2019-12-09
TBILISI - Every December, 80 million Christmas trees are sold across Europe. The majority of these, 45 million, are Nordmann firs, which originate from the Caucasus region. Eighty per cent of the Nordmann firs cultivated in Europe originate from seeds harvested in western Georgia.
Each autumn, cone pickers climb to the top of the trees to harvest the cones, which is a risky job. They are from local communities in the Racha province, a remote region that has long been neglected by the government and where levels of poverty and unemployment are high.
The trade in seeds and seedlings is lucrative in Europe, involving several middlemen and companies that grow and sell Christmas trees. Georgian and European companies — mostly Danish — are involved in harvesting and exporting Nordmann fir seeds to Europe. However, the sector lacks proper monitoring by the Georgian authorities, enabling some companies to circumvent zoning and licensing regulations and avoid paying local taxes.
Photo: © Julien Pebrel
Supported
€8,100 allocated on 05/07/2019ID
ECB/2019/OSF3/498Tags
ONLINE
- En Géorgie, aux racines du sapin Nordmann - Le Temps (Switzerland) - 07/12/2019;
- De gör det farliga jobbet – plockar fröet till din julgran - Göteborgs-Posten - 07/12/2019;
- Where Europe's Best Christmas Trees Begin - The Washington Post - 24/12/2019;
- Frøet til den grønne julen - Aftenposten Innsikt - Dec, 2019;
- En Géorgie, ces cueilleurs grimpent à la cime des sapins pour que vous en ayez un à Noël - L'Obs - 14/12/2019;
- Historien om det danske juletræ begynder med en georgisk kogleplukker - Dagbladet Information - 14/12/2019;
- En Géorgie, aux racines du sapin Nordmann - RTBF - Transversales - 16/12/2019;
- The underpaid Georgian workers who risk their lives for your Christmas tree - The Guardian - 23/12/2019;
- The Guardian: Georgian Harvesters Risking Lives to Supply EU with Xmas Trees - Georgia Today - 23/12/2019.
RADIO
- Point de fuite: les graines amères du sapin de Noël - The Radio télévision suisse (RTS) - 12/12/2019;
- En Géorgie, les racines peu connues du sapin de Noël - France Info - 19/12/2019;
- Noël écolo: mode d'emploi! - RFI - 20/12/2019.
PRINTED MEDIA
- Het Bos Van De Kerstman - De Morgen - 07/12/2019;
- Mon beau sapin … géorgien - L'Obs - 12/12/2019.
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