Diši po Prekmurju
Name / Title | Diši po Prekmurju |
Case Study Region | Pomurska (SI) |
Geographical coverage | regional level: Pomurska region |
Type | Business; project; partnership |
Main activity / focus | Production and marketing of distinguished local products: food and crafts |
Target beneficiaries / market | consumers, caterers |
Year established | 2005 |
Current Funding source(s) | EU, Republic of Slovenia, Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry and Food; European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe invests in rural areas
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Participants | Association for the Promotion and Protection of Prekmurje Specialities |
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Description
| Project Scent of Prekmurje was initially supported through EU program PHARE and the project implementation started in 2005. Today the “Scent of Prekmurje” is a communal trade mark connecting the providers of culinary and other gastronomic specialties of the region. It unites the producers, providers and fans of quality food with the goal to improve the quality as well as to protect and promote the culinary specialties of Prekmurje. The trade mark is an open decentralized system allowing new members to join in after they suit the entering criteria. The trade mark can therefore be currently upgraded; gaining quality as well as it is widening the list of products to offer. The trade mark is promoted through various annual events in various places in Slovenia; these occasions are also used to present and to grant the quality certificates. Besides these bigger events the Association for the Promotion and Protection of Prekmurje Specialties organizes targeted promotional events (the so-called Prekmurje eves, Days of Prekmurje gastronomy) together with the local caterers. There are two products which they already managed to standardize and protect – Prekmurje ham (awarded by “Protected designation of origin” status) and Prekmurje layer pie (recognized as a “Traditional specialty guaranteed”) as well as they have managed to protect the geographical origin of Prekmurje wines. Beside those, Scent of Prekmurje also offers other products that are made in Prekmurje and have a unique local character. The support of European agricultural fund for rural areas: Europe invests in rural areas enabled the implementation of the project “Promotion of Prekmurje ham and Prekmurje layer pie” in which the two products were presented at gastronomy and tourist fairs, various public events as well as in stores and shopping malls. Currently the trade mark is intensifying the promotional activities (especially marketing of Prekmurje layer pie and Prekmurje ham) within the frame and by the support of the Rural Development Program of RS 2007-2013. The Prekmurje ham and Prekmurje layer pie providers can join the trade mark only after they prove their products to suit the protection requirements and so they can use the protected name and obtained protected marks. The trade mark unites 33 certified providers of Prekmurje layer pie (coming mostly from Pomurska region; partially from other parts of Slovenia). The group of Prekmurje ham producers and providers are located in Pomurska region but are well settled at Slovenian as well as at the international market. The Scent of Prekmurje trade mark represents a good practice because it is a nice example of the initiative that has been originally supported by the EU funds and has later on developed into a well recognized and active business which not only importantly contributes to the regional economy but also highly as well as sustainably influences the regional tradition. According to the literature (Istenič Černič, 2009) the case of Scent of Prekmurje the small business culture as well as the social capital played a more important role than the measures of the national “Programme of Rural Development”.
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Contact details
| Društvo za promocijo in zaščito Prekmurskih dobrot |