In August 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has initiated Farmer Field Schools for the dairy and crop producers from Kvesheti and Arakhveti villages including population living in Khada Valley. With an aim of supporting the resilience of local farmers in the region, FAO’s training sessions are designed to assist them in improving small-scale agricultural production. The project is being financed under ADB Technical Assistance: Preparing the North-South Corridor (Kvesheti-Kobi) Road Project.

The Farmer Field Schools feature theoretical and practical educational modules about crop production, livestock management, and dairy production. Importantly, the training sessions facilitate the collaboration between farmers and support the strengthening of human networks, which are important for improving the resilience of local farming communities. Moreover, farmers are offered the opportunity to propose, through the support of FAO, the possible solutions to their agricultural challenges.

The training curricula on livestock management touch on all aspects of dairy production - from milking hygiene to animal health, antimicrobial resistance, and food safety. The dairy farmers, most of whom are women, learn modern methodologies that are relevant to their agricultural capacities. They also gain practical experience in animal care and disease monitoring and prevention, as well as milk and dairy production.

The Farmer Field School training curricula on crop production, feature vegetable and potato demonstration plots. The educational modules are focused and focus on modern and sustainable agricultural methodologies, such as integrated pest management and good agricultural practices. During the training modules, the farmers also get to advance their skills in soil management, composting, and balanced use of pesticides. The objective of these educational sessions is to support local communities in sustainably producing more vegetables and potatoes that are safer for consumption.

“Supporting the mountainous farming communities in advancing their food safety and productivity is integral to ensuring that they consistently have access to safe, nutritious and healthy food. The FAO training modules in the Dusheti Municipality also support them in becoming more economically resilient, since, by utilizing modern agricultural practices that they learn, the local farmers have the opportunity to become more competitive on the Georgian market as well- producing more with available resources. I am glad that through the support of ADB, we have initiated the project, which can truly make a difference in improving the socio-economic resilience of the local communities in the Dusheti Municipality,” says Allan Pineda Burgos, International Food Production Specialist at FAO.

“ADB supports the farmers from the Kvesheti, Arakhveti and Khada Valley villages in accessing knowledge about modern agricultural practices. Training farmers in climate-smart agricultural practices and strengthening their support networks are essential to help improve their livelihoods and build resilience against the impacts of climate change,” says Kamel Bouhmad, Deputy Country Director, Georgia Resident Mission, ADB.

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With the support of ADB, FAO is implementing Farmer Field Schools in the Kvesheti and Arakhveti villages for the local communities including Khada Valley population, with a special emphasis on empowering women farmers. The project aims at supporting them in advancing small-scale vegetable, dairy and potato production, and improving their resilience.