From farm to fork, Slovenian success in sustainable agrotourism

He set up a “green” supply chain in the form of a web platform.

When asked about the reasons that prevented them from buying local products and offering them to their customers, hoteliers and restaurateurs in Slovenia identified two major ones. First, it was a question of costs, considering local products too expensive, and second, because they considered the procurement process too complex.

Wishing to fully assume its status as” Green capital ” of Europe, one of the ambitions of the city of Ljubljana was to find solutions so that the tourist industry could take advantage of the wealth of regional products available in abundance.

The solution came from Ljubljana Tourism. During the development of its tourism development strategy 2014-2020, one of the main observations about its positioning as an ecological destination was the absence of a “green” supply chain. To achieve this, we had to find a way to build this ecological reputation of hotel restaurants by helping them meet the criteria of the various eco-labels recognized by consumers. To obtain these certifications (for example Travel Life, Ecolabel, Green Key, Bio Hotels, Green Globe, etc.), establishments needed to gain access to local suppliers and their local products.

In 2015, Ljubljana Tourism therefore initiated a pilot project entitled: Green Supply Chains, in partnership in particular withInstitute Factory of Sustainable Tourism and the Jarina organization, which is the Slovenian Rural Development Cooperative. The objective of Green Supply Chains consists of increasing the proportion of food and drinks available in hotels and restaurants in and around Ljubljana.

The project was implemented in such a way as to allow tourism businesses to be able to buy a wide range of products, all prepared locally and accessible through a single online, centralized and easy-to-use platform. Through this one-stop shop, hoteliers and restaurateurs were offered simple and direct access to local farmers and vice versa. The Rural Development Cooperative acts as an intermediary by representing its members and ensures that competitive prices are negotiated for both parties. The products are delivered directly to tourist businesses.

The initiative was very successful, extending in 2017 to the entire region of Central Slovenia, connecting the capital to 25 additional municipalities. A total of 28 farms participate in this supply chain, which delivers more than 13 tons of local products to the five restaurants and three hotels that have signed a commercial contract (six other establishments are in the process of joining).

This networking with the agricultural sector has made the tourist industry aware of the importance of offering regional products, especially in an urban and cultural destination such as Ljubljana. This partnership not only makes it possible to promote the culinary identity of the city, but also meets the demand of tourist customers who want to consume authentic products.

For tourism players, the presence of such a structured supply chain becomes the best possible solution to a major challenge: the constant availability of resources to meet the requirements of a regular menu of a gastronomic table.

It should be noted that the distribution of Jarina cooperative products is not limited to the tourism sector. It initially developed its network of partnerships with daycares, schools and retirement homes. This marketing model put in place by Jarina has evolved in various forms over a period of 12 years.

This network between the agricultural and tourism sectors did not take place in isolation. This initiative was the result of a wider desire on the part of Slovenia, which set itself the goal of becoming a 100% green destination. This institutional will has paved the way and made it possible to make possible numerous projects such as the Green Supply Chains, based on the Slovenian sustainable development model. In fact, a manual addressing the important aspects of marketing the “Slovenia Green” brand has been published as a tool to help tourism businesses.

Quebec is no different from other destinations with a high agrotourism potential. There is a challenge to provide simple, affordable and constant access to the resources of local producers. While the demand for local, authentic products with a low ecological footprint will only increase, this type of initiative can certainly serve as a source of inspiration.

Article originally published on the site of Tourism monitoring network.