There has been much discussion recently about agricultural cooperatives in Georgia, and for good reason. Over the past two years, we’ve seen a new law on agricultural cooperatives come into effect, and the rollout of the European Neighborhood Program for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD), which will seek to support the development of business-oriented farmer groups across the country.

On March 27, 2014, ISET held a dialogue in order to critically think about these initiatives, as well as to discuss lessons learned from past efforts by international donors and NGOs to support farmer groups or more generally improve farmers’ market linkages.

This dialogue brought together a variety of actors to assess the potential contribution of agricultural cooperatives to rural development in Georgia, as well as to identify the challenges that may arise in supporting farmer groups. Thus, the dialogue ranged from ideas about how cooperatives can improve economies of scale in the marketing of inputs and agricultural products, access to credit and information, and general social support in rural areas. There were also critical examinations of the difficulties of forming and sustaining market linkages, as well as an assessment of market constraints elsewhere.

The main goal of the project, funded by the Swiss Cooperation Office for the South Caucasus, is to provide a neutral platform for a regular discussion of Georgian government policies, donor programs, and civil society-driven initiatives to promote inclusive growth. All interested stakeholders will be engaged in a series of roundtable meetings and lectures complemented by follow up site visits, additional research and analysis. In the end, what we would like to do is share knowledge, learn from the experience of others, and come up with new ideas.