The province of Flemish Brabant and the non-profit organization Regional Products Flemish Brabant honored 54 Straffe Streek Municipalities. Straffe Streek Municipalities are municipalities that fully focus on regional and farm products and work together on a local food strategy.
The ‘Straffe Regional Municipalities’ campaign was created to anchor Flemish Brabant farm and regional products throughout the province and its municipalities.
In the meantime, 54 of the 65 municipalities have already earned the ‘Straffe Regional Municipality’ label.
This concerns Aarschot, Affligem, Asse, Beersel, Begijnendijk, Bekkevoort, Bertem, Bever, Bierbeek, Boortmeerbeek, Boutersem, Diest, Dilbeek, Galmaarden, Geetbets, Glabbeek, Gooik, Grimbergen, Haacht, Halle, Herent, Herne, Hoegaarden, Hoeilaart, Holsbeek, Huldenberg, Kampenhout, Kapelle-op-den-Bos, Keerbergen, Kortenaken, Kortenberg, Landen, Lennik, Leuven, Lennik, Linter, Lubbeek, Meise, Opwijk, Oud-Heverlee, Overijse, Pepingen, Roosdaal, Rotselaar, Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Steenokkerzeel, Ternat, Tervuren, Tielt-Winge, Tienen, Tremelo, Vilvoorde, Zemst and Zoutleeuw.
The map with the 54 Straffe Streek Municipalities
On April 22, Straffe Streek Municipalities from Halle-Vilvoorde were honored.
The Straffe Streek Gemeente label indicates that the municipality is committed to regional products and also uses them effectively.
The Straffe Streek Municipality label.
“The purpose of regional products is to promote a direct, sustainable relationship between producer and consumer. This also promotes the short chain and reduces the ecological footprint. Moreover, they stimulate local consumption,” says Tom Dehaene, representative for regional products. “The regional products are a nice showcase for a municipality. In this way, small-scale recreation and tourism are developed, which in turn leads to stimulation of the local economy and regional employment.”
“One becomes a strong regional municipality if one meets a number of criteria,” says Paul Vleminckx, chairman of Streekproducten Vlaams-Brabant vzw. “For example, a municipality must make regional and farm products visible in the town hall, give regional packages as gifts on occasions and use them in daily operations, for example as a drink in the town hall or at receptions. They must also promote and support regional and farm products. This can be done by publishing an article in their magazine or organizing a farmers’ market.”
More information: www.straffestreek.be/gemeentes
