Taste the products of Greece!

THE Routes of the OLIVE TREE Shop in Athens inaugurated a degustation series of regional products for foreigners in Greece. This degustation was dedicated to the mixing of flavours and the discovery of the famous Mediterranean diet.

This is how a group of tourists from the United States was initiated to the diet habits and the deep passion of Greeks for their delicious olives of Kalamata and their incomparable olive oil! The region selected for the first degustation was Messinia!
In the convivial atmosphere that was created by the theme of the exchange, the team of the shop presented many selected products, their history, way of fabrication, alimentary value and also the art of living and the cuisine of Greeks.
These degustations guarantee the discovery of quality products from the best enterprises, acknowledged for their know-how and their respect to cultivated farmlands.

For the future, THE Routes of the OLIVE TREE SHOP, proud of this first experience, propose more similar workshops that will promote exchange and love for quality oil products.

More information on the degustations of THE Route of the OLIVE TREE on the site: www.olivetreeroute.gr

THE ROUTES OF THE OLIVE TREE IN MOROCCO!

2nd CELEBRATION OF THE OLIVE TREE IN MEKNES (JUNE 17-19 2010)

The Cultural Foundation “Routes of the Olive Tree” participated in the 2nd celebration of the Olive Tree in the city of Meknes, following an official invitation of the Agropole Olivier and the local authorities of the region Meknes-Tafilalet, members of the International Network “Routes of the Olive Tree”.

This important event for the historic city of the Olive Tree in Morocco was organised by the Association UDOM "Union for the Development of the Olive Tree of Meknes" and the Agro-pole Olivier Meknes. It was put under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and included approximately forty events (conferences, forums, exhibitions, specialised workshops, degustations, contests, visits, etc.).

As an official partner, the “Routes of the Olive Tree” Foundation occupied an important place in the celebration. In the official inauguration of this second edition in the Cultural Complex Habous, assisted, among others, Mister Wali of Meknes-Tafilalet Region, the President of the Council of Meknes-Tafilalet Region, the General Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Sea Fishing, the President of the CEO of the International Olive Council, and Mr. G. Karabatos, President of the CCI of Messinia and CEO of the “Routes of the Olive Tree” Foundation, who delivered on the occasion a very important speech concerning the new perspectives for development of tourism and promotion of olive products.

The programme of the following days was very rich in activities. The “Routes of the Olive Tree” Foundation inaugurated successfully an exhibition entitled “Routes of the Olive Tree: an itinerary for intercultural dialogue and development of international cooperation” in the central esplanade of the Celebration. At the same time, during these two days it animated an exhibition stand for the promotion of olive products sold at the boutique “The Routes of the OLIVE TREE SHOP”.

In the center of meetings and discussions that took place in the Cultural Center of the Habous. In this regard, a Round Table was organised around the theme “the Routes of the Olive Tree as an innovative proposition of sustainable development for olive growing regions”, with the participation of the scientific collaborators of the “Routes of the Olive Tree” M. Katsilieri, A. Guittard, E. De Laubrie and El. Chatzinikolaou, as well as members of the “Routes of the Olive Tree” network from many Mediterranean countries. Their presentations analysed cultural tourism and cultural itineraries as a new promising form of thematic tourism.

This round table and generally the edition in its total reinforced the “Routes of the Olive Tree” network, in a level of institutions as well as partnerships, both with the big international official olive oil organisations, and also with regional representations and Euromediterranean initiatives from Morocco, Spain, France, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Syria and Tunisia.
This edition was also the occasion for renewing the friendship and strong partnerships binding the Foundation and the Agro-Pole Olivier of Meknes, who have recently undertaken the creation and concept of a local cultural itinerary “Routes of the Olive Tree” in the region of Meknes-Tafilalet. Since the creation of the “Routes of the Olive Tree” in 1998, Morocco occupies a special place in the cultural itineraries and the cooperation network realised by the Foundation. The olive growing regions are privileged spaces of exchange and understanding with what unites all people in the Mediterranean to the “millenary civilisation of the olive tree”. The Agro-Pole Olivier, directed by Dr. Noureddine Ouazzani, co-initiator and coorganisator of the "Celebration of the Olive Tree in Meknes" and the Cultural Foundation took the opportunity to seal their high level of collaboration and materialise their work, by signing an agreement of tripartite partnership. This agreement also marked a new membership in the “Routes of the Olive Tree” network, in the person of M. Brahim Zniber, president of the Association UDOM ("Union for the Development of the Olive Tree in Meknes").

During this great Celebration of the Olive Tree, the Foundation also wished to develop its initiative for youngsters and children by setting up a creative workshop for children, where numerous children of the city of Meknes participated enthusiastically and a class of the School Notre-Dame of Meknes were invited, joining the “Little Friends of the Olive Tree”.

The Second Edition of the Celebration of the Olive Tree in Meknes was characterised by successful meetings and exchanges, and allowed the “Routes of the Olive Tree” Foundation to point out the wide range of its reflections, its activities and its network; elements that make it an important value of the olive tree landscape in the Mediterranean.

For more information you can download here: the whole programme of the Second Celebration of the Olive Tree in Meknes.

You can also read the article on Agro-pole Olivier, a partner of the Routes of the Olive Tree in Morocco.

The Routes of the Olive Tree in the Collective Hellenic - Turkish Declaration on Civilisation and Tourism

The ”Routes of the Olive Tree” are included in the Collective Declaration on Culture and Tourism, signed on Friday 14th of May by the minister of Culture and Tourism Mr. Pavlos GEROULANOS and his Turkish counterpart Mr. Ertugrul GUNAY, in the framework of the Constitutive Assembly of the Superior Council of Cooperation between Greece and Turkey, that took place in Athens in the presence of the Prime Ministers of Greece and Turkey.



Concretely, the declaration refers to “exploring in common the possibilities of cooperation in the sector of cultural tourism, mainly through cultural itineraries (for example the Routes of the Olive Tree and the Routes of Wine)”. This reference acknowledges the contribution of the “Routes of the Olive Tree” to the promotion of sustainable development, dialogue and peace among people and civilisations, as mentioned in the Memorandum of the Cultural Foundation the “Routes of the Olive Tree”, seated in Kalamata.

As it is known, the « Routes of the Olive Trees » were inaugurated in 1998 on an initiative of the Messinian Chamber. Ever since, they have had a fruitful presence, action and partnerships in all the Mediterranean and many European countries, Turkey included. What is more, they were officially recognised as «World Cultural Tour» by the UΝESCO in 2003 and as «Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe» in 2006.

The “Routes of the Olive Tree" in the 2^nd Forum of Delphi

The Cultural Foundation “Routes of the Olive Tree" participated in the works of the second Forum of Delphi which was held successfully on 17 & 18 April 2010 at the European Cultural Centre of Delphi. The 2nd Forum, as a Continuing cooperation platform for European Cultural Routes, was organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Greece in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of Luxembourg and implemented under the bilateral cultural cooperation programs in Greece and Luxembourg, with the active support of European Institute of Cultural Routes.

The aim of the Forum was to present the evolution of the Program, after the Declaration of the 1st Forum of Delphi in May 2006 in which the "The Routes of the Olive Tree" were officially called "Great European Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” and having in mind that the cultural routes are very important tools for the development of intercultural dialogue, rapprochement of cultures, sustainable development and promotion of cultural tourism and European integration.

The Platform of Delphi for the Cultural Routes to the second Forum, invited representatives of European and international bodies such as the Council of Europe, the European Commission, European Parliament, the Committee of Regions of the EU, Unesco, the ICOMOS, the World Trade Organization of Tourism, members of the Euro parliament and representatives of the Ministries of Culture in Europe, to present their current positions on cultural routes and cultural tourism in Europe.

During the works were examined the problems and new ways of management and financing of cultural routes and the economic models to promote the destination "Europe" together with representatives of the private sector.

On the first day of the Forum, the Executive Director of the Cultural Organization "The Routes of the Olive Tree”, Mr. George Karabatos participated with an extensive presentation and having as theme "The Routes of the Olive Tree ', a tool for sustainable development olive oil producing areas of the Mediterranean.

On the second day at the three round-tables were discussed the modern tools and tourist products of cultural routes and forms of tourism that respect local communities and their cultural identity, taking into account the culture and the values of material and intangible cultural heritage of each crossing region with the diversity that characterizes it.

Six collaborators of the Cultural Organization "The Routes of the Olive Tree" (M. Katsilieri, Audrey Guittard, Nourredine Ouazzani, Elisavet Chatzinikolaou, Edouard De Laubrie, George Sarantavgas) participated in the workshops with suggestions and proposals (see full text in attachment).

At the works participated among others Mrs Eleni Arveler, which documented scientific and historical the fact that culture and cultural routes are the gate to the economy and trade, the Secretary General of Culture of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Ms. Lina Mendoni, the Secretary General of Tourism George Poussaios, the General Director of the Directorate for Education, Culture and Heritage of the Council of Europe Ms. G. Bataini - Dragoni, the Manager of the European Institute of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, Mr M. Thomas-Penette and many others.

General Reunion of the Actors of the Cultural Routes Network

On December 18th, 2009, the Cultural Foundation « the Routes of the Olive Tree » was invited to attend the second meeting of actors of the Cultural Itineraries Network of the European Council. The meeting was realised in the Cultural Center of the Neumünster Abbey in Luxembourg.

As a network actor of the European Cultural Foundation « The Routes of the Olive Tree », the representatives of the Foundation went to the capital of Luxembourg in order to participate in the different events organised by the European Institute of Cultural Itineraries.

The meeting included interventions by experts and debates about the fundamental values promoted by the cultural foundations, such as sharing, hospitality, protection of minorities and landscape quality. This was also an opportunity to examine in which methods and ways the touristic and cultural routes can intermediate in Europe and the Mediterranean, in particular revise the stakes of sustainable development and thematic tourism concerning the routes.

Along with the meetings, a Christmas Market of the Cultural Foundations was organised at the agora of the Neumünster Abbey, to promote contact with the public and to underline the growing importance of the oeno-gastronomic dimension of the itineraries. The store THE OLIVE tree SHOP had a stand for the tasting and selling of products from olive producing areas and from the Foundation “The Olive Tree Routes”.

This meeting highlighted the successes, challenges and progress of initiatives like the «Olive Tree Routes» that have been working for years for the valorisation and recognition of a shared and common heritage uniting the countries and revealing numerous cooperation perspectives.

Mr. Michel-Thomas Penette, director of the European Foundation of Cultural Itineraries, comes back to the meeting in these terms:
“Today, twenty-five great subjects encourage Europeans to search for their common roots and values”.

Europe of Itineraries… Common values

(…) Today, on the occasion of the general assembly of the European Cultural Itineraries network, realised at the Neumünster abbey, we can confirm that the twenty five subjects awarded by the European Council allow, not only a concrete transborder collaboration between forty-nine European countries, but also cooperation with the countries at the other bank of the Mediterranean.

It is a «mild» political cooperation, in which the reconciliation praised by the European institutions begins from heritage and culture. We are offered the possibility to cross once more the great historic transcontinental routes, discover all over again the rural areas and the landscapes of the olive tree and the vine, restore our industrial heritage, re-examine religious heritage in a spirit of dialogue and confirm the importance of linguistic and literal heritage.

(…) These new routes answer to the challenges of sustainable tourism and promote the discovery of space in all its components.

Hospitality, solidarity, sharing

(…) Following the routes of the Olive Tree, we confirm that it is above all a symbol of peace and meeting from tree to tree, as if weaved by one great European and Mediterranean olive grove.

Extract from the article Cultural itineraries in the road of common values, published in the Le Jeudi, December, 17th, 2009.

THE WINNERS OF THE 3RD PAN-HELLENIC COMPETITION OF STANDARDISED EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 2008-2009 & PACKAGING OLIVE OIL

OLIVE powerful tensions fruity

1st PRIZE: The company AGRO.VI.M. SA with extra virgin olive oil "ELAIONION POP Kalamatas (Messinia, Kalamata)
2nd PRIZE: The Agricultural Cooperative KRITSAS with extra virgin oil "KRITSA 0.3 (Kritsa, Crete)

OLIVE Medium Intensity fruity

1st PRIZE: The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Sitia with extra virgin oil “SITIA 0.3” (Sitia, Crete)
2nd PRIZE: The company M. & A. Chronaki "Pangea" with extra virgin olive oil "MYTHIA” (Heraklion, Crete)