Monday,
20
February,
2023
Historically, hazelnuts have been one of Georgia’s main crops in terms of economic value; as the country is located on the Black Sea coastal area, which has suitable soil and climate conditions for growing hazelnuts. Even as early as the fourth century B.C., populations grew wild forms of hazelnut, which later adapted to local conditions and formed regional varieties (GEONUTS, 2023).
According to the 2014 Agricultural Census, approximately 107,000 agricultural holdings (17% of all such holdings) are involved in hazelnut production (Geostat (National Statistics Office of Georgia), 2014). More than half of these hazelnuts are produced in the Georgian region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, where the crop is a major source of income for rural households engaged in agriculture.
Together with wine, hazelnuts also represent the leading agricultural commodity in terms of production and export. The sector has grown significantly during the last decade, while local producers and experts believe that there is the potential for further expansion in both production and quality, which could provide Georgia global leadership in this sector. Yet it is important to ask, does Georgia have a real prospect to achieve this ambitious goal? What are the key constraints to growth and how is it possible to capitalize on opportunities for growth? This policy brief reviews the hazelnut sector and its challenges, and moreover, it provides recommendations for strengthening the position of Georgian hazelnuts on international markets.
30
August
2024
Increases in food prices and their volatility are global challenges, particularly affecting import-dependent developing countries where spending on food is relatively high. While major concerns regarding price dynamics and volatility are typically driven by the physical availability and financial accessibility of food.
23
April
2024
International wheat prices have emerged as a significant policy concern in recent years, notably during the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine, as Russia has been known for periodically halting its grain exports to impact global prices. Georgia heavily depends on wheat imports from Russia, with over 95% of its wheat historically sourced from there.
14
December
2023
Biodiversity, as defined by the Convention of Biological Diversity (CDB), refers to “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems” (CDB). Generally, it refers to the diversity of ecosystems and the variety of life on Earth.
14
March
2023
Over the past few years, food prices have been increasing and Georgia has been facing food price inflation in the double digits. This is primarily due to international market trends that reflect concerns over decreased production, increased crude oil prices, as well as COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine increased pressure on international food markets already struggling with soaring prices.
