Objectives of the Work Group: Support the Organic Districts in the development of activities related to the start-up, management and organization of activities supporting the different stages following the farming activity. The differentiation of the Organic District economic system, by adding sustainable and locally based Food Processing – Distribution- Consumption activitieswill contribute to the territorial economic development; the support to a sustainable model of agriculture and food production, provided by this WG, will also involve social and environmental  benefits in terms of food quality and  health for the communities and other external actors, such as tourists, consumers outside the Organic District.

Paticipants:

Cesare ZANASI

Italy
Agroeconomist, associate professor at Bologna University Department of Agrifood Protection and Valorization. Phd in Agricultural Economics at Bologna University. He has 35 years of working experience in different fields ranging from Agricultural policy to agrobusiness and supply chain management, integrated rural development applied both to the EU and to international development for cooperation. This activity was carried out both in teaching and research activities and in the last 15 years concentrated mostly on food systems sustainable development, organic agriculture, fair trade and integrated rural development. Studies have been carried out mostly in EU, Latin America and African countries. He is member of different national and international agricultural and food economics scientific societies. Coordinated an EU Project on the implementation of sustainable production of soy and beef in Latin America and the EU; organized a Master course on fair trade and management and organic and ethical certification of agrifood systems. Responsible of the IN.N.E.R. Scientific Committee. Author, moreover, of the Monitoring tool applied to Eco-Regions which can be adopted to assess their degree of competitiveness, development and compliance to the different dimensions characterizing and Eco-Region according to the International Network of Eco-Regions Standards.

Giuliano D’ANTONIO

Italy
Agronomist, member of the BoD of the International Network of Eco-Regions – IN.N.E.R.

Denis Lairon, France

Flavio Paoletti, Italy

Gjermund Stormoen, Norway

K. Perumal (Inba Seva Sangam), India

Li Feng, China

Vic Anthony 3.0

Sundaram Seshadri

Regina Sharmila Dass, India

Anbusivan mp, India

Lena Schniering, Germany

Mahesh Melvin, India