| Description | The Suonenjoen mansikka has been granted EU name protection Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) in autumn 2023. The municipalities of Suonenjoki, Rautalampi, Tervo and Vesanto, as well as the former area of the municipality of Karttula, have been defined as the Suonenjoen mansikka name protection area. The application for name protection has been submitted by the Suonenjoki Region Berry Growers' Association. The aim of the project is to make the name protection of the Suonenjoen mansikka known to berry growers and important stakeholders. The project highlights the importance of name protection for berry growers' business and encourages farmers to register as users of name protection. The project also aims to promote the quality and responsibility expertise of berry growers and to build a cooperation network around the Suonenjoen mansikka. The target groups of the project are berry growers, processors, retailers, retailers, cafés, restaurants, tourism companies, municipalities in the area and consumers in the Suonenjoen mansikka name protection area. The project informs farmers about the use of name protection and the importance of quality work as part of the cultivation of name protection products. A uniform communicative look will be created for the Suonenjoen mansikka and the name protection will be communicated at various events in North Savo and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Ideas on the use of name protection and its use in marketing the region are sought from other European countries. As a result of the project, at least 40% of the farmers in the name protection area register as users of the Suonenjoen mansikka name protection. The importance of name protection will become familiar to both farmers and various stakeholders. As a result of the project, further project proposals will also be created, in which name protection will be used, for example, in the further processing of products, tourism marketing in the region and internationalization. The project is implemented by Savonia University of Applied Sciences and the Suonenjoki Region Berry Growers' Association, and the partners are the City of Suonenjoki and Savogrow Oy. The implementation period of the project is 1.1.2025 – 31.7.2027. The project will be implemented in the North Savo region. |
| Partners | Hanketta hallinnoi ja koordinoi Savonia-ammattikorkeakoulu. Hankkeen osatoteuttaja on SSMY.
Hankkeen kohderyhmiä ovat Suonenjoen mansikan nimisuoja-alueen marjanviljelijät, jatkojalostajat, jälleenmyyjät, vähittäiskauppa, kahvilat, ravintolat, matkailuyritykset, alueen kunnat sekä kuluttajat. |
