On 31 May, ISET Policy Institute participated in a dissemination event on the World Bank study – “Agriculture, Land and Water Policies to Scale Up Sustainable Agri-Food Systems”. The research itself summarizes the main constraints and opportunities that Georgia faces in its efforts to boost economic contributions from the agricultural sector, as well as its influences on diversification, job creation, poverty reduction, food security, and climate resilience and mitigation.

The event brought together state and private sector representatives, the donor community, experts, and civil society organizations for a discussion on constraints in the agri-food system and the various future policy recommendations highlighted within the study.

Sebastian A. Molineus, World Bank’s Country Director, opened the proceedings, followed by the Georgian First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) – Giorgi Khanishvili. The event was moderated by Gizo Chelidze, Head of the Hydro-melioration and Land Management Department at MEPA.

The second part of the event was devoted to break-out sessions on three thematic areas: agriculture, land, and water. ISET Policy Institute moderated the group discussion on land policy in Georgia. The objective was both to discuss and validate the findings and recommendations from the Land Policy Note ISET Policy Institute has developed in collaboration with the WB. The participants actively engaged in the discussion and many highlighted the need to apply an integrated approach towards sustainable land management and administration in Georgia.