RURAL FLAVOURS

Croatia

Introduction

Rural Flavours is a transnational project between LAG “Bura” and international partners from Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Portugal and Spain. Bearer of the project is LEADER Karhuseutu. The project aims to promote and connect local producers, as well as to transfer knowledge and spread the placement market. Partners on the project are Paphos District Development Agency “Aphrodite” and Development Agency of Lemesos LTD from Cyprus, LEADER Karhuseutu from Finland, LAG Hiiumaa from Estonia and LAG ADIRN from Portugal.
The objectives of the project are: promoting local customs, products and trades, increasing the scope of the local market, promoting tourism, transferring knowledge, raising awareness of healthy eating for schoolchildren and children in kindergarten, branding local products, promotion of organic and authentic local products, and social inclusion of inhabitants from remote rural area.

Presentation of the project
Project was implemented in the areas of Harjavalta (Pori) in Finland, Limassol and Paphos in Cyprus, Maslenica and Starigrad in Croatia, Hiiumaa in Estonia, Torres Novas and Tomar in Portugal. We decided to to make Rural Flavours cooperation project in order to provide our stakeholder from remote rural areas possibility of promotion and networking in partner countries in order to gain access to foreign markets, as well as the placement of products in the territory of the project’s partner countries. Moreover, our goal was to implement and increase food awareness of organic food for children and adults as well as to increase respect and knowledge of different traditions and nations.
We have organized agricultural fairs, study visits of local producers, children calendar, online platform, workshops on sustainability and marketing of local autochthonous products, promotional tourist videos, promotion of marginalized groups and remote areas. Project was successfully started in Portugal on 27th September 2018 and finished in May 2020.

Our objectives were:

• Marketing in the territory of the European Union. Project enabled product placement and networking in the area of five European Union countries.
• Examples of good practices
• Promotion through the scope of tourism and cultural heritage
• Promotion of local production, small family farms in remote areas and their autochthonous products
• Promotion of marginalized remote rural areas and gender equality
The condition for the survival of rural areas is the settlement of the population. Through « Rural Flavors », we enabled the stakeholders to leave the « standard » rural framework and see the possibility of promotion and placement in foreign markets.
•Promotion of a healthy lifestyle, local autochthonous products and nutrition.

Upon completion of the implementation of the cooperation project, we increased marketing opportunities for the promotion of our local stakeholders in five European countries. The project resulted in a change in experience and an increase in the number of tourist arrivals. Through the promotion of rural tourism in the partner countries, we influenced the promotion of the tourist aspect of the area of our LAG. Increasing the scope of knowledge about local production is also one of the results of the project. By organizing agricultural, study visits and workshops we enabled our stakeholders to gain insight into the processes and marketing of local products. Rural Flavour promoted rural way of life and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle is measurable through the number of organized healthy eating programs in kindergartens, schools, homes for the elderly, which are indirectly affected by the project. Also, a measurable result of the project is an increase in the number of local products placed on local and European markets.

LEADER throughout the projects provided us with financing, examples of good practice, support for our action. Rural Flavours being part of LEADER program gave us an opportunity to use LEADER concepts method partnership, multi-sectoral approach, bottom-up approach and provided our project with an extra ordinary value.

Emblematic character of the project

The project contributes to the following goals 1 and 3 of the Local Development Strategy of LAG « Bura »:

Strengthening the competitiveness of local agricultural activity – The basic intention is to use spatial and natural prerequisites as levers for the development of agricultural activity and to strengthen the recognition and quality of products from the LAG area.
Strengthening the competitiveness of local agricultural activity and strengthening the capacities of LAGs and stakeholders are the goals of Local Development Strategy that correspond to the goals of the « Rural Flavours » project. Local agriculture through « Rural Flavors » project had the possibility to increasing competitiveness of local agriculture and strengthening the capacities of LAGs and LAG stakeholders via various project activities. It addressed demographic change as it included stakeholders from remote rural areas. Promoting rural areas is a tool of attracting people to rural agriculture, products and way of life in a reoccurring problem of depopulation of rural areas. Moreover, we included environmental issues through workshops on healthy eating programs, product placement on fairs, children calendar, and online platform. Social issues were included through promotion of gender equality and equal chance for everyone to be part of the project.

This project could be transferred to other LAGs who want to promote local autochthonous products, promote healthy food and lifestyle by making similar collaboration, organizing international agricultural fair and establishing a networking tool for farmers in their area. Moreover, organizing workshops on healthy lifestyle especially aimed at kindergarten and school children emphasizes ecologically grown food which is a primary sustainability concept. This project inspired GAL Trei Collini from Moldavia to make a study visit to LAG “Bura” in September 2023 and inspire them to plan an organization of a similar type of event in Moldavia in August 2024.

Pictures

NGO
LEADER Karhuseutu
Local Action Group « Bura »
Participants of the project are local action groups and two development agencies from Croatia,Cyprus, Estonia, Finland and Portugal.