The idea to establish the Farmer’s Council was first initiated back in December 2016 when GFA presented its concept to farmers and representatives of governmental and non-governmental sector. The Farmer’s Council was then established on September 25, 2017 by the majority of farmers votes.
Recommendations for establishment of an effective advisory body in the agricultural sector were developed with participation of individual experts and with the support of international organizations “Care International in the Caucasus”and “Oxfam” organizations, under the EU funded ENPARD project “Improving Regional Food Security through National Strategies and Small Holder Production in the South Caucasus.
Goals of the Farmers’ Council:
- Protect the rights of farmers and ensure their participation in policy development processes;
- Extend the GFA communication network at the municipal level for more efficient promotion of farmers’ interests;
- Deliver ongoing monitoring to identify and address the problems emerging in the regions at early stages;
- Establish the Farmers’ Council as a mandated body to promote and ensure interests of business-oriented farmers;
- Ensure maximum involvement of farmers in decision-making processes within the Food and Agriculture sector, on both municipal and institutional levels;
- Promote and strengthen farmers’ visibility.
The Structure of the Farmers’ Council
The Council’s governance structure, along with its charter and regulations, were developed with the recommendations of experts. A procedural scheme was established and the number of representatives as well as their selection criteria were finalized. An application form was developed for the potential candidates from across Georgia. Selected candidates were then nominated by the selection committee and assigned as per the municipalities.
On September 25, 2017 the members of the council (Beka Gonashvili, Mindia Kavtaradze and Mari Kodua ) elected a Vice speaker through an electronic voting system (eVote):
The Speaker of the Council is the GFA Chairwoman Nino Zambakhidze.
