The project “Sustainable Agriculture Models in Romanian Mountain Area” aimed at the modernization of six sheepfolds in the middle of the Carpathian Mountains, as processing units for sheep milk, a milestone between two significant systems: alpine pastures, the idyllic alpine environment, sheep breeding as specific and traditional activity on the one hand and on the other hand: the modern consumer who can be reached by means of the new possibilities of packaging, labeling, branding and modern channels of marketing.

This project refers to the whole value chain, starting from the generous nature and the purity of mountain, and reaching the end customer by a series of processing and marketing steps.

PROGRAM KEY DATA

  • Initiated in 2015
  • 3000 beneficiaries last year
  • Closed Program
  • Total Budget: 1,229,551 Eur
  • Financed by: Heifer & Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation

A modern sheepfold which complies with the European standards on hygiene, traceability, food safety, without giving up the traditional recipe, may have access to the contemporary outlet market, providing major benefits for the future mountain economy. In order to find high quality products on the store shelves, a structural intervention has been conducted, throughout the whole chain, the first link being the grass carpet.

An improvement of the farming procedures is mandatory in order to have a more competitive position, by strengthening the associations of farmers, by increasing their power of negotiation, by developing the marketing opportunities, the brand elements which should evoke the interest of the end customer for a quality product “the mountain product”.

In order to support these farmers, “Sustainable Agriculture Models in Romanian Mountain Area” project was implemented by a consortium of Romanian and Swiss partners: SAB (The Swiss Centre for Mountain Regions), Open Fields Foundation, “Dorna” Mountain Farmers Federation, Agrom-Ro, Romontana with the support of the Swiss Romanian Cooperation Program and Heifer International.

The project also proposes the association of more producers, who can jointly transform the subsistence agriculture in a source for income. The farmers received vocational training for the professions newly added in the Romanian Occupation Codex, namely shepherd, sheep farmer and mountain sheep man.

The construction of the modern sheepfolds comes as a solid proof for the farmers that the modernization of agriculture is not just necessary, but also achievable and that through the joint efforts made by the participants in this project, it is possible to fulfill the dream of a more prosperous future.

The modern sheepfold in which the Romanian shepherd obtains a high quality traditional mountain product is hard evidence that there can be a balance between tradition and modernity.