EU, Sweden and FAO celebrate International Women’s Day with Dairy Women Farmers in Tsalka
Representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the European Union (EU) Delegation, and Sweden joined local dairy women farmers in Tsalka to celebrate International Women’s Day. The event featured a model cheese-making masterclass and showcased elements of FAO’s ongoing training modules on food safety in small-scale dairy production. The event aimed at reaffirming the commitment and continued support of the EU, Sweden, and FAO to rural women.
The local women farmers participating in the event have all gained knowledge and received financial assistance to improve their production and enhance food safety within the framework of the fourth phase of the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD IV).
During the event, the women agricultural producers prepared fresh semi-hard white cheese (Halloumi) together with Nicholas Cendrowicz, the Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Georgia, Elisabet Brandberg, Embassy of Sweden, FAO Programme Manager Guido Agostinucci. They also tested the milk for subclinical mastitis using the California mastitis test (CMT) kit. Simultaneously, milk quality and safety were assessed using Lactoscan, antibiotic, and aflatoxin rapid tests. These activities are integral to the FAO training module being implemented under ENPARD IV through the Farmer Field School platforms.
With the EU and Sweden’s support under ENPARD IV, the FAO has shared technical knowledge on food safety with more than 3,000 dairy women farmers. 221 are accessing matching grants to adapt their equipment and premises for improved food safety standards. As a result, they are now better equipped and have the knowledge to produce safer dairy goods. Moreover, the smallholder women producers who have purchased food safety-related dairy equipment with the matching grants are improving both their production efficiency and quality.
“Georgian women are leading the country’s dairy sector and providing consumers with the dairy products that we all enjoy. We are therefore celebrating the International Women’s Day with the women dairy farmers in Tsalka, one of the most active and important regions when it comes to dairy production. FAO, with the support of the EU and Sweden, has been empowering local dairy farming communities under ENPARD IV by sharing essential knowledge and skills, especially in relation to food safety. FAO has also made dairy production equipment more accessible through a matching grants scheme. In Tsalka alone, FAO has granted financial assistance to nearly 135 women dairy farmers, and we are glad to empower more women with knowledge-sharing opportunities and improved access to finance”, said FAO Programme Manager Guido Agostinucci.
“We are marking International Women’s Day in Tsalka today with local dairy women farmers. The EU stands firmly with Georgian rural women dairy producers who supply a diverse range of cheeses particularly appreciated in the main cities of Georgia. Access to knowledge and finances poses a challenge for many women in rural areas, and we are proud to continue supporting them by ensuring their products meet the highest safety and quality standards through such successful partnership with Sweden and FAO under ENPARD IV,” said the Nicholas Cendrowicz, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Georgia.
“Sweden supports women’s empowerment every day of the year. Today, we have the opportunity to celebrate Georgian women’s engagement in dairy production, underlining their tireless work to provide sustenance to their families and the country. With the combination of FAO’s training modules on food safety and the matching grant scheme, which Sweden supports within the framework of ENPARD IV, hundreds of women farmers are now better positioned to produce even higher-quality and higher-value products more efficiently, with less physical effort. This important work has led to a positive change for the participating women’s competitiveness and prospects for increased income. These women are stronger actors in the market today than before”, says Elisabet Brandberg, Head of Development Cooperation and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden.
About the European Union
For more than 30 years, the European Union has built a close partnership with Georgia, supporting its development through knowledge and experience sharing, expertise, innovation and financial support. The relationship between the EU and the citizens of Georgia is based on shared values of peace, freedom, democracy, human rights and inclusive economic growth. More about the EU’s support in Georgiahttps://eu4georgia.eu/the-european-union-in-georgia/
About ENPARD
The European Union supports rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD Programme. Aiming to reduce rural poverty, ENPARD has been implemented since 2013. The Programme started by supporting the development of national agriculture potential. Subsequently, it also concentrated on creating economic opportunities for rural populations in Georgia. Since 2021, the Programme has also been working on improving food safety in the country, with additional support from Sweden and with FAO and the Czech Development Agency as the main implementers of this food safety component under ENPARD IV.