Where the project would be located ?

1. THE FRUITS OF TRADITIONS IN ODORHEI Acronym: FRUTRADPriority sector: Facilitating sustainable productionOdorheiuSecuiesc, Romania

2. Wherethe project would be located? • 23 communes • 3 cities integrating totally 127 settlements. • The subregion's total population is around 120,000 inhabitants, from which 55% lives in traditional rural areas

3. Actualsocio-economicsituation • Dominantruraleconomicsectors: • Animalhusbandry • Fruitgrowing • Ruralareas= buffering space of social problems • Ageing farmers

4. Actualsocio-economicsituation • (Under) subzistence farming system • Reduced access to market opportunities and technological know-how • Imminentneedforprofessionalassistance and implementation of goodmodelexampleprojects

5. Objectives Primary objective: increase the economic revenue of the rural enterprises by sustainable and enhanced use of naturalendowments, especially the traditional varieties of fruit and wild forest species. Secondaryobjectives: • information dissemination and training of local communities on the economic and genetic value of traditional orchards and wild natural species available within and surroundings of the villages, • improvement of processing level of local products by supporting the know-how and technological transfer into the subregion, • developing and adopting special marketing key features in order to promote the access to the market of traditionally made products.

6. Project Partners • Norway Royal Society for Development • Agora Foundation • Modern Business Sciences College • Academic Society of TarguMures • Hungarian Farmers Association of Odorhei Region

7. Dimensions of the project activities: Biodiversityconservation

8. Dimensions of the project activities: Preservation of Traditions • Multiplication, preservation of traditional local fruitvarieties • Use of traditionalorchard management practices (extensivelanduse) • Revealingmarketabletraditionalknowledgeof different methods suitable to produce high quality local products

9. Dimensions of the project activities: Communitymobilization • Communitymeetingsforin-depthinformationcollecting of traditionalknowledgeonfruitvarieties • Trainings for youth by involving experienced older farmers and university professors • Organizing and implementingspecial local events (TraditionalFruitDays' Festivalatsubregionallevel)

10. Dimensions of the project activities: Assistingthe Local Economy • Developing and offering a sustainableRuralEconomicDevelopmentModel • Providingaccreditedtrainingforimprovingtheskillsontraditionalpractices, foodprocessing, marketing, entrepreneurial management • Bio-certification of most important local orchards • Preparation and certification of local trademark • Establishing and maintenance of RADC

11. Dimensions of the project activities: Consolidatednetworking • Experience exchanges withinsubregion and abroad (communitymembers, project partners) • Integration of innovativeinterventionof local NGOs (publicityintervention) • Permanent professional assistance for local communities and SMEs

12. Publicity • Project web page • Leaflets and informativeposters • Organizing and implementing the 'Traditional Fruit Days' Festival in Odorheisubregion • Publicity spots and news in local media • Exercisebookletsforpupils • Publicity booklets and catalogue of labeled traditionally made products • Innovative involvement of third partners in the promotional activities • Participation at one international and three national fairs • Permanent communication with local communities

13. Project activities: Collecting of local information and knowledge • traditional cultivation and use of local natural values • farmers' perception on the most important characteristics of local varieties • territorial spread of the relevant varieties within community territory

14. Project activities:Enhancement of community active participation and information dissemination activities • trainingsforfarmers • experiencesexchanges • publicity in printed and electronic format • periodical meetings with local people • using the local knowledge in the skill development of pupils

15. Project activities:Supporting the local economic initiatives of SMEs • providingpermanentconsultancy • establishing a Rural Assistance and Demonstrative Centre (RADC) • professional marketing assistance to local economic initiatives • market promotion of local products • implementing community events to raise awareness • providing information on the real status of the market for potential fruit made products • permanent access to RADC facilities and assistancein order to improve the skills on suitable product development and management

16. Interrelation of activities Training Publicity Best practices, networking Professional Assistance Ruralcommunities and SMEs

17. Results • increasing the economic revenue of at least 200 families within the targeted communities • at least 300 community members will acquire directly and 30,000 people indirectly new structured knowledge on the genetic and economic value of local orchards and wild forest species • at least 150 local pupils will be directly involved in the safeguarding activities of these values • the number of traditional fruit varieties will increase by at least 1,500 trees

18. Results • at least 15 new local products will enter onto the market • the amount of collected and processed wild forest species will increase by 20% • the land size managed under low input (organic) conditions will increase up to 40 hectares • a demonstration investment at subregional level will promote investments in small scale fruit processing systems of at least 20 newly formed SMEs

19. Sustainability • Project objectives= Foundation’sgoals • Fruit plantations are of national interest • Complementary financial resources • Trainings • SME investments • Product promotion • Land use by fruit trees plantation • Transferable EconomicDevelopment Model to other regions and/or other local products (for e.g.milk, honey, medicinal plants)

20. Thank you for your kind attention ! IstvánMár Project Manager Civitas Foundation for Civil Society – Odorheiu Secuiesc Address: Odorheiu Secuiesc, Bethlen Gabor street, nr. 43, postal code: 535600 Tel/fax: +40-2 6 2 18481Mobil: +40-754-657186 E-mail: istvanmar@civitas.ro Web: www.civitas.ro