Kakheti is one Georgian region that is economically dependent on agriculture. According to data from the Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy 2021-2027, 40.1% of Georgia’s agricultural lands are within Kakheti, where its largest areas are arable lands, pastures, and vineyards, making it the leading region in the production of cereals, livestock, and wine. In 2020, wine production in Kakheti alone accounted for 75.5% of all the wine produced throughout the country.

The 2020 parliamentary election in Georgia was a highly contested political event not only during the pre-election campaign but also after the elections took place. Most opposition parties boycotted Parliament for a few months, and a return to parliamentary politics was only possible with mediation efforts of the European Union.

Natural resources, such as land, water, air, minerals, forests, and fisheries, all provide fundamental life support, in the form of both public-good and consumptive services, which also greatly affect the quality of human life. As such, a proper Natural Resource Management (NRM) allows for the sustainable utilization of resources and moreover ensures that the services provided continue to be accessible over time.

Over the last half-century, air pollution has become an increasingly critical problem globally. The number of harmful emissions connected to human activity has been rising constantly, and, in many locations around the world, the concentrations of individual pollutants are higher than the recommended safe levels. Elevated emission levels are associated with various harmful effects, such as damage to human health and well-being, decreases in productivity, a reduction in land prices, and equally significantly global environmental issues like climate change.

Salome Gelashvili recently became a member of a working group under the Agrarian Issues Committee of the Georgian parliament. The composition of the working group, members of which include the Georgian Farmers Association (GFA), REC Caucasus, and ISET representatives amongst others, was approved on 20 May 2021.