A Strategy for the Enhancement of the Alpine Space Typical Products Alpine Space Summit Work Group meeting: A Strategy for the Enhancement of the Alpine Space Typical Products Feedback from the individual projects

Purpose, Assumptions, Method Purpose: present some issues, which in the opinion of the 5 involved project teams should be regarded as the most significant for the promotion of the Alpine Space products Assumptions: the experience carried out by the 5 projects, as well as their respective background (internal and external) could contribute to add further tiles in designing future perspectives/scenarios Method: a questionnaire was drawn up, project representatives were asked to express to which extent they agree for a given set of questions under a framework of 7 domains

7 domains concerned More details on the questionnaire D1. Integration among sectors D2. Relationship among products, territory, history andcultural heritage D3. Specific traceability system and certification D4. Specific promotion measures, including labelling system D5. Training D6. Marketing of the local production D7. Creation of job opportunities

One domain, more subjects, example for D.1 More details on the questionnaire Item A) Spatial Planning should take account of the Agriculture and Forestry expectations and needs, because of the role they play for landscape conservation and environment protection B) Synergies between agriculture, handcraft and tourism, and the interest for the cultural heritage and traditions, as they are part of the reasons for the interest attracted by the mountain regions C) Tourist offer, tourism-farm and B&B are complementary and not in conflict D) Integration among economical sectors could be reinforced by establishing local partnership involving tourism, agriculture, handicraft and forestry E) Connection between the economic sectors and availability of endogenous energy resources should be pointed out, so as to reinforce the concept of sustainable productions in the mountain areas (i.e. environmental quality certification) F) Other (please specify) : Your comments on the answers given (please add further comments if you wish) Degree (Please mark from “0” to “5”, where “0” means “any agreement” and “5” “full agreement”)

How the feedback from the 5 projects has been regarded and evaluated For each DOMAIN, only 3 items totalling at least and quoted at least by 3 projects are presented, being the ones that the projects have regarded as most significative (exception for D.6 and D.7) A brief comment comes along (key-points, key-words) Here the results, comments and conclusions follow

Domain 1 – Integration among sectors The most significative items Spatial Planning should take account of the Agriculture and Forestry expectations and needs, because of the role they play for landscape conservation and environment protection Synergies between agriculture, handicraft and tourism, all of them are related to cultural heritage and traditions, and these latter contribute to the attraction exerted by the alpine regions Integration among economical sectors could be reinforced by establishing local partnership (tourism, agriculture, handicraft and forestry) Remarkable key-words Environment and Landscape conservation Importance of the cultural heritage Local partnership involving all the sectors. Tourist offers are complementary

Domain 2 – products, territory and cultural heritage The most significative items Specific training combining products, territory history and cultural heritage Increase awareness of stakeholders/actors on the connection among local resources (e.g. restaurants should promote local agri-food tradition, wood crafts should use local forests production, etc.) Promote the creation of local economic partnership based on cooperation/integration among stakeholders of different sectors (i.e. craftsmen, farmers, local tourist agencies) Remarkable key-words Specific training Connection among local resources Cooperation/integration among sectors (see also Domain 1)

Domain 3 – Specific traceability system and certification The most significative items Agri-food traceability system for the alpine space should certify that crops have been grown in the Alpine regions (and for the animal husbandry as well) Any craft work (wood, wool and other possible production) should make use, as much as possible, of local resources produced in the Alpine Space Traceability of products should adopt environment-friendly processes/practises (environmental-friendly cultivation system, animals should be allowed to graze, animal welfare is taken into account, processes rely on endogenous energy resources, wise and environment-friendly waste management, processes adopted do not pollute the environment) Remarkable key-words Origin of the raw materials Certification of the process, environmental concerns (see: waste/energy)

Domain 4 – Specific promotion including labelling The most significative items Promotion measures should take into account an integrated approach among different sectors Promotion measures should be linked to specific commitments for the care of the alpine areas undertaken by the producers (e.g. part of the income received from products sold will be redeployed for natural and cultural conservation purposes in the mountains so as to increase consumer fidelity) New labelling systems should allow to make clear the origin of the products used for the final product (i.e. origin from the alpine area) Remarkable key-words Raise awareness on the role of the products in land/cultural heritage preservation Labelling systems and the origin of the products from the Alpine area

Domain 5 – Training The most significative items As for specific activities (handicraft, food-processing, etc) trainers should be preferably identified among producers/stakeholders from the local areas Training courses also addressed to families involved in the traditional rural activities, so as to start up multifunctional activities Specific training courses addressed to young people, to gain competences and skills on local heritage and history, traditional activities and local traditional products, afterwards they could be involved as tourist-guides Remarkable key-words Trainers from local areas Training for promoting the multi-functionality Young people and specific skills on cultural heritage/traditional local products

Domain 6 – Marketing of the local products ItemScore Marketing of Alpine products through a labelling system adopting a specific brand Marketing of Alpine products should take into consideration their respective market-niches (i.e. for some peculiar production only small amounts are available and cannot be marketed outside a specific area) Marketing of alpine products should be considered as a vehicle for increasing the interest towards the Alpine area (i.e. the more the awareness on Alpine products the larger the number of tourists visiting the Alpine areas) Marketing of Alpine products should only focus on the opportunities offered by the on-the spot sales, regardless of possible wider market outlet for these products beyond the area of origin (loss of consumer-fidelity is a concern?) Marketing of regional products should take advantage of the opportunities offered by the e-commerce (for which products?, to which extent?) Alpine products should take advantage of the oportunities offered by ICT, these tools should be aimed at reaching a larger number of citizens/consumers interested in the Alpine products

Domain 7 – Creation of job opportunities ItemScore Training courses should be coupled to tutoring. Business plan to be worked out and best ideas to be granted All ICT techniques aimed to knowledge and professional skill should be at trainee disposal Job opportunities should come up because of increased sources of income generated at local level Remarkable key-words Increased income generated at local level

CONCLUSIONS - 1 Project background and experiences carried out for the implementation of activities, has enabled the group to focus on different aspects of the Alpine products promotion Feed-back from the individual projects revealed main items to be considered for future perspectives/proposals Key-items discussed can be used for the back-bone of a specific proposal dealing with future strategies of alpine space products promotion

CONCLUSIONS - 2 The following key-points should be recalled: Integration of different sectors for local partnership Marketing strategies for the Alpine products Raise awareness on local traditions and local products Specific traceability and labelling system for the Alpine products along with a certification of Alps-friendly process Specific training of human resources Alpine peculiarities (traditions/environment/landscape) are correlated to local products

A Strategy for the Enhancement of the Alpine Space Typical Products Alpine Space Summit Work Group meeting: A Strategy for the Enhancement of the Alpine Space Typical Products Feedback from the individual projects Thank you for your attention