In July 2023, through the support of the European Union (EU), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Georgia organised a four-day study visit to Italy for the representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA) and its agencies. The mission aimed to further train the Georgian authorities on the implementation of nursery certification, as certification will become mandatory in Georgia from 2024.

Together with the FAO team members, the representatives of the following state institutions were part of the study visit: MEPA; Scientific Research Centre of Agriculture (SRCA); National Food Agency (NFA); Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture (LMA). These public organisations are the competent authorities responsible for ensuring the implementation of the nursery certification system.

The EU-supported study tour participants learned about the Italian nursery certification model, which fully complies with the EU standards. Some topics covered during the visit included: inspection, monitoring, and reporting; diagnostic methods for laboratories; accreditation and authorisation.

The participants held informative multilateral discussions with the representatives of Italy’s public institutions and visited relevant facilities and state agencies, focusing on producing saplings of vine grapes, stone fruits, citruses, and hazelnuts.

“Developing an EU compliant nursery certification system in Georgia creates the opportunity for producing high-quality saplings that are disease-free and true-to-type.  The EU's support makes the country’s nurseries more competitive locally and internationally while enhancing the quality of primary agricultural production.” says Dominik Papenheim, the Team Leader for Economic Development and Trade  at the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia.

“FAO and the EU support Georgia in the implementation of the nursery certification systems, as a key milestone for achieving better production. If the farmers cannot trust the quality of the saplings they are buying from the local nurseries, they will buy them from foreign companies. It is paramount for the agricultural production in Georgia to ensure the production of high-quality certified saplings in line with the EU directives. We are very thankful to the Italian institutions that are sharing their wide experience with Georgian institutions,” says Javier Sanz Alvarez, FAO Programme Coordinator.

This was the third study tour to an EU country for the staff of relevant Georgian authorities. Through technical training modules, EU and FAO, under the EU4Business Initiative, also support state and privately-owned nurseries to support the initiation of sapling certification in Georgia.

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The study tour was organised and implemented by FAO and supported by the EU under the EU4Business initiative - EU Innovative Action for Private Sector Competitiveness in Georgia. The Programme aims to assist Georgian entrepreneurs in improving the legal environment and access to finance while strengthening ties with the European Union.