Spring mass in Carinthia: enjoyment and sustainability combined!

Spring mass in Carinthia: enjoyment and sustainability combined!

Karnische Region, Österreich - On April 12, 2025, the spring mass was opened in the Carnical region. This traditional event has been supported by the Economic Department under State Councilor Sebastian Schuschnig and the sustainability department under State Councilor Sara Schaar for many years. The fair acts as a shop window for companies from the municipalities of Kötschach-Mauthen, Kirchbach, Dellach in the Gailtal and the Lesachtal and attracts numerous visitors.

The opening marks the start of a weekend that is characterized by regional delicacies and a varied program. The fair was developed with the aim of promoting awareness of regionality and sustainability. A central concern of State Councilor Schuschnig is to intensify the cooperation between companies and communities in order to redesign the business fair.

variety and highlights of the fair

The spring fair offers a platform where local companies can present their diversity and expertise. Visitors can expect various highlights in the supporting program. These include:

• palm brooms bind with the seminar farmers Carinthia,
• Bohemian-Moravian brass music by Agner Blos,
• career café to update CVs and receive application tips,
• The opportunity to browse current job offers.

Another highlight will take place on Sunday, April 13, 2025, with a traditional morning pint in which visitors can enjoy regional delicacies.

regional products in focus

The importance of regional products and their marketing is discussed in various forums and conferences. At the end of August 2023, a conference on the future of regional products took place at the HWZ. At this event, theoretical basics as well as success stories and approaches from Switzerland, France and Germany were presented. Among the participants was Jasmine Said Bucher, who reported on the shopping behavior of Swiss: inside and the Eco score of regional products.

A central goal of the conference was to develop strategies on how sustainability and authenticity can be encouraged in gastronomy. The city of Zurich, for example, is one of the pioneers in the promotion of regional products. The importance of the authenticity of products was also highlighted by Ramon Schalch, Managing Director of Vicafé. In Germany, too, there are efforts to establish regional added value, as was discussed at the International Green Week.

sustainability through regionality

according to reports of the German farmers' association is the expansion of regional added value crucial for the promotion of sustainability and climate protection in agriculture as well as in rural tourism. The discussions emphasize the need for political support for regional value creation projects. A central result is the further development of the federal program rural development to promote value chains between agricultural companies and regional craft.

One of the challenges discussed in the context of these efforts is the "Attitude-Bebezt-Gap", ie the gap between consumers' awareness of sustainability and their actual action. It is important to make regionality more attractive and transparent to address a wider audience.

Overall, it shows that events such as the spring mass in the Carnic region and regional conferences on the future of products are focusing on sustainability and regionality. This creates a valuable platform for dialogue and exchange about the challenges and opportunities in the entire value chain.