Slow Food Project in Croatia

Zagreb,12 April 2021 - In late 2020 the Charity Fund of Intesa Sanpaolo (PBZ’s parent bank) approved the first project to be managed with the non-governmental organisation SOS Children’s Village Croatia - Family Strengthening Program-FSP, and now we are pleased to announce that this successful cooperation with Intesa Sanpaolo’s Charity Fund will continue. 
 
The second project in Croatia, called Slow Food in action: young people and the future of the Croatia food system project, will be managed by the International non-governmental organisation Slow Food in cooperation with the Slow Food community for the preservation of the agricultural and food heritage of Istria, which was created with the aim of promoting and preserving the traditional resources of the Istria County, the efforts made in previous years by the Association  ISTRIAN de Dignan - Ecomuseum (Udruga ISTARSKO - Ekomuzej iz Vodnjana).

 
Slow Food International cooperates with Intesa Sanpaolo globally, and the Slow Food community in Istria is recognized in the area as a community achieving European excellence in contribution to the protection of agricultural heritage and inclusive and sustainable growth, which are key for the future.
 
This project aims to protect agroecological practices, regenerate rural areas, preserve cultural and gastronomic heritage, and educate and stimulate the young to remain in rural communities. Hence, aside from the existing Slow Food community in Istria, the intention is to encourage opening of other such communities across Croatia.
 
In order to implement Slow Food guidelines and achieve the mentioned objectives through the project, a couple of activities will be undertaken with the aim of acquiring, improving, and developing knowledge and skills relating to the preservation of agricultural heritage, sustainability, communication, and brand development in line with local needs and the specificities of biodiversity. 
 
In that sense, the plan is to organise educational trainings in spring and autumn for producers across Croatia, especially the young, focusing on four segments:
-    olive growing
-    oenology
-    agriculture (farming and seedlings)
-    culinary arts.
 
Trainings will be enriched by meetings with experts, successful entrepreneurs involved in the international Slow Food project in order to share their valuable experience. Eventually, program beneficiaries will get the opportunity to apply the newly acquired knowledge and skills in practice. Co-financing is possible for those interested in participating in this project and educations.
 
Ambassadors for product excellence 
 
In order to achieve Slow Food objectives in Croatia and to further support small producers involved in the preservation of authentic products, experts of Slow Food International are going to educate seven young ambassadors to find producers and collect and describe authentic Croatian products and recipes. These products would be nominated for inclusion in the world catalog of excellence and biodiversity - Arca del Gusto.  
For example, one of the products that should be rightfully protected is Vin de Rosa of Vodnjan, a wine made from dried grapes of the authentic Muscat Rose family, whose survival is threatened in the area, and the objective is to preserve this product and to encourage anyone who might be interested in receiving education and becoming involved in its production in a traditional way. 
 
Also, one of the Slow Food project initiatives is to establish an Association of Chefs (Alleanza dei Cuochi)  who would include Croatian authentic, traditional products into their recipes. Such restaurants would then be mapped and included in a gastronomic booklet to additionally promote these restaurants through the tourist board in Croatia.
 
The project has a duration of 18 months (from January 2021 until June 2022). 
Direct beneficiaries of the project are 100 young people aged 18-35 years and 50 producers (including 25 young people), while indirect beneficiaries are 30 rural communities,  local authorities and private sector organizations from other regions in the country, consumers, producers and actors involved in the food system. Anyone interested in becoming involved in this project and receiving training for the role of an ambassador may contact the Slow Food community in Istria for more information: www.istrian.org/hr/

About the Intesa Sanpaolo Charity Fund for charitable, social and cultural contributions, which is provided for by Intesa Sanpaolo’s Articles of Association, is coordinated by the Bank's Chairman and permits the allocation of part of non-distributed profits to charity and to support projects that revolve around solidarity, social utility and value of the individual. In line with the principles of the Group's Code of Ethics, the goal is to share with the community the Bank’s focus on individuals, human rights, economic and social solidarity, sustainable development, environmental protection and the promotion of cultural initiatives in favor of disadvantaged groups. Endowments are allocated following a selection process based on specific criteria, and include local donations (for requests up to 5,000 euro), to support projects and initiatives that have a local impact, as well as central donations (for requests over 5,000 euro), to support larger projects. This activity is part of the Group's efforts to attain the Sustainable Development Goals established by the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations.
For more information:https://group.intesasanpaolo.com/en/social/charity-fund 
 
About Intesa Sanpaolo
Intesa Sanpaolo is the leading Bank in Italy and one of the soundest and most profitable banks in Europe. It offers commercial, corporate investment banking, asset management and insurance services. The Intesa Sanpaolo Group has approximately 14.7 million customers in Italy who are assisted through both digital and traditional channels. The Group’s international subsidiary banks serve 7.1 million customers comprising subsidiaries operating in commercial banking in 12 countries in Central Eastern Europe and Middle Eastern and North African areas and an international network of specialists in support of corporate customers across 26 countries. Intesa Sanpaolo is considered one of the most sustainable banks in the world. For the Group, creating value means being a driver for growth, for the benefit of both society and the economy. With environmental concerns in mind, the Group has set up a 6-billion-euro fund for the circular economy. Intesa Sanpaolo supports major economic inclusion and poverty reduction projects, including an impact fund of 1.5 billion euro for loans available to social groups who struggle to access credit. Intesa Sanpaolo has a high level of involvement in cultural initiatives, organized by the Bank or in collaboration with other entities in Italy and further afield. These include permanent and temporary exhibitions showcasing the Bank’s impressive artistic heritage at the Gallerie d’Italia, the Group’s museums located in Milan, Naples, Vicenza and soon Turin. https://group.intesasanpaolo.com/en/newsroom/news