In the past year and a half since the pandemic began, we’ve all become familiar with phrases such as “supply chain disruption,” “turbulence and volatility in international markets,” and “in these unprecedented times,” often used to preface news about pandemic-related food price increases across the globe.

In September 2021, the average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri stood at 4.80 GEL, which is 0.6% lower month-on-month compared to August 2021, and 14% higher year-on-year compared to September 2020.

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.

Hazelnuts are one of Georgia’s top ten export commodities. During 2010-2020, hazelnuts accounted for around 4.4% of Georgia’s total exports (GeoStat, 2021). In 2013, the quantity of exported hazelnuts hit its maximum level at 30 ths tons, then decreased to 19 ths tons in the following years with an increase in the value indicating higher prices per exported kg of Georgian hazelnuts. In 2016, the quantity of exported hazelnuts amounted to 27 ths tons, which was the second highest indicator in the observed years (2010-2020) (Figure 1).

The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri currently stands at 4.33 GEL, which is 6.9% lower month-on-month (compared to April 2021), and 5.6% higher year-on-year (compared to May 2020). The main contributor to the price change is a seasonal decrease in the price of cheese, which fell by -13.1%, compared to the previous month (April 2021).