SEED EXCHANGE
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The focus of this project was promoting the development of our own local market products with high-added value. The emphasis was on the production and marketing of domestic organic plant seeds. Pursuing the concept of integration and cooperation, we have created a local production chain with great potential for involving different target groups and developing new jobs. We also indirectly encouraged the development of green tourism (revival and preservation of tradition, customs, and cuisine, protection of the landscape, etc.), which has been recognized as a priority goal by numerous other European countries for many years.
Due to the tremendous success of the strategically important project, with the support of all the municipalities of Upper Gorenjska, we continued with the implementation of specific activities in 2021.
The community-led local development (CLLD) project Semenjalnica (Seed exchange) took place within the framework of the LAS Gorenjska košarica (Local action group Gorenjska košarica) and was partly financed by the funds of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the community-led local development approach – implementing community-led local development in the 2014-2020 programming period. The partners in the project were all the municipalities of Upper Gorenjska, the Institute for Ecological Research and Sustainable Development – EKOSEMENA (ECO SEEDS), and we, the Development Agency For Upper Gorenjska, assumed the role of leading partner. The main results of the operation, which relate to the achievement of the results of the community-led local development program, are the creation of a new work post, the establishment and design of a new innovative model of the organic seed cooperative, and the establishment of a network of cooperators – 10 involved organic farmers who produce organic seeds for the Semenjalnica (Seed exchange).
- establishing a laboratory, infrastructure and equipment,
- the organization of the work of savings banks, the establishment of seed production and the preservation of indigenous seeds,
- pilot introduction of organic offer in catering establishments.