INTEGRATED PROMOTION OF REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

The paper is aimed at presenting the concept and development of the rural development initiative "Genuss RegionOsterreich" in Austria from 2008 until the year 2010. It is based on statistical data provided by the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, the initiative's operational organisation GRM GenussRegionen Marketing GmbH and GBI Consulting, one of the evaluators of the initiative. Through the initiative installed in 2005 and during its first three years of activities, impressive results have been achieved: 113 regions have become members of the initiative by 2010; over 3.000 licenses for producers have been issued; 180 regional events with official participation of GENUSS REGION OSTERRICH took place in 2010; over 2.000 restaurants participated in 2010 in the seasonal promotion weeks of the initiative, over 160 retail enterprises are partners and offer regional products of the member region; over 100 touristic packages involving the member regions are available; a higher awareness of the consumers for regional products has been achieve; at the same time the awareness and proficiency, with which the producers market their products has become much higher and the cooperation with tourism, gastronomy, retail and with other regional producers has risen; quality as a key factor for sustainability and registration process of at least one product in all regions for a PDO (protected designation of origin) or a PGI (protected geographical indication) has been started or accomplished.