The topic of women and power roles in academia is an area of significant interest and concern in contemporary society. While strides have been made in promoting gender equality in higher education, academic institutions continue to encounter issues with representation and empowerment for women in various positions of authority and influence.

Georgia is actively addressing gender equality and women's economic empowerment (WEE) within its investment climate and national policies. Despite legislative efforts to align with EU directives, women-owned SMEs face significant challenges in accessing finance, impacting overall economic growth.

Food loss and waste (FLW) management and administration is a multidimensional concept, one which encompasses prevention and waste management during food production; post-harvest activities and practices; food safety and hygiene; labeling and date indication; as well as official control and taxation (VAT, income tax, profit tax).

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).

The "Local Economic Development (LED) in Georgia" project, implemented by a consortium led by HELVETAS and commissioned by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), aims to strengthen Georgian actors’ involvement in LED. Moreover, it incorporates an overarching objective “to contribute to increasing employment and income of rural women and men in their localities by enhancing effective collaboration among local and national actors (public, private, civil society) for the creation of new economic opportunities.”