Enter the Mama’s Flavours team, also known as ‘Ippoliti,’ who are setting up a website, due to launch in February, that will aim to connect all the women’s cooperatives in Greece, showcasing their products and offering a digital sales platform. “The main intent of our initiative is to help these women present and sell their products, but there’s definitely more to it than that,” says Maria Monastirioti, who is heading the project and a team of four.

“We will be offering education and training to women so they can utilize new technologies, generate innovative ideas and use social media to better present and market themselves, and to ensure they have more chances of surviving.” Last December Mama’s Flavours met with around 33 representatives of Greek women’s cooperatives, who were asked to fill in forms revealing their main needs, obstacles and goals. “The enthusiasm we received was huge,” Monastirioti says, “and we are very determined to see this work. Indeed, Greece is only the first step on the initiative to support, train and empower women’s cooperatives – the long-term goal for Ippoliti (or Mama’s Flavours) will be to create a European and Mediterranean network as well.