manager for the Caucasus, IFC Agribusiness Standards Advisory in Europe and Central Asia, said: “World Food Day, celebrated today, this year focuses on family farming and smallholder farmers. This is particularly relevant in Georgia, where the majority of the poor lives in rural areas and relies on agriculture for a living. By supporting farmers, we hope to help these communities grow and develop Georgia's agricultural potential."
The GLOBALG.A.P. standard helps companies assess and reduce food safety-related risks and thereby increase consumer confidence in the quality of their products. It also ensures a responsible approach to worker health and safety.
Agribusiness is a priority for IFC in Europe and Central Asia. IFC supports the growth of the sector through a comprehensive set of investment and advisory services along the agribusiness value chain. The IFC Agribusiness Standards Advisory Program in Europe and Central Asia is part of these efforts. The program is supported with funds from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance.
Georgia became an IFC member in 1995. Since then, IFC has invested $810 million in 60 projects across various sectors and supported regional projects developed in the country. IFC has also implemented a number of advisory projects focused on the development of the private sector.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private enterprises in about 100 countries, we use our capital, expertise, and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. In FY14, we provided more than $22 billion in financing to improve lives in developing countries and tackle the most urgent challenges of development. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
.
Stay Connected
For more information about the Georgian Farmers Association,
please visit
www.gfa.com.ge
.
For more information about Bank Republic Société Générale Group,
please visit
www.br.ge
.
