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).

On November 13, the Agricultural Policy Research Center at ISET-PI presented the main results of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the draft law of Georgia on soil protection at a stakeholder workshop held at the conference hall of the Environmental Education and Information Center (EEIC) of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA).

How can soil degradation be reduced in Georgia? The objective of the study is to assess potential impact of the draft law on soil degradation processes in Georgia. The study examines the current situation regarding land degradation in Georgia and estimates the potential costs and benefits of the draft law.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Georgian nation went through a process of rapid disinvestment and de-industrialization. It was forced to shut down industrial plants, sending scrap metal abroad, and workers into subsistence farming. Hunger has never become an issue thanks to the country’s moderate climate and good soil conditions, yet inequality and associated political pressures rapidly reached catastrophic dimensions, unleashing cycles of violence, undermining the political order, and inhibiting prospects of economic growth.