Cultivating women farmers in Georgia
Working with FAO has also taught me there is nothing in agriculture that a man can do, and a woman can’t.
A farmer in the central European country of Georgia has been sharing her lifetime of knowledge with other women farmers in the region, saying that “there is nothing in agriculture that a man can do and a woman can’t.”
Irina Vasilyeva has been chosen as one of 17 Food Heroes by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Agency (FAO) as an example of how access to technical knowledge and innovation can empower smallholder farmers to become agents of change.
Food Heroes are recognized for their commitment to provide food for their communities and beyond.
Vasilyeva spoke to the UN ahead of World Food Day, marked annually on 16 October.
My name is Irina Vasilyeva, and I live in the ancient village of Vartsikhe, Bagdati municipality in Western Georgia. This is an agricultural community and families here have been involved in farming for centuries.
My husband and two children have also managed to earn a livelihood from agriculture. However, as Covid-19 pandemic restrictions on tourism and restaurant businesses increased last year, I struggled in vain to sell my produce at a market in Kutaisi, the main city in western Georgia.
Fortunately, our situation has improved thanks to the support of FAO and the European Union, which brought new Farmer Field Schools and demonstration plots to the region, and specifically to my village, which highlights innovative farming methods.
I heard that FAO agronomists were visiting a seedling production facility nearby, so I attended the meeting and showed them my farm records. I always record what I do on my land, and I told them that I wanted to learn how to improve the quality of my crops.
I learned that modern agricultural practices, including drip irrigation, mulching and beds formation, could greatly improve the production of cucumbers, tomatoes and salad herbs in my three greenhouses.
I didn’t know my plants were using so much fertilizer. With drip irrigation and better calculation, I use less now. It’s a serious cost-saving measure.
Costs are crucial, especially for female farmers in Georgia, who, like me, want to establish an independent source of income.
Working with FAO has also taught me there is nothing in agriculture that a man can do, and a woman can’t.
Now, I can produce lettuce in winter without greenhouse heating. This off-season production allows me to avoid competition with other farmers. And the high-quality produce that I am now growing along with reduced costs has helped me to overcome the economic hardships of the pandemic.