ISPA Account
An Update on Precision Agriculture in Georgia
By Georgia Country Representative - Dr. Kakha Nadiradze
January 2025
Despite the current political and socio-economic problems and challenges in Georgia, it must be underlined that this is a country with diverse agricultural landscapes and a rich farming tradition. It is at a crossroads where innovation is essential to address emerging challenges and unlock its agricultural potential. Climate change, land degradation, resource inefficiency, and market access barriers pose significant threats to the sector's sustainability and productivity. Precision agriculture and smart digital solutions offer a transformative pathway to overcome these challenges and build a resilient and sustainable agricultural system.
The agriculture sector in Georgia faces critical challenges, including irregular rainfall, extreme weather events, and shifting growing seasons, which threaten crop yields and farmer livelihoods. Soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and desertification further exacerbate land degradation, while limited access to water resources and inefficient use of inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides hinder resource efficiency. Fragmented supply chains and limited access to real-time market data reduce competitiveness, and urbanization and migration have led to a decline in available agricultural labor.
The vision for precision agriculture in Georgia is to establish a resilient, sustainable, and technologically advanced agriculture sector that leverages precision farming and digital solutions to optimize resource use, increase productivity, and ensure environmental sustainability. The objectives include enhancing agricultural productivity through data-driven decision-making, improving resource use efficiency, strengthening resilience to climate change and environmental stressors, fostering market access through digital platforms and traceability systems, and promoting sustainable practices and conservation of agrobiodiversity.
Key components of this concept focus on integrating precision agriculture technologies, such as remote sensing, GIS, ESRI Products, ArcGIS and ArcGIS Geo in order to forecast flooding, landslides, erosion, IoT-enabled sensors, variable rate technology (VRT), and drones, to optimize resource use and monitor crop health. Smart digital solutions, including farm management software, blockchain for traceability, mobile applications, and AI-powered decision support systems, are envisioned to modernize farming practices and improve market integration. Capacity building and knowledge transfer initiatives aim to empower farmers and advisors by establishing demonstration farms, implementing pilot projects, and collaborating with research institutions and universities. Policy and institutional support, including a national strategy for digital agriculture, incentives for technology adoption, and strengthened public-private partnerships, will create an enabling environment for innovation and investment.
The expected outcomes of these initiatives include economic growth through increased efficiency, environmental sustainability through resource conservation and biodiversity preservation, and enhanced resilience against climate variability and external shocks. Market integration will be strengthened through improved traceability and transparency, fostering stronger linkages between farmers, processors, and consumers.
The implementation roadmap comprises three phases. The first phase focuses on assessment and planning, conducting a needs assessment to identify priority areas and stakeholder needs, and developing a national framework for precision agriculture. The second phase involves pilot projects in key agricultural regions, evaluating outcomes, and scaling successful initiatives. The third phase emphasizes national integration, establishing a centralized data platform for agriculture and promoting widespread adoption through policy support and capacity building and attracting more US and EU investments and envisaging the progress. By embracing precision agriculture and smart solutions, Georgia can establish itself as a regional leader in sustainable agriculture, ensuring food security and environmental stewardship for future generations. This transformative approach aligns with global sustainability goals and addresses critical challenges while fostering economic growth and resilience.
The agriculture sector in Georgia faces critical challenges, including irregular rainfall, extreme weather events, and shifting growing seasons, which threaten crop yields and farmer livelihoods. Soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and desertification further exacerbate land degradation, while limited access to water resources and inefficient use of inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides hinder resource efficiency. Fragmented supply chains and limited access to real-time market data reduce competitiveness, and urbanization and migration have led to a decline in available agricultural labor.
The vision for precision agriculture in Georgia is to establish a resilient, sustainable, and technologically advanced agriculture sector that leverages precision farming and digital solutions to optimize resource use, increase productivity, and ensure environmental sustainability. The objectives include enhancing agricultural productivity through data-driven decision-making, improving resource use efficiency, strengthening resilience to climate change and environmental stressors, fostering market access through digital platforms and traceability systems, and promoting sustainable practices and conservation of agrobiodiversity.
Key components of this concept focus on integrating precision agriculture technologies, such as remote sensing, GIS, ESRI Products, ArcGIS and ArcGIS Geo in order to forecast flooding, landslides, erosion, IoT-enabled sensors, variable rate technology (VRT), and drones, to optimize resource use and monitor crop health. Smart digital solutions, including farm management software, blockchain for traceability, mobile applications, and AI-powered decision support systems, are envisioned to modernize farming practices and improve market integration. Capacity building and knowledge transfer initiatives aim to empower farmers and advisors by establishing demonstration farms, implementing pilot projects, and collaborating with research institutions and universities. Policy and institutional support, including a national strategy for digital agriculture, incentives for technology adoption, and strengthened public-private partnerships, will create an enabling environment for innovation and investment.
The expected outcomes of these initiatives include economic growth through increased efficiency, environmental sustainability through resource conservation and biodiversity preservation, and enhanced resilience against climate variability and external shocks. Market integration will be strengthened through improved traceability and transparency, fostering stronger linkages between farmers, processors, and consumers.
The implementation roadmap comprises three phases. The first phase focuses on assessment and planning, conducting a needs assessment to identify priority areas and stakeholder needs, and developing a national framework for precision agriculture. The second phase involves pilot projects in key agricultural regions, evaluating outcomes, and scaling successful initiatives. The third phase emphasizes national integration, establishing a centralized data platform for agriculture and promoting widespread adoption through policy support and capacity building and attracting more US and EU investments and envisaging the progress. By embracing precision agriculture and smart solutions, Georgia can establish itself as a regional leader in sustainable agriculture, ensuring food security and environmental stewardship for future generations. This transformative approach aligns with global sustainability goals and addresses critical challenges while fostering economic growth and resilience.