Integrated Action Plan PYLI AGRI –URBAN The local food in urban forks Dr. George Ntalos IAP Integrated Action Plan PYLI A message from our political leadership The concept is based on the systematic development of the Agri-Economy sector, focusing on the mountainous areas of Greece. Agri- Economy sector can provide important solutions for creating job opportunities and promoting social cohesion, which is threatened due to the adverse economic environment, by contributing to the preservation of the natural environment and the cultural heritage of these areas. The successful development of the Agri-Economy requires an approach that relies primarily on the local social dynamics and mechanisms which will play the central role for the manifestation of this dynamic. At the same time, the local dynamics can arise efficiently by utilizing the European experience in the field of Agri-Economy and encouraging transnational cooperation initiatives. Although there are differences both in institutional frameworks and in the terminology about Agri-Economy among countries, they are getting inspired by common values and mainly by the fact that the participants are not aiming to profit, but the profits are reinvested for the benefit of the enterprise and the society. Agro-Economy can play an important role in the development of innovation in many policy areas, such as addressing the unemployment and the environmental protection, while it can combine profitability through new job creation, enhancement of social cohesion, active participation and empowerment of local communities and generally, the development of an economy with democratic values, by giving priority to the nature and people. Page 2 AGRI –URBAN The local food in urban forks IAP Integrated Action Plan PYLI Page 3 AGRI –URBAN The local food in urban forks IAP Integrated Action Plan PYLI Table of Contents: AGRI –URBAN The local food in urban forks .............................................................................. 1 1. Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... 5 2. City Profile ..................................................................................................................................... 9 3. City Local Support Group ............................................................................................................ 20 4. Identification of the problems .................................................................................................... 25 5. Thematic Groups Outcomes........................................................................................................ 26 6. Scope and Objective of IAP ......................................................................................................... 27 7. IAP Key Actions ............................................................................................................................ 29 8. Actions that we also hope to start… ........................................................................................... 44 9. Financial Resources ..................................................................................................................... 46 10. LSG MEMBERS from AGRI and FOREST partners ........................................................................ 50 Page 4 AGRI –URBAN The local food in urban forks IAP Integrated Action Plan PYLI 1. Executive Summary URBACT Programme For about 15 years, URBACT has been the European Territorial Cooperation programme aiming to foster sustainable integrated urban development in cities across Europe. It is an instrument of the Cohesion Policy, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, the 28 Member States, Norway & Switzerland. URBACT’s mission is to enable cities to work together and develop integrated solutions to common urban challenges, by networking, learning from one another’s experiences, drawing lessons and identifying good practices to improve urban policies. Following the success of the URBACT I and II programmes, URBACT III (2014-2020) has been developed to continue to promote sustainable integrated urban development and contribute to the delivery of the Europe 2020 strategy(link is external). The URBACT III programme is organised around four main objectives: 1. Capacity for Policy Delivery: to improve the capacity of cities to manage sustainable urban policies and practices in an integrated and participative way. 2. Policy Design: to improve the design of sustainable urban policies and practices in cities. 3. Policy Implementation: to improve the implementation of integrated and sustainable urban strategies and actions in cities. 4. Building and Sharing Knowledge: to ensure that practitioners and decision-makers at all levels have access to knowledge and share know-how on all aspects of sustainable urban development in order to improve urban development policies. To reach these objectives, URBACT III develops 3 types of interventions: transnational exchanges, capacity-building, capitalisation & dissemination. Page 5 AGRI –URBAN The local food in urban forks IAP Integrated Action Plan PYLI AGRI-URBAN Project AGRI-URBAN is about Rethinking Agrifood Production in Small and Medium-sized Cities. Many small and medium-sized cities across Europe have a relative specialization in Agrifood production. Roughly speaking, it is a seemingly mature industry, which still plays an important role in terms of GDP, employment and environmental sustainability. That is why new growth potentials have to be activated by means of innovation, new business models or making the most of the cluster approach. We will tackle initiatives related to short circuits of production and consumption, access to land and employment for youth in agriculture, training policies and support for the inclusion of new producers, urban agriculture, organic products or planning regulations related to agricultural land. A new link between urban and rural spaces, through an integrated urban focus and putting the target in employment creation is our main purpose. This link is based on a multi-dimensional concept of sustainability which includes three types of objectives: Socio-cultural - promoting quality of life and wellness, strengthening sense of place in the local communities and creating jobs in the food sector, empowering communities by strengthening the role of citizens in economic development, Economic: territorial integration attracting and retaining population, improving city image, increasing competitiveness, attracting professionals and entrepreneurs and Environmental: promoting organic farming and good practices, as well as environmental measures, soil preservation avoiding urban occupation of fertile land and incorporating agriculture in appropriate urban spaces and in the urban-rural interface; fostering multi-functionality in rural lands. - During the first phase of the AGRI-URBAN project, the cities of Fundão (Portugal), Marchin (Belgium), Cesena (Italy), Södertäje (Sweden) and Pyli (Greece) join the lead partner city, Baena (Spain), to form a partnership that will be enlarged up to ten cities in the second phase. The cities join during the second phase was Jelgava (Latvia), Petrinja (Croatia), Mouans- Sartoux (France), Mollet-del-Valles (Spain), Monmouthshire county (Wales). Page 6 AGRI –URBAN The local food in urban forks IAP Integrated Action Plan PYLI Key Output from the Project – Integrated Action Plan Each of the Project Partner has to develop an IAP dealing with their local problems within the agri-forest sector and provide with solutions and actions in order to solve these problems. The number of actions that will be proposed from the IAP will be limited in number, but will reflect the strategic problems and challenges of Pyli Municipality and land keepers are facing. Like any good plan or strategy, there is continuous engagement of stakeholders in order to ensure that they are aware of the emerging problems and solutions and are ultimately engaged into the process and the project. The actions that are being developed are tested against strict criteria to identify relevant bodies such as agencies, local and regional authorities and Government Departments that could make resources available, and that there will ultimately be a body responsible for the implementation of each action. Relevant funding bodies and new unconventional funding models are being explored and identified, to ensure that there are appropriate resources available to support the plan and its actions. Each of the Countries taking part in this project has its ideas and there is an effort to share them in order to find a common way of solutions. The ideas Pyli came up with mostly deal with finding the way for businesses to stay “alive” and hoping that the “good days” are coming back soon. That’s why we will find more ideas on how to keep all these land in use instead of changing their usage. There are also proposals on how to reinforce the “Agricultural production” [] Page 7 AGRI –URBAN The local food in urban forks IAP Integrated Action Plan PYLI Page 8 AGRI –URBAN The local food in urban forks IAP Integrated Action Plan PYLI 2. City Profile The word “Pyli” means “Gate” and indicates the passage of great importance from the lowlands to the mountains above, which had been the only road that could be used when travelling, trading and way to move the livestock from the winter to the summer pastures Apart from the town of Pyli, well known