AgriTech: Design Agriculture Policy for Tackling Challenges

Abstract

The problem of food security and food safety in the modern world has escalated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is evidenced by the growing relevance of these topics at the world economic forums. The same can be said about Georgia. For this, it is important to develop the potential of the agricultural sector for sustainable economic development and inclusive economic growth development and implementation of digitalization policy. The discussion in the traditional agricultural sector paradigm does not affect the overall results. In the modern, extremely dynamic era, it is very difficult to focus on any one aspect of an actual problem, which means that it is necessary to have a broad, wide picture and at the same time to focus on particular details. The purpose of the research is to identify new circumstances, problems, threats, risks and opportunities that arise in the agricultural sector of Georgia in the context of post-socialist and post-industrial transformation and accelerated technological progress. The agricultural sector in Georgia is characterized by conservatism, which often creates an obstacle to innovative development, the productivity of the agricultural sector is very low, the country is dependent on imports Discussion of the issue in an unconventional paradigm revealed the hidden prospects and opportunities of the industry, the implementation of which is achievable through digitalization. Digital transformation allows traditional industries to modernize. The comparison of the fields with the "champions" of the field in the study of individual fields of the country shows a huge difference and plays a dismotivational role. In order to show real prospects, it is better to compare with each other countries in similar starting conditions (namely Georgia with countries with a protracted transformation). The countries of protracted transformation are simultaneously in three parallel crises (post-socialist transformation, post-industrial transformation, pandemic): The pandemic and post-industrial transformation to some extent equalize the starting conditions for the digitalization of developed and developing countries. The Post-socialist and transitional problems, sectoral degradation and orientation towards Soviet paradigms; According to the characteristics of technology, democracy, human development, GDP per capita and the Gini index, Georgia is considered an outsider country. However, the perspectives can be seen that are not visible on the surface. At this stage, Georgia does not have enough realized potential for positioning in exclusive consumer niches with an exclusive product (wine, cheese, red bread, tea, Kakhetian oil, etc.), Georgia has the prospect of realizing the potential of exclusivity in the sector through the digitalization of sector management. At the same time, export as a function of delivering products to foreign consumers allows us to consider agritourism as a kind of export. This is one of the novelties of this research. Other novelty of this research is comparison of technologies, social-political formation, humanistic conditions of morality and values through the history, also interdependence of these aspects. During research was compared different indicators. A combined weighted analysis of all these indicators makes it possible to assess the readiness or expectations of a new formation of a particular country. This also makes possible to effectively develop a policy for the development of industries. Key words: Agriculture, Agriculture Technologies, Food, Food Safety, Food Security, Digitalization.