The main purpose of the study is to analyse the current development status of the organic hazelnut sector in the key hazelnut producing areas of Georgia (Zugdidi, Tsalenjikha, Vani) and understand entire core process of the value chain from production to processing, and marketing.
The agricultural cooperative movement started a few years ago in Georgia and the registered farmer groups are currently still at the embryonic stage of development. The Soviet legacy and rather negative attitude towards earlier forms of cooperation (Kolkoz and Sovkhoz) has gradually faded among farmers, and today more than 1,400 cooperatives are registered with the Agricultural Cooperative Development Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia.
In January 2018, Georgian power plants generated 1,014 mln. KWh of electricity. This corresponds to a 6% increase in total generation, compared to the previous year (in 2017, total generation in January was 955.5 mln. kWh). The increase in generation on a yearly basis comes from increase in wind and hydro power generation.
Dr. Tamila Nutsubidze, a consultant at the Healthcare and Social Issues Committee and the Budget and Finance Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, visited ISET to talk about the challenges of the non-contributory pension system in Georgia.
Drug policy reform is now at the center of a heated debate in Georgia. Despite the importance of the subject, however, most of the discussions I have heard so far are based on phobias and myths, rather than on evidence. This is a pity, as a society will ultimately have to decide on the subject by voting YES or NO on this reform, thereby choosing between very different potential outcomes. Having an informed opinion on the issue is, therefore, extremely important.