After a competitive selection process, the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD II) in Georgia chose RDFG to implement a four-year €2.4 million project to aid the Tetritskaro community.  This long-term project, “Rural Development for Sustainable Growth of Tetritskaro Municipality,” will improve the quality of life in Tetritskaro using innovative social-economic models.

“This is a proud moment for RDFG to have been selected for such a significant and ambitious project,” said RDFG Chairman Vano Grigolashvili.  “I think this is an acknowledgement of the work RDFG been doing to boost Georgia’s sustainability.  We’re looking forward to working closely with the Tetritskaro community over the next four years, we’ll work for their better future”.

ENPARD II uses a LEADER approach to economic development.  Fundamentally, it is the energy and resources of the local people that contribute to the rural development process by forming partnerships at a sub-regional level between the public, private and civil sectors. The LEADER approach is associated with local empowerment through local strategy development and resource allocation. The main tool for the application of the LEADER approach to area development and involving local representatives in decision-making is the Local Action Group (LAG).

Grigolashvili and project manager Nelly Revazishvili have already participated in two planning activities in Tbilisi.  At a recent conference and seminar, participants discussed Rural Development Policy and results of the first pilot of the LEADER in Georgia. In addition to RDFG, the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia, UN and EU representatives, ENPARD partner organizations, local entities and the NGO sector also took part in the discussions.

Project “Rural Development for Sustainable Growth of Tetritskaro Municipality” is implemented by RDFG with the financial support of the European Union, under the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development in Georgia – ENPARD II. Project partners are Agro-Technology Association (ATA), Lithuanian Local Action Groups Network and Ministry of Agriculture of Lithuania.