SPATA, GAL AND THE NETWOK OF PRODUCERS...

Playing its role within a Local Action Plan (PAL, Leader II, Community Initiative Programme), GAL "Leontinoi" intends to carry out a "Network of producers aiming to promotion, exploitation and safeguard of the red orange and of its by-products according to biological and environmental friendly strategy".
The main purpose is to increase production and to start an integrated bio-marketing strategy on the territory.
Target of the project are both local farmers, who are to be driven to biological production, and consumers, who are to be led to buy BIO.
The territory involved in the Leontinoi project covers the Towns of Lentini, Carlentini and Francofonte. A deep vocation for citrus production is shared by the three towns of "Leontinoi lands" taking part to the Local Action Group.

In order to manage the project, SPATA, winner of a public contest on the measure, has drawn a complete plan:

• education and training for farmers on environmentally friendly production systems;
• promotion and exploitation of the red orange in partnership with the "Association for the safeguard of the Sicilian Red Orange IGP";
• involvement of all operators in order to adopt a common trading mark;
• introduction of biological and integrated control strategies to all local farms.
All planned activities have met great interest and common agreement among actors involved.