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
