Project “Support to Sustainable Value Chains through the Development of Geographical Indications in the Dairy Sector” is Coming to an End

Today, on November 19, 2019, on the occasion of the successful completion of the Project “Support to Sustainable Value Chains through the Development of Geographical Indications in the Dairy Sector” the event was organized. The aim of the event was to summarize the Project results and to demonstrate the lessons learned. To facilitate effective development of the geographical indications system in Georgia, the Project was implemented from 2017 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and the National Intellectual Property Centre of Georgia SAKPATENTI.

At the conference “Georgian Food Heritage: Way to Successful and Inclusive Geographical Indications”, held at Krtsanisi Residence complex, producers and retailers shared their experience, demonstrating how a successful scheme of geographical indications can assist quality products in occupying an outstanding place on the saturated market. In addition, the participants received information on the role of successful partnership of government agencies and other institutions in the improvement of framework conditions on the national level.

The Project was implemented with the support of the Biological Farming Association “Elkana” and REDD (Switzerland), as a result of which the institutional potential related with geographical indications was developed, the primary draft for the revision of the Law on Geographical Indications was prepared and a survey of the local foodstuffs of Georgian origin was carried out.  Along with this, to facilitate two pilot products of geographical indications and their value chain in the dairy sector, the Project team cooperated closely with the producers of Sulguni and Tushuri Guda. In consequence, the specifications of these GIs were revised taking into account the details of the current practice and issues of food safety. After entering the amendments into the specifications, the status of the Georgian geographical indication cheese was changed for the first time and “Tushuri Guda” has become the first cheese of appellation of origin. 

 The producers and other interested parties raised their qualification on food safety, cheese tasting, certification and marketing issues. Creation and popularization of other denominations related with geographical indications and origin will facilitate retaining the rich food heritage and outstanding biodiversity of Georgia, as well as improvement of producers’ incomes and economic growth.

Development of the geographical indications system is one of the priority directions of the Government of Georgia. Protection of geographical indications also represents one of the significant issues within the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement (DCFTA) with the European Union.