NGOs discuss rural development in Georgia

At a conference entitled Opportunities in Rural Development for Small Framers hosted by CARE International in the Caucasus (CIC), the opportunities for small-scale farmers living in Georgia’s rural areas were discussed.

Thomas Reynolds, Mission Director of CIC, spoke of agriculture as a huge component of the rural economy. He explained that the small farmers who represent over half the rural population have great ideas about marketing, tourism, and other aspects of the rural economy. All of these are ideas that organizations like CARE take into consideration in creating new opportunities for them.

Co-hosts of the event, the American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia (AmCham), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), shared their concerns on how to raise awareness about rural development and distribute responsibilities between the key stakeholders.