Know your food,
Know where it comes from
Conference
28-29-th Octomber
Sighişoara
România
Co-financed by a programme of the European Union,Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development, and by Orange Romania
Sole responsibility for any statements of opinions both printed herein and presented at this conference lies with the authors. The European Commission is not responsible for any opinions expressed.
Know your food, know where it comes from:
reasons for, and objectives of, this conference
This conference comes at a crucial time for European farming and food production. The
legislative proposals for the new CAP 2013-2020 were announced on 12 October. In
addition, a new Quality Package was adopted by the Commission in late 2010, which
will lead to legislative proposal during 2012.
European agriculture plays a fundamental role in our societies. It affects us all in
many aspects of our lives, whether we live in the country in the cities.
These proposals mentioned above are both very important for the future viability of
Europe's small-scale farms and farming communities, and for Europe's traditional farmed
landscapes. And not only. The issues of local food, quality food, and short food chains also
affect the European public as a whole, by ensuring accessibility of high quality food and
recreational landscapes. This can only be assured by sustainable farming, farming that
conserves our precious natural capital soil quality, water quality and supply, and
biodiversity.
The CAP is a living policy. It is evolving to respond to the new priorities of our
society.
The European Commission, especially under the initiative of Commissioner for
Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Cioloº, has carried out extensive public
consultation on these issues which are central to the continued prosperity of
Europe.
The proposed CAP 2014-2020, and the proposed Quality Package, are both
responses to these consultations.
The Commission makes clear that the CAP, now and in the future, supports sustainable
agriculture that is sensitive to landscapes, wildlife, and responsible food production, which
in turn affect the quality of the food we eat, the quality of the natural landscapes that give
us clean water and clean air, and wonderful places for recreation and a haven for wildlife.
But what is the best way to support sustainable agriculture? This conference aims to
1. explain some of the key elements of the European Commission's polices on Food
Quality and Food Chains, that are responding to the concerns of European farmers
and citizens
2. analyse some of the problems faced by traditional farming communities and by the
consumer public
3. collect, and feed back to the Commission, opinion from the grass roots about what
are the best solutions to Europe's food security problems, and what help producers
and consumers need from the Commission, in the form of legislation, to facilitate
these solutions.
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Programme
Points of contact in case of problems:
Ben Mehedin, +4 0752 264580
Cristi Gherghiceanu, +4 0748 200088
Evening
Arrival of guests, accommodation at Hotel Poenita Str. Dimitrie
Cantemir Nr. 24, Sighişoara, 545400. Tel.: +40 265 772739.
Fax:
+40 265 778381, Email: [email protected].
Friday 28 October
09:00
09:30
Registration and coffee at Hotel Casa Wagner, Piata Cetatii 7,
Sighisoara. Tel.: +40 265 506014, Fax: +40 265 506015. E-mail:
[email protected]. Website: www.casa-wagner.com
Introduction to the conference. Nat Page, Fundatia ADEPT
National and regional analysis
09:40
The European system of quality marks for agricultural and food
products. Lucia Romanescu, Head of Traditional Products Service,
County Directorate for Agriculture, Braşov
10:00 From farm to fake: advocacy, and promotion of local markets. Tiberiu
Cazacioc, Asociatiei Grupul de Initiativa Radu Anton Roman
10:20
Regional aspects of local development: promoting local and direct sales
through LEADER. Valentin Tudorache, County Directorate for
Agriculture, Braşov.
10:40
Reflectii si actiuni in sprijinul economiei de proximitate. Valentin
Arvunescu, Director executiv, Asociatia "Ille et Vilaine - Sibiu"
11:00
Coffee break. Meet local producers who will have stands at the
conference
Local analysis, local solutions
11:30
Introduction to the challenges facing local producers and local sales,
Tarnava Mare area. Ben Mehedin, Fundatia ADEPT
11:50
Food education for Youth Pozsonyi Márta, Slow Food Turda convivium
leader, Turda, Transylvania,
12:10
'Van Eigen Erf' Foundation, a network of 100 organic farmers in the
Netherlands who sell their produce locally. Iris van de Graaf,
12:30
Promoting organic, sustainable and locally produced food in
restaurants, Netherlands. Lasca ten Kate, Friendly Kitchens
Foundation
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13:00 Lunch: local products offered by the producers.
14:30 ASTRA Museum and the Fair of Traditional Food. Gherghel Mihaela, Muzeum
of Popular and Traditional Civilisation, ASTRA Sibiu. Organizer of the
Sibiu market for Traditional Foods.
14:50 A local case study of the development of local sales: Anca Calugar, producer,
Saschiz, Transilvania.
15:10 Sanatate Dulce: creating a brand in Salaj County. Alin Prunean, Agapis
Foundation, Salaj.
15:30 Introduction to policy working session: how can the EU best respond to the
public demand for Guaranteeing quality to consumers and a fair
price for farmers. Nat Page.
16:00 Coffee break. Meet local producers who will have stands at the conference.
Workshop
16:30 Working session how can the EU best respond to the public demand for
Guaranteeing quality to consumers and a fair price for farmers.
Moderator: Razvan Popa.
18:00 Close of the day. Initial analysis of conclusions.
19:00 Dinner at Casa Wagner Hotel.
Saturday 29 October
08:00 Breakfast at Hotel Poenita
09:00 Depart for Saschiz by mini-bus
09:30 Visit to producers in Saschiz to see local responses to challenges faced by
small-scale producers wishing to sell into local and direct markets
12:30 Depart for Viscri by mini-bus
13:00 Lunch at Viscri: food miles = zero! All food grown and produced in the
village.
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SUMMARY OF QUESTIONS BEING COVERED BY THIS CONFERENCE
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES?
•
European farmers and food producers have a reputation for producing a diversity
of high quality products. Beyond the legal requirements, they often give their products
other qualities valued by consumers, for example by producing them with traditional
farming methods.
•
Customers can only be expected to pay a fair price if they are properly informed
about the characteristics of products. Farmers and producers need the right tools to
communicate these to customers.
• The EU is proposing to update existing tools and introduce new ones, as part of its
quality policy for agricultural products (the 'Quality Package').
WHO WILL BENEFIT AND HOW?
• Farmers will be able to better inform customers about the characteristics of their
products and should get a fair price for them.
• Customers (agri-food industry, retailers and consumers) will find it easier to identify
the characteristics and quality of products and make more informed choices.
WHY DOES ACTION HAVE TO BE TAKEN BY THE EU?
Many aspects of agricultural product quality are covered by European rules, including the
tools to promote quality products. These should be modernised
• to tackle the lack of information given to consumers for certain quality products
• to streamline certain tools and make them more consistent (such as origin labelling
and geographical indications)
• to simplify their use.
WHAT EXACTLY WILL CHANGE?
• The registration process for geographical indications and traditional specialities
will be streamlined to help farmers and processors to better use these tools.
• Optional quality terms that guarantee proper use of premium terms (such as 'freerange' for chicken or 'first-cold pressing' for olive oil) showing high-value quality will all
be governed by the same rules.
• The EU will be able to modify marketing standards and rules on origin labeling
more easily.
• Voluntary best practice guidelines will be introduced for certification schemes.
• Voluntary labelling guidelines will be introduced for food products with protected
designations of origin or protected geographical indications as ingredients.1.5.
WHEN IS THE PROPOSAL LIKELY TO COME INTO EFFECT?
•
Legislative proposals probably in 2012
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Guaranteeing quality to consumers and a fair price for farmers
An enhanced EU policy to help better communicate the quality of food products
Since the 1990s, Union agricultural product quality policy has been closely identified with three
Union schemes, namely
1. protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications
2. organic farming
3. traditional specialities guaranteed.
These Union standards and schemes have been joined in the last decade by an upsurge in the
number of certification schemes in the private sector seeking to guarantee to consumers
value-adding characteristics and attributes, as well as respect for baseline standards through
quality assurance certification.
In 2006, in the context of a recast of the scheme for protected designations of origin and
protected geographical indications, the Commission committed to undertake a future policy
review of the operation of the Regulation and its future development. This highlighted the
widespread failure of these schemes to attract participation of very small-scale
producers.
The Commission noted the failure of “protected geographical indications”, and of “traditional
specialities guaranteed”, to attract small-scale producers, although small-scale producers
are often associated with artisanal products, traditional methods and local marketing, the
European Union schemes are seen as burdensome in terms of application, they necessitate
costly controls, and they require adherence to a specification.
Therefore, further study and analysis was carried out in order to assess the problems faced by
small-scale producers in participating in Union quality schemes.
On the basis of the results of this analysis, as part of the Quality Package adopted by the
Commission in late 2010, the Commission has proposed a new scheme, THE LOCAL
FARMING AND DIRECT SALES SCHEME, with the aim of assisting small-scale
producers to market their products and to communicate the value-adding attributes of
the product to consumers, and thereby to promote development of the rural economy.
Guaranteeing quality to consumers and a fair price for farmers are the twin aims of the
"Quality Package". This Quality Package sets up for the first time a comprehensive
policy on certification schemes, value-adding terms for agricultural product qualities,
and product standards. Until now these have been spread among numerous pieces of
legislation. With this Package, the Commission covers all facets of quality, from
compliance with minimum standards to highly specific products.
"The strength of European agricultural production lies in its diversity, in the know-how of
farmers, and in the soil and territories of production", said Dacian Cioloş, Commissioner for
Agriculture and Rural Development today, adding, "Farmers, who are under pressure from the
economic downturn, concentration of retailer bargaining power, and global competition, need
the tools to better communicate about their products to consumers. This Quality Package is a
first step on the path of building on a stronger and more dynamic farming sector which will be
followed by other initiatives".
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The Quality Package comprises:
•
A proposal for a new 'Agricultural Product Quality Schemes Regulation', bringing
coherence and clarity to the EU schemes: reinforcing the flagship scheme for protected
designations of origin and geographical indications (PDOs and PGIs); overhauling the
traditional specialities guaranteed scheme (TSGs), and laying down a new framework for the
development of Optional Quality Terms to provide consumers with information they
increasingly demand, such as 'free range'' and 'first cold pressing'.
•
A proposal to streamline adoption of marketing standards by the Commission, including
the power to extend place of farming labelling in accordance with the specificity of each
agricultural sector.
•
New Guidelines on best practices for voluntary certification schemes and on the
labelling of products using geographical indications as ingredients.
Târnava Mare location in Romania
SCI Sighişoara - Târnava Mare
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GENERAL QUESTIONS ON MARKETS FOR SMALL FARMERS
1. What are the main issues and problems (structural, economic, geographic, etc)
faced by producers wishing to market their products in the local market, including
direct sales?
2. A national or regional level, existing systems which help to enhance the production
sold locally, particularly in direct sales?
3. What tools exist today across the European Union contribute to solving the problems
identified in response to question 1)?
4. What kind of additional European systems could be developed to promote marketing
of local products at European, national or regional levels?
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON THE "LOCAL FARMING AND DIRECT SALES" SCHEME
In answer to Question 4 above, the Commission proposes a "Local Farming and Direct
Sales” scheme, with the EU-wide label "product from my farm".
The label must be easy for small farmers to access, and must convey a message to
the consumer at the same time. The easier access is made, the less clear the
message. There are many areas we must decide where to draw the line. There are
number of key problems:
1. How should "product from my farm" be defined?
O Should only small farmers/producers be eligible? If so, how should we define a
small farm?
o Should there be limits to the use of bought-in ingredients or animal feed/feed
(feed for cattle sugar for jam,) etc.
o If made on farm, does it matter if production facilities are traditional, or modern
processing unit?
o If processed off farm, such as olive oil, does it still qualify? If so, should there be
some criteria such as limited distance from farm to processing facility?
2. How should "product from my farm" be marketed?
O Do the number of intermediaries be limited? At least one intermediary must be
acceptable, to allow farm shops to act for a number of producers in a locality, and to
allow sale in shops/restaurants in the region.
O Should the distance from farm to point of sale be limited (say, must be sold within 100
km of the farm)/ If so, distance selling by internet should still be allowed.
3. Should the scheme be compulsory across the EU, as agri-environment is now?
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ABOUT FUNDATIA ADEPT TRANSYLVANIA AND THE AREA IN WHICH IT WORKS
Southern Transylvania is amongst the most important natural and cultural landscapes in
Europe, supporting many rare habitats, plants and animals.
The Târnava Mare area is one of Europe's last surviving medieval landscapes. Its grasslands
are some of the richest in wildflowers and associated fauna in lowland Europe. It has been
created by local farming communities, and can only survive with their continued traditional
management.
Târnava Mare is unique in being a large landscape still in a good, functioning ecological state.
For this reason, it is of European and global importance.
Fundatia ADEPT works with farmers, local communities, universities, other NGOs, local and
national government and the European Commission to solve problems threatening the survival
of this precious landscape, and of the farming communities who live within it.
Our activities include:
 Promoting nature conservation through Natura 2000
 Helping local farmers access EU and other funding
 Encouraging traditional land management practices
 Providing nature classes in schools
 Promoting and marketing local products, with the help of the international Slow Food
movement
 Developing sustainable rural tourism
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N
Poienița
casa
Wagner
sursa harta:
http://transilvania-ro.romaniaexplorer.com/