On June 29, 2024, the Full Member’s General Meeting of the Biological Farming Association Elkana was held. The participants of the Meeting reviewed the threats that the law on Transparency of Foreign Influence adopted by the Parliament of Georgia on May 28, 2024, poses to Georgia's democratic development and Euro-Atlantic future, including the development of agriculture, organic and agro-ecological production and the organizations working in this field, their employees, members and beneficiaries; and adopted the following Appeal to the General Public of Georgia and the International Donors and Organizations working in the Agrarian Sector:
We, the participants of the General Meeting of the Full Members of Biological Farming Association Elkana,
declare that since its establishment, for 30 years, the Biological Farming Association "Elkana" has been acting only in the best interests of Georgia and the Georgian people, and has always served the goals defined by its programme: conservation of the cultural heritage of Georgian agriculture - agricultural biodiversity; rural and agricultural development of Georgia (including organic and agroecological farming); empowerment of farmers, protection of their rights; and promotion of environmental protection. Therefore, all the international or local aid, grants and donations received by us since our establishment have been spent for these particular purposes and have never served to encourage/spread the interests or influence of any foreign or local power. In addition, the Biological Farming Association "Elkana" always has been and remains a law-obedient organization that constantly keeps accounts and pays all taxes in accordance with the law. At the same time, the association undergoes annual financial audits by internationally accredited auditing companies and provides its performance and financial reports, which are available on the Association's website www.elkana.org.ge.
We believe that the law on Transparency of Foreign Influence contains significant threats to the democratic development in Georgia. In addition, since the agriculture and rural development sector, both at the state and public level, mainly depend on European and American financial assistance, the law will lead to the stigmatization of civil society organizations working in the field of agriculture and organic & agroecological production development as “an organization pursuing the interests of a foreign power”, thus practically depriving them to express position on their own behalf and will hinder the funding and implementation of programmes in this area.
Against this background, we would like to call upon the Georgian society and international donors to continue their firm support to the freedom of activity of civil society in Georgia, to its rural development and to the smallholder and agroecological farmers and their organizations.
