Description (EN): Premium category food brands are based on top quality ingredients, environmentally sustainable production methods and links to their makers, their place of origin and local people. For both Albania and Greece, table olives sector represents a very significant local product, yet underestimated regarding its potentials. Table olives according to the IOC and the World Bank, constantly increase their international market share during the last years (1991-2015:+173%). At the other hand, table olives become less competitive every year in Greece and Albania due to application of obsolete practices in the orchards, the processing methods and the marketing approaches. Stakeholders of olive products chain (cropping, processing, logistics, marketing, trading and administration) agree that the secret for success in the sector is found in the development and application of cost efficient and environmentally friendly cropping practices, application of quality assurance and traceability systems, standardization and packaging of the final products, and efficient marketing-branding approaches. OLIVE_CULTURE project, -following the available regional RIS priorities- aims to establish a network of expertise exchange which will lead to the application of innovative crop management and efficient trading services for demand-driven capitalization of good practices and scientific knowledge. These goals will be achieved through HUBs for providing training and agribusiness services, integrated management of crop using precision agriculture tools, innovative olive processing methods, support of labeling by providing scientific information regarding nutritional value and environmental impact, provision of marketing consultation and creation of local brands. The project is expected to enhance the name of the area, promote distinctive characteristics of local table olives, promote cooperative economy structures, motivate local stakeholders and entrepreneurs to be engaged in agriculture and food processing and marketing sectors, to build capacities and gain valuable experience through participation in national and international exhibitions. All these will expand synergies, create cross-border partnerships, attract new investments, act complementary for other local products, enlarge export opportunities and contribute to economic growth (more profits, less unemployment) for the participating areas and beyond. The project beneficiaries are strong local institutions (public authorities through their business and local production departments; academic institutes and technology transfer centers through their agricultural and information technology RnD structures). Relevant national and international stakeholders will be invited to follow and participate the projects activities. The project beneficiaries have participated in successfully completed GR-AL cooperation projects, a fact that guarantees the effective management and the results oriented character of OLIVE_CULTURE.
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Expected Results (EN): According to the relevant literature, the most critical problems of olive products chain are related with the low level of producers income. Several factors that were analyzed above contribute to that. The outputs of the project include a) physical and virtual agri-business hubs; b) promotion of cooperative and social business structures for the cropping, processing and trading of table olives; c) expansion of cross-border cooperation of relevant stakeholders; d) expansion of table olives acreage where certified integrated crop management is applied using precision agriculture tools and the consequent rationalization of cultivation costs and products quality and quantity; e) production of top quality table olives which will be accompanied with all the necessary documentation regarding their value as food and their connection to their place of origin; f) expansion of volume of locally processed table olives with emphasis to that coming from farms and SMEs based in the programme area; g) augmentation of fiscal results for those involved in the production and commerce of table olive and h) diminution of unemployment in the area by making table olive activities attractive. The development of strong cross-border links between policy makers, public authorities, academic and R&D institutions, professional and commercial stakeholders in the field of olive products cultivation, processing and trading and growers is also expected to be one of the most valuable results of the project. This will enhance networking and cooperation, implementation of emerging cropping practices, social and environmental responsibility, marketing and branding strategies in the production and supply chain of table olives so that cross-border areas from Greece and Albania face successfully common challenges and boost their competitiveness.
Read more Expected Outputs (EN): The project is envisaged to generate a variety of measurable outputs and products regarding the efficient management of table olive production through its whole supply chain. The tangible products of the project are the following: 1) creation of 3 olive agribusiness HUBs and a virtual web based one, which will create a network and host agricultural practice, processing and trading services and training; 2) organisation of 4 public dissemination events (info days with living labs, case studies and good practices demonstration regarding agricultural practice, processing and trading); 3) participation in events organized by third parties (make use of existing relevant events); 4) creation of smart dissemination material; 5) synthesis of 3 studies for olive sector perspectives (new for Albania, update for Greece) which will also contain information regarding cross-border cooperation potentials; 6) adaption of IT tools to demonstrate and document that good agricultural practices, sustainable use of natural resources (soil, water), efficient pest management and landscape preservation have been applied (in this framework 500 soil analysis will beperformed per country and handed to growers while at least 100 growers per country are expected to start applying integrated crop management); 7) new innovative food products (methods to produce low salt table olives according to the existing EU campaigns); 8) final products support services (organization of olive taste panels, 1 for each country; 9) added value information (nutritional content analysis, identification of DNA of local table olive products); 10) common participation in one top international food exhibition through documented presentations of local table olives. All these are expected to boost the local economies by enhancing local and cross-border cooperation, the agri-business environment and development of local cross-border markets and export commercial activity.
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