UNESCO has inscribed “Georgian Wheat Culture: Traditions and Rituals” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was adopted during the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in New Delhi, India.

The session is attended by a Parliamentary Delegation of Georgia, led by the Vice-Speaker, Nino Tsilosani. The delegation includes the Chair of the Agriculture Committee, Gela Samkharauli, and Member of Parliament Rima Beradze.

UNESCO’s decision to recognize traditions and rituals associated with wheat represents international acknowledgment of the centuries-old labour, knowledge, and practices of the Georgian people, as well as the significance of Georgian endemic species and the strengthening of the interconnection between spiritual and material culture.

Of the 27 cultivated and wild wheat species identified worldwide to date, 14 have been discovered in Georgia, five of which are endemic. In 2018, “Georgian Wheat Culture” was granted the category of national significance, inscribed as an element of intangible cultural heritage, and included in the State Registry of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

By Government Decree of 27 March 2024, the element of intangible cultural heritage — “Georgian Wheat Culture: Traditions and Rituals” — was designated as an element of national significance.