Additional information on the strategy:
Zala Termálvölgye Egyesület (Thermal Valley of Zala Association) was founded in 2008 for running local LEADER programme in the northeast part of Zala County as a Local Action Group (LAG) in Hungary. In the last 8 years the LAG gained considerable experience in the field of development of local products (supporting investents of local producers, workshops, marketing activities, territorial website for promotion of local products – www.helyitermek.zalatermalvolgye.hu, etc.). The LAG is focusing to Short Food Supply Chain (SFSC) methods since 2014, when it participated in a French-Hungarian international researching programme, the ECO-SYAL project. The LAG prepared a study on SFSC focus in 2015 (title: Development opportunities for local food system in the area of Zala Thermal Valley Association). Based on the suggestions of the research the LAG started to prepare the way for establishing a SFSC cooperation among farmers using short supply chains in the smaller region. The LAG has embedded this objective into the Local Development Strategy in 2016, so 380.000 EUR LEADER fund was allocated for the implementation of the Open Farm Programme in the 2014-2020 programming period. The LEADER fund can be used for investments, education, marketing etc.
