Team
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 Babunashvili has been working at the Georgian Farmers’ Association (GFA) since 2017. She is responsible for managing and coordinating donor-funded projects focused on rural economic development, agritourism, and small entrepreneurship. Anka is actively involved in the design and implementation of programs that support local agri-enterprises, particularly those operating in the agritourism and rural development sectors.
She has extensive experience collaborating with a range of international development organizations, including USAID, UN Women, FAO, UNDP, Swisscontact, and Helvetas.
Her work includes project structuring, coordination with partners, monitoring field activities, and providing technical assistance to beneficiaries.
Prior to joining GFA, she supported initiatives promoting women’s economic empowerment, sustainable tourism, and value chain development in rural areas. Her work is centered around strengthening local businesses, increasing access to knowledge and resources, and promoting inclusive economic growth in rural communities.
Anka holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the Caucasus School of Governance at Caucasus University and an advanced certificate in Project Management from Cambridge International College.
With a hands-on approach to project delivery and close cooperation with local stakeholders, Anka contributes to the GFA’s mission of building a stronger, more resilient rural economy through practical, impact-driven development initiatives.
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
Elene Pitskelauri works as a Food Safety and Service Development Specialist at the Georgian Farmers’ Association (GFA). She joined the GFA team in 2022 as an Association Development Specialist under the USDA – funded project “Investing in Safe and Quality Livestock” (SQIL), which is implemented in Georgia by Land O’Lakes Venture37 in partnership with the Georgian Farmers’ Association.
Elene has eight years of professional experience in food safety, having worked in the Food Department of the National Food Agency of Georgia.
She also serves as a food safety expert for the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (EQE), focusing on the authorization of vocational education institutions and the evaluation of vocational training/retraining programs. Additionally, she is a nutrition expert for early childhood and preschool education in the same institution.
Elene has experience as a vocational teacher at the Kaspi Vocational College, where she leads the program “Ensuring Compliance with Food Safety Standards in the Enterprise.”
She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and Policy from the University of Georgia (UG), and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health at Tbilisi State Medical University. In addition, she has completed various 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 – At the Georgian Farmers’ Association (GFA), Nino serves as a project manager, supporting the organization with identifying additional resources and grant opportunities. She has ten years of experience working with both local and international organizations on donor-funded programs. Her areas of interest include public-private partnerships (PPP), good governance, civic activism, rural development, and the empowerment of vulnerable groups.
In the research capacity, Nino worked on research projects within the framework of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowship Programme 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 one academic year at Charles University in Prague through a bilateral exchange scholarship.
She also earned a European master’s degree in Social Policy, delivered by a consortium of universities – ISCTE in Lisbon, Portugal; the University of Stavanger in Stavanger, Norway; and the University of Gothenburg in Gothenburg, Sweden.
In April 2025, Nino completed a training course organized by Israel’s development agency (MASHAV Georgia) on “The Agricultural Development Israel Model.” Additionally, she led a delegation nominated by the Georgian Farmers’ Association as part of the Open World Program in Marquette, Michigan.

