THE ROLE OF HUNGARICUMS AS ENDOGENOUS RESOURCES IN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE EXAMPLE OF GÖNCZ APRICOT PALINKA

Abstract

The role of the endogenous resources has been emphasized since a long time by the literature of territorial and rural development. In parallel the role of agriculture in local employment has decreased significantly for the last few decades. The Institute for Regional Economics and Rural Development (IRERD) of the Szent István University Gödöllő regularly makes researches in traditionally farming rural areas to analyze the possible role of agriculture and food products besides such tendencies in local development strategies. The paper focuses on the territorial effects of Göncz apricot Pálinka as Hungaricum product (being under protection of origin registered in the Hungarian Repository of Values). After secondary data collection, in-depth interviews with people who took part in the production and management of the examined Hungaricum, tourism providers and the most important actors of local rural development were conducted in the spring of 2014. The research proved that the production of Göncz Palinka has made several direct and indirect benefits for the economy and society of the examined micro region. It has contributed among other things to the local job generation and preservation, stimulation of catering and tourism, growth of income of producers of raw materials and distilleries and so to the increase of local tax revenues. In addition, the premium-quality product has provided diversification opportunities for local farmers. However the research has highlighted that this endogenous resource should be evendeeper exploited in the future. To achieve this aim further national and local interventions and subsidies would be necessary.