In 2014, LACTIMED launched an innovative project competition to reinvigorate the Medi- terranean dairy sector and to illustrate that innovation and entrepreneurship can go perfec- tly hand-in-hand with traditional expertise and local resources.

This initiative, which focuses on a strategic sector that embraces clear-cut socio-economic, cultural and touristic challenges, was introduced in the Beqaa and Baalbeck-Hermel (Lebanon), (), Sicily (Italy), El-Beheira (Egypt) and Bizerte and Béja (Tunisia) regions. 50 projects saw the light of day; 38 applicants were preselected and benefitted from a two-month coaching phase to develop their business plans and to pre- sent their project to an international jury during a pitching session. The aim of this competi- tion, which was open to micro, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), professional associations, federations and research centres, was to promote innovation and create value for typical Mediterranean dairy products, to develop producers and entrepreneurs’ potential through effective coaching, and to encourage exchanges between producers, support bodies and national financial players. At the end of this phase, ten of the preselec- ted applicants were awarded a trophy and €10,000 financial support to launch their innova- tive projects. Agritourism, technical, scientific and ecological innovations, the SMEs from the pilot regions proved their enthusiasm and their pioneering spirit!

LACTIMED aims to foster the production and distribution of typical and innovative dairy products in the Mediterranean by organising local value chains, supporting producers in their development projects and creating new markets for their products. The project is implemented under the ENPI CBC MED Programme, and is financed, for an amount of EUR 4.35 million (90%), by the European Union through the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. From November 2012 to May 2015, ANIMA and its 11 partners will organise a hundred operations targeting the various stakeholders of the dairy chains of Alexandria and Beheira (Egypt), the Bekaa and Baalbeck-Hermel (Lebanon), Bizerte and Béja (Tunisia), Sicily (Italy) and Thessaly (Greece). Eman Hassan has developed her project A twenty-eight year old female entrepreneur, pioneering several projects, Eman through her start-up specialised in Hassan is also the co-founder and Financial Director of CUBII. A graduate of manufacturing production lines for small the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Mansoura, she also took part in and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). the Goldman Sachs’ “10,000 Women – Entrepreneurship and Leadership” programme. Eman Hassan’s previous professional experience ranges from CUBII operates against a background mechanical and industrial engineering to sales-focused engineering for a North where it is difficult for Egyptian SMEs to American company. benefit from highly-efficient machines. It wishes to develop cutting-edge machines, designed for packaging dairy products and industrial food at a reasonable cost.

This project will enable businesses to produce high-quality food, where foodstuffs are totally safe from contamination. Innovative and highly-promising, the project guarantees it will enhance the quality of the goods offered for sale by businesses that use CUBII machines. The LACTIMED award supports the development and commercialisation phase for the workshop.

Eman Hassan Address: Ahmed Maher St, Mansoura City, Dakhlia, Egypt “I would like to thank LACTIMED for supporting our project: we are going to Telephone: 002-010-90721903 / 002-010-99821328 42402 be able to improve our production and bring greater satisfaction to our Email: [email protected] Site internet : www.cubii.biz customers and, indirectly, to consumers”. Eman Hassan Sector: Specialised equipment The idea for this project stems from a twofold Entsar Nour El Deen wishes to develop the bond between the world of research desire: to innovate, by designing and creating tools and the business world. To do so, this Doctorate graduate has been conducting for producing healthy food and, at the same time, to research in the fields of food engineering and packaging engineering at the help perpetuate tradition. Entsar Nour El Deen Institute for Technological Research on Food, created in 1991. Entsar Nour El intends to develop tools for manufacturing the Deen is currently working on the design and development of state-of-the-art traditional Karish cheese using contemporary tools that will totally eliminate risks of contamination and will produce healthy materials. food.

The aim is, as such, to reduce risks of contamination by microbes and by insect larvae. This groundbreaking project would optimise production and would guarantee better-quality cheese, a lower risk of contamination and, consequently, a decrease in product losses. Above all, it would promote and preserve the traditional Karish recipe. A market for small-scale farmers and for dairies clearly exists. The LACTIMED award supports the research and development costs for this project. Highly-promising and innovative, it addresses an industry and consumer need, by upholding traditional production activities and, at the same time, providing up-to-the-minute improvements.

Entsar Nour El Deen

Address: 9 University Street Giza, Egypt “Winning this award really boosts my project! My goal is to distribute these Telephone: 51111435138 / 01117430738 tools throughout as many Egyptian governorates as possible”. Email: [email protected] Entsar Nour El Deen Sector: Research and Development Through his project, Xristos Laitsos invites us to discover his origins and the When innovation embraces tradition, original, high-quality products frequently flavours associated with them. By combining local and traditional products, he see the light of day. Xristos Laitsos succeeded in standing out from the crowd has created a highly-original, imaginative butter, which he proposes in various with his production of flavoured goat milk butter. Born into a family where the versions: classical goat milk butter or flavoured with garlic, herbs or even tradition of cheese-making had been passed down from generation to truffles. Xristos Laitsos intends to produce this butter in two formats. A 125 generation, this Greek award-winner capitalises on his exceptional know-how gram one and a 250 gram one. The visual aspect of the product plays a key whilst questing for original ideas and modernity. Pursuing his ambition to make role... it is the initiatory step on a journey to explore Xristos Laitsos’ place of his production an example for the dairy industry, it is here in this peaceful birth. The packaging, designed in the colours of Thessaly, will be informative Thessalian village that FLEGGA cheeses, which benefit from the protected explaining the qualities of goat milk butter. designation of origin label (PDO), are manufactured. A wide range of products, representing the country, is proposed. FLEGGA, which was, until recently, The LACTIMED award offers Xristos Laitsos the opportunity to procure and mainly sold through shops in Volos, Velestinos and elsewhere in Greece, is set up the equipment required for manufacturing this product. Although only now opening up and expanding by making its products available to other marginally present on the Greek market, his goat milk butter will be distributed European countries. on the national market and abroad. By commercialising it at a reasonable price, he intends to make it available to large numbers of people.

Xristos Laitsos “ This is a great opportunity for our enterprise to develop these activities. Nikolaos Laitsos & Co. E.E. – “FLEGGA” The LACTIMED project provided considerable support and will be the starting Address: 1st km Velestino-Volos, Volos, 37500, Greece, Téléphone : (+30) 24 25 point for a high-quality and innovative production. ’’ 02 27 88 Email: [email protected] Site Internet: www.feta-flegga.gr Xristos Laitsos Sector: Dairy processing This project seeks to reinterpret tradition. Anastasios Antwniou proposes to Passionate about agriculture since childhood, Anastasios Antwniou has make Feta, the internationally-renowned PDO Greek cheese, in a different traditional know-how. Born into a family, who have been breeders and milk way. Until today, Feta was known and sold in pieces weighing several producers for many generations, he was introduced to agricultural practices at hundred grams, but Anastasios Antwniou wishes to cut it into small, uniform an early age. At the age of 18, following 2 years of studies, he decided cubes, pack it in a highly-original way and enhance it with flavours by instinctively to take over the family business. At the helm of numerous projects, combining various typical ingredients. Preserved in local virgin olive oil and he keeps the momentum for innovation and modernity constantly going in his accompanied by aromatic herbs from Mount Olympus, the Thessalian PDO own production. He brings about changes to the business which is becoming an Feta, manufactured by the cooperative, will be sold prepared and ready to organic production entity. He is also the Chairman of the Voskos Cooperative, garnish salads. These three locally-sourced ingredients ensure a which was established in 2010 and groups together around fifteen breeders: premium-quality product presented as a condensed Thessalian gourmet this initiative was born out of exchanges made with other producers at the Paris product. Agricultural Fair.

The LACTIMED award will offer Anastasios Antwniou the opportunity to invest The farmers of this cooperative, whose core value is to preserve the pastoral in specific equipment, such as a cheese-cutting machine. This prize will also tradition, take advantage of an ideal location and of pooling their expertise to help him launch a promotional campaign for his new product. manually make what they refer to as a “white treasure”.

“The LACTIMED project helped us become familiar with new and best Anastasios ANTWNIOU dairy product practices. We were able to discuss and work hand-in-hand with Coopérative Voskos businesses in Greece and also in other Mediterranean countries. Winning this Address: Livadi , 40002 , Greece, Tel / Fax : (+30) 24 93 04 13 4 award marked another step forward in an ambitious effort that has been Email: [email protected] Site internet : www.voskos.gr pursued for many years”. Anastasios Antwniou Sector: Farming and dairy processing The project that Sandra Invidiata proposes The Collesano Mountains tower majestically above the Mediterranean. And, it is encourages us to be more respectful and more here, on her fifty hectares, that Sandra Invidiata keeps her eighty cows. For the aware of biodiversity and places a special focus on last twenty years, she has been working on improving and developing her agri- preserving local characteristics. Instead of using cultural business. After graduating in agricultural sciences, she decided to take industrial ferments, which without doubt remedy over the family farm. certain manufacturing defects, she prefers to self-produce her own. Through this approach the Over the years, she successfully developed various complementary projects: authentic taste of the cheese is preserved, unlike creation of a dairy, a pedagogical farm and the development of agri-touristic with industrial ferments which tend to standardise activities. Committed to the well-being of her herd and to producing high-quality flavours. As such, self-produced ferments make it possible to give products a milk, Sandra Invidiata breeds brown and crossbred cows, applying the princi- unique identity. Using this process, she makes exceptional cheeses that are ples of organic farming. The raw milk that she produces is distributed locally typical of the area and she saves time on production, whilst reducing the and also processed into cheese. Sandra Invidiata makes typical Sicilian pro- influence of temperature and climate, key factors when working with drawn ducts such as Provola delle Madonie and Ricotta cheese. curds. The LACTIMED award will enable Sandra

An original approach integrated into the production of traditional products, this project reflects Sandra Invidiata’s views on creating and manufacturing high-quality organic products. She also wishes to extend this activity by enabling neighbouring producers to benefit from the technologist’s advice.

Grazia Sandra Invidiata Address: Collesano (PA), Contrada Santa Anastasia, Italy Telephone: (+39) 09 21 66 15 36 / (+39) 328 472 34 40 “A Mediterranean overflowing with good things... a Mediterranean Email: [email protected] overflowing with milk and cheese”. Sandra Invidiata Sector: production and dairy processing Ignazio Vassalo aims to popularise the breed and Attached to his homeland and to Girgentana goats, Ignazio Vassalo is actively increase the number of Girgentana goats in the involved in projects that are in harmony with his values. A qualified agronomist, region. To do this, he wishes to develop a circuit he has been engaged in rural development throughout his life, providing at the very heart of the Valley of the Temples in technical support to local agricultural businesses and to small-scale breeders, Agrigento, for visitors to discover this breed of as local director for the Department of Agriculture, Food Resources and goat. As a first step, five goats will be reintroduced into one of their native Mediterranean Fisheries for the Sicily Region, based in Licata. Ignazio Vassalo habitats, in a park. Visitors will have the opportunity to discover farms, cheese is also the secretary for the Association for the Preservation and Promotion of dairies and goat holdings, where they will be able to spend the day with the Girgentana Goats, and also one of its breeders. This organisation, established animals in the pastures. They will also be able to purchase dairy products. A in 2007, follows on from the creation of a Slow Food Presidium in 2002, which real sensorial experience promoting the region and local culture, this project groups together thirteen breeders, is dedicated to the Girgentana goat and is will help breeders continue to breed this race. It will also, over time, lead to backed by the Sicily Region. The aim of the association is to preserve this consolidating the reintroduction of the breed with the increase in demand for breed of goat, whose numbers have decreased substantially since the 1950s. Girgentana goat milk-based products. Communication programmes, such as The Girgentana goat is an indigenous breed, characterized by its spiral-shaped information signs in several languages and an “Adopt a Girgentana Goat” horns, which can grow to 70 centimetres. campaign are also part of this project.

Ignazio Vassallo Address: Via Pindaro, 1 - Agrigento, Italy Telephone: (+39) 0922 878688 / (+39) 328 4206071 Email: [email protected] “LACTIMED helped us make a dream come true”. Ignazio Vassalo Sector: agritourism et cultural valorisation Hiyam El Gharib proposes to turn goat milk into a traditional, local product, Hiyam el Gharib is totally committed and devoted to her work. She constantly kishk (also known as kashk, qurut), but by choosing a highly-original strives to improve the quality of her production. Acknowledged for her expertise, preservation method. Today, this preparation, comprising white powder made along with ten other women, she established the cooperative association for from thick yogurt, salted milk and cracked wheat (bulgur), is frequently producing agricultural products, known as “Ain El Arich”, in 2003. This proposed in its dried form, which facilitates transportation and distribution association, located in the Beqaa Valley in the village of Aaita el Fekha, outside the Beqaa Valley. Hiyam El Gharib wishes to manufacture this presided over by Hiyam El Gharib, has enabled eleven women to work product, which has outstanding nutritional values, in its “fresh” form, which is together. All self-taught, together they produce a wide range of local and dairy difficult to find nowadays. To commercialise this kishk, known as “green products, such as goat milk labneh, kishk, as well as jams and vinegars. To kishk”, she plans on implementing appropriate preparation systems, to reach this stage, the cooperative benefitted, first of all, from the renovation of a preserve the kishk in olive oil, inside vacuum glass containers. centre for manufacturing goat milk-based dairy products and agricultural products. The efforts made by this group of women led to donations of The LACTIMED award, combined with self-financing, has helped the equipment through various cooperation schemes, non-governmental cooperative purchase suitable equipment for producing, preparing and organisations and self-financing. preserving the kishk. Hiyam El Gharib has initiated a project that reinterprets a traditional product and gives consumers the opportunity to discover the original recipe once again.

Hiyam El Gharib Coopérative Ain el Aarich “The LACTIMED competition gave our cooperative support and coaching Address: Aaita el Fekhar, Lebanon sessions that were particularly useful for developing our project”. Téléphone: +961 8 566 024 / +961 71 688 853 Hiyam El Gharib Secteur: Dairy processing Sami Hajjar’s project addresses the ever-growing demand from Lebanese A qualified agricultural engineer, Sami Hajjar is a specialist in the dairy proces- consumers, who are increasingly aware of the relationship between nutrition sing sector. In 1993, he created the Kab-Elias Centre for Dairy Products, in the and health, for organic products. Consequently, Sami Hajjar intends to manu- Beqaa Valley. He strives to provide consumers with high-quality organoleptic facture organic goat milk labneh, a traditional product, which he will prepare in characteristics and, as such, moved towards organic production in 2014. This an original way: in sphere-shaped pieces, the labneh will be preserved in initiative, which is a real strategy for innovation and differentiation, has led him regionally-produced olive oil. Certified organic, it will be commercialised incor- to become one of the first to manufacture typical Lebanese goat milk-based porating local, natural flavours. Consumers will be able to choose from several dairy products that are organic. A guarantee of quality, this strategy boosts the flavours: mint, thyme, sumac or red pepper, which conjure up the flavours of reputation of Sami Hajjar’s products and enhances distribution and sales. The the region. company also hopes to produce other ranges of organic cheeses made from ewe milk. The LACTIMED award will enable Sami Hajjar to purchase two machines: one that provides better homogeneity when cutting the labneh and the other that seals the glass containers optimally and thus prevents any risk of contamina- tion.

The quality of his pro- duct will be enhanced, which will promote the commercial growth, which has already be- gun, of this range of cheese.

Sami Hajjar Centre Kab Elias pour les produits laitiers “Our participation in this competition was fruitful and LACTIMED’s initiative Address: Kab Elias encourages SMEs to open up to new prospects. The competition award is a Téléphone: + 961 8 500 346 / + 961 70 907 552, Email : [email protected] real incentive for developing our project”. Sami Hajjar Secteur: Dairy processing Driven by the desire to share his passion, Zied Ben Youssef Passionate about his work as a breeder, Zied Ben Youssef puts special empha- wishes to develop an agritourism project. The main focus of sis on transmitting and sharing his values. For the last twenty years, he has this project is on organising trekking activities, proposing been breeding Sicilian-Sardinian ewes in the North Béja region. He has also accommodation and typical catering at the farm. Zied Ben been the chairman of the ’Sicilian-Sardinian ewe breeders’ organisation since Youssef would also like to incorporate a pedagogical aspect, 2007. That same year, along with two members of his family, he set up the by inviting tourists to discover the farm’s activities. As such, “From Art Béja” artisanal cheese dairy where products are made in the traditio- they could participate in milking the ewes and learn about nal way, exclusively from their own ewe milk. Working together, the three part- and take part in fresh cheese making. He intends to enhance the producer- ners decided in 2010 to group together their herds to ensure constant supplies. consumer relationship. Tourists would have plenty of time to take full advantage This led to the creation of a semi-intensive holding known as “Les Trois Fer- of the farm environment and its typical activities, through the bay windows where mes”. It is of paramount importance for Zied Ben Youssef to ensure that eve- they would be able to watch and follow the dairy at work, whilst enjoying a tradi- ryone can discover the farm and typical dairy products. Since 2012, he has tional meal. been working on an agritourism project that includes farm-focused visits and trekking activities. Tourists will soon be able to enjoy a table d’hôte, thanks to Zied Ben Youssef has used the LACTIMED award to invest in fitting out the his “Borj Lella” project. building where the public will be accommodated, improving his kitchen equip- ment and developing the cheese processing facility, so that tourists may be welcomed in the best possible conditions. A highly-original way to discover local traditions and to pick up some of the famous Béja cheese as a souvenir.

Zied Ben Youssef Table d’hôte « Borj Lella » “My project focuses mainly on creating a direct link between consumers and Address: km 16 route Béja Nefza, Délégation Béja Nord Naguachia Oued el on-farm producers, to promote sheep breeding, ewe milk and derivative Bagrat - Téléphone: (+216) 98 628 983 Email : [email protected] / products”. Zied Ben Youssef [email protected], Facebook page: Trois Fermes Sector: Agritourism The watchwords of this project are innovation and ecology. Hamida Ksontini An accomplished scientist, Hamida Ksontini proposes highly-original solutions invites us to discover an organic detergent based on lactic bacteria. Made that focus on the research she has been carrying out for over fifteen years in from the original, non-pathogenic micro-flora of milk, this organic detergent, microbiology. After receiving her Doctorate in the “Characterisation of bio film in known as “BiolaV”, is intended for cleaning and disinfecting industrial biotic the dairy industry”, she became assistant researcher in industrial and food and abiotic surfaces in the agricultural, medical, food, agri-food, and many microbiology at the Higher Institute of Food Industries of Tunis (Ecole Supérieu- other industries. re des Industries Alimentaires de Tunis). Passionate about her research subject and, in partnership with her colleague Faten Kachouri, she brings a fresh pers- An environmentally-friendly alternative pective by proposing a revolutionary use of a natural product: milk. Together, to commonly-used chemical products, it the two women created an organic detergent based on lactic bacteria, which eliminates health hazards, preserves may be used to fight bio film formation in industrial pipeworks, and filed a patent the indigenous flora that is technologi- for invention. cally-relevant for farming, industrial and medical environments, and is based on selective disinfection and controlled microbial ecology, the only solutions viable over the long term.

The LACTIMED award has enabled Hamida Ksontini to carry out a feasibili- ty study and local market research to assess the BiolaV production cost as well as its returns, with a view to setting up a production laboratory and com- mercialising the product.

Hamida Ksontini École Supérieure des Industries Alimentaires de Tunis. “The competition offered us the opportunity to exploit our research results Address: 58, Avenue Alain Savary Cité El Khadra, 1003 Tunis, Tunisia. Tel: (+216) and to implement them through a project”. Dr Hamida Ksontini 98 50 23 94 / 24 97 24 25 Email : [email protected] Sector: Applied research Photos copyright © Alberto Peroli, p.7 © Les 3 fermes, p.11 © GACIC, p.3 et 4

This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union under the ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of ANIMA Investment Network and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or of the Programme's management structures.

The 2007-2013 ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme is a multilateral Cross-Border Cooperation initiative funded by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). The Programme objective is to promote the sustainable and harmonious cooperation process at the Mediterranean Basin level by dealing with the common challenges and enhancing its endogenous potential. It finances cooperation projects as a contribution to the economic, social, environmental and cultural development of the Mediterranean region. The following 14 countries participate in the Programme: Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Palestinian Authority, Portugal, Spain, Syria, Tunisia. The Joint Managing Authority (JMA) is the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy). Official Programme languages are Arabic, English and French.

The European Union is made up of 28 Member States who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders.