The final event of the “Mastiha Trees” programme was successfully held
The final event of the programme “Mastiha Trees: Safeguarding the future of a national product” was successfully held on Friday, March 27, in Chios, at the Chios Mastic Museum.
In a fully attended venue, the work and results of the first knowledge and innovation transfer network in mastic cultivation in Greece were presented, highlighting its importance both for the future of mastic and as a model for other crops.
An innovative farmer-to-farmer knowledge transfer network
The programme “Mastiha Trees: Safeguarding the future of a national product – Knowledge and Innovation Transfer Network in Chios” was designed and implemented through the collaboration of the organization New Agriculture New Generation, the Chios Mastic Growers Association, and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with the participation of a specialized scientific team and under the coordination of Associate Professor Stefanos Chatzilazarou.
The programme is co-funded by the organization New Agriculture New Generation through the founding grant of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), The Hellenic Initiative (THI), and the Chios Mastic Growers Association.
As part of the initiative, approximately 300 mastic growers have participated in training activities, delivered both by scientists and a group of 24 trained producers, through a “farmer-to-farmer” model.
The programme was awarded at the Bravo Sustainability Dialogue & Awards 2024, in the category “Protection of Biodiversity”.
The event
The event opened with a welcome address by Ms. Eleni Paidousi, local manager of the Chios Mastic Museum.
This was followed by remarks from representatives of the participating organizations, namely:
- Georgios Toumpas, President of the Board, Chios Mastic Growers Association
- Michalis Printzos, Head of THI Greece, The Hellenic Initiative
- Stefanos Kostas, PhD, Laboratory Teaching Staff, Floriculture Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
- Dr. Dimitris Voloudakis, General Programs Director, New Agriculture New Generation
A common conclusion among the speakers was that collaboration and participation were key to the success of this pioneering initiative for Greek agriculture, focused on a critical national product such as mastic.
Presentations and key topics
The main part of the event included presentations on the programme’s impact and future prospects. Specifically, the following presentations took place:
Knowledge as a tool for sustainability in mastic cultivation
Speaker: Dimitris Voloudakis, New Agriculture New Generation
The impact of an innovative programme: conclusions and future perspectives
Speaker: Kalliopi Karampoiki, Capacity Building Senior Manager, New Agriculture New Generation
The contribution of inscription to the promotion and development of mastic cultivation
Speaker: Stavroula Fotopoulou, Director of Modern Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture
The event concluded with remarks by Stefanos Chatzilazarou, Associate Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Conclusions
The success of the event marks the culmination of the overall success of the programme “Mastiha Trees: Safeguarding the future of a national product” and demonstrates that Greece has the capacity to develop effective knowledge transfer networks with the active participation of producers.
The programme has established a strong foundation for the future, contributing substantially to strengthening the resilience of mastic cultivation.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks are extended to the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation for its continuous support in the implementation of the programme through the provision of venues, as well as to the Municipality of Chios for granting the Homerion Cultural Center.
