Projects for Regional Development (PRD, www.blw.admin.ch/pre) is a federal policy instrument to enhance value creation in agriculture while fostering regional collaboration. These projects, introduced in 2007 as part of agricultural policy, seek to align agricultural objectives with regional development goals. Supported by a specific section in the Agriculture Act, PRD prioritizes projects where agriculture plays a predominant role.
It is a funding instrument for bottom-up projects proposed by regional interest groups. PRDs involve coordinated efforts by various stakeholders to generate added value in agriculture, improving agricultural income and utilizing the region's potential.

There are 2 PRD types: cross-sectoral, involving collaborations with non-agricultural sectors like tourism or local business, and value chain-oriented, requiring at least 3 actors in the same regional value chain like meat or dairy production. Projects must meet criteria including creating agricultural added value, having sub-projects with different focuses (production, processing, marketing, diversification or enhancement of the region), having a integrated concept aligned with regional development and spatial planning, and primarily involving agricultural participation in project ownership.

Nationwide 41 projects are concluded or still in progress (2023). One of them is "100% (bio) Valposchiavo" optimising agri-food value chains and working towards organic certification of the whole region.

Plan PAHIS 2020 is in force since 2015 and aims at a more current perception of cultural assets, promoting participation of civil society, public-private partnership and other mechanisms of social and economic valuation of cultural assets. Food culture is identified as ‘intangible cultural heritage’ of the region, with an emphasis on wine.

The integrated, cross-sectoral approach of plan PAHIS speaks from the following Guiding Principles of the plan:

- Society: participation is essential for conservation, protection and management of cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is a driver for social cohesion in regional communities, including rural areas.
- Knowledge: cultural heritage plays a key role in scientific R&D programmes
- Territory: position heritage as part of broader territorial initiatives involving all stakeholders.
- Cooperation: public-private collaboration for the management of Cultural Heritage assets (incl. food heritage) contributes to economic development, sustainability and social cohesion of rural areas.

The Plan has 5 strategic axes:
- Cultural heritage as a public service
- Cultural heritage as an asset for economic and social development
- Sustainable management of cultural heritage
- Methodology and fields of intervention
- Cultural heritage and external action

The Regional Government is preparing an update of the Plan PAHIS by 2026, with a planned investment budget be around €180 million, allocated through calls for grants every year.

The two selected specific objectives (SO) from the Program Ditiki Makedonia 2021-27 are:

RSO1.1: Development & strengthening of research and innovation capacities & exploitation of advanced technologies an

RSO5.2: Fostering the integrated and inclusive social, economic and environmental local development, culture, natural heritage, sustainable tourism and security in areas other than urban areas (ERDF).

Specific activities selected for FLAVOR described in the 1st SO are about strengthening the regional agri-food chain SMEs networking in the RWMs priority areas of smart specialization.

Specific activities selected for the core SO (RSO5.2) connected with FLAVOR are related with the integrated development & protection of regional lake and river ecosystems, based on the local food products, their strong connection with the local rural development and the citizens food culture.

The core characteristics of both SOs will be also influenced from EU projects that RWM participates to bring in various good practises that have strong transfer potential for the regional food SMEs the region’s food culture. Key target groups as priorities of both SO’ are existing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises very critical factors for the expected rural development in the Just Transition era. RWM will also try to strengthen the social cohesion of the territories affected by the financial transition, since various structural social level problems arose the last years.

The Burgenland Nature Parks Management Plan consists of the following elements:

1. The Burgenland Nature Parks Framework Strategy 2030 describes the general principles and guiding framework objectives that apply to all 6 nature parks in Burgenland. It is the overarching framework for the more detailed and specific management elements at nature park level. Building on nationwide guidelines and plans, it represents the orientation framework for coordinated nature park development until 2030.

The strategy defines 6 guiding objectives for nature park development: protection, education, recreation, regional development, public relations and organization areas. Particularly relevant for FLAVOR are the objectives:

• Protection: preserve the natural environment through sustainable use and maintain the cultural landscape.
• Regional development: generate impulses for regional development through the nature park, thereby increasing value creation and ensuring quality of life, e.g. through flagship products that promote the preservation of the typical cultural landscape.

2. Six dedicated Action Plans contain tailored sub-goals, measures and project ideas specific to each nature park. These plans are ambitious, proactive and determined to tackle the urgent challenges of climate protection, biodiversity loss, demographic change, etc.

Development and implementation of the Framework Strategy and the underlying Action Plans is a collective effort of all forces and players in the region.

Aim of the École du Goût - Plan Opérationnel is to deliver innovative responses to public health, sustainability and socio-economic challenges of the rural area, based on a multidimensional concept of healthy & sustainable food. It is built on three pillars: awareness raising, training & service provision.

École du Goût follows the scientifically proven method of participatory sensory education: taste education as starting point for sustainable & healthy food behavior in psycho-affective, cultural, socio-economic and environmental dimensions.

The primary focus is on children and young adults in schools, but an awareness raising programme is also offered to reach every age group of the local population. Another key component is training for professionals in education and in the food industry (chefs, restaurateurs, producers, ...)

The École du Goût aims to:
- develop integrated, science-based solutions to food-related issues
- inform and educate target audiences to develop sensible eating habits and favor healthy, sustainable food
- preserving food culture and associated traditions and healthy and sustainable concepts.

The École du Goût approach is characterised by:
- a cross-disciplinary vision of human nutrition: integrating all aspects of food (Taste, Health, Origin, Consumption & Preparation)
- teaching methods based on sensory education and a scientific foundation
- the quest for quality in the training programme and materials
- a commitment to dialogue and cooperation

The targeted policy instrument is the Regional Development Programme of Hajdú-Bihar County (framework for the county's development scheme 2021-2027).
This medium-term plan describes the development priorities, defines the specific interventions, measures to be implemented within the framework of the priorities, reviews the framework/conditions for implementation. This policy serves as the underlying regional strategic document for the definition of the national Territorial and Settlement Development Operational Programme (TSDOP) that provides the funding for the implementation of measures defined at regional level by the 19 Hungarian county governments.

The development objectives include specific measures:
Priority 3 “Complex development of the county’s economy”:
• Measure 3.8 is dedicated to “Competitive, innovative and sustainable agriculture“
• Measure 3.9 is dedicated to “Local economic development, strengthening short supply chains”
• Measure 3.10 is dedicated to “Developing the leisure economy: sustainable use of natural and cultural heritage”

Priority 6 „Healthy and caring society“
• Measure 6.5. is dedicated to „Strengthening the integration of institutional catering and healthy nutrition“

The Strategy for the Development of Organic Agriculture and Action Plan for the Production and Promotion of Organic Products in the Autonomous Region of the Azores covers a 10-year period from 2019 – 2029. It has 5 strategic objectives:

1: Promote expansion of organic production in the Agriculture, Livestock and Aquaculture sectors, through improving technical support and reinforcing their economic relevance
2: Increase production and supply of organic agri-food products, promoting their competitiveness and profitability in domestic and foreign markets
3: Promote technical-scientific knowledge and raise the level of skills on organic production in the specific regional soil and climate conditions.
4: Boost innovation and the availability of information on the Biological Products market with a focus on future generations, and strengthening partnerships
5: Increase the demand for organic products, by opening new markets and building trust and credibility of these products among consumers

The strategy brings an integrated approach to rural development across the Azores through:
- cross-sectoral cooperation between (organic) agriculture, science and industry
- support biodiversity and sustainability through preservation and re-introduction of traditional corps and practices
- empowerment and inclusion of islanders through education and capacity building in agri-food skills
- rural cohesion by strengthening shrinking communities with new farming and food-related opportunities.

The Biržai District Municipality Strategic Development Plan 2023-2030 (SDP) outlines the main strategic directions for the long-term development of the local economy, with a particular focus on fostering competitive agriculture. The goal is to create conditions conducive to the growth of a competitive agricultural sector within the region. To achieve this goal, the strategy formulates tasks aimed at:

a) strengthening and developing ecological and non-traditional branches of agriculture. This involves providing support and incentives for farmers to adopt organic farming methods, agroecology, and diversified crop production;
b) development of short food value chains, including establishing direct links between local producers and consumers, such as farmers' markets, community-supported agriculture schemes, and farm-to-table initiatives;
c) promotion of cooperative agricultural activities: the strategy encourages collaboration and cooperation among agricultural stakeholders within the region. This includes supporting the establishment of agricultural cooperatives, producer groups, and collective marketing initiatives.

The strategy also includes other tasks related to the project concept, such as local employment improving opportunities, social businesses promotion and development, implementing local development strategies provided in the district tourism and recreation services and products promotion.

The Marche Region ERDF Regional Programme (ERDF RP) defines strategy and operations for the use of funds allocated to the Region by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Being one of the main investment instruments within the framework of the Cohesion Policy, it works to strengthen the economic, social, and territorial cohesion of the European Union and correct imbalances between its regions, with 5 strategic priorities for 2021-2027 to make Europe smarter, greener, more connected, more social, and closer to its citizens.

The Regional Programme represents an important part of a unified vision of programming tools for the European cohesion policy. The overall budget allocation for the 2021/2027 period is 585.685.326 Eur. The Regional Programme has four main priorities - Policy Objectives, each of which has various Specific Objectives and different implementing Actions:
1. Research, innovation, competitiveness
2. Sustainability, decarbonisation, biodiversity, resilience
3. Sustainable mobility and air quality
4. Attractiveness, cohesion, local development

Specifically, in the framework of the FLAVOR project, Marche Region intends to address the Policy Objective 4 “Attractiveness, cohesion, local development “(financial allocation of 33.915.000 EUR) - Specific Objective 5.2 “Promoting integrated and inclusive local social, economic, and environmental growth, as well as culture, natural heritage, sustainable tourism, and safety in non-urban areas”.

The Strategic Plan “Vlore 2030” outlines a vision for the harmonious sustainable development of Vlora Region. Tourism and agriculture are the two main pillars for regional development, creating synergies that drive the integrated economic, social, and cultural growth of the region, bridging it’s rural areas and cities.

Tourism has diverse branches, including mass seaside tourism, nautical tourism, cultural tourism and festivals, making it a key driver of employment, investment, and cultural exchange. Agriculture is rooted in the region’s traditions of wine and olive oil production, has expanded to include organic cultivation, contributing to sustainable economic growth and resilience. Together, these pillars enhance the region’s value chain by integrating local agricultural products into the tourism experience.

The Vlora Strategic Plan integrated approach ensures that tourism and agriculture not only mutually reinforce each other, but also contribute to balancing economic progress with cultural and environmental sustainability for long-term regional development. The plan supports inclusivity and community empowerment, particularly in rural areas, by promoting entrepreneurship, preserving traditional practices, and creating opportunities for marginalized groups. Festivals and cultural events further unite communities, enhancing local identity and pride. Culturally, “Vlore 2030” emphasizes heritage preservation by showcasing the region’s customs, products, and landscapes.