Building up workshop - Siófok

On the 21st September 2017 was organized the building-up workshop of the AgriShort - Establishing short food supply chains and competitive agricultural sector in the cross-border region through institutional cooperation” project. The main intention of the workshop was to develop the knowledge of the related departmental actors in connection with the short food supply chains. Moreover building-up workshop was an expediency to define roles for the target groups of the project.

As an introduction, representative of the lead beneficiary (REDEA) Jurka Topol presented the general aims the actual phase and the advancement of the project.
After the general project presentation Károly Fekete researcher of Lake Balaton Development Coordination Agency described the results of a questionnare survey was conducted in Somogy and Zala counties. The main aim of the survey was to assess the potentials of Lake Balaton area in gastro-tourism related to high quality local products. The most important conclusion of the research is the actors of high-quality gastronomy are totally opened for involving local products, even they quest the connection for reliable producers.

The last presentation of the first section was presented by Péter Kajner, president of SZÖVET (Association For Living Tisza River). The presentation demonstrated the connection between establishing local food systems and adaptation of climate changing. Péter Kajner introduced excitingly the effects of global food supply chains on climate conditions. At the second part of the lecture the attendance could realize adapting a local supply chain can react for effects of climate changing.

After the first section there was an interactive, specified training conducted by Katalin Kujáni and Zsolt Kükedi rural development experts. The accented intent of the training was to connect the potential stakeholders – local producers, institutional actors – of short food supply chains in the cross-border region. In the course of the training the target groups had to identify the possibilities, sectoral problems and first steps in the concerned counties and also had to conceive their roles and tasks by establishing short food supply chains. In favour of efficiency of the training, the trainers formed six separated (Croatian – Hungarian) thematically determined groups. In this phase stakeholders had to disclose the sectoral attitudes in cooperation, producing, consuming and institutional operation in national level. Representatives of working groups reported analogical characteristics from both sides. The low costs for local products, the complicated laws for trading and taxation just like the imperfection of expert supporting are well-known both sides of the border.
In the afternoon trainers requested the attendance to conceive tasks for producers, contributor institutions and consumers. As a conclusion it is ascertainable, that there are three groups of upcoming tasks: the most important is to configure the legislation, in addition there is a necessity to educate producers and consumers and also the facility of shaping the consumers-aspect is a criteria to establish prosperous short food supply chains.

Photos taken at the event are available in the gallery of the website.

Presentations of the Building up workshop can be downloaded from the „Downloads” menu of the website.