Quality Linked to Geographical Origin and Traditions:

How it can contribute to rural development in South and Eastern Europe?

Objectives of the seminar

Emilie VandecandelaereFood Quality and Service

FAO Roma

Outline

• Background

• FAO programme on Quality Linked to Geographical Origin

• Quality linked to geographical origin and traditions in SEE

• Objectives of the seminar and agenda

Background • Many food specialties and traditional products as a local

inheritage, benefiting from reputation and consumers’ demand

• Their specific characteristics are linked to geographical origin, related to natural or human resources and their interaction, the so-called terroir

• Labels represent tools to promote these characteristics and value on the market, in particular, geographical indications (GIs) that can both promote and preserve this specific quality

• Their development are quite recent internationally, and implementation can require support

FAO programme on Quality Linked to Geographical Origin

FAO programme on Quality Linked to Geographical Origin

• Objective: to support implementation of specific quality schemes contributing to sustainable rural development

• Activities: – Regional seminars in Latin America and North Africa– Case studies in Latin America, North Africa, South and Eastern

European countries – Expert meeting– Technical cooperation

• Development of support tools, provision of informationwww.foodquality-origin.org

Labels such as GIs can be a tool to contribute to food security and rural development:

– Adding value and market access, better income – Chain value organization and reinforcement– Scaling-up of quality product, international standards

and traceability– Preservation of resources related to the specifications

(social, environmental, cultural) - constraints turned out as assets (marginalized areas)

– Production system anchored in the territory and potential for other rural activities (tourism)

– Consumer’s choice and food diversity how?

FAO programme on Quality Linked to Geographical Origin

FAO programme on Quality Linked to Geographical Origin

The GIs’ implementation, a two level approach:• Locally: voluntary, private and collective/participative

initiative… with external support:– Putting in place: awareness, definition of specifications, delimitation of

the area, organization

– Management of the system after registration

• Legal and institutional framework:– producers and consumers protection (intellectual property)

– general interest and local development policies (technical examination, support for implementation, consumer awareness, tourism...)

Need for multilevel and plurisectorialcoordination

Quality Linked to Geographical Origin in SEE

• Regional Conference for Europe (June 08, Innsbruck): “ Promotion of traditional regional agricultural products and food: a further step for sustainable rural development”:– Importance of traditionnal products: regional diets, new consumers

demand and local supply of food, – GIs as tool to preserve traditional products as they are linked to

their local inheritage

• Case studies in collaboration with Agridea and Seedev: Uzice ham, Tetovo bean, Livno cheese

http://www.foodquality-origin.org/EasternEuropean

Potential and importance of GIs in SEE:• Strong cultural identities: dairy and meat products, pickles, spirits,

jams, candied fruits...• Markets: urban and export• But challenges...

Case studies (FAO, AGRIDEA, SEEDEV) Cases Country State Territory Markets

Uzice ham (Zlatibor) (smoked beef meat)

Serbia Appellation of origin in 1995, renewal under new law (2006)

Municipality of Catejina (district Zlatibor)

Medium size area (current: 647 km2, expected: 9157 km2

Neighboring export (Croatia)

Tetovo bean

Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia

Appellation of origin in 2006

Sar Planina and Bistra mountains and plain, Polog region, Albania and Kosovo borders

Medium size area (920 Km2, 500MT, 5 municipalities)National Reputation

Livno cheese (sheep and now with cow milk)

Bosnia Herzegovnia

CoP formulated and approved by key stakeholders in January 2008

Cincar Mountain, Polje, Livno and Glamoc

Medium size area (estimation 1000Km2, 41000 sheep and 13000 cows) National reputation, export to Croatia

Objectives and Agenda

Objectives of the seminar1. To provide an overview of the range of

approaches to quality in the SEE region and to highlight common points

2. To discuss lessons learned in view of making recommendations for the SEE RegionPlenary sessions and working groups

3. To identify country needs and corresponding concrete collaboration actions in the SEE Region

Working groups and round table

1. To provide an overview of the range of approaches to quality in the SEE region and

highlighting common pointsTo exchange information on existing approaches relating to:

– The role of national and regional level government policies

– The legal and institutional framework, especially existing or potential certification and monitoring systems

– Problems encountered at institutional level

Plenary Sessions of 3 December

– Organization of local actors

– The advantages and constraints of quality approaches

– The problems encountered and possible and/or actual solutions at local level

Plenary Sessions on 4 December

2. To discuss lessons learned in view of making recommendations for the SEE

Region

In particular:– what institutions, what rules, what legal forms in order to ensure

identification, protection, optimization, promotion, information, evaluation etc.?

Plenary Sessions of 3 December and working group 2– What form of area-level organization for the management of

origin-linked quality ?

Plenary Sessions on 4 December and working group 1– How are relations between the two levels established?

Working groups 1,2,3

3. To identify country needs and corresponding concrete collaboration

actions in the SEE Region

• To identify actors’ needs in order to implement quality approaches, with a view to formulating appropriate responses :– government and policy-maker level – local level

• To define the role of each actor in terms of project coordination, networking, funding (support from countries with experience in this sphere etc.)

• Proposals for development of activities and tools (handbook of recommendations, awareness-raising, training of actors etc.)Working group 3 and round table

Importance of a regional approach with multilevel and multisectorial approaches

Agenda First day:

Plenary sessions:

• Challenges for the South-eastern European Region

• The International Context for GIs

• Harmonisation of the legal framework among the South- eastern European countries and with the EU regulations

• The institutional network for an efficient establishment, control and protection of GIs

Agenda Second day:

Plenary sessions:• Definition and upgrading of product: problems and solutions• The local organization around GIs

Working groups– Topic 1: Main gaps and technical assistance needs at farmers

and processors level.– Topic 2: Main gaps and technical assistance needs at

institutional– Topic 3: Common regional problems: what possible regional

cooperation / synergies.

Round table: the way forward.To identify country needs and corresponding concrete collaboration actions in the SEE Region

Working groups

• Topic 1: Main gaps and technical assistance needs at farmers and processors level

• Topic 2: Main gaps and technical assistance needs at institutional level

• Topic 3: Common regional problems: what possible regional cooperation / synergies

Thank you

Presentations and proceedings will be on line:

http://www.foodquality-origin.org/serbia