ARPO is an Association of Abruzzi sheep/goat breeders, which was founded in 1988. Its mission concerns promotion and assistance for its members, in order to improve the quality of their products, working conditions in the sector of sheep breeding and professional training. The association also promotes information about the correct zootechnical procedures, updating over the various phases of breeding, marketing and transformation of products. In order to reach these goals, ARPO has provided a technical structure to create publicly funded programs on a county, national and European scale, with a view to fulfill social purposes. Over the years, ARPO has promoted information campaigns and training courses, has defined product quality standards, has supported research, innovation and marketing, has given assistance to bring the products up to food safety standards (traceability, labelling, organic certification), has intervened in the relationship with the public authorities and the distribution channels.
At present the number of active partners is about 40 over a geographic area which equals the whole terrotory of the County of Abruzzi. The livestock bred are about 15000 head overall.
ARPO intende:
- protect TRANSHUMANCE
- create OCCUPATION in the mountain areas
- promote a longer PRODUCTIVE CHAIN
- communicate the values of rural way of life
- develop projects to boost ECONOMY
Here follow some among the many projects created, all relevant in terms of sustainability (the following projects are still active now):
- WHITE WEAPON
- THE WOOL ROUTES
- DEFENSE OF THE HERDS
- MOBILE DAIRY
- LIFE ENVIRONMENT
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