Communicating the value of the dairy supply chain and the territory through branding
Tolmin, 10 October 2024 – The DAIRY+ project opened the traditional event Frika Fest in Tolmin with the event “Tradition and future branding – Communicating the value of the dairy supply chain and the territory through brands”, a cross-border discussion dedicated to enhancing the dairy sector through communication strategies, territorial marketing and collective brands.
Hosted at the Tolmin Cineteatro and translated simultaneously into Italian and Slovenian, the event brought together institutional representatives, researchers, consortia and agri-food operators from Italy and Slovenia. The goal was to explore how to effectively communicate the value of dairy products and their territories of origin in a context increasingly focused on sustainability and traceability.
Whey valorization and innovation in the supply chain
The core of the meeting was the presentation of whey utilization possibilities – a key topic of the DAIRY+ project – delivered by Dr. Bojana Bogovič Matijašič and collaborators from the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty. Whey, once a by-product, is now emerging as a valuable resource and a concrete example of circular bioeconomy applied to the dairy sector.
Territorial marketing and commercialization: exchanging experiences
Lucija Gartner from the Association of Slovenian Farmhouse Cheesemakers and Tomaž Cor from the Agricultural and Forestry Institute of Kranj provided insights into innovative marketing approaches in tourist areas and strategies for commercialising agricultural products—crucial themes for small producers who aim to enhance their work and reach new markets.
Territorial brands: communication tools and quality guarantees
A significant portion of the event focused on the role of territorial brands as tools for communicating value and sustainability. Case studies included:
- the Montasio Cheese Protection Consortium (Dr. Ellena Mitri),
- the Gailtaler Almkäse Association,
- the IO SONO Friuli Venezia Giulia regional brand (Dr. Pierpaolo Rovere, Fondazione Agrifood & Bioeconomy FVG),
- and the Collective Brand of the Soča Valley (Tjaša Bizjak, Soča Valley Tourism Board).
These examples demonstrated how collective and territorial brands can become effective communication tools capable of conveying not only product quality but also values such as sustainability, traceability and strong ties to the territory.
Cross-border dialogue for the future of dairy tradition
The event represented an important opportunity for dialogue between Italy and Slovenia—two territories with a deeply rooted dairy tradition and a shared commitment to enhancing it through innovative and sustainable approaches.
The meeting is part of the wider DAIRY+ project – Shared circular bioeconomy approaches for valorizing dairy supply chain by-products, co-financed by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Programme. The project aims to transform whey from waste into a resource, promoting a circular economy model for the dairy sector in the cross-border region.
The participation of DAIRY+ in Frika Fest confirms the project’s commitment to building continuous dialogue between research, institutions, and sector operators, working towards a future for dairy tradition that combines innovation, sustainability, and territorial valorization.
