Gela Samkharauli, Chair of the Agriculture Committee, and David Matikashvili, Chair of the Procedural Issues Committee, participated in the preparatory meeting of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Global Parliamentary Summit, held in Rome, Italy.

The meeting was attended by MPs from various countries and the representatives of international organisations. The meeting was dedicated to the consideration of the global tendencies, regional priorities, agro-system transformation challenges, and the cooperation prospects. Special emphasis was placed on the enhancement of the role of Parliaments in the food safety and sustainable development domains.

The attendees outlined the necessity of international cooperation and accumulated efforts to overcome hunger and malnutrition.

Within the framework of the visit, the meeting was held in the Senate of Italy, moderated by the Vice-President of the Senate, Gian Marco Centinaio.

During the meeting, attended by the members of the Senate, the parties deliberated on the engagement of the parliaments in the implementation of the set objectives.
Georgian MPs highlighted the acute global, regional and local food safety challenges in agriculture and the agrarian sector. These include smallholder farming, outdated technologies, a shortage of education and qualified manpower and a lack of youth engagement. They also noted the legal initiatives adopted by Parliament.