A successful integrated project from the food industry in Botoșani County, which received funding through a local action group, was presented on Tuesday as a model of success at the European Week of Regions, taking place this week in Brussels
The project includes farmers and entrepreneurs who, with funding attracted through the Valea Başeului de Sus Local Action Group (GAL), established the community producing ‘Săveni cheese,’ which has gained European recognition as a product with protected geographical indication.
The successful model was presented by Cristian Nistor, the public administrator of Botoșani County, during the workshop ‘The Essential Role of Local Action Groups in Community Development.’
‘An example that reflects the real impact of GALs at the level of Botoșani County is an integrated project in the food industry, based on the short supply chain, developed through the LEADER axis. This project not only brought economic benefits but also transformed the way small farmers, entrepreneurs, and the community collaborate to create quality local products, contributing to their regional identity.
In the first phase, an association of cattle breeders from Botoșani developed a project to create centralized milk collection points, providing local farmers the opportunity to bring their products into an organized and modern system.
From there, a local entrepreneur recognized the potential of this chain and established a cheese factory, using exclusively the milk collected from the association. This not only created jobs but also contributed to the valorization of local resources.
Furthermore, the cheese producers’ association saw an opportunity to continue this chain and applied for a new project to open its own retail stores,’ Nistor stated.
He considers that the product made in Botoșani, Săveni cheese, represents an ambassador of the region at both national and European levels.
‘This integrated chain, starting from local farmers and culminating in the international recognition of their products, demonstrates the strength of local partnerships facilitated by GALs and the enormous potential these initiatives have in the economic and social development of rural regions.
Behind this project are farmers, entrepreneurs, and community members who have put all their energy and resources into developing their community. This success story shows us that the rural future of Romania can be innovative and sustainable,’ Nistor added.
For the North-East region of Romania, and especially for Botoșani County, located at the border of the European Union with 173 kilometers of border with the Republic of Moldova and 70 kilometers with Ukraine, the LEADER axis involved the financing of 216 projects, totaling approximately 15 million euros, in the 2014-2020 programming period.
