Datenbank der Projekte zur ländlichen Entwicklung

Professionalisation of agri-food businesses through the development of new opportunities for economic cooperation and pooling of resources - plus undertaking collective action, including the promotion and marketing of products and quality services.

Conseil des Élus de la Montagne Basque (Bayonne Cedex, France)

A survey among thirty-two local agri-food companies and chains, which was carried out in the border area between France and Spain in 2008, showed a keen interest of economic actors to get involved in the implementation of cross-border-cooperation activities. The survey respondents from the Navarre and Basque mountain areas were clearly looking for a support capacity which animates projects, exchanges of expertise and which provides overall strategic guidance and specialized expertise.

The LAGs supported the partnership between 'Mission Agro-Alimentaire des Pyrénées' (MAFF) and 'Instituto Técnico y Gestión Ganadero' (ITG-G) with the common objective to identify new opportunities of economic cooperation. Pooling their resources and undertaking collective action, the project partners' specific objective was the development of joint approaches to the promotion and marketing of agri-food products and quality services.

(1) Cross-border consolidation of Basque pig supply chains, creating a legal entity under Spanish law & linking it with an existing French association to integrate development strategies. (2) Supporting cheese processing cooperatives in difficulty, identifying/exploiting synergies to develop business & professionalize management. (3) Add local value to raise farmers' business/income, training & exchange to develop direct sales of meat, improving slaughterhouse volumes, processing tools/premises.

The project was designed to offer a response to the results highlighted by the 2008 survey among economic actors from the agro-food sector. Cooperation schemes were established as described above, for the beneficiaries of the two territories covered by the project, i.e. the Development Association of the Basque Pig Industry, the cooperatives of Azkorria and Baztandarra, the community of towns of Soule, breeders as customers of the Mauleon slaughterhouse and breeders of Montana de Navarra.

The transnational cooperation project supported the development of mountain farming - one of the objectives of the lead partner's local development strategy. Prompted by common issues, agriculture and food sector actors from a mountainous border area engaged themselves in networking, collective action, the identification of synergies and the pooling of resources. New cooperation projects and cross-border synergies are expected to evolve.

Aquitaine in France and Navarra in Spain

45 815

11 733

34 082

Emmanuelle Yohana

emmanuelle.yohana@cg64.fr

+ 33 55946 5101

French