Team
Project Development and Analysis Department
The task of the department is to manage and monitor existing projects, assess potential risks and technical issues and develop appropriate mitigation plans. The department will develop existing projects and prepare new project proposals for consideration. Participates in the planning, implementation and monitoring of the organization’s services and sales.
Irina Tkhelidze
Agrobusiness Development Expert/Specialist
Irina Tkhelidze
Irina has been with GFA since 2019. In the association, she leads the following projects: “Farm Support Initiative” (FSI); Demeter; “It’s Tzalka.” She has 20 years of work experience in the state, private and non-governmental sectors. She received a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the Technical University of Georgia, specializing in public administration. is a Master of Economics School ESM. She is the co-author of the manual “Relationship with financial institutions” initiated by the National Bank.
Anka Babunashvili
Project Coordinator
Anka Babunashvili
Anka has been working at GFA since 2017. Anka Babunashvili is a project management expert. She holds a diploma from the School of Public Administration at Caucasus University and a Project Management Certificate from Cambridge International College.
Anka has contributed to numerous initiatives aimed at agricultural development, women’s economic empowerment, and rural economic growth. Her experience and skills are highly relevant for working in the fields of project management and digital innovation. Anka has accumulated significant experience working with various international organizations, including USAID, UN Women, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Her work involves coordinating projects and engaging in digital transformation processes. She coordinates multiple projects of the Georgian Farmers’ Association, implemented in partnership with international organizations such as UNDP, Swisscontact, and Helvetas. Many of these projects focus on strengthening rural economies and developing sustainable agritourism.
Nika Ninua
Fund seeker/CSR Specialist
Nika Ninua
Agro-business monitoring specialist since 2021. Has work experience as a monitoring specialist in “Regional Development Association” (RDA). Responsible for monitoring the agricultural projects of the association, collecting and updating data, preparing reports. Bachelor of Law (Tbilisi State University Faculty of Law).
Elene Pitskhelauri
Development Specialist
Elene Pitskhelauri
Specialist for development of associations from 2022 – in the project “Investing in safe and quality livestock” – SQIL, funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is implemented in Georgia by Land’o Lakes Venture37 in partnership with the Georgia Farmers Association. As a food safety specialist, she has eight years of work experience in the National Food Agency and the Food Department of the National Food Agency. She was an intern of the same organizations. She is an expert in the field of authorization of professional educational institutions and professional training/professional retraining program of the Center for the Quality of Education of the State Educational Institution. has the experience of working as a professional teacher in “Kaspi Vocational College”; Leads the program – “Ensuring compliance with food safety standards in the enterprise”. Master of Public Health and Policy (University of Georgia (UG) Bachelor of Public Health (Tbilisi State Medical University); has completed professional trainings and certification courses.
Simon tsikarishvili
Project Coordinator
Simon tsikarishvili
Procurement and Monitoring Assistant since 2019. Prior to that, she was an intern at the Financial-Economic Department of the Ministry of Finance, specializing in public procurement.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Caucasus International University. As part of the ERASMUS+ exchange program, she completed a study program in Spain at the Universidad de Alcalá.
Nino Jibuti
Project Manager / CSR
Nino Jibuti
Nino Jibuti is a Project Manager at the Georgian Farmers’ Association (GFA) and a Professional Internship Program Coordinator at the American Councils’ Tbilisi office. She has over ten years of experience in implementing donor-funded programs in both local and international organizations. Her areas of interest include Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), good governance, civic activism, rural development, and the empowerment of vulnerable groups.
As a researcher, Nino worked on research projects within the framework of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowship Program in 2022 and 2024. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU), during which she spent an academic year at Charles University in Prague through a bilateral exchange scholarship program.
Nino also earned a European Master’s degree in Social Policy, delivered by a consortium of universities: ISCTE – Lisbon, Portugal; the University of Stavanger – Stavanger, Norway; and the University of Gothenburg – Gothenburg, Sweden.

