Preview: MedDiet 1st Study Visit to Kalamata in Greece - 15 to 20th of June 2014

The MedDiet project have orginised a Study Visit to Kalamata in Greece where 30 participants from Public Institutions (Ministries, Research Centers, Municipalities, Universities, etc.) have visited during the five days program various small and medium sized companies, mostly family business, involved in production of traditional agro-food products, and research institutions providing assistance to such companies for improving quality of their produce. Most of the SMES operate in the dairy, and olive oil production sector, as those are typical products of the region of Kalamata and also protected by the government for their origins.

An opening workshop at the 1st day of the study tour took place at the Technological Education Institute of Peloponnese were Professors and representatives of the institute provided the participants with an overall picture of the Mediterranean diet and its importance.

One of the main outputs of this project is to develop a proposal for legal framework that protects and promote Mediterranean diet and traditional products at the national and Euro Mediterranean level. Within this framework, the project designed three study tours to partner countries of Greece, Italy, and Spain in order to understand better the process of protection of traditional products and exchange experience with Arab partners of Tunisia, Lebanon & Egypt in promoting traditional agro-food products.