Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFP) Value Chain Analysis in Guria, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, and Kakheti

Currently, the potential of the economic value of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) largely goes unnoticed in official statistics and research publications despite NTFPs being important natural resources that support sustainable bioeconomy value chains, green jobs, alleviation of poverty, and economic and social development. The purpose of the assessment is to overview the existing literature on NTFPs, select the priority NTFPs and provide additional insights regarding the NTFP value chain in Georgia, with an additional focus on target regions.

Despite the data limitations, the analysis shows the increasing global demand for NTFPs and the potential for the development of NTFP sectors in Georgia. On the other hand, the NTFP value chain in target regions (Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Guria, and Kakheti) has further potential for development considering the abundance of selected organic wild NTFP products on their territories. However, issues like the lack of labor force, lack of knowledge on sustainable harvesting and product diversification, and the number and capacity of the processing enterprises create hindrances to the development of the value chain and higher inclusion of local vulnerable groups with an aim to improve the general socio-economic situation in rural areas.

This document has been prepared by PMC Research within the framework of the project “Enabling the Implementation of Georgia’s Forest Sector Reform – ECO.Georgia”, funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) and the Government of Georgia (GoG) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA), through its subordinated agencies and the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia (MoESD).