A grant of 44 thousand euros as a non-repayable fund for Sardinia with the aim of "supporting and increasing the offer of agri-food products under the DOP and IGP brands and the traditional ones in the catering sector, including agritourisms".

The intervention, explains the Consortium for the protection of the Lamb of Sardinia Igp (Contas), is by the Ministry of Agricultural Policies.

"Each Region - explains Contas - has been assigned a percentage share of the Fund in proportion to the regional average between the percentage of protected denominations (PDO and PGI) and the percentage of PAT (traditional agri-food products) with respect to the total products present on the National territory".

The island goes to 4.41% of the national million euro as it owns 4.74% of the DOP and IGP (6 total: the three pecorino, Fiore sardo DOP, Pecorino Romano DOP and the Pecorino sardo DOP; the saffron of Sardegna PDO, Sardinian PDO extra virgin olive oil, Sardinian PDO spiny artichoke, Sardinian lamb IGP and culurgiones d'Ogliastra IGP) and 4.07 from Pat (222 total in Sardinia).

The Island is tenth for the number of DOP and IGP, twelfth for the number of Pat and eleventh in the local ranking .

The president of the Consortium Battista Cualbu defines the initiative as “commendable”: “A circular economy and food education tool that makes the supply chain starting from those who produce it to those who cook it and thus arriving at the final consumer. We appreciate the intervention, to be promoted and repeated with more conspicuous figures. Given the few resources available, we hope that the Region will intervene by integrating the funds destined for Sardinia ”.

The non-repayable resources are intended for catering and hospitality businesses, including farm holidays, and for public businesses with administration activities, including hospitals and schools. The Regions will distribute them, establishing the procedures for submitting applications.

(Unioneonline / L)