Breaking Barriers: Women Entrepreneurs in the Georgian Agricultural Sector

By Louisa Namicheishvili

As a biophysicist who had just finished a doctorate at Tbilisi State University, I did not expect to join the agricultural development world. But then I heard about a program that the Millennium Challenge Corporation was launching with the Georgian government and I decided to take a chance. It was one of the most critical decisions of my life.

I was fortunate to join the Agribusiness Development Activity (ADA), implemented by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), which allowed me to pursue a career in international development. Starting as an office manager, over a span of next fifteen years, I had the opportunity to work in many different roles and eventually in a leadership role with CNFA. This journey gave me an opportunity to translate my work into real, positive impact for others.

However, not all women in Georgia have the same opportunity. As in many countries, Georgian women face gender segregation in job opportunities, often working in care or service-focused jobs, unpaid family care, or subsistence farming.

As chief of party for the USAID Agriculture Program, implemented by CNFA, I not only have the opportunity to challenge gender norms, but also to provide similar opportunities to the women on my team and the women that participate in our programming.

The USAID Agriculture Program supports women across its activities — helping to challenge the status quo by facilitating employment opportunities, improving the productivity of women-led farms and agribusinesses, building capacity, and providing access to finance through grants and partnerships with the private sector.

For example, the USAID Agriculture Program and its predecessor, the USAID Restoring Efficiency to Agriculture Production (REAP) project, supported women entrepreneurs and agronomists by facilitating job opportunities at local Farm Service Centers (FSCs). Established by CNFA in Georgia in 2006, FSCs are one stop shops that help area farmers access affordable, quality inputs, and advice to improve their agricultural productivity.

With support from our team and USAID Georgia, Shorena Osepashvili, a leading agronomist and plant protection specialist from Kakheti, now manages the Telavi FSC, magnifying the impact of her expertise in agronomy to more than ten thousand farmers throughout the region in eastern Georgia.

Similarly, when Manana Anjaparidze, a leader in bio-agriculture in Natakhtari, Georgia, struggled to find virus-free strawberry seedlings to improve the quality of her strawberry product, our program connected her to Italian breeder, Franco Zenti, who provided guidance on selecting high quality seedlings.

Additionally, female students from the regional universities have the same opportunity to explore the agricultural development sector as I did, joining the program through internships. For example, in 2020, six student-interns from Batumi and Kutaisi universities participated in a pilot monitoring program for several harmful pests in Georgia. A joint activity with the National Food Agency (NFA), this program enabled young women to excel as professionals and supported them as they sought jobs in the public and private sectors.

While these may seem like a drop in the bucket, together, these tactics help women entrepreneurs add value to their products, increase incomes, meet international standards, and compete in new markets — expanding their participation and potential in the agriculture sector. And this leads to a trickle-down effect. Those trained by our program then train others, helping women entrepreneurs build stronger relationships and construct an enduring community of knowledge.

When women like Osepashvili, Anjaparidze, and myself succeed, we are committed to reinvesting our gains and expertise back into our communities. Anjaparidze passes on the best practices she learns in trainings to her community. Osepashvili gives back through Agro-Art Clubs, an innovative initiative funded by our program that integrates disciplines including photography, landscape design, and more into the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing agricultural products to urban and peri-urban areas.

Georgian women choose to challenge gender norms in agriculture by setting an example for future generations. Together we aim to achieve an equitable world!

Louisa Namicheishvili is the chief of party for the USAID Agriculture Program, implemented by CNFA in Georgia.