USAID in partnership with the Georgian Famers’ Association and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, has developed “GeoGAP”, a crop-specific local GAP standard for Georgia.  The new GeoGAP standard will allow farmers to prove incremental improvements in quality production before reaching for the standard of Global Good Agricultural Product (Global GAP) certification.

Farmers satisfying GeoGAP standards can expect to sell their products at higher prices with greater access to the end markets willing to pay for better-quality produce. At present, the hospitality industry’s large hotels and restaurants are the primary source of demand for higher quality produce. In the long run, GeoGAP-compliant farmers will likely be among the most prepared to export to regional and international markets.