The region of The Taquari Valley is located in the south region of Brazil. The region is economically based on small rural properties but the natural beauties present great opportunities for tourism. Nestlé Brazil has recently built a factory on the area, in Palmeira das Missões and the regionalization program is strongly focusing on the market of the States of the south of Brazil.
Nestlé Brazil contributes to the history of Brazilian food culture, participating in projects that preserve the memory, essential part in the process of constructing and reconstructing tradition and identities. The supported programs and initiatives are significant marks in the formation of Brazilian nutritional habits. The project aims to recover the history of Italian immigration in this region and to raise people´s awareness for the conservation of the historical, architectural and natural heritage in the Taquari Valley. The restoration of the Colognese Mill and the construction of the bread museum and the baking workshop in Ilopolis are model schemes for the further development of the touristic and educational route of the Taquari Valley Mills: Caminho dos Moinhos.
The project was launched on an event that received the governor to the State of Rio Grande do Sul and was strongly communicated by local media. In 5 months has received XXX tourists. The baking workshop will provide courses on food education, gastronomy and baking for adults, in order to improve their income.
The activities are :
Training course for adults, specially related to baking, gastronomy and nutritional education.
Guided tours to tourists in order to tell the history of bread and local history.
The project has produced a DVD and a Book and received several awards:
· Rodrigo de Melo Franco Award – created by the Brazilian Ministry of Culture to identify the best projects to preserv Brazilian historical assets.
· Was selected among the 16 finalists on the world architecture festival – category new and old)
The State Government of Rio Grande do Sul has already recognized the Mills Route as one of the 6 routes of rural tourism in the state.