The Association of Europeans Regions for Products of Origin (AREPO), in collaboration with the European Research Group (ERG) SYAL (SYstème Agroalimentaires Localisés, or Localised agro-food systems – LAFS) and other stakeholders involved in research and education on quality schemes, presented to the European Commission a position paper on EC Strategic Approach to EU agricultural research and innovation.
AREPO is working to restructure its network in order to implement the interactive innovation model, involving all the relevant actors in a process of knowledge co-creation and appropriation in the sector of quality products and products of origin. In particular, the association is in the process to create a scientific committee composed by actors from research, education and training sector. AREPO role would be to facilitate the exchange between the committee and our member regions and producers, in order to foster knowledge exchange and cooperation, and to create adequate tools to implement research results in regional policies and producers strategies.
In this process AREPO held a high-level seminar on “Innovating and Organising Research, Education and Training for Sustainable GIs”, in the framework of the Week of DG AGRI Stakeholders at Expo Milano 2015. The position paper presents the conclusions of our seminar and is the result of the collaboration with the ERG SYAL and other stakeholders involved in research and education on quality schemes.
The document aims at contributing to the discussion on the long-term strategy for European agricultural research and innovation, assuring that the research needs and issues related to local agro-food systems and quality products will be taken into account and included, highlighting their potential for a sustainable rural development as well as to sustainable bioeconomy.
The first section introduces the concept of Localised agro-food systems highlighting its possible contribution to the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy and its essential role in research and innovation, thanks to its interdisciplinary and dynamic nature.
The second section describes the valorisation of origin and quality products, introducing the concept of the “virtuous” circle, able to close and effectively achieve the reproduction and renewal of the resources used in a “complete” and sustainable production process.
Finally, the third section highlights some orientations to assure that the research needs and issues related to origin and quality products will be taken into account and included in DG AGRI long term strategy.
Click here to download the position paper.
The European Research Group (ERG) SYAL gathers together thirty research institutions of eight European countries, promoting research and education on localised agro-food systems at the European level.
