SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE Jan 29 (Europa Press) –
The Government of the Canary Islands and the University of La Laguna have reaffirmed their collaboration agreement on Wednesday, aimed at strengthening and supporting the Canary Islands Agrotourism and Endourism Chair. Through the Canarian Institute of Agrifood Quality, this initiative provides training, dissemination, and research in these areas while fostering synergies between the primary and tourism sectors.
This agreement marks the fourth renewal of the original pact, which was ratified in 2019. The Canarian Executive aims to invest a total of 145,000 euros across the two financial years until 2026, as stated in an announcement by the Canarian government.
Meanwhile, during a press conference, the Minister of Agriculture, Narvay Quintero, expressed his enthusiasm regarding the “support” for a project that “creates synergies” and “boosts the primary sector.” He maintained that this effort contributes a “complementary income” to a product that frequently does not achieve its “ideal performance,” and achieves this alongside tourism, which is an economic engine where “unique experiences” are currently in demand.
The President of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo, affirmed that “the economic diversification of the Canary Islands will inherently rely on the primary sector.” He explained that it is necessary to “invest more capital, ensuring this funding goes to our small and medium enterprises,” while also advocating for an increase in zero-kilometre products, along with long-term strategies and initiatives like the Agrotourism chair and wine tourism.
For his part, the rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco Javier García, underscored the importance of academic institutions being “relevant” to the challenges ahead, including housing, migration, and living conditions. He noted that agreements like these represent a further step towards addressing another major challenge facing the islands: productivity. He clarified that while “tourist activity will remain a fundamental axis of our economy, we must infuse added value to enhance our productivity.”
Following the press conference, journalists and sector representatives participated, including Ángela Delgado, President of Asaga, who seized the opportunity to urge the Canarian government to consider including the use of existing structures on agricultural farms in the amendments to the Land Law, stressing the need for this supplementary income “with order and following our regulations.”
Chair Activities
Since its inception in 2019, the Chair has benefited a total of 8,201 individuals from its initiatives, with 42% originating from the primary sector (including wineries, cheese producers, agricultural farms, markets, etc.), 27% from the tourism sector (guides, intermediaries, owners of rural lodgings, translators, etc.), 18% from the academic community (students, faculty, researchers, etc.), and the remaining 13% encompassing the general public and other groups.
To date, 324 activities focusing on training, research, consulting, and knowledge transfer have been organised, both across the Canarian archipelago and the Iberian Peninsula, with events held in locations such as Valladolid, Madrid, Guipúzcoa, Zaragoza, Logroño, Cádiz, and Jerez, as well as internationally, with engagements in Cabo Verde, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Portugal, France, Mexico, and Uruguay.
The activity report for 2024 showcased approximately 80 projects executed and 430 participants involved. It featured milestones including the establishment of an interdisciplinary research group, the introduction of a specialist course in sensory analysis of wines and agrifood products from Macaronesia, and the consolidation of the Canary Islands Agroenotourism Meeting, which celebrated its ninth edition last year.
Among the most significant initiatives during this period, according to the Government of the Canary Islands, was the completion of a study monitoring wine tourism activity in the Canary Islands, offering in-depth insights into the sector’s dynamics, along with the territorial mapping of wine tourism. Moreover, research addressing the experiences of women in the cheese industry in the Canary Islands has set a “precedent” for understanding the sector from a gender perspective.
Additionally, the Chair has spearheaded events like the International Technical Days of Sustainable Viticulture while also establishing connections with other pertinent entities, such as the Canary Islands Endourism Cluster, in collaboration with the Canarian Government through the management of the public company for medium rural development and the ICCA.
