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Project Topic
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Mediterranean wild and semi-wild food products (WFP) have unique and exclusive properties which are strongly connected to the local economies, rural livelihoods, provision of ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, traditional knowledge, territorial identity, gastronomy and other cultural values. A significant share of local population at both sides of the Mediterranean harvest and consume WFP, but their full commercial potential is yet to be unlocked. In this regard, the overall aim of WILDFOOD is to promote the implementation of innovative strategies to enhance the Mediterranean WFP value chains with the involvement of different actors, subsequently improving the conditions and competitiveness of smallholders, SMEs and local communities linked to these products. To achieve this, WILDFOOD will design and implement research and innovative solutions for tackling the pressing challenges of the agro-food value chain by exploring existing organisational and business models of selected WFP (mushrooms, truffles, pine nuts, chestnuts, acorns and aromatic plants), strengthening the integration between the main agro-food value chains actors, promoting new models of mutual collaboration, and also will implement targeted capacity building activities, dissemination and interactive knowledge-exchange. WILDFOOD responds to the challenges of the call by identifying and demonstrating the replicability of effective organisational and business models addressing Mediterranean WFP in order to enhance the integration of the main agri-food actors, as well as to meet market and food security needs and capitalise on the opportunities given by the Mediterranean values, heritage and biodiversity. This will result in socio-economic benefits that include the creation of new jobs, increased competitiveness of companies on both shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and hence will contribute to rural development and the reduction of migration flows in the Mediterranean.
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