TTHE FRUITS OF HE FRUITS OF TRADITIONS IN ODORHEI TRADITIONS IN ODORHEI

Acronym: FRUTRADAcronym: FRUTRAD

Priority sectorPriority sector: Facilitating sustainable : Facilitating sustainable productionproduction

Odorheiu Secuiesc, RomaniaOdorheiu Secuiesc, Romania

Where the project Where the project would be located?would be located?

- 23 communes - 3 cities integrating totally 127 settlements.

The subregion's total population is around 120,000 inhabitants, from which 55% lives in traditional rural areas

Actual socio-economic Actual socio-economic situationsituation

• Dominant rural economic sectors:Dominant rural economic sectors:–Animal husbandryAnimal husbandry–Fruit growingFruit growing

• Rural areas Rural areas = buffering space of = buffering space of social social problemsproblems

• Ageing farmersAgeing farmers

Actual socio-economic Actual socio-economic situationsituation

• (Under) subzistence farming system(Under) subzistence farming system

• Reduced access to market opportunities Reduced access to market opportunities and technological know-howand technological know-how

• Imminent need for professional Imminent need for professional assistance and implementation of good assistance and implementation of good model example projectsmodel example projects

ObjectivesObjectivesPPrimary objectiverimary objective::

increase the economic revenue of the rural increase the economic revenue of the rural enterprises by sustainable and enhanced use of enterprises by sustainable and enhanced use of naturalnatural endowments, especially the traditional endowments, especially the traditional varieties of fruit and wild forest species. varieties of fruit and wild forest species.

Secondary objectivesSecondary objectives: : (1)(1)information dissemination and training of local information dissemination and training of local

communities on the economic and genetic value of communities on the economic and genetic value of traditional orchards and wild natural species available traditional orchards and wild natural species available within and surroundings of the villages,within and surroundings of the villages,

(2)(2)improvement of processing level of local products by improvement of processing level of local products by supporting the know-how and technological transfer supporting the know-how and technological transfer into the subregion, into the subregion,

(3)(3)developing and adopting special marketing key developing and adopting special marketing key features in order to promote the access to the market features in order to promote the access to the market of traditionally made products.of traditionally made products.

Project PartnersProject Partners

• Norway Royal Society for Norway Royal Society for DevelopmentDevelopment

• Agora FoundationAgora Foundation• Modern Business Sciences CollegeModern Business Sciences College• Academic Society of Targu MuresAcademic Society of Targu Mures• Hungarian Farmers Association of Hungarian Farmers Association of

Odorhei RegionOdorhei Region

Dimensions of the project Dimensions of the project activities: activities: Biodiversity Biodiversity

conservationconservation

Dimensions of the project Dimensions of the project activities: activities: Preservation of Preservation of

TraditionsTraditions

• Multiplication, preservation of traditional Multiplication, preservation of traditional local fruit varietieslocal fruit varieties

• Use of traditional orchard management Use of traditional orchard management practices (extensive land use)practices (extensive land use)

• Revealing marketable traditional Revealing marketable traditional knowledge knowledge of different methods suitable to of different methods suitable to produce high quality local productsproduce high quality local products

Dimensions of the project Dimensions of the project activities: activities: Community Community

mobilizationmobilization

• Community meetings for in-depth Community meetings for in-depth information collecting of traditional information collecting of traditional knowledge on fruit varietiesknowledge on fruit varieties

• TTrainings for youth by involving rainings for youth by involving experienced older farmers and university experienced older farmers and university professorsprofessors

• Organizing and implementing special local Organizing and implementing special local events (Traditional Fruit Days' Festival at events (Traditional Fruit Days' Festival at subregional level)subregional level)

Dimensions of the project Dimensions of the project activities: activities: Assisting the Local Assisting the Local

EconomyEconomy• Developing and offering a sustainable Rural Developing and offering a sustainable Rural

Economic Development ModelEconomic Development Model• Providing accredited training for improving Providing accredited training for improving

the skills on traditional practices, food the skills on traditional practices, food processing, marketing, entrepreneurial processing, marketing, entrepreneurial managementmanagement

• BioBio-certification of most important local -certification of most important local orchardsorchards

• Preparation and certification of local Preparation and certification of local trademarktrademark

• Establishing and maintenance of RADCEstablishing and maintenance of RADC

Dimensions of the project Dimensions of the project activities: activities: Consolidated Consolidated

networkingnetworking

• EExperience exchanges xperience exchanges withinwithin subregion subregion and abroadand abroad (community members, project (community members, project partners)partners)

• Integration of innovative intervention of Integration of innovative intervention of local NGOs (publicity intervention)local NGOs (publicity intervention)

• Permanent professional assistance for Permanent professional assistance for local communities and SMEs local communities and SMEs

PublicityPublicity

• Project web pageProject web page• Leaflets and informative postersLeaflets and informative posters• Organizing and implementing the 'Traditional Fruit Organizing and implementing the 'Traditional Fruit

Days' Festival in Odorhei subregionDays' Festival in Odorhei subregion• Publicity spots and news in local mediaPublicity spots and news in local media• Exercise booklets for pupilsExercise booklets for pupils• Publicity booklets and catalogue of labeled Publicity booklets and catalogue of labeled

traditionally made productstraditionally made products• Innovative involvement of third partners in the Innovative involvement of third partners in the

promotional activitiespromotional activities• Participation at one international and three national Participation at one international and three national

fairsfairs• PermanePermanennt communication with local communities t communication with local communities

Project activities: Project activities: Collecting of local information and Collecting of local information and

knowledge knowledge

• traditional cultivation and use of local traditional cultivation and use of local natural valuesnatural values

• farmers' perception on the most farmers' perception on the most important characteristics of local important characteristics of local varietiesvarieties

• territorial spread of the relevant territorial spread of the relevant varieties within community territoryvarieties within community territory

Project activities:Project activities:

Enhancement of community active Enhancement of community active participation and information dissemination participation and information dissemination

activitiesactivities• trainings for farmerstrainings for farmers• experiences exchangesexperiences exchanges• publicity in printed and electronic publicity in printed and electronic

formatformat• periodical meetings with local peopleperiodical meetings with local people• using the local knowledge in the skill using the local knowledge in the skill

development of pupilsdevelopment of pupils

Project activities:Project activities:Supporting the local economic initiatives of Supporting the local economic initiatives of

SMEsSMEs

• providing permanent consultancyproviding permanent consultancy• establishing a Rural Assistance and establishing a Rural Assistance and

Demonstrative Centre (RADC)Demonstrative Centre (RADC)• professional marketing assistance to local professional marketing assistance to local

economic initiativeseconomic initiatives• market promotion of local productsmarket promotion of local products• implementing community events to raise implementing community events to raise

awarenessawareness• providing information on the real status of the providing information on the real status of the

market for potential fruit made productsmarket for potential fruit made products• permanent access to RADC facilities permanent access to RADC facilities and and

assistance assistance in order to improve the skills on in order to improve the skills on susuitaitable product developmentble product development and management and management

Interrelation of activitiesInterrelation of activities

Professional Assistance

ResultsResults • increasing the economic revenue of at least 200 increasing the economic revenue of at least 200

families within the targeted communitiefamilies within the targeted communitiess• at least 300 community members will acquire at least 300 community members will acquire

directly and 30,000 people indirectly new directly and 30,000 people indirectly new structured knowledge on the genetic and structured knowledge on the genetic and economic value of local orchards and wild forest economic value of local orchards and wild forest speciesspecies

• at least 150 local pupils will be directly involved at least 150 local pupils will be directly involved in the safeguarding activities of these valuesin the safeguarding activities of these values

• the number of traditional fruit varieties will the number of traditional fruit varieties will increase by at least 1,500 treesincrease by at least 1,500 trees

ResultsResults• at least 15 new local products will enter onto the at least 15 new local products will enter onto the

marketmarket• tthe amount of collected and processed wild he amount of collected and processed wild

forest species will increase by 20%forest species will increase by 20%• the land size managed under low input (organic) the land size managed under low input (organic)

conditions will increase up to 40 hectaresconditions will increase up to 40 hectares• a demonstration investment at subregional level a demonstration investment at subregional level

will promote investments in small scale fruit will promote investments in small scale fruit processing systems of at least 20 newly formed processing systems of at least 20 newly formed SMEsSMEs

SustainabilitySustainability

• Project objectProject objectiives ves = = Foundation’s Foundation’s goalsgoals• Fruit plantations are of national interestFruit plantations are of national interest• Complementary financial resourcesComplementary financial resources

• TrainingsTrainings• SME investmentsSME investments• Product promotionProduct promotion• Land use by fruit trees plantationLand use by fruit trees plantation

• Transferable Transferable Economic Economic Development Development Model to other regions and/or other local Model to other regions and/or other local products (for e.g.products (for e.g. milk, honey, medicinal milk, honey, medicinal plants)plants)

Thank you for your kind attention ! Thank you for your kind attention !

Istv á n M á r Project Manager

 Civitas Foundation for Civil Society – Odorheiu

SecuiescAddress: Odorheiu Secuiesc, Bethlen Gabor street, nr. 43,

postal code: 535 6 00 Tel/fax: + 40-2 6 2 18481Mobil: + 40-754-6 5718 6

E-mail: istvanmar @ civitas.roW eb: www.civitas.ro