Biological Farming Association "Elkana"

Elkana was established in 1993 and officially registered in 1994 by a group of farmers and members of the Georgia Green party to promote organic and biological farming in Georgia. Nearly 30 farms across Georgia participate in Elkana. Each farm serves as an organic farming model for its area, and each farmer is required to contribute a percentage of his or her produce to a local charity. For example, one farm provided vegetables for a soup kitchen for pensioners in Tbilisi, and in return, the employees of the soup kitchen assisted the farmer during harvest.

Elkana is establishing an organic farming school and demonstration site near Tbilisi, and provides courses on farming, ecology and mechanics. It intends for the school to serve as an extension service and provide on-site consultation for local farmers. It is translating nearly 200 books and documents on organic farming into Georgian, and, with a grant from ISAR, will publish brochures on a variety of organic farming methods and topics.

Last updated:    January 1997

A print version of much of the information contained in this NIS Third Sector Organizations section can be found in the The Post-Soviet Handbook (Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1999).

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