Introduction to the importance of quality in the conceptualization of a territory

1
Introduction to the importance of quality in the
conceptualization of a territorys image
Cécile Levret, Euromontana
2
Who is Euromontana?

• An association comprising a wide network from
  East, West and Central Europe
• 56 Organisations from 17 European Countries
• A diverse and multi-sectoral field of competence
• regional development agencies, local
  authorities, agriculture organisations,
  environmental agencies, forestry organisation and
  research institutes.
• Its mission promoting sustainable development
  and quality of life in mountain areas
• Through exchanges of experience, dissemination
  of strategic information, studies and conferences

3
Quality features of mountain products and their
connectionswith mountain territories
Key point
The presentation will be partly based on a
project conducted by Euromontana from 2002 to
2004 on mountain quality food products
4
Context and background

• 19 of the European population is living and
  working in these areas
• BUT survival of activities including farming is
  fragile due to permanent handicaps linked to
  relief, isolation, climate, etc.
• AND recent reforms of community policies and the
  enlargement of EU offer new measures for rural
  development but also represents new challenges
  for the most fragile regions.

5

• The European and world economic context tend to
  marginalise these regions and their products meet
  difficulties in finding a place in the market
  under a pure economic logic
• BUT overexploitation or the abandonment of land
  management are neither solutions for these areas
  nor for the future of natural resources that they
  offer to the current and future societies.
• AND benefits have to be taken from the wide and
  diverse assets of mountain areas.

6
Quality of products and local development

• This initiative that aims at characterising the
  quality of products and ensuring its promotion as
  specific product has the objectives of creating
  added value and providing local development via
  this quality.
• This strategy is relevant and adapted to farming
  constraints and to richness of these territories.
  Additionally mountain products benefit from a
  positive image to consumers.
• BUT the quality feature of these products should
  not be a myth common characteristics and
  criteria fitting any European quality food
  products should be identified.

7

• 5th Framework Programme for Research and
  Technological Development
• 13 partners from 8 European countries
• 10 study areas
• 122 food products studied

8
Quality features of mountain products

• Traditional species
• Biodiversity in flora
• - Land use/ extensive production
• - Fresh waters
• - Traditional process
• Use of natural, local resources
• - Traditional practices
• - Respect of seasons

Conditions of production/ process and environment
QUALITIES of mountain products
9

• The quality features of mountain products have 2
  origins
• Human practices for production and process
  adapted to mountainous constrains and conditions
• Mountainous environment and natural resources
  linked to climate, altitude and slopes
  connections identified in 80 of the cases.
• Connections between local environments and the
  mountainous practices and/or food products seem
  to be the main factor for success of development
  and adding value to mountain products.

10

• While intrinsic quality is the main point of
  entry into the project, it is not the only
  dimension of quality which mountain products can
  - and indeed should - leverage. Farming practices
  in this comparative harsher environments do have
  positive effects on the territory (in terms of
  multifunctionality)
• This probably means that it is the combination of
  extrinsic characteristics and intrinsic quality
  which products the set of values that provides
  the foundation of the mountain identity of
  the products.

11

• From this assessment, Euromontana designed a
  European Charter for Mountain Quality Food
  Products.
• One of the key idea of the Charter is that the
  quality of products can not be disassociated from
  that of the territories where they are produced.
• This Charter which specifically addresses food
  products, targets greater satisfaction of the
  consumers of these products but also the local
  populations and tourists visiting these regions
  ( territorial consumers).

12
European Charter for Mountain Quality Food
Products

• 2 principles out of the 5 set out in the Charter
  are related to this connection between quality
  and territory
• 3- Enterprises and farms which process primary
  agricultural resources in order to manufacture
  mountain products must be adapted to their
  geographical environment. They must take into
  account the concerns connected to sustainable
  development. The production methods used respect
  the environment and in particular the water
  quality present in the territory in question and
  integrate erosion risks.
• 4- The production and processing structures for
  mountain food products must encourage in their
  activity the maintenance of biological, genetic
  and cultural heritage of mountain areas, the
  development of the local knowledge-base of
  mountain areas and the management of rural areas
  and landscapes.
• On top of that, the 2 first principles stress the
  need for primary materials coming from mountain
  areas and to keep all process stages within
  mountain areas.

13
Conclusion

• This project enabled us to identify common
  denominator of quality features of food products
  over Europe.
• On the basis of the Charter, Euromontana wishes
  to develop a European designation and coherent
  promotion of and communication on mountain
  products that would state the same set of
  attributes and would not claim for a specific
  one

14

• Thank you for your attention !