Blueprint Branding Strategy

One of the main goals of the AGREEN project is to propose a regional branding of the agricultural produce originating from the Black Sea Basin and delivered in a climat-smart way. To that end, the project partners conducted feasibility study of the state-of-the-art and the potential of the climate-smart agriculture in the project countries and studied the specifics of the national contexts as well as the preferences and attitudes of the consumers. In this way, 6 country reports were delivered for Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Greece.

Further, the findings from the primary and secondary research were analyzed and summarized, and a comprehensive report for the Black Sea Region was developed as an outline of the common development challenges and general conclusions identified by the researchers.

Finally, a joint proposal for a Blueprint for a regional brand and branding strategy was developed by the researchers aimed at the improvement of the market presentation and the image of the producers of green agricultural commodities and goods in the Black Sea Basin.

Below you can find a downloadable version of developed reports.

Regional branding strategies are gaining priority because of increasing market complexities and the rising importance of national and regional competitiveness ranking. The sustainable development of a regional brand, when properly managed, will provide the economic incentive to attract investors, customers, markets, tourists and generate income for local communities. Therefore, this report aims to focus on delineating the strategic imperatives for sustainable market competitiveness of a national and regional brand for agricultural products.

The blueprint build on the extensive feasibility study of the state of the art and the potential of the climate-smart agriculture in the partners’ countries, as well as in the Black Sea Basin in general, that was performed in 2020-2021 by the experts, involved in AGREEN project, and take into consideration the relevant findings and conclusions that come from targeted primary and secondary research as well as policy analyses.

The feasibility study revealed many common development challenges, similar difficulties faced by stakeholders and resembling deficiencies in policy-making and strategic planning regarding the Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in the region. Still to propose adequate to the whole region strategy for a regional BSB brand for agricultural products originating in the BSB, the partnership studied the country specifics regarding the preferences and attitudes of the potential consumers of the CSA-produced goods, as well as the policy and legislation particularities. In addition, the branding strategy blueprint explores the competition and suggests for unique features to be underlined and exploited when branding and marketing foods grown in the BSB using climate-smart practices.

The purpose of this report is to analyze the trends in the Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) and to propose the grounds and principles of developing relevant branding strategy which can benefit both the producers and market agents in the Black Sea region.

This is done considering the changes in the consumer perception on the healthy living and healthy, clean food and water, the digitalization of the marketing mix and market structure, especially the combination of e-marketing communications channels and distribution channels.

The report reveals the climate change tendencies and their impact over the countries from the BSB region. Further, the results from the analysis and mapping of the concept of CSA, as well as the analysis of the agricultural sectors in the countries belonging to Black Sea Basin in combination with the existing level of climate change lead to the depiction of strengths and weaknesses that arise in the case of implementing climate-smart agriculture practices. In addition, the examination of bibliographic data and recent reports leads to the identification of opportunities and threats that exist in the wider external environment and either create a suitable ground for the adoption of the EU regulations or create obstacles and difficulties.

The study also provides for the state of art of organic farming and sustainable agricultural practices, explores the market situation and global competition, as well as outlines examples of CSA practices and crop models in the BSB.

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is based on the idea that the agricultural sector is fundamental to climate response, not only because of its high vulnerability to climate change, but also because it is a main contributor to the problem. While CSA is an integrated approach to manage landscapes, crops, livestock, forests and fishery to adapt in a sustainable way towards climate change, while in the same time ensuring food security for the growing global population, it is gaining as a concept a considerable attention at national and international level and is considered to be the key towards addressing many of the challenges of agricultural planning under climate change.

In Bulgaria, climate change negative impacts are manifested through weather variability, shifting of agroecosystem boundaries, invasive pests and weed plants and growing occurrence of extreme weather events. Those factors threaten the crop yield and the livestock productivity. Farmers are becoming increasingly aware of the problem and are introducing a number of technological advances and innovations in their land-use models and practices.

The study reveals the situation in the agricultural sector in Bulgaria and analyzes the potential of the CSA approach implementation in the country. Further, it explores the state of organic farming and the national capacities, focusing on the country-spesific conditions. The review of the existing policies and funding opportunities is complemented by a comprehensive analysis of the domestic and international markets for CSA production. The benefits and challenges in front of the CSA development in Bulgaria are outlined and conclusions are made based on the gathered information.

Finally, several CSA practices that are applied in the region were identified and described as a good example of the implementation of the approach in the country.

The planet’s climate is changing, that is for sure. Climate change offers a key challenge for global food security. Farmers, breeders and fishermen, the people who produce our food, are most affected by climate change. Rural societies need to develop resilience and the ability to adapt to climate change in such a way that they can supply a growing population without further degrading valuable land and water resources. This is why we need climate-smart agriculture.

The agricultural sector in Greece is particularly important as it employs a large percentage of the workforce and contributes significantly to the formation of the country’s GDP and the development of rural economies. The effects of Greek agricultural activity on the environment and climate are evident despite the significant efforts made by the state and the rural population to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate-smart agriculture, which seems to provide clear solutions to tackle climate change and crop protection, is not very widespread in Greece, let alone in the regions of Central Macedonia and Eastern Macedonia – Thrace. In order to develop CSA, there should be a clear legal framework, support from local and regional authorities, improvement of financial choices, applied research, dissemination and awareness of the consumer public and stakeholders.

The study reveals the situation in the agricultural sector in Greece and analyzes the potential of the CSA approach implementation in the country. Further, it explores the state of organic farming and the national capacities, focusing on the country-spesific conditions. The benefits and challenges in front of the CSA development in Greece are outlined and conclusions are made based on the gathered information.

Finally, several CSA practices that are applied in the region were identified and described as a good example of the implementation of the approach in the country.

The agriculture sectors need to overcome three intertwined challenges: sustainably increase agricultural productivity to meet global demand; adapt to the impacts of climate change; and contribute to reducing the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. FAO has developed and promoted the concept of CSA to achieve these goals.

In Turkey the climate change affects the agriculture in a large scale. Although adaptation studies in agro-production against climate change have been started for the solution, the small and economically weak agricultural enterprises, their insufficient capacity, and the fragmented and scattered lands make the solution difficult. Solving these problems will facilitate the implementation of CSA.

The SWOT analysis performed on the CSA implementation in Turkey reveals many threads but also the potential to overcome these challenges. The study was performed for the Trakya region as it falls under the BSB area. In addition, the report suggests for adaptation, mitigation and resilience practices combined with the experimental crop models to be piloted and studied in order to test the viability of the new approaches.

In general, the repot describes the situation in the agricultural sector in Turkey and analyzes the potential of the CSA approach implementation in the country. Further, it explores the state of organic farming and the national capacities, focusing on the country-spesific conditions. The benefits and challenges in front of the CSA development in Turkey are outlined and conclusions are made based on the gathered information suggesting possible solutions.

Finally, 6 practices in the region were identified and described to demonstrate the capacity for CSA concept adoption and application in the country.

Agriculture is an important and strategic economic branch for all countries in the Black Sea Basin. It also has a significant role in the Romanian economy. Despite this aspect, its development did not take into account the adaptation to the new climate changes, the fact that the soil resources are finite and a strategy of conservation and maintenance of the environment in which it works and lives, respectively its sustainability, must be considered. Experience has shown that a major improvement can take place when participants in the process – farmers, associations, research and educational institutions, administrative institutions join forces to shape a new paradigm beneficial to the population.

The feasibility study in Romania was developed in view of testing the viability of the idea of ​​developing climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in the country and the market positioning of a common (regional) brand for green and environmentally friendly agricultural products in the Black Sea Basin. The potential problems that could arise, if the restructuring and modernization of the agricultural sector are applied, are analyzed and the study suggests how, after all significant factors are taken into account, this development should be pursued.

It will also describes the specific conditions for the functioning of sustainable agriculture in Romania, the potential barriers, competition and funding needed to make this approach possible. Finally, a set of recommendations toward the introduction and development of the CSA in Romania are outlined following the analysis, as well as good examples are brought to demonstrate the potential and opportunities in the country.

The study of the state of climate-smart agriculture in Georgia was carried out aiming at gathering information regarding the current problems and the development opportunities of the climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in the country. It provides a summary of the findings regarding the:

• General situation in agricultural sector in Georgia;
• General overview of the issues related to climate change;
• Attitude of the population of Georgia to climate-smart agriculture;
• Attitude of the members of organizations and agencies working in the field of rural development and agriculture to current activities and trends in climate-smart agriculture in the country.

Further, the positive and negative impact of the CSA implementation in the country was studied and analyzed, while the specific country conditions were taken into account.

Even though the CSA approach is not so popular, in recent years started the process of introducing climate-smart methods and technologies in agriculture in Georgia that is directly related to the increase of production profitability, low costs and production of high-value products. Following these processes 5 successful crop models were identified and describes in the country report.

Agriculture in the Republic of Armenia is one of the most important sectors in terms of contribution to the Country’s Gross Domestic Product with the 13% share in 2019.

The feasibility study, aimed at the understanding the state of art and potential of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) in Armenia, revealed multiple challenges and interrelated opportunities for CSA practice in the country. The study explores the existing situation in the agriculture sector in Armenia in general, as well as the policies at place, the stakeholders and the local markets with a potential to accommodate agricultural production originating in the BSB and produced in a climate-smart way.

Further, an in-depth analysis has been carried out regarding the potential of the CSA’s implementation in the country, outlining the strenths, weakneses, opportunities and threads in front of this type of agriculture.

CSA practices in Armenia include organic production, greenhouses, intensive orchards and farms, as well as agricultural productions that contain one or more elements of CSA, such as drip irrigation, use of cover crops and mulching, anti-hail systems, intensification of production, etc.

The CSA practices and practices with CSA elements are gaining more and more popularity in the country. 5 examples of existing practices are studied in the report.