Assignment of Lika Quality Certificates
On June 26th, the first Lika Quality Certificates were awarded in the Cultural Information Center in Gospić. Lika's food finally got a well-deserved label that makes quality local products so-called premium category. The first 39 products that have undergone strict systemic selection are proud carriers of the Lika Quality mark since this week. Apart from food, this sign also applies to liqueur brandy, juices and syrups and Lika souvenirs. Along with the famous Lika škripavac cheese, basa cheese and buttermilk as well as the well-known dairy products, this mark also includes products such as homemade honey, brandy, jam and souvenirs like the Lika cap and Lika bag. The first users of the Lika Lika Quality mark are: Tomaić-commerce d.o.o., Medical, Eko-Gacka, Štajdohar Josip family farm , Turkalj Petar family farm, Šop Dragan family farm, Čačić Alenka family farm, Vlainić Ivan family farm, Rukavina Juraj family farm, Pezelj Anita family farm, Rončević Ivana family farm, Gačanka Otočac, Furlan Darko family farm and Vegium d.o.o.. With its market-oriented approach, the brand Lika Quality is the beginning of a branding of gastronomic destinations. In September 2015, LAG Lika has embarked on a major Integrated Economic Development project called INTEGRA LIKA 2020. The aim of this project is to brand Lika and the sub-mountainous coast as globally recognizable and ecologically acceptable with a developed system of self-sustainable economies. The project was led by the philosophy of sustainable development. Within INTEGRA, the GASTRO LIKA project was developed, through which the gastronomic potential of this region is being developed. In order to highlight the exceptional quality of the selected products and to protect them, a system of regional quality label Lika Quality has been developed. Throughout the process, the gastronomic destination is being branded. The Lika Quality mark is protected as a guarantee mark in the State Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Croatia, its holder is the Local Action Group Lika (LAG LIKA), and the project is implemented by Lika Destination Cluster. In addition to branding the gastronomy destination, the Lika Quality brand will enable a more significant presence of local farm produce on the local market. This is just the first stage in the development of a gastro-destination, and the next phase is coming in the fall when the restaurants that will offer meals made from Lika Quality foods will also be certified.
