This is a project of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations with the key objective of improving communication and co-operation between the stakeholders acting in this field.
In Lithuania the Ministry of Agriculture is in charge of project co-ordination and the Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economy (LIAE) is in charge of its execution, while the participants and the stakeholders are the Organic Farming Association Gaja, Public Institution Tatulos programa, the Chamber of Agriculture, the Lithuanian Consumer Institute, the State Food and Veterinary Service, producers and processors of organic products, traders, scientific institutions, consumers.
In the country the number of organic farmers and the market of organic products experience a speedy growth. However, according to the research performed, relevant consumer information is missing on the benefits of such products and their marking. Non-governmental organizations acting in this field should also improve their performance. The consumption of organic products just starts developing in the cities and, in comparison to the consumption of ordinary products, is really negligent, since in the meantime the consumers' choice is grounded on the price rather than on the quality. Producers and other stakeholders are increasingly better aware of organic agricultural production methods and their practical application.
The implementation of this project included the improvement of inter-institutional co-operation, supply of and demand for information, the arrangement of a few training and marketing events, the preparation of an outline for a long-term program of consumer information supply (50 % of EU financing is expected) regarding the benefits and marking of organic products, differences from traditional products, purchasing possibilities.
As a part of this FAO project the LIAE arranged a few seminars related to the organic agriculture, marketing instruments promoting the consumption of organic products. On 4–8 June and 27–31 August, at Bukiškių Agricultural School LIAE arranged a training course for consultants with higher agrarian-nature protection education and completed course under the training program of basic organic farming (Code 296185005).
Under this training program of organic agricultural production the trainers of the consultants may only be persons with the experience of lecturing and consulting in the field of organic farming who prepared specialised methodical training material for the training program. The course included lectures of famous experts of organic farming, such as Prof Dr hab. V. Žekonienė, Prof Dr B. Bakutis, Prof A. Svirskis, Dr N. Daugėlienė, Dr A. Gavenauskas, P. Mierauskas.
For the purpose of increasing the demand, it is feasible to arrange information campaigns and to supple consumer information regarding the benefits and purchase options of organic products in Lithuania, as well as to point differences between organic and traditional products.
Financing may be obtained by way of extending a program according to the instruments of promoting domestic market (Council Regulation (EC) No. 2826/2000 and Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1071/2005). The program is a collection of consecutive actions. The programs are expected to be perennial and of rather broad application so that a significant impact is made on target markets. The priority programs are those which are implemented in the markets of more than one member states.
If branch and/or inter-branch organizations do not submit information programs, i.e. these organizations are too weak to prepare the programs, which cover organic production, each concerned member state, with regard to the milestones set forth by the Commission, draws up their specifications and by way of public tendering selects an executive institution for the program of its partial financing. The shares of the member states and the bidding organizations are identified during the program presentation to the Commission. The payments of the member states and/or the bidding organizations may be performed from parafiscal taxes or mandatory fees, the duration of the programs may be from 12 to 36 months, with up to 3 mio. EUR financial size. The level of support would comprise 50%, while the remaining 50% for organic product programs may be covered by the state.
Possible matching of programs with the Rural Development Strategy for 2007–2013 which provides for the support to organic farms by way of promoting organic production would provide a twofold result, including the production in Lithuania and a parallel provision of sales markets through these measures:
- Promotion of organic food consumption
- Improving consumer knowledge of marking
- Provision of comprehensive information on the benefits of organic agriculture
- Motivation of individual producers, processors and producers/processors/retailer groups that are not a part of organic agriculture to undertake this type of production
- Motivation of retailers, and retailer groups and restaurants to sell organic products.
This could be achieved through participation in trade fairs and exhibitions, arrangement of workshops, preparation of various printed matter, strengthening relations with consumer associations, intensive dissemination of information in trading places. The submission of the prepared program to the Lithuanian Agricultural and Food Market Regulation Agency is planned in November, however until then the principle decision should be made regarding the financing of the aforesaid 50% from the state budget.
The publications and other information means supported by the project:
- V. Žekonienė, N. Daugėlienė, B. Bakutis. For organic farmers.... Basics of applying scientific recommendations on an organic farm. Compiled by V. Žekonienė. – LUA, 2006. – 146 P. Materials for two books are in the process of completion: Biodiversity of plants in organic farming (supervised by Prof V. Žekonienė) and Benefits of organic farming for stockbreeding (supervised by Dr I. Skurdenienė).
- Lithuanian organic products / Litauische Ökoprodukte (Lithuanian Organic Products). – LIAE, 2005. – (Eng., Ger.).
- Flyers on organic food products: Organic food products, Organic bread and bread products, Organic milk and dairy products, Organic fruit and vegetables. Invitations to exhibitions and fairs of organic products.
- Flyers on good examples of organic farming: A. Giedriko organic vegetable farm, A. Balčiūnienės organic sheep breeding farm, J. Rūtos organic dairy farm, R. Mačienės apiculture farm, V. Kuliešiaus organic seed growing farm, Why certifying a farm is a good thing.
- Workshops (to representatives of trading networks, stakeholder institutions, to organic farmers), training (training of consultants, traineeship abroad).
- Radio broadcast (7) on organic farming and products, information-promotion articles in the press. The Lithuanian Consumer Institute prepared a series of radio broadcasts for the presentation to consumers of general information on organic products, introduction of certification procedures of organic farms, presentation of organic milk, bread, fruit and vegetable products. The broadcast hosted representatives from Public Institution Ekoagros, State Food and Veterinary Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Nutrition Centre, Tatula program and from other institutions, producers of organic products. An information promotion page for the newspaper 15 min. was drawn up.
By V. Skulskis (LAEI)