The First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Nino Tandilashvili, delivered remarks at the high-level conference “Supporting the Implementation of Climate-Smart Agriculture” in Baku.
Nino Tandilashvili emphasized the importance of establishing high-tech agri-food systems, which are essential in the effective management of climate change-related risks.
According to the Deputy Minister, deploying climate-smart technology in the agricultural sector is an important priority for the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.
The Rural Development Agency's initiatives actively promote the adoption/use of various green technologies in the agriculture sector. The state program “Innovative Technologies Grant Program” is one of these efforts to enhance farmers' capacities and skills.
As mentioned, one of the top priorities of the Government of Georgia is to strengthen irrigation systems and promote sustainable water usage, which is necessary for both climate sustainability and agricultural output. To that end, the state has mobilized an unprecedented amount of financial resources over the last two years, totaling $300 million, including support from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, enabling the country to develop modern irrigation systems in the coming years.
“Georgia is dedicated to adjusting its agri-food systems to the threats of climate change. Moreover, our country is developing multi-hazard early warning systems to protect farmers from climate-related threats, specifically floods, mudslides, etc. This system also incorporates drought predictions, thus providing farmers with relevant information. As I have mentioned, the Georgian government supports the adoption /dissemination of modern technologies in agri-food systems through various initiatives. We acknowledge that we still have much to accomplish and are ready to enhance our efforts,” said the First Deputy Minister.
The high-ranking delegates from almost all countries attended the conference “Supporting the Implementation of Climate-Smart Agriculture” held within the framework of the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The conference was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
