GOOD PRACTICES
During the project, the partners identified altogether nineteen (19) Good Practices that inspired each other to further improve the regional policies and activities supporting Food Industry SMEs in growth. The Good Practices offer solutions for better market reach via networking, cooperation, and local branding as well as for productivity via better financing, product development and education.
Völgység Kincse Social Cooperative: promoting employment and short supply chains in rural areas
The Völgység Kincse Social Cooperative was established with support from the Social Renewal Operational Programme (2007-2013) funded by ERDF. This allowed the newly formed social cooperative to start the production of fruit juice from locally grown raw materials.
The Cooperative collaborates with 2 other local Cooperatives. Völgység Kincse contributed to the employment of 7 locals and its activities also include trainings, cultural events, operation of a local food store and can be extended with additional features. The Social Cooperative operates a local product store, a webshop, and provides 46 schools with fresh fruit or fruit juice. They have received the “Excellent product” award in 2017.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Völgység Kincse Social Cooperative.
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #localbranding
The EDIOP 1.2.6-8.3.4-16 call for application for food industry SMEs
The EDIOP 1.2.6-8.3.4-16 (“Support for complex investments of medium-sized companies in the food industry with a combined loan product”) call for applications was specifically designed for medium-size food industry companies The purpose of the call is to promote the development, role and market position of medium-sized food SME, to support investments leading to job retention, and to reduce regional disparities by supporting complex investments, providing a combination of a non-repayable grant and a soft loan.
The amount of a non-refundable grant was 50-750 million HUF, with a loan of 50-2000 million HUF. So far 60 applications were supported accounting for a total of 19,5 billion HUF, or roughly 56 million EUR.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: The EDIOP 1.2.6-8.3.4-16 call for application for food industry SMEs.
HASHTAGS: #funding #productivity
Szekler Product Brand
Harghita County is a predominantly agricultural, rural region due to the economic activity among the county’s rural population being agriculture and food production. It is hard to compete with big global food producers when you are a small farmer. That is why a Szekler Product community trademark has been developed, to protect the interests of local producers. It is given to all products produced at a local level. More than 150 producers with more than 1000 products have the right to use the trademark. Customers are happy to know that the choice they make is supporting local communities and helps them to grow.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Szekler Product Brand.
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #localbranding
Szépvízi Brand
Harghita county has its population spread over a vast rural area. There are a lot of farms with only 5-10 cows, which leads to low milk production level and difficulty to sell it. To overcome this issue, the Agricultural Cooperative “Csengő” has been established, with 72 members, which currently increased to 144.
The main objectives of the cooperative include: the collection, processing and sale of milk, produced by local farmers. 5000 litres of milk are processed daily. The cooperative ensures the living of 200 families. Products can be purchased in different marketplaces of the county sold under the brand name Szépvízi.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Szépvízi Brand.
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #localbranding
Association Fenyőalja Egyesület
Teamwork helps to achieve things that otherwise would be impossible. In Ciumani, Harghita County, nine small local producers combined their forces to form the Association Fenyőalja Egyesület which helped them to meet official requirements, authorise their products to reach a countrywide market, share the costs of production and be internationally recognized thanks to visiting at least 10 different international food fairs every year.
Each on their own local producers did not have enough resources to cope with complicated legal issues that were standing between them and being able to sell their products in regular stores. Thanks to working together and forming the Association Fenyőalja Egyesület, now all nine members record the highest production levels ever and their products gained international recognition thanks to their quality and unforgettable taste.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites:
Association Fenyőalja Egyesület.
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #localbranding #productivity
Food Startup Incubator
Weihenstephan FSIWS
Startup incubators are doing amazing things for the world of business and technology. Many big companies which services we take for granted nowadays would simply not exist if not for the assistance of such organisations. That is what Food Startup Incubator Weihenstephan tries to do. Helps realise innovative ideas, promote sustainable food products and foster entrepreneurship among young people.
The FSIWS supports startups and founding teams through four main aspects:
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Providing the infrastructure for the food production in laboratory and pilot-scale as well as co-working spaces
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Teaching and training in the field of food technology, entrepreneurship, business administration and finance
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Providing financing instruments for the startup, growth and scaling phase
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Network to fellow startups, food technology and entrepreneurship experts, business angels, investors, retailers
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Food Startup Incubator Weihenstephan.
HASHTAGS: #networking #education #productivity
Genuss Akademie Bayern - Academy of Taste
There is a growing interest in nutrition and food quality among customers in many European markets. They want to know all ingredients used to prepare the food and be sure that what they eat will keep them healthy. This is why there is a growing demand for qualified educational programmes that provide specific knowledge in the field of nutrition to food industry professionals.
The Genuss Akademie Bayern offers a practice-orientated qualification in the areas of nutrition, sensory analysis, tasting, processing techniques, all it takes to improve the qualifications of food professionals. The target group includes chefs, restaurant experts, butchers, bakers, winegrowers, brewers and food, beverage, and spice retailers as well as cheese, meat and bakery retailers. Thanks to this training they can professionally answer the market needs and make their products/services more attractive to their customers.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Genuss Akademie Bayern.
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #networking #education
Trilogy of Platforms
The free flow of information is what built the world we live in. This is why the Trilogy of Platforms created in the German state of Bavaria is so appealing. Three platforms supporting different B2B and B2C relations allow for fast, free, and effective communication between interested parties. The platforms provide an overview of the regional procurement situation in Bavaria and facilitate contacts for the purchase of regional foods.
More than 3000 regional suppliers and producers are now registered (status Nov. 2021) and offer more than 800 different products.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Trilogy of Platforms.
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #networking #localbranding
World Food Heritage Bavaria
The aim of the project is to promote the sale of Bavarian specialities of protected origin (PGI and PDO) outside of Bavaria. The aim is to communicate the message that Bavarian specialities are part of the European culture of culinary delights that deserves to be protected. The world food heritage brand publishes brochures, creates advertising texts, updates its homepage, works closely with protection associations, bundles images, information and data, recipes and product information. Target groups are consumers, trade market and gastronomy. By cooperating with different trade networks, they aim to create new sales channels.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: World Food Heritage Bavaria.
HASHTAGS: #networking #localbranding #export
Development of the regional Food Province Label of South Ostrobothnia
Regional food brands offer great opportunities for food and drink industry SMEs to enhance visibility and communicate the origin of their products. In South Ostrobothnia the food sector actors have collaborated to promote the region as the Food Province of Finland for several years and many development activities have been directed to develop the concept. This led to the creation of the Food Province Label.
Two issues were important for the success:
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Engagement of local actors. Over 25 members took actively part in the project.
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Consumer studies. The studies offered very important insights for the brand development and how it is seen outside the region.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Food Province Label of South Ostrobothnia.
HASHTAGS: #networking #localbranding #education
Food Forum and Food Team: Regional Food Innovation Cluster Networks in South Ostrobothnia
Food Forum and Food Team are food sector collaboration networks. The aim of the networks is to enhance the innovativeness and information sharing within the region’s food sector and they both are outputs from a former development project funded by the ERDF. The team enhances local companies’ exporting possibilities. Five to ten companies have actively taken part in the network. The team has also organised an export trip to China. Secondly the network aims to enhance the conspicuousness of the region as Food Province and its know-how in the food sector.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Food Forum and Food Team.
HASHTAGS:
#cooperation #networking #localbranding
Accelerating growth and internationalisation among Ostrobothnian Food Industry SMEs
Healthy, clean and safe food is a rising trend in the world food markets, creating opportunities for food SMEs also. Many SMEs, however, struggle taking advantage of the trend in the international food markets facing many challenges such as small scale of production, narrow product selection, lack of resources and knowledge. The aim of the project was to enhance the knowledge and know-how of small food sector SMEs on development and marketing of well-branded and high-added-value food products. By completing the online learning materials and training seminars SMEs have enhanced their skills and knowledge related to branding, marketing and exporting. As well as showed how to take their first steps towards internationalisation and exporting.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Accelerating growth and internationalisation among Ostrobothnian Food Industry SMEs.
HASHTAGS: #education #productivity #export
Enterprise Europe Network
When you run a small business support from experienced mentors can be invaluable for the speed of your company’s development.
The Enterprise Europe Network helps businesses innovate and grow on an international scale. It is the world’s largest support network for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with international ambitions. The Network is active in more than 60 countries worldwide and brings together 3,000 experts from more than 600 member organisations.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Enterprise Europe Network.
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #networking #export
Amyndeon Oenos Wine Cluster
Amyndeon’s wine producers having realized the increased winemaking needs of the area, founded a non-profit organization named ‘Amyndeon Oenos Wine Cluster’’ in order to enhance their position on the global wine market. Amyndeon Oenos Wine Cluster operates in many different areas, its activities, among others, include studying, identification, preservation and promotion of the authorized vine varieties of prefecture of Florina, cooperation with academic community and national and international wine institutes. This is the first time that a wine cluster is developed in the region of Western Macedonia, including more than 20 wineries of Amyndeon area.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Amyndeon Oenos Wine Cluster.
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #localbranding
Agrifood Partnership of Western Macedonia
Agrifood Partnership of Western Macedonia is a civic non-profit-making organization that was established to support agri-food products of the region. Its main goal is to promote these regional specialities on national and international stage. Agricultural Partnership takes care, among others, of certification of local products, collaboration with research and academic community, looking for investors, helping with promotion and sharing a know-how. Partnership associates more than 28 local food producers.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Agrifood Partnership of Western Macedonia.
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #networking #localbranding #education #export
Sustainable Intensification in Dairy Sheep Farming
Sustainable Intensification offers a practical pathway towards the goal of producing more food with less impact on the environment, intensifying food production while ensuring the natural resource base on which agriculture depends is sustained, and indeed improved, for future generations.
Proud farm (PF) invested in a milk recording system, environmental sensors, a weighting system for the calculation of the Income over feed cost, and a weather station. These investments Increased an average milk yield by more than 20 %, by milk recording. PF also reduced the animals’ interventions by over 50 % and reduced mortality rates of adult sheep.
PF business model has a big learning potential for other regions, and it is also a flexible but very innovative transferable model, especially when the farms owners have strong belief in science and innovation.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Sustainable Intensification in Dairy Sheep Farming
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #localbranding #productivity
Food Pilot: an application and analysis centre for the food processing industry
The Food Pilot helps companies, labs and policy makers with agri-food challenges. It offers a package of services ranging from the first innovative idea to a successful final product. A personal expert coordinates the specific steps, such as lab analyses, pilot tests, advisory support or the creation of a knowledge overview.
The Food Pilot shows that intensive cooperation between the government and the market can pay off. Its services are used by over 400 companies per year, and each year more than 20 000 food analyses are conducted.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Food Pilot.
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #eductation #productivity
Tasteful East-Flanders: promoting local gastronomy
Tasteful East-Flanders promotes local products from East Flanders together with 250 regional and farm producers. Organisation is based on 4 pillars:
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Professionalisation and new management techniques
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Promotion of regional products
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Sales & Distribution
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Experience & Tourism
Promotion activities bring marvellous results. Before COVID-19 hit, over 80 000 people a year would visit the promotion centre (Butcher’s Hall), and in 2020, over 95 000 visited the Tasteful East-Flanders website.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Tasteful East-Flanders.
HASHTAGS: #networking #localbranding
Regional cooperatives connecting local food producers and consumers
In East-Flanders, three regional cooperatives unite regional food producers on a platform where they can sell their products B2B and B2C. The platform offers everything that fertile Belgian land has to offer, from dairy, through the meat to chocolate and fruits.
Customers want to buy locally and from local producers. They just need a comfortable way to do it, and this platform proves it. Evidence of success is a double-digit growth in sales compared year to year.
More info about the Good Practice on FRIDGE websites: Regional cooperatives connecting local food producers and consumers.
HASHTAGS: #cooperation #networking #localbranding