The International Conference “Promoting Economic Development through Local Food Systems” was held on April 28, 2022, in Varna, Bulgaria. The event was attended by representatives from Bulgaria, Greece, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine.

PA “Association for Tourism Development in Moldova” (ATDM) is the beneficiary of the project “Local Development and Cross-Border Cooperation for the Promotion of Traditional Agricultural Products and Foods” (LOC-FOOD). ATDM members and a group of representatives of state institutions, educational institutions and entrepreneurs participated from the Republic of Moldova. The State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) was represented by Victoria Pulbere, Deputy Head of the Trademarks and Industrial Design Department.

The national systems, the achievements in the context of identifying geographical indications (GI), appellations of origin (DO) and traditional specialties guaranteed (TSG), as well as the prospects, challenges in these areas were discussed at the Conference.

In the opening of the event, Prof. Ivo Hristov, Member of the European Parliament, explained the European quality policy and reiterated the purpose of geographical indications. It was mentioned that this topic is very important for both the prosperity of the regions and the cultural heritage. At the same time, the official pointed out that the demand for agricultural products and foods with recognizable specific characteristics and mostly related to their geographical origin is growing.

Marina Miron, ATDM representative, mentioned that as a result of intense activity, the representatives of the Association, with the direct support of small producers, identified and selected a list of traditional local dishes, specific to certain areas of the Republic of Moldova and prepared according to original recipes, to be proposed for registration as a TSG with the AGEPI.

The event ended with a round table discussion, in which participants had the opportunity to share their ideas and identify potential topics of mutual interest, with a view to further cooperation.