PROJECTS
Since its founding in 1995, Culinary Heritage has consistently undertaken projects aimed at advancing the network and addressing key issues relevant to Partner Regions and Business Members. These projects have spanned a wide range of focus areas, including food, education, tourism, environmental conservation, and rural development, reflecting the network's comprehensive approach to fostering culinary heritage and sustainable practices.
The formulation and refinement of project ideas take place during the Annual Meeting, an essential convening that facilitates collaboration and strategic planning among network members. Funding for these initiatives primarily comes from the European Union's structural funds and the InterReg program, which have supported a variety of regional and cross-border projects within the membership.
Over recent years, Culinary Heritage has expanded its impact by participating in several international projects. These endeavors not only enhance the network's objectives but also contribute significantly to the global discourse on the intersection of culinary heritage with tourism, education, and sustainable development. Through these collaborative projects, Culinary Heritage continues to strengthen its mission, offering valuable insights and innovative solutions to its Partner Regions and Business Members.
BALTIC SEA FOOD
"B2B distribution model supporting local food sector in Baltic Sea region rural areas"
This project started 1 October 2017 and it ended in March 2021 with the support from Interreg Baltic Sea Region with a total budget of 2,436,479 €. Culinary Heritage Europe (SÖSK, Ystad Municipality) acted as project partner with a budget of 252,525 €. The lead partner was Ministry of Rural Affairs of the Republic of Estonia. In total it were 14 partners in the project coming from all 10 countries around the Baltic Sea - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia & Sweden.
The aim of the project: Local food producers and farmers in BSR rural areas are mainly small family businesses,who prefer to organize the sales through face-to-face contact and by phone. They're often not able to sell their products to big wholesale companies or supermarket chains because of limited production volumes and higher price comparing with large producers. Therefore their access to catering, food processing and retail sector is complicated. The market area of local food producers is usually their own home region. In many regions they have established local food networks to cooperate for marketing and information exchange.
The initial analysis of current situation in BSR countries shows that existing local food distribution models are mainly focused on Business to Consumers (B2C) relations and there is lack of economically competitive Business to Business (B2B) model. Local food nets in BSR region have highlighted the need for cost-efficient distribution solutions for delivering food products from farms to local restaurants/tourism farms/shops/industries. The objective of current project is to design a sustainable and transferable business model for B2B distribution applicable for local food nets established by local food producers and providers in BSR rural areas.
The model enables to establish smooth short supply chains in local and regional level offering opportunities for growth and improved business performance to SME's acting in local food sector in rural areas. The business model is designed using the best available competences and current experiences of local food nets in implementation of B2C and B2B solutions. The B2B distribution model is tested in 12 pilot regions in BSR area in
cooperation with local food networks and organizations (SME's/cooperatives/NGO's/farmers unions etc) responsible for organizing delivery and logistics of local food. As the level of technological innovation in local food sector is rather weak, then local food nets and distribution organizations in project area are encouraged to take advantage of existing e-platforms facilitating B2B distribution in local food sector.
Partners will promote and highlight new business opportunities provided by B2B distribution model to all local food networks in project area. Partners introduce them in detail the content and benefits of the model, and also real experiences received from piloting. The main expected result is improved capacity of national and regional organizations from 10 countries to support local food networks from BSR area interested in launching B2B distribution of local food products in business model and process innovation.
Latest info about the project can be found at www.balticseaculinary.com/baltic-sea-food-project
Project Partners Baltic Sea Food
PP1 Ministry of Rural Affairs of the Republic of Estonia EE
PP2 Latvian country tourism association LV
PP3 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tourist Board DE
PP4 Ystad Municipality (Culinary Heritage Europe) SE
PP5 Latvian Agricultural Organization Cooperation LV
PP6 Business Region Esbjerg DK
PP7 HANEN - Norwegian Rural Tourism and Local Food association NO
PP8 NGO Estonian Rural Tourism EE
PP9 The Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce EE
PP10 Pskov Agrotechnical College RU
PP11 State Committee of the Pskovregion for economic development and investment policy RU
PP12 Lahti University of Applied Sciences ltd. FI
PP13 Lithuanian countryside tourism association LT
PP14 "Polish Nature" Foundation PL
MEDFEST
"How to create sustainable tourist destinations"
This project was granted in autumn 2016 by Interreg Mediterranean and it will last for three years. Culinary Heritage acted as an AP as it was the only organisation outside the Mediterranean area that were joined in as a big network resource. The LP was Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts based in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Partners in the projects come from Slovenia, Greece, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Croatia & Cyprus.
The aim of the project: MEDFEST is tackling the challenge of diversifying traditional ‘sun & sea’ tourist destinations, with new and sustainable products based on rich and renowned culinary heritage of the Mediterranean. In so doing, we will increase the sustainability and quality of life in MED space. Our objective is to create tools and instruments for designing new sustainable culinary experiences, which will be offered to visitors to:
1) Diversify the tourism sector in terms of products and its seasonality,
2) Bring tourism development to the coastal hinterland,
3) Safeguard culinary heritage for future generations.
To achieve the stated objectives we will produce the following outputs: - tools for enhancing sustainable tourist destinations by using culinary heritage as a resource - creation of eight new sustainable tourist destinations in MED space based on the culinary heritage - common transnational strategy on managing and planning culinary tourism in MED space. This approach is unique because MED culinary heritage initiatives are generally unconnected and to this day there have been only few common approaches developed to integrate the MED culinary heritage into a sustainable tourist offer. The methodology in MEDFEST is based on participatory action planning, where three main types of stakeholders (producers, tourism organisations, policy makers) are involved and take responsibility for project’s actions from the beginning till the end to ensure the durability of the results.
BALTIC SEA CULINARY ROUTES
"The North Dignity"
This project was implemented with the support of the CBSS Project Support Facility and it involved all ten countries around the Baltic Sea - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden. Culinary Heritage acted as the Swedish partner in this cooperation joining all countries together as a startup for something bigger in a long term.
The aim of the project: "Developing the Culinary Routes network in the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea in order to strengthen identity and the feeling of belonging together as well as to preserve the vitality of rural regions."
As a part of the project a website was created - Baltic Sea Culinary Routes - where its possible to read more about the project and the activities.
BERAS
"Organic agricultural products processing and public education in the Baltic Sea region."
The aim of the project: to address the problem of pollution in the Baltic Sea, the implementation of organic farming and public education in the Baltic Sea region.
Results: The project activity will encourage organic farming, while contributing to the Baltic Sea ecosystem restoration. Eco-education ideas will be integrated into the curriculum, establish cooperative relations not only between Kaunas district organic farmers and secondary schools, but also between the District Health Promoting Schools Network and Sweden Sodertalje local schools. Lithuania is represented by Baltic Charity Foundation, Lithuanian University of Agriculture and Kaunas district municipality.
Project duration: 3 years (2011-2013).
REGFOOD
REGFOOD was a project initiated by some actors around the Baltic Sea to develop the local food around the Baltic Sea in an educational and business perspective. University of Roskilde and UCR (Udveklingscentret in Roskilde) are the owner of this South Baltic Programme project, with Culinary Heritage as Associated Partner. Partners in the project were colleges/universities in Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Lithuania.
The aim of the project: "To develop the skills and existing small businesses in the food and tourism sector and also to implement issues concerning tourism and food with local ingredients in study plans of the educational institutions that exist around the southern Baltic."
Results: 1. Define curriculum regional food 2. Try out the curriculum with students, pilot teaching 3. Design a course for practitioners (people who work with regional food like local producers, restaurants, tourism companies)
The coordinators from Skåne and Sjælland had a more specific role as “specialists" in working groups preparing training courses/curriculums and the trainings.
CULINARY HERITAGE EUROPE
One of the biggest EU-funded project for the network was within the Interreg IIIC-program carried out 2003-2005 and was called Culinary Heritage Europe. The project involved 11 partners in 8 different countries. The project focused on developing culinary experiences, finding solutions for logistics and distribution of locally produced food and finding success criteria.
The aim of the project: "This cooperation wants to create new and improve existing strategies relating to regional development within the small-scale food sector. The partners aim to raise the level of economic activity within their regions by combining small-scale food production and culinary experiences. Culinary experiences add value to the products by focusing on cultural, historical or other interesting aspects of the products. These make the products more unique, interesting and attractive."
Results: SWOT's created about all these countries was one of the results from this project. More info can be found at Culinary Heritage Europe as well as a deeper orientation of the results can be achieved through our office on our Contact page.