Rural Communities Development Agency - RCDA

A Non-Governmental organization Rural Communities Development Agency was established in 1997 by a group of small farmers, farmers’ credit unions and farmers’ co-operatives, CBOs and NGOs, which are the main stakeholders in its activities. The members of the organization are 1200 physical persons and 74 legal entities. Vision RCDA envisions a rural community development in which organized groups of local residents, both women and men, are responsible stewards of their resources. As groups and as individuals, they posses rights of ownership and responsibilities, and utilize ecologically sound methods in producing, processing and marketing their products to maximize returns to the community. RCDA aims to protect and promote international human rights standards and values, build and strengthen civil society groups in rural areas, and support rural poor, refugees, migrants, IDPs, youth, media, local governments, the private sector and other NGO/CBOs through advocacy, participation and educational activities. RCDA carries out its activities in cooperation with different institutions active in rural areas of Georgia. Principal institutional partners Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Nature Protection, Health and Labour, Green’s Movement of Georgia, Tbilisi Technical University, Tbilisi Agrarian University, NGOs in different parts of Georgia, Georgian Mountain Federation (GMF), Ecological Farmers Association of Georgia (SEMA) ,Farmers Servicing Centre (FSC). RCDA carries out its activities through affiliated offices and partner organizations in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Racha, Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe Javakheti, Guria and Kakheti Regions of Georgia.