The delegation of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia paid a visit to Switzerland

The delegation from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia visited Switzerland with the support of the Swiss Development Agency. The delegation members learned firsthand about the experience of the effective functioning of the agricultural extension system during their visit.

The meetings took place at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, the Department of Agriculture, as well as the School of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Sciences (HAFL), and the relevant services of the local cantons.

The visit was organized by the UN Development Program "Modernization of Vocational Education and Extension Systems in Georgian Agriculture" project.

Our shared experience in Switzerland was incredibly fascinating. At the Bern University of Applied Sciences, we learned about the system of agricultural knowledge and innovation as well as professional and graduate degrees in this area. As you are aware, the education system in Switzerland is of an extraordinarily high level, and this includes the direction of environment-friendly agriculture, which is represented by both professional and undergraduate programs. Additionally, there is research that findings are actively applied by the extension service. In our nation as well, the agricultural extension service is gradually growing. Strengthening the direction of education is crucial at the same time. We confirmed once more that we are moving in the correct direction and should keep going with this process, said Solomon Pavliashvili,  deputy minister of environmental protection and agriculture of Georgia.

The delegation members learned about rural development strategies during the visit that helped farmers gain better skills and knowledge. They also learned about rural development programs, that the state implements with the financial support of farmers, delegation also learned about training and retraining programs for extension specialists, current methods for educating farmers, and the public-private sector model used in Switzerland.