“The Georgian Technical University is a research-oriented higher educational institution that plays an important role in the development of the agrarian sector and agriculture. For many years, the university has been purposefully working on the analysis of local practice, studying international experience and adapting it to the conditions of our country, which, in turn, serves to establish a sustainable, ecologically clean and highly productive agricultural model in Georgia,” said Professor Nino Chkhartishvili, Head of the Department of Viticulture and Enology of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Biosystem Engineering of the Georgian Technical University.

A delegation from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Biosystem Engineering participated in a five-day international workshop held in the Czech Republic, within the framework of the global project “Development of family farms and short food supply chains: sharing the experience of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.”

According to Professor Nino Chkhartishvili, in Georgia, as in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the agricultural sector is mainly based on family farms. Although family farms make a significant contribution to strengthening the local economy and ensuring food security, their main challenge is to maintain a competitive and sustainable position in the global market.

As Chkhartishvili states, the goal of the project is to respond to these challenges and share business strategies and models based on proven, successful practices in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, which will contribute to the strengthening of family farms and the introduction of short food supply chains (SFSC) in Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

„The SFSC model emphasizes the importance of local markets, direct sales of products from farms, effective use of social networks, and innovative marketing strategies. This approach helps restore the connection between farmers and consumers while promoting sustainable development in local agriculture. Georgian Technical University has been actively involved in international initiatives aimed at supporting farmers and advancing agricultural development for many years. We believe that support for the agricultural sector should go beyond theoretical knowledge, and must also address local needs and foster practical development. The ongoing project aims to create an essential platform allowing farmers to adopt Short Food Supply Chain (SFSC) models, based on the experiences of the Visegrad countries. This initiative will significantly improve their market positioning and promote sustainable development. As part of the project, meetings will be held with local farmers in Georgia, where practical examples tailored to the country’s social, economic, and geographical contexts will be shared. Special attention will be given to innovative strategies and tools that will assist farmers in effectively implementing SFSC principles in their practices, thereby enhancing their economic sustainability. This initiative will strengthen their economic sustainability,” says Professor Nino Chkhartishvili, Head of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the GTU Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Biosystem Engineering. 

The international project “Development of family farms and short food supply chains: sharing experiences of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland” is implemented with the support of Visegrad+ Grants and is coordinated by Mendel University in Brno.