Fostering the economic resilience for small-scale female farmers in Samegrelo and Abkhazia through Farmer Field Schools

People  living  in  the  breakaway  region  of  Abkhazia  and adjacent  Samegrelo-Zemo  Svaneti  (hereby  Samegrelo) region  have  limited  economic  opportunities.  In Abkhazia, the  protracted  conflict  and  resulting  chronic  poverty disproportionately  affect  women.  These  challenging circumstances  increase  also  the  risks  of  early marriages and domestic violence. The situation in Abkhazia affects as well  the  adjacent  Samegrelo,  where  the  poverty  rate  is above  the  national  average.  Due  to  the  high  number  of  internally  displaced  persons  from  Abkhazia,  a  significant proportion  of  the  population  is  dependent  on  Targeted Social Assistance.  Additionally,  the Administrative Border Line  (ABL),  separates  Abkhazia  region  from  the  rest  of Georgia,  restricting  exchange  and movement,  leading  to limited  economic  opportunities,  market  access,  social interactions,  and  therefore  deepening  the  region's economic isolation and increasing vulnerability.  

Agricultural production is a key sector in both regions and traditionally relies heavily on female workforce. Therefore, a targeted intervention to improve agricultural productivity of female farmers is a key pathway to foster the economic empowerment  of  women.  Focusing  on  dairy,  fruits  and vegetable  production  and  transformation,  one  essential point  is  to  address  food  safety  standards  and    product quality.  Improved  products will  generate  better  access  to local markets and higher incomes, ultimately contributing to a reduction of poverty in these regions and more resilient communities. 

1.  Female  farmers  of  dairy,  fruits and  vegetables  and  their  family members  in  Abkhazia  and Samegrelo regions. 

2.  Extension service providers from the private and the public sectors.  

Expected results:  

-  851 female farmers of dairy, fruits and vegetables in Abkhazia and Samegrelo regions are trained in 51 newly established Farmer Field Schools. 

-  Small-scale  female  farmers  have  increased business literacy and leadership skills.  

Results from previous phases:  

While  the  proposed  project  is  a  single  phase,  there  are  lessons  learned  and  insights  from  training  dairy  female farmers  in FFS during a  project  from 2020-2024. Results show that trainees: 

•  increased milk yields of their cattle by 24%; 

•  improved the quality and safety of produced cheese; 

•  increased their sales revenues.  

In addition, 80% of FFS Lead Farmers started to produce and  sell  artisan  cheeses,  thus  generating  additional incomes. 

The  project will  seek  synergies with SDC  funded economic development projects in Georgia like the Alliances Caucasus  Program  2  (ALCP2), Women’s Economic Empowerment  (WEE). Another relevant project is the EU  funded European Neighbourhood  Programme  for Agriculture  and  Rural  Development (ENPARD IV) implemented by FAO. 

The project will work closely with UN Women interventions in both regions on women’s empowerment.