On April 3, 2025, Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences was visited by the Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia, Ms. Nino Tsilosani.

The meeting was held in the conference hall of the Academy. The meeting was opened by the President of the Academy, Academician Givi Japaridze. Among the attendees were the Vice-President of the Academy, Academician Guram Aleksidze, Deputy President, Academician Anatoly Giorgadze, Chief Academician-Secretary, Academician Aleksandre Didebulidze, Advisor to the Presidium, Academician Nodar Chitanava, Head of the Academic Department, Dr. Marine Barvenashvili, Head of the Staff of the Parliamentary Committee on Agrarian Issues, Mr. Iveri Akhalbedashvili, Advisor to the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Mr. Omar Kacharava, as well as members of the Presidium and the staff.

The president of the Academy, Givi Japaridze, on behalf of the attending public and agrarian scientists, congratulated Ms. Nino on her election as Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament, thanked her for her visit and for the great attention she shows to the activities of the Academy. He noted that Ms. Nino visited the Academy for the second time. The first visit was still in her capacity as the Chairperson of the Agrarian Issues Committee of the Parliament. It was during this period that a particularly close and business relationship was established between the Academy and the said Committee. One of the proofs of this is the joint project in connection with the nomination “Georgian Wheat Culture: Traditions and Rituals” submitted to UNESCO.

G. Japaridze also introduced Ms. N. Tsilosani to the current activities of the Academy. She spoke about the latest news, relations with the Georgian Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, local and foreign scientific, research and educational institutions; also spoke about international conferences held by the Academy, the activities of scientific departments, and the Academy’s print publications.

The Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament, Ms. N. Tsilosani, thanked the leadership of the Academy and the audience for the warm welcome and appreciation, and noted that such a welcome gave her even more motivation for joint activities and cooperation. Then she spoke about the publication “Georgian Agriculture: Transformation and Development Trends of the Last Decade”, which was published by the Agrarian Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia during her chairmanship.

He noted that agriculture plays an important role in the sustainable economic development of the country. A large part of the Georgian population is involved in the sector, and supporting this sector has a significant impact on the well-being of many members of society. That is why, for more than 10 years, the development of agriculture and rural areas has been one of the priorities for the state, which is supported by a clearly defined agrarian policy and the mobilization of significant financial resources in the sector. From 2012 to the present, agriculture has been undergoing a transformation. On this path, the main objectives of the policy were to increase the export of agri-food products and reduce dependence on imports, increase competitiveness in the sector, raise the standard of living in rural areas and promote economic activity, continuously develop the sector, ensure food security, and effectively respond to global challenges. The purpose of this publication is to summarize to some extent the policy pursued to achieve these objectives - the main directions of development of the agricultural sector over the decade, the progress achieved and the existing challenges. The idea and motivation for creating the publication was a key moment in Georgia's recent history - the emergence of new opportunities on the path to the European Union, in particular - the prospect of receiving candidate status by December 2023. It is at this turning point that a document summarizing the reforms, achievements and challenges implemented will be an important supporting resource in the process of rapprochement between our country and the European Union. Especially since the proposed publication very clearly shows the steps taken and the benefits received since the signing of the Association Agreement. With such a broad goal in mind, we cannot expect the publication to fully analyze every issue important to the sector, however, this document will provide the reader with the necessary information about legislative changes and reforms, facts and results, and will create a clear picture of the development trends of the agricultural sector in Georgia since independence. This publication will become a useful resource in the future for representatives of the private and public sectors, researchers, our international partners, young people interested in agriculture, and anyone else.

Ms. Nino also touched upon the issues of the nomination “Georgian Wheat Culture: Traditions and Rituals” submitted by Georgia to UNESCO.

It was noted that, at the initiative of the Agrarian Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia and the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, extensive work was carried out in the scientific-research direction, the goal of which was to prepare a new nomination within the framework of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and to include “Georgian Wheat Culture: Rituals and Traditions” in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. For this purpose, the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia allocated financial resources to the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, which financed scientific-research expeditions across the country. In total, 2 scientific researchers (ethnographer and wheat grower) and 2 technical personnel (operator and driver) participated in the expeditions.

At the initial stage, the entire process of preparing the nomination was planned, based on the recommendations of the working group members and two additionally involved anthropologists-ethnologists. In this context, in order to determine the viability of the element, expeditions were carried out in the following regions: Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Racha-Lechkhumi, Kartli, Upper and Lower Svaneti, Tusheti, Guria. Based on the expeditions, the following were found and recorded: local farmers who still ritually grow Georgian endemic wheat and who still bake sacrificial or everyday bread in traditional bakeries (bakeries and bakeries); the participation of endemic and traditional wheat products in autumn-winter customs and ritual cycles was studied. In accordance with the requirements of the nomination, the Bread Festival in Meskheti, the city of Akhaltsikhe, was also filmed, where a diverse assortment of bread baked with flour obtained from Georgian wheat was presented; interviews with farmers and bakers were recorded. One-day filming was devoted to master classes held in the format of the public group “Flour Hands” based on the “Elkana” foundation. A filming of unique artifacts was organized: we are talking about carbonized wheat samples, which were discovered on the territory of Kvemo Kartli and their age is determined to be 8 thousand years (6th millennium BC). These artifacts are preserved in the S. Janashia Georgian National and G. Chitaia Ethnographic Museums. It should also be noted that G. Exhibits related to wheat sowing, growing, and threshing are kept in the Chitaia Ethnographic Museum. Various types of plowing tools are exhibited: mountain and plain (large plow), kevri, kodi, etc. One field trip was organized in Guria, where the traditional Guri pie baking ritual was filmed.

Based on the obtained and studied video materials, a film was edited for submission to UNESCO.

On February 5-6, 2024, at the Hotel "Republic" - "Event Hall", an international scientific conference "Georgian Wheat Culture - Rituals and Continuous Tradition of Use" was held, organized by the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and the Agricultural Research Center. The conference was supported by: the Committee on Agrarian Issues of the Parliament of Georgia; FAO-Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia and the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Georgia.

The International Organizing Committee of the conference was represented by scientists from 4 countries (Georgia, Japan, Great Britain, Bulgaria), and researchers and scientists from 6 countries (Georgia, Japan, Great Britain, Bulgaria, USA, Turkey) participated in the work of the conference (see a broad overview of the conference below).

In parallel with the preparatory work, the intangible cultural heritage monument “Georgian Wheat Culture: Rituals and Traditions” was designated as a national significance category by Resolution N-98 of the Government of Georgia and signed by the Prime Minister on March 27, 2024. As mentioned above, all these months of work were aimed at preparing the UNESCO nomination and, ultimately, the working group completed the preparation of the dossier to be sent to UNESCO, including:

1. A registration card for the element to be included in the Representative List;

2. A 10-minute video film depicting the element, with English subtitles;

3. 10 photos depicting the element;

4. Signed documents confirming the copyright of the visual material;

5. Up to 4,000 supporting signatures;

6. One supporting video appeal.

The above documents were sent to the Georgian National Agency for Cultural Heritage Protection, which forwarded the dossier to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent the dossier to the UNESCOS headquarters.

On February 11, 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter N-01/3640-11/02/2025 to the Committee on Agrarian Issues, which provided information that the Secretariat of the UNESCOS Convention on the Intangible Cultural Heritage had studied the technical side of the nomination “Culture of Wheat: Traditions and Rituals” submitted by Georgia.

According to the Secretariat, the dossier is complete and has been assigned registration number 02335. Accordingly, upon the recommendation of the Secretariat, the nomination will be discussed within the framework of the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee (December 8-13, 2025, Delhi).

At the end of the meeting, the leadership of the Academy once again thanked Ms. Nino for her visit and wished her progress and success in her further activities.

Joint Session

Joint Session of the Agrarian Innovation Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection and Forestry

   On April 2, 2025, a joint meeting of the Commission on Agrarian Innovations and the Department of Environmental Protection and Forestry under the Presidium of the Academy was held, at which Papuna Kapanadze, Head of the Forest Policy Division of the Biodiversity and Forestry Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, delivered a report on the topic: “Results of the First National Forest Census and Prepared Recommendations”. The speaker noted that forests are a natural resource of particular value for Georgia. 44.5% (3,100,500 ha) of the country’s territory is covered with forests, and according to this indicator, Georgia is among the countries rich in forests. Most forests are located on slopes of medium and high slopes, they perform very important soil protection and water regulation, sanitary-hygienic and other useful protective functions. In addition, the remaining forest areas of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus are of global ecological importance, as they represent the last intact forests remaining in the temperate climate zone.

As of today, forest management levels have not been recorded in most of Georgia’s forests. Accordingly, the lack of updated information on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of Georgia’s forests remains a challenge for the country’s forestry sector. On the one hand, the availability of updated information plays a decisive role in the process of political decision-making, which is one of the important issues in terms of improving the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forests and gradually accumulating carbon stocks, and on the other hand, increasing scientific and research potential.

In order to obtain updated information about the forests of Georgia, a national forest census was conducted in 2019-2022, and in 2022-2024 a statistical report was prepared on the quantitative and qualitative state of the forests of Georgia, and based on the report, policy recommendations were developed - Forests for the development of sustainable management.

The objectives of the national forest census were:

• Obtaining updated information on the qualitative and quantitative indicators of the forests of Georgia;

• Establishing a permanent network for continuous monitoring of forest characteristics;

• Providing political and strategic decision-makers with reliable information;

• Reporting at the national, regional and international levels;

• Promoting scientific research and strengthening research institutions.

Detailed information on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forests and prepared policy recommendations will be presented.

A discussion was held after the report. Questions were asked and opinions were expressed by academicians G. Japaridze, N. Chitanava, L. Dolidze, A. Didebulidze, doctors A. Meskhishvili, M. Burjanadze, Ts. Samadashvili, G. Kavtaradze, E. Katsitadze, G. Tsopurashvili. A corresponding resolution was adopted.

NEWS

Council of Young Scientists and Specialists

March 2025, Meeting of the Council of Young Scientists and Specialists under the Presidium of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences

 On March 26 of this year, a session of the Academy's Council of Young Scientists and Specialists was held, where a report on the topic: Drones and Robots Used in Agriculture was presented by a member of the Council, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Technical University, Khvicha Gotchoshvili.

The speaker reviewed in depth the modern achievements in agricultural mechanization in developed countries, namely, unmanned tractor-robots, smart agricultural machinery, robots for caring for various crops and harvesting, robots used for feeding, manure collection and milking in livestock farming, ground-based and aerial drones for gardening, forestry, and the companies that manufacture this equipment.

The presenter also shared the results of some of the achievements and manufactured products of the “State Military Scientific and Technical Center “Delta”” - the aerial drone “M22 Q1” and unmanned aerial vehicles. The speaker noted that agricultural machinery-robots replace the hard physical labor of a live worker and can work independently day and night, both indoors and outdoors. Modern technologies used in smart agricultural machinery significantly reduce costs for the production of agricultural crops. Remotely controlled ground-based (ground-based) drones also replace the hard physical labor of a live worker and are often used to perform work that poses a threat to human health (for example, working in the forest and/or on slopes, spraying toxic chemical preparations, etc.).

The topic aroused great interest among the participants of the Council meeting, and an interesting discussion took place on the prospects for using such devices in Georgia, including the issue of economic feasibility.

The meeting was held in a hybrid format, so some of the Council members, as well as those wishing to participate, including those from the regions, had the opportunity to participate online. The meeting was also attended by the Chief Academician-Secretary of the Academy, Academician Aleksandre Didebulidze, Academician-Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection and Forestry Sciences, Academician Lasha Dolidze, and Advisor to the President of the Academy, Academician Nodar Chitanava.

Meeting of the Agricultural Innovation Commission

 On March 19, 2025, a meeting of the Commission on Agrarian Innovations under the Presidium of the Academy was held, which was attended by members of the Commission - academicians, scientists, representatives of the Parliament, ministries, mass media and beekeepers' associations, farmers - individual entrepreneurs, and doctors. The meeting heard a report by Medea Burjanadze, Academic Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of the Georgian Agrarian University, Senior Researcher of the Forest Protection Department of the Vasil Gulisashvili Forestry Institute, on the topic: Nosemosis: Diagnostics, Prevention, Treatment with Innovative Preparations. The speaker noted that bees participate in the pollination of many agricultural crops. In recent years, the bee population has been decreasing at an alarming rate worldwide. In Georgia, beekeepers suffer an average annual loss of 30%-40% of their colonies, and in some regions in 2020, 70-80% of the bee population died. These losses also pose a serious threat to the production of honey, wax and other bee products.

The mortality of the European honey bee - Apis mellifera - and the reduction in the number of bee colonies due to the death of bees are closely related to the Varroa mite - varroosis and the disease nosemosis, which is caused by the microsporidia Nozema Apis (NA) and Nozema Ceranae (NC). The disease Nosemosis is the most dangerous disease of adult bees, although its course often goes unnoticed by beekeepers, as there are no obvious characteristic symptoms. At the individual level, NA is mainly infected with worker bees, while NC is more pronounced in older worker bees.

With the financial support of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (GEF SGP), implemented in Georgia by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), studies were conducted to detect NC in bee populations using two methods: 1. Microscopic diagnostics based on the detection of the pathogen Nosema spp and spore counting; 2. PCR-based, which only confirms the species. Microscopic diagnostics were carried out at the Georgian Agrarian University, and molecular diagnostics - at the Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (BIOR Riga, Latvia).

Ecologically safe means were used against nosemosis: Antinosema H1 (AN H1), which was applied once every 3 days, five times; Antinosema 18 (AN 18) - applied once every 3 days, five times; BeePhyto - is used four times every 2 days for two consecutive days, ApiBio - is given every 5th day. The rates of reduction of nosemosis infection in beehives by these drugs are high and are: AN 18 - 72%, AN H1 - 68.75%, ApiBio - 57.9%, BeePhyto - 83.3%. The book “Nosemosis: Diagnostics, Prevention, Treatment with Innovative Preparations” was published on the basis of the results obtained, 2024.

The President of the Georgian Professional Beekeepers Association Teimuraz Ghoghoberidze, the coordinator of the beekeeping direction of the Academy Ramaz Tavartkiladze, the chairman of the society for the promotion of harmonious human development LLC “H&Z” Tsovinar Nazarova, and the doctor - homeopath Teimuraz Kenia made short reports on the mentioned topic.

The audience approved the presented report and unanimously noted that the elimination of winter mortality of bees will contribute to the long-term financially profitable activity of beekeeping, control of the costs of managing beekeeping, reduce losses of bee colonies and increase productivity, in accordance with the circumstances under which 2024, compared to the previous year, the export of natural honey decreased by 70% (32.5 tons of honey worth 260 thousand dollars were exported, while in 2023 109 tons worth 747 thousand dollars were exported) and, taking into account the issues raised at the meeting, it was considered appropriate to hold a round table dedicated to the problems of developing the beekeeping sector in the country in the shortest possible time, with the help of the Commission on Agrarian Innovations at the Academy, the Scientific Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, and the Coordination Group for the Beekeeping Direction.

Business visit to the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences

   On March 17 of this year, the Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Mr. Apolon Kakabadze, paid a business visit to the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The guest was accompanied by the Head of the National Forestry Agency, Mr. Kakha Tsertsvadze, and his deputy, Ms. Natia Iordanishvili. The purpose of the visit was to discuss the reform implemented in the forestry sector, as well as to identify the causes of forest-related problems and present the role of the National Forestry Agency in solving them.

Within the framework of the visit, a meeting was organized, which was attended by: President of the Academy, Academician Givi Japaridze, Vice-President, Academician Guram Aleksidze, Deputy President, Academician Anatoly Giorgadze, Chief Academician-Secretary, Academician Aleksandre Didebulidze, Advisor to the Presidium, Academician Nodar Chitanava, Head of the Academic Department, Dr. Marine Barvenashvili, Academician-Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection and Forestry Sciences, Academician Lasha Dolidze, Consultant for Relations with Higher Educational Institutions of Agricultural Profile, Vocational Schools, and Non-Governmental Organizations of Agricultural Direction, Academician Jemal Gugushvili, Advisor to the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Dr. Omar Kacharava, as well as employees of the Academy's staff and the National Forestry Agency.

The meeting was opened by the President of the Academy, Academician G. Japaridze. After a short greeting, he spoke about the importance of forests for the country, about their benefits. He introduced the guests to the activities of the Department of Environmental Protection and Forestry Sciences at the Academy, and emphasized the cooperation between the Academy and the Ministry.

The Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Mr. Apolon Kakabadze, also addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. It was noted that the relationship established between the Academy and the Ministry will further deepen and acquire a more businesslike appearance. Then he introduced the audience to the purpose of the visit. He noted that the current situation in the country's forests is unsatisfactory. Effective measures need to be taken. Although much has been done, a Forest Code has been created, but all this is fragmentary. A complex approach is needed to overcome the problems. In this regard, the Ministry, together with the Forestry Agency, has developed certain views. They will present these views to the participants of the meeting. 20250317 133543

The Deputy Head of the National Forestry Agency, Ms. Natia Iordanishvili, spoke about the reform of the forestry sector and the development plan of the National Forestry Agency for 2025-2028. The conversation was held according to a certain scheme, which presented the current problems in the forests of Georgia, their main causes and solutions, the necessary human, technical and financial resources, existing supporting processes, and results. The main problem was the degradation of forests, which accounts for 807,178 ha - 35.4% of the country's forest area. As a result of unsystematic logging, the quality of the forest has deteriorated, the risk of natural disasters has increased, and to eliminate this, it is necessary to strengthen forest protection, which includes forest maintenance and restoration, and regulation of forest use. In order to organize physical protection of the forest, it is planned to allocate guard posts on the forest territory at the forest department level, according to quarters. Quarters should be combined in a guard post taking into account their territorial location, natural conditions and geographical characteristics, etc. Attention should also be paid to the activities of the forest guard, which include: physical protection of the forest in the operational area, detection and prevention of illegal use, drawing up a protocol on the violation when detecting an administrative offense, etc. Existing normative documents also require amendments; the working conditions of the forest guard should be improved; A significant problem is the practice of illegal logging - mainly social logging, etc.

After the report, a discussion was held, in which the President of the Academy, Academician G. Japaridze, Academician N. Chitanava, Academician L. Dolidze, Mr. K. Tsertsvadze participated. The conversation touched on forest inventory, the situation of foresters, national forest accounting, etc.

The meeting was summed up by the President of the Academy, Academician G. Japaridze, who noted that there is a need for even closer communication between the Academy and the National Forestry Agency. Then he thanked the audience for coming and for their active involvement in the activities of the visit.

News

Public lecture with students of the Faculty of Sustainable Mountain Development

  On March 12, 2025, a lecture on the topic: “Forest - the beauty of Georgia” was delivered to students of the Faculty of Sustainable Mountain Development of the Georgian Technical University by Academician - Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection and Forestry Sciences of Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Academician L. Dolidze.

The meeting was attended by: Dean of the Faculty of Sustainable Mountain Development of the Georgian Technical University, Doctor of Agriculture Noe Khozrevanidze, professors - teachers of the faculty, and students.

During the public lecture, L. Dolidze noted that the forest is the beauty of Georgia, it occupies one of the leading places among the natural resources of Georgia. The forest has always played a particularly important role in the life of a Georgian man.

Georgian forests are distinguished by a great variety of environmental conditions for growth and development and geographical location. They create unique, rare beauty, harmonious, and at the same time diverse biocenoses.

Forests have always been, are and will be one of the determining reliable pillars of Georgia's socio-economic development. The rational, targeted use of Georgia's forests and the maintenance of their bioecological potential sustainability are tasks of great state importance. Georgia is a forested country, more than 40% of its territory is covered with forests. In terms of forest cover, Georgia is lagging behind countries such as Austria (38%), Germany (30%), France (21%). Ukraine (12%), Italy (19%), Poland (24%), Armenia (9%), Azerbaijan (12%) and others.

Georgian forest ecosystems are divided into mountain and plain forests according to relief conditions. Mountain forests occupy 98% of the total forested area, while plain forests - 2%, which are mainly distributed in the Kolkheti lowland and also in the lower deltas of the rivers: Mtkvari, Alazani, Iori, Khrami and others.

Georgia's forest ecosystems are geographically unevenly distributed. Along with the forest-rich regions (Abkhazia, Adjara, Borjomi Gorge, Racha, Svaneti, Kakheti), there are also regions with little forest and almost no forest (no forest cover). The western part of Georgia is characterized by more forest cover (50.9%) than the eastern part (30.0%).

The following regions in Georgia are characterized by high forest cover: Keda (80%), Gagra (77.9%), Borjomi (56.3%), Kornisi (54.8%), Tianeti (53.6%), Telavi (50.2%).

There are also regions in Georgia (Abasha, Ninotsminda, Tsalka, Dedoplistskaro, Kazbegi) where the forest cover does not exceed 5.0%. Forest ecosystems located mainly in the middle and upper zones of the mountains are characterized by relatively high forest cover.

The spectrum of biological diversity of Georgian forest ecosystems is very diverse, from which it is worth noting such silvicultural and bioecological concepts and characteristics as: genesis and biome of forest ecosystems, age structure of groves, vertical and horizontal structure, forest type, productivity, composition, frequency, etc.

The main factor of biological diversity of Georgian forest ecosystems is the heterogeneity of geographical landscapes. The physical and geographical diversity of the Georgian landscape contributes to the growth and development of plant species with very different silvicultural and biological and ecological characteristics.

In the forest ecosystems of Georgia, relict species that were present in the Miocene and Pliocene eras are still present: Pontic oak, Pontic birch, Medvedev birch, Caucasian bilberry, tskavi, etc.

The species composition of Georgian forests is very diverse, up to 400 different species of trees and shrubs grow wild in the forests, united in 123 botanical genera and 56 families: the great diversity of Georgian dendroflora is indicated by the abundance of endemic woody plants, including 61 species endemic to Georgia, and 43 species endemic to the Caucasus as a whole.

The bioecological diversity of Georgian forests, the variety and complex structure of forest ecosystems are indicated by the presence of groves of both pure and mixed composition.

The biological diversity of Georgian forest ecosystems, in turn, determines the nature and degree of socio-ecological and economic-economic significance of ecosystems. Georgian forests perform soil protection, water regulation, climate regulation, recreational, sanitary-hygienic and other protective-ecological functions, which indicates the diversity of their complex natural complex.

After the public lecture, an active and very interesting discussion was held with the students of the Faculty of Sustainable Mountain Development of the Georgian Technical University in the question-and-answer mode.

The Dean and students of the Faculty of Sustainable Mountain Development of the Georgian Technical University thanked the Academician - Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection and Forestry Sciences of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Academician L. Dolidze for his visit and for his interesting presenatation.

Round Table

Round table discussion on the monograph: "Georgian Agricultural Sector - Challenges and Legislative Reforms"

  On March 11, 2025, a round table was held at Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, dedicated to the discussion of the monograph of Doctor of Economics I. Akhalbedashvili and Academician R. Asatiani: “Georgian Agrarian Sector - Challenges and Legislative Reforms”.

The round table was attended by: President of the Academy, Academician Givi Japaridze, Vice-President, Academician Guram Aleksidze, Deputy President, Academician Anatoly Giorgadze, Chief Academician-Secretary, Academician Aleksandre Didebulidze, Advisor to the Presidium, Academician Nodar Chitanava, Head of the Academic Department, Dr. Marine Barvenashvili, Head of the Staff of the Parliamentary Committee on Agrarian Issues, Dr. Iveri Akhalbedashvili, Academician-Secretary of the Department of Economic Sciences, Academician Revaz Asatiani, Academician-Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection and Forestry Sciences, Academician Lasha Dolidze and staff of the Academy.

The round table was opened by the President of the Academy, Academician G. Japaridze. It was noted that Mr. I. Akhalbedashvili is a member of the Presidium of the Academy. Despite rather responsible work that he is entrusted with as the head of the staff of the Parliamentary Committee on Agrarian Issues, he is actively involved in the scientific work of the Academy, is a talented scientist-researcher, the author of a number of important recommendations. As for the monograph “Agrarian Sector of Georgia - Challenges and Legislative Reforms”, this is an important work that will arouse great interest not only among specialists, but also attract the attention of those interested in the issue.

Dr. I. Akhalbedashvili made a speech before the audience at the round table. He thanked: the President of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences for providing the opportunity to present the monograph, the co-author - Academician R. Asatiani - for the work done, and Academician N. Chitanava - for his support and recommendations. Mr. Iveri remembered with sadness Academician P. Koghuashvili - the scientific editor of the monograph, whose advice was very useful to the authors.

In his speech, Dr. I. Akhalbedashvili noted that the main directions of agriculture in Georgia are an integral part of the country's history, its cultural part, and the identity of the nation. Despite favorable natural and climatic conditions, unfortunately, Georgian agriculture is considered one of the backward sectors in economic terms. The goal of the authors of the monograph was to analyze the processes taking place in the agrarian sector from 1989 to 2023, the adopted legislative acts, the progress achieved, and the existing challenges.

Dr. I. Akhalbedashvili drew the attention of the audience to the structure of the monograph, highlighting the main directions that, in the opinion of the authors, are important for the further development of the agrarian sector. It was noted that the monograph is divided into three chapters and 28 subchapters. All sub-chapters contain relevant recommendations, the total number of which is 90, 20 tables, 31 diagrams, 14 appendices and used literature are provided. The first chapter presents the most important direction of the country - land resources and existing challenges. Here, ownership of agricultural land, legislative acts adopted on agricultural land, state regulation of land resources, adopted and to be adopted legislative acts on the use of land resources, issues of improving the legislative base, etc. The second chapter provides the experience of advanced foreign countries in the rational use of agricultural land. Here, both constitutions and legislative acts are discussed, which mainly concern issues of land alienation, as well as aspects of land status and land uncultivation, which are important for our country and can be implemented in our country in terms of rational use of land. The third chapter mainly covers the reform that began in 1989 and continues today. Here, an economic analysis is provided from 1989 to 2023. The challenges and main directions that, in the opinion of the authors, will contribute to the development of the agricultural sector, etc. are also provided. Among the issues discussed are the imbalance between imports and exports and attempts to find ways to increase the share of exports. One of the important issues is innovations in the development of the agricultural sector. Both foreign experience and innovations introduced in our country are provided, which will contribute to the development of the agricultural sector.

Academician R. Asatiani noted regarding the monograph that work on it was ongoing for a year. The book is a comprehensive work that brings together the legislative framework and its impact on agriculture. There is no similar document and this is precisely its novelty. Academicians N. Chitanava, G. Aleksidze and A. Didi expressed their opinion on the monograph.