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LACTIMED: Promoting Mediterranean Dairy Products
Published on 03 July 2020
Greece
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About this good practice
Livestock farming and dairy production play important social and economic role in Mediterranean rural communities. Nonetheless, this dairy chain has to deal with a number of challenges that are common to all rural areas in the Mediterranean, such as animal feed and productivity, quality and food safety, difficulties in promoting typical products, access to funding and the structuration of the dairy chain at a regional level.
LACTIMED project, funded by the ENPI CBC MED Programme, strove to boostthe production and distribution of typical and innovative dairyproducts in the Mediterranean.
By using the meticulous local diagnosis studies, the projectengaged producers in a collective process of targeting marketsand pooling resources to attain them. Eight pilot clustersresulted from this work on subjects ranging from improvingquality (collection, health and safety, training) to retailing(labelling, marketing, e-commerce). The project also supportedand funded entrepreneurs involved in innovative approachesto promote traditional products.
In addition to these local activities, various discussions and field visits gave rise to a network of people and skills combining the private-sector, public authorities, academic institutions and civil society.
Various stakeholders involved in the LACTIMED project:
• Micro, small and medium enterprises of the dairy sector
• Farmers, collectors, processors, providers
• Agro-clusters, local chambers, business organisations, etc
LACTIMED project, funded by the ENPI CBC MED Programme, strove to boostthe production and distribution of typical and innovative dairyproducts in the Mediterranean.
By using the meticulous local diagnosis studies, the projectengaged producers in a collective process of targeting marketsand pooling resources to attain them. Eight pilot clustersresulted from this work on subjects ranging from improvingquality (collection, health and safety, training) to retailing(labelling, marketing, e-commerce). The project also supportedand funded entrepreneurs involved in innovative approachesto promote traditional products.
In addition to these local activities, various discussions and field visits gave rise to a network of people and skills combining the private-sector, public authorities, academic institutions and civil society.
Various stakeholders involved in the LACTIMED project:
• Micro, small and medium enterprises of the dairy sector
• Farmers, collectors, processors, providers
• Agro-clusters, local chambers, business organisations, etc
Resources needed
Total budget/expenditure: EUR 4,836,442.82 (ENPI CBC MED Programme)
LACTIMED project brought together 12 partners with complementary profiles (academic experts with chambers of commerce, innovation clusters) in 5 different regions of Egypt,Lebanon, Tunisia, Italy and Greece.
LACTIMED project brought together 12 partners with complementary profiles (academic experts with chambers of commerce, innovation clusters) in 5 different regions of Egypt,Lebanon, Tunisia, Italy and Greece.
Evidence of success
Following consultation with more than 360 stakeholders, 8 local dairy chain clustersdeveloped to meet thespecific needs and challenges of each territory. Thessaly cluster (Terra Thessalia Lactis) brought together around a regional platform for dialogue establishing cooperation mechanisms among them. The cluster comprised 7 cheese-makers and farms, 4 livestock farming cooperatives, 2 cooperative banks, 12 research centres, 3 professional and support organisations and 15 local municipalities.
Potential for learning or transfer
The Mediterranean network resulted from the LACTIMED Project constitutes an important base to pursue this work in developing the regions by strengthening and structuring the dairy chain and, more generally, typical agricultural products from the Mediterranean.
LACTIMED project white paper contains a series of recommendations to boost the sector of typical dairy products in the Mediterranean. These recommendations were made by the actors of dairy value chains in the project’s pilot territories and focus on the following items:
• Ensuring quality livestock feed to improve productivity;
• Improving food safety by improving sanitary quality and hygiene conditions;
• Promoting typical local products and supporting collective actions in this regard;
• Improving accessibility of dairy producers to bank financing to facilitate the professionalization and structuring of value chains;
• Supporting organization of territorial networks.
LACTIMED project white paper contains a series of recommendations to boost the sector of typical dairy products in the Mediterranean. These recommendations were made by the actors of dairy value chains in the project’s pilot territories and focus on the following items:
• Ensuring quality livestock feed to improve productivity;
• Improving food safety by improving sanitary quality and hygiene conditions;
• Promoting typical local products and supporting collective actions in this regard;
• Improving accessibility of dairy producers to bank financing to facilitate the professionalization and structuring of value chains;
• Supporting organization of territorial networks.
Further information
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Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
University of Thessaly
Greece
Thessalia
Contact
EU funds expert