Successful kick-off for regenerative agriculture project on Crete

Creating sustainable food supply chains in tourism

The joint project TUI Field to Fork Greece by Futouris and the TUI Care Foundation is the first of its kind in Greece and is based on the results of the previous project "Crete - On the way to becoming a model destination for sustainable food".

The aim is to support 300 farmers on the Greek island of Crete and 200 on the island of Rhodes in converting to regenerative agricultural practices. A comprehensive learning and practice cycle will be implemented, with a particular focus on reducing the carbon footprint of agricultural products. This applies in particular to the production of olive oil, wine, bananas, avocados, honey and herbs.

In addition, the participating farmers are networked with 14 food businesses and the tourism industry, including eight hotels that are partners of the program.

The aim is to create improved income opportunities, expand the range of sustainable food products and raise awareness of regenerative food production among employees and tourists. To this end, employees of participating businesses are trained to better understand the benefits of sustainable practices in their operations and to recognize the necessity and urgency of change. The aim is to achieve long-term commitment and interest in the topic of sustainable food. In addition to the eight hotels, a local retail chain is also part of the program to offer sustainable food to tourists and the local population. All these measures aim to create sustainable food supply chains in tourism and other sectors.

Successful kick-off event

The kick-off event brought together over 200 participants from the Ministries of Agriculture and Tourism, local authorities, partners from the hospitality industry and local food production units to network and discuss topics such as soil health, the design of circular food systems, certification and the role of hotels as an important part of regeneration.

Highlights of the event

• Yasmine Cathell, the so-called "soil sommelier", caught everyone's attention with her soil tasting demonstration, highlighting the importance of soil health and its impact on human health.

• Melissa Comellas addressed the different EU policies and their impact on the transition to regenerative agriculture and presented the different funding opportunities offered by EIT Food.

• Ilektra Kouloumpi enlivened the audience with great examples around the globe that are implementing circular solutions, minimizing waste and improving food processes.

• Dimitris Dimitriadis presented the first specifically Greek certification system for regenerative organic farming, which can be implemented by producers by early 2024.

• Christina Chalkiadaki referred to the abundance of Greek and especially Cretan local products that can play a crucial role in promoting Greek hospitality and providing a quality experience for the guest and local citizens.

• In three panels, participants discussed the challenges and opportunities of regenerative agriculture in practice, the need for collaboration between food industry players and the role of hotels in the context of regenerative agriculture.

Andreas Metaxa, CEO of Metaxa Hospitality Group, summarizes the main message:

"Think global, act local."

What are the next steps?

1. We are continuing and will strengthen the training of producers in this area.

2. We continue to meet with producing companies to achieve their feasible transition.

3. We will work to create new partnerships between project participants at the supply chain level.

4. We will work with participating hotels and plan tasting events for 2024 to give guests the opportunity to taste the regeneratively grown products.

5. We will plan awareness-raising activities that can be carried out in collaboration with Chalkiadakis for locals and visitors.