Sustainable and Innovative Food Systems: The Mediterranean Diet as a Tool for Tourism and Local Development in EUSAIR Communities

Bari, Italy | 29 & 30 September 2025

14:00 – 15.30 | Welcome & Opening Statements

  1. CIHEAM Bari, Director, Biagio Di Terlizzi
  2. Presidency of the EUSAIR, North Macedonia, Zuica Zmejkovska
  3. DG REGIO, Gilles Kittel 
  4. CIHEAM, General Secretary, T. Miano
  5. EUSAIR Strategy, Pillar Coordinators IV: Elton Orozi and Iva Caleta Plesa, Pillar I Coordinator: Michalis Chatziefstathiou, Pillar V Coordinator: Martina Klapan Štambuk
  6. DG AGRI, Martin Van Driel, Policy Officer, DG AGRI.A1 - Policy perspectives
  7.  MOVE-GROW: Ramune Genzbigelyte-Venturi
  8. EUSAIR Youth Council, Representative, TBC 
  9. IFOAM Organics Europe, Director, Eduardo Cuoco
  10. AREPO (Association of European Regions for Products of Origin): Francesca Alampi
  11. Department for Economic Development, Puglia Region, Director, Gianna Elisa Berlingerio
  12. Adriatic – Ionic Initiative, Secretary General, Amb. Fabio Pigliapoco
  13. Dott.ssa Eleonora Tramannon, Secretary General of the Forum of Adriatic Ionian Chambers of Commerce

15.30 – 16.45 | Keynote Panel and audience discussion: Why Mediterranean Diet and Sustainable Food Systems Matter for the Adriatic-Ionian Future?

https://www.adriatic-ionian.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PP_EUSAIR_MedDiet_workshop_2nd_panel_CVs-_all_speakers_for_publishing.pdf 

Moderator: of 10th EUSAIR Annual Forum workshop, Hellenic Ministry of Culture, EUSAIR TSG4 member Fotis Vlachos

  • Agrotourism, Organic, Origin production and trade, Bio-districts, and culture and rural tourism
  • Ecotourism, and local quality food
  • The role of youth, skills and digitalisation

Afet Jashari, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, North Macedonia, Simit Pogacha: A Living Culinary Heritage of Skopje’s Old Bazaar

Danijela Vicentijevic, Ministry of Tourism Serbia, Mediterranean Diet as a Sustainable Regional Heritage: Our Identity and Our Way of Life 

Tamara Djukic, Ministry of Tourism, Montenegro, Gastro heritage of Mediterranean as a tourism product: case of Montenegro

Jelica Grujic, Ministry of Foreign Trade, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Connecting Bridges through Culture and Mediterranean Diet - Creative Cooperation for Cohesion and Identity 

Elona Bejo, Albanian Agrotourism Association, Albania

Anthi Panagiotou, EGTC/AEBR/Association of European Border Regions, E.G.T.C. and Living Traditions: Mediterranean Diet and Cultural Tourism as Drivers of Rural Sustainability in the Adriatic-Ionian Macroregion

Patrizia Pugliese, MOAN -  Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network, Building on the territorial dimension of organic food & farming: the bio-district concept as leverage of sustainable rural tourism and local development                                                                      

Boba Illic, SWG RRD - Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group in Southeast Europe, European Integration and Agricultural Policy in the Western Balkans: Current Trends and Challenges 

17.15 to 18.30 | Input Session 1: Dialogue with donors – How to make and support the Mediterranean Diet flagship Partnership an impactful tool

Moderator: Gilles KITTEL, DG Regio/Team Leader SEE