The new trademark was presented in the frame of the 4th Tasty Spas Festival which attracted more than 10’000 visitors. The first 13 producers that obtained the approval to use this trademark – standing for provenance, quality and taste – received greatest attention when presenting the first labelled products. Financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the objective of this new trademark is to promote regional agri-food products as a means to boost trade, create important employment opportunities in the Ukrainian Carpathians and foster sustainable development in this rural area.
“Typical agri-food production and rural development have shaped the development of the Ukrainian Carpathians, a region which has a vast heritage of agricultural production and crop diversity”, says Vasyl Brus, Deputy Head of the administration of the oblast (region) of Ivano-Frankivsk . The Carpathians are the Europe’s largest mountains range and represent a unique natural treasure of great beauty and ecological value, and are home of the headwaters of major rivers. Moreover, the Ukrainian Carpathians constitute an important ecological, economic, cultural, recreational and living environment in the heart of Europe, shared by numerous peoples. The Ukrainian Carpathians offer a considerable tourism potential and numerous business opportunities that capitalize on the abundant natural resources of this magnificent region. Consequently, the Ukrainian Carpathians are one of the best known regions in Ukraine for excellent typical local cuisine. The so called “Carpathian taste” is known far beyond the political border of Ukraine. Hence this new Carpathian trademark with the first 13 approved producers is a milestone in the valorisation of our local agri-food products and cultural heritage and contributes to the sustainable development of the Ukrainian Carpathians!
“With the development of the trademark Taste of the Ukrainian Carpathians, producers from the four Oblasts of Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Chernivtsi and Zakarpattya, agreed to co-operate for the competitiveness and the sustainable development of this region” stresses Tobias Eisenring from the Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL. "The trademark stands for Provenance, Quality and Taste and is a guarantee seal for high quality regional agri-food products from these four oblasts. It involves only approved and highly committed producers can participate. This trademark will be of great benefit for consumers and tourists from the EU (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania) as well as national tourists from Ukraine, who will have access to a wide range of selected regional quality agri-food products from the Ukrainian Carpathians, such as cheese, herbal tea, jams, fruit juices, honey and meat products. Thanks to this initiative, produces will benefit from a joint marketing strategy, linked to the promotion and use of a shared regional trademark, and enabling them to work with efficient trading and retail partners to boost sales and income through optimal product placing within and outside the region. For the people living in the Ukrainian Carpathians, the trademark will generate interesting publicity for the region; people living in the cities will be able to access genuine, tasty and safe products from the so much liked Ukrainian Carpathians. Overall, important economic, social, and environmental impact is expected as this initiative is in an important motor to stimulate sustainable development in the four Carpathian Oblasts of Ukraine."
The development of the trademark “Taste of the Ukrainian Carpathians” is a part of the Swiss-Ukrainian project “Organic Market Development in Ukraine 2012 – 2016”, funded by the Swiss Confederation through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and is being implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in cooperation with sector stakeholders in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food.
More information
Contact
Tobias Eisenring, project leader of the Swiss-Ukrainian project “Organic Market Development in Ukraine 2012 – 2016”, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, 5070 Frick, Switzerland
Viktor Shutkevych, Assistant Country Director and National Program Officer for Financial and Economic Sustainability Projects (incl. Organic Agriculture) within the Swiss Technical Assistance Program to Ukraine, Swiss Cooperation Office Ukraine, Swiss Confederation, 29, Ivana Franka St., Kyiv, 01030, Ukraine, Phone +380 44 238 62 50/51, viktor.shutkevych@sdc.net
Links
ukraine.fibl.org: Carpathian Trademark