Big Step Forward in Lori
Rachuli Lori or Rajian Bacon in English is perhaps the most famous regional product in Georgia. It is unique Georgian artisan product with an ancient history. In the villages of the region, surrounded by broadleaf forests, rural producers continue to produce traditional Rachuli Lori from their forest-reared pigs.
Production and supply is however is beset by issues, the need for modern food safety and hygiene compliance, for standardization and certification in production, for better marketing and labelling and for better continuity of supply through improved storage and refrigeration. It is difficult to know if you are consuming real Rachuli Lori made from forest reared pigs or from frozen intensively reared animals unless you know the producer.
Lori producers from Racha region gathered to discuss regional Lori production with the representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and the National Food Agency on May 24th, 2023 in Oni municipality. The main goal of the meeting was to share information on the traditional production of Lori from the local producers, to discuss the first steps needed for preserving the traditional production of Rachuli Lori. This includes agreeing and recording the production specifications for Rachuli Lori and officially registering them in the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia as a Georgian Indication for Racha region.
The meeting was facilitated by the ALCP2 funded by a consortium of donors: the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) project in cooperation with the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation SIDA. The programme will be working with Lori Producers to support the production of compliant Lori as a sustainable rural livelihood for the region.