Specialities of Nature Parks (Naturparkspezialitäten)

Best Practice

Topics

• Protected areas
• Regional value added

Short description

The Austrian nature parks represent characteristic cultural landscapes. The beauty and the attraction resulted usually from the fact that farmers produced and also still produce their products in traditional way. At the project took part 15 nature parks to support farmers. In the project "Austrian nature park specialities" criteria for nature park products, a common design and marketing strategies were developed. The objective of the association is the realisation of common marketing projects.

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Project executive

Association of Austrian Nature Parks (Verband der Naturparke Oesterreichs). In autumn 1995 the existing Nature Parks joined together to form the Verband der Naturparke Oesterreichs (VNOe), (“Association of Austrian Nature Parks”,) The objective of this association is for qualitative further development of the Nature Parks and the realisation of common marketing projects. The president is mayor Mag. Wolfgang Mair while the General Manager is Franz Handler. Franz is the regional adviser of OeAR Styria and is in charge of the consequent fulfillment of the organisations objectives and professional management. A work team,consisting of representatives of the Nature Parks and specialists from the provinces, develop common projects and enable their realisation. The association is finanaced through a mixture of memebership fees, project aid and sponsoring.

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Participants

Association of Austrian Nature Parks, Nature parks: Grebenzen, Soelktäler, Muerzer Oberland, Steirische Eisenwurzen, Pöllauer Tal, Suedsteirisches Weinland, Niederoesterreich Eisenwurzen, Heidenreichsteiner Moor, Leiser Berge, Weinidylle, Raab, Rechberg, Obst-Huegel-Land, Dobratsch, Kaunergrat.

Objectives

realisation of common marketing projects

Activities

Information-days for producers in the nature parks. Organizing continuous working project groups. Regular exchange workshops of the most important participants to advance the project-management and discuss important topics. Creation of a corporate design for a common advertising and exposition appearance, shop organisation and design, and the dispatch of the products. Implementation of a webshop. Presentation of the products on expostitions, events, fairys, regional capitals, etc.. Special Xmas offers, intensive networking and cooperations, development of a distribution network, public relations, education and trainings for employees

Results

Regional marketing in Austrian nature parks is a common praxis. The idea of this project is to offer the products of the different nature parks with one label. The consumer has a large variety to choose on excellent products of different regions. Furthermore it is a possibility to increase the sales. The landscape is conserved by low-intensity agriculture. By finalisation of the project each nature park should have their own shop or a "nature park shelf" at frequented places e.g. tourism offices. Shops and shelves will be recognizable everywhere by a common design for the consumers. Beside the products of the own nature park the products of other nature parks will be offered. By numerous events and a strong operational public relations we expect the creation of an ecological consciousness, for the connection between agricultural production and conservation of cultural landscape and more publicity of the nature parks. Success factor “concept” were: one label for all nature parks (composition of products of different regions however the same Labelling), common appearance, corporate design, production variety

Evaluation

there is no evaluation because the project is in the first year.

Difficulties

Difficulties resulted particularly from the large number of participants. Compared to a big company the process and decisions, e. g. the common design, should not be imposed from the management. The farmers had to be convinced that the compliance with the criteria and the participation in common activities give them benefit. The coordination can be difficult, because of the different progress of participants.

Budget

278 000 Euro (Euro)

Financial backer

Interregional Leaderproject, financial backer: 35% EU, 35% national funds, 30% of the nature parks

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

http://www.naturparke.at/

Publication

Verband der Naturparke Oesterreichs (Hrsg.) 2003: Wer macht´s, wer zahlt´s, was bringt´s? Naturpark und Regionalentwicklung. , Eigenverlag, Graz, 50S

Project executive as above

Contact person as above

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

The programme contributes to the preservation of the domestic and wild biodiversity by encouraging farmers to cultivate old traditional varieties, alternatives to industrial or wild growing protected varieties and by diversifying the range of cultivated plants. The conservation of the characteristic culture landscapes and biodiversity in the nature parks is supported by low-intensity agriculture. Sparse orchard are preserved. Husbandry of lambs and sheeps protects meadows to be overgrown.

Economic value added

Improvement of the economical situation of the farmers. Creation of a second income possiblity. Own nature park shops are creating new jobs.

Socio-cultural value added

The project strengthens traditional agricultural production forms. The participating nature parks benefit by the exchange of experiences.

Innovative content

Cooperation of many nature parks. Interregional networking, one common design and marketing, with products produced by the same criteria. Development of new products and a distinct product range. Offer of special nature park packets for holidays and Xmas.

Good governance

Every half year a plenary assembly, transparency of decisions, participation is possible. The project is an interregional Leader-Project. That means that nature parks and Leader-action-groups are integrated in the project planning process. The nature parks and Leader-action-groups are usually organized in associations.

PR impact

Continuous public relations, presentations and events - for example a presentation for the Austrian parliament and the ten year jubilee event of the Association of Austrian Nature Parks.

Multiplier effect / networking

A high multiplier effect is given through the participation of 15 nature parks.

Transferability

yes

Remarks

The project is in the first year. The success and development will be shown in the future.