Rome hosts high-level international event on Georgian wheat tradition

A high-level international event titled “Georgian Wheat: Tradition for the Future” was held at the headquarters of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome as part of the World Food Forum 2026. The event was organized by Georgia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.

The event aimed to introduce an international audience to the history of Georgian wheat, its unique genetic diversity and associated traditions, while highlighting the importance of combining traditional knowledge with modern scientific approaches.

The participants were addressed by Georgia’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Davit Songulashvili; Deputy Chair of the Georgian Parliament Nino Tsilosani; FAO Deputy Director-General Maurizio Martina; Director-General of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral; Georgian Deputy Minister of Culture Natia Shamatava; and Tamuna Liluashvili, Georgia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy and Permanent Representative to the FAO.

“An event titled ‘Georgian Wheat: Tradition for the Future’ was held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome. High-ranking guests attended, giving us the opportunity to introduce them to the 8,000-year history of Georgian wheat and the ancient Georgian bread-making tradition, which has been recognized by UNESCO as cultural heritage,” Songulashvili said.