After countless discussions held with our stakeholders and analysis of gathered data, our action plan focuses on two main activities:
- establishment of a product brand system quality assurance system,
- preparation of the milk production chain cooperation with the involvement of product chain actors.
Both activities are inspired by the Good Practices identified in the project.
Action plan elaboration, local needs
Due to the territorial and economic structure, Harghita County is a predominantly rural area, so the role of the agricultural sector in the income-generating capacity of the region is significant. Local food producers and specialised institutions as stakeholders had been involved in the development of the action plan, and several meetings and discussions had been organized to evaluate the local needs and challenges which have to be addressed by the action plan. Therefore, two main activities were introduced to our action plan.
Quality importance in trademark development
The establishment of a product brand system quality assurance system is one of two actions of the action plan which aims to define common professional, quality requirements with the involvement of stakeholders, based on consumer needs and the foundation of the trademark quality assurance system.
Within the action’s framework, the potato product line players and involved experts with knowledge of consumer market expectations in the frame of a workshop will present the operation of the trademark system, the role of quality in the consumer market, the operation of quality assurance systems (Global GAP), necessary producer involvement. Based on the workshop, a proposal will be made to introduce a quality assurance system.
The action supports the operation of the short supply chain by ensuring that high-quality products are distinguished. It uses existing production traditions and culture as resources and ensures the dissemination of innovative solutions by informing producers. The Food Province Label of South Ostrobothnia, a now stand-alone trademark, which guarantees that producers accept the quality expectations and regulations related to the trademark and the Agrifood Partnership of Western Macedonia, which guarantees that the development and implementation of quality assurance systems, were the good practices on which basis the first action of the action plan was planned.
Action for better local cooperation
The second action of our action plan consists of the preparation of the milk production chain cooperation with the involvement of product chain actors aiming to build the trust and motivation needed to work together in the dairy production chain.
Stakeholders in the three workshops will learn about the market opportunities available through cooperation through successful examples (consumer expectations, market opportunities), will jointly assess the obstacles (cultural, lack of professional knowledge, infrastructural), will draw up an action plan to reduce and eliminate the obstacles to cooperation.
Based on the results of the three workshops, a dairy product line cooperation training and development program (measures, schedule) for local development plans will be developed. Based on good practices of supporting collaborations – Trilogy of Platforms, Public-Private cooperation in the Butchers’ Hall, Regional cooperatives connecting local food producers and consumers - the action serves the cooperation of producers and the understanding of the conditions of joint cheese production.
Both actions contribute to the market-oriented operation of enterprises, the improvement of the position of producers in the value chain and to the fulfilment of social needs related to healthy eating.
