ENVIRONMENT

The producers of natural products of the Aegean and the shops selling traditional and organic products are the direct beneficiaries participating in the action. The number of members of the Aegean Cargo Sailing network exceeds 60 participants, while with continuous meetings and updates we are expected to have twice the members by the end of 2022.

The priority of the project is the integration of small producers of isolated islands, who are in a way a socially vulnerable group, because they do not have the channels of communication with the market and access to know-how, entrepreneurship or technology to develop their production. Typical examples are the inclusion of Schinoussa fava beans, and honey from Anafi and Psara.

The products of the Aegean Cargo Sailing network have a special marking (sticker) while their transport by the force of the wind contributes to the creation of a new brand of products that are produced, processed and transported in a traditional and ecological way. They are also placed in a special stand at the points of sale, so that they stand out from the other products and their demand increases. In this way, producers gain more points of sale for their products and gradually there will be a need to increase production and create new jobs throughout the supply chain (from production to transportation and sale).

The local authorities of many islands have already been involved in the action by organizing events to present the wind transport project. Actions are already being organized for this year in collaboration with the municipalities of Chios, Paros, Andros, Tinos and Patmos to raise awareness and engage the inhabitants of the islands for the environmental footprint of transport and tourism on the islands, by promoting green and environmentally friendly practices.

Respectively, in collaboration with sailing clubs and ecological groups, we organize workshops and activities with the free participation of the local community for cleaning paths and beaches. Lectures are also given to young people and school-age children in consultation with teachers and parents' associations on the historical importance of sailing in Greece and the possibilities of sailing education.

Greece, as a pre-eminent naval country, has a long tradition in commercial transport by sailing ships since antiquity. Aegean Cargo Sailing revives sea trade routes that hundreds of years ago were sailed by the Minoans, the Phoenicians, the ancient Greeks and later the shipowners who connected the islands of the archipelago with the entire Mediterranean. The resurgence of sailing combines knowledge and tradition from the past with new conditions and technological knowledge and meets the need and goal of using clean and cheap energy in an industry that is increasingly burdening the seas and the planet.