Islands Hvar, Vis and Solta participate in Aroma Fest

LAG Škoji organizes Aroma Fest which they see as the great development potential of Croatian islands in aromatic and medicinal plants, and they also work on the protection of Hvar lavender.

We are an economically and socially developed area of satisfied, educated inhabitants, in central Dalmatia, fragrant and sunny, with a thousand-year tradition of preserved cultural and historical heritage and Mediterranean landscapes.

Andela Dubokovic

This is the vision of the LAG Škoji which includes the islands of Hvar, Vis and Solta, and as Adela Duboković, the leader of the Local Action Group, tells us, this vision was designed in the development of the first development strategy in 2012 for the implementation of the IPARD program, it remained unchanged and runs through the development strategy 2014-2020.

How much can the aromatic and medicinal herbs contribute to the realization of this vision? The LAG Škoji believes that this is important development potential and in order to emphasize this, they are organizing an Aroma Fest which will be held on Saturday, October the 24th in the Ceremonial Hall of the Municipal House in Jelsa, starting at 11:30 am.

Every year, in cooperation with the association TRIM from Vrboska and the association of producers Hvar Herbae, we decided to launch Aroma Fest precisely for the positioning and importance of medicinal and aromatic plants in our area. This, along with the Lavender Festival, which has been held in Veli Grablje for 12 years, will be a great addition.

Adela Duboković

She adds that due to the situation related to COVID-19 this year, they could not hold the Aroma Fest as they imagined, but they tried to contribute to this sector through an educational program by inviting prof. dr. sc. Ivica Ljubenkov, who will present the significance and advantages but also the challenges of the label of origin for Hvar lavender, and Mara Doljak, mag. pharm, founder and director of Aromare d.o.o. and the director of the Aroma Center, who will talk about the development potential of aromatic and medicinal herbs.

The island of Hvar is referred to in numerous documents and promotional materials as the “island of lavender”, which is no wonder since, for example, in 1974 the island was grown on almost 1000 hectares and raised many families. The island of Hvar once accounted for 10% of total world lavender production. We must emphasize that we are actually talking about lavender, which is really special in terms of smell and properties. There is very little real lavender, at higher altitudes, so it is used in general in the pharmaceutical industry.

Adela Duboković

She also emphasizes that they would certainly work on the development of innovative models of placement and promotion of island products.

We plan to continue the project as soon as the opportunity arises in the form of procurement of a large distillery for the island of Hvar, branding and encouraging innovative solutions of medicinal and aromatic plants throughout the LAG Škoji, we would establish a cluster of producers where aromatic and medicinal plants abound and where their scent gives a strong note to everyone who visits us.

Adela Duboković

Source: Slobodnadalmacija.hr