Local products contribute to the adoption of the ‘identity’ of an area, creating links between the products, the characteristics and the culture of the place of production, thus highlighting the local ‘agri-food’ heritage, which is particularly important for the geographical areas of the North Aegean and οf Cyprus. Recently consumers turn to local – traditional products, with unique and special quality characteristics. Increasing the demand for such products is an economic opportunity for areas able to properly differentiate their products by utilizing the endogenous potential of the place for their production and promotion. This interest, however, is often exploited as there are products that appear on the market as local-traditional without actually being. Scientific documentation of the authenticity of local products in relation to the characteristics and place of production, both for certified (PDO, PGI, EIA, OPAP) and for non-certified products, is an immediate priority of the cross-border area as it can be a key for growth. The aim of the AGRO-IDENTITY project is to enhance the competitiveness of agri-food companies by identifying the authenticity of local traditional products in the cross-border area and building mechanisms to strengthen agricultural entrepreneurship for their commercial use in domestic and international markets. The innovative approach of the project is based on the combined use of: a) Genetic identity, b) Isotopic footprint and c) Microbial profile, which makes it possible to verify the authenticity in relation to the characteristics of products.
