Campaigns are important for consumers to buy local products

To mitigate the consequences of the Russian food embargo, Latvian retailers and non-governmental organizations are gradually implementing support campaigns for the increased promotion of local products. The association "Zemnieku saeima" is participating in the "Buy Local" campaign, supporting the consumer information initiated by retail chains about local products and will carefully monitor that all activities meet the initial setting and do not mislead consumers about the country of origin of products.

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Maira Dzelzkalēja, Deputy Chairwoman of the Association "Farmers' Council": "Currently, information campaigns are being launched at points of sale, with the help of which local products will be promoted more intensively. Such a step is welcome, and we hope that the promotion of local products will not only occur in crisis situations, as is currently the case with the consequences of the food embargo imposed by Russia, but will become standard practice in the long term. By placing a special display for domestic products, it will be easier for consumers to navigate the products, and by buying local products, support the Latvian economy and farmers."

Yesterday, when we walked through the stores that have already announced the launch of the information campaign and looked at the shelves, we concluded that the instructions to choose local products are placed both accurately and chaotically misleadingly, and are not found in other stores at all. We also call on other store chains that have not yet started to increase the advertising of Latvian products to do so, because this is one of the ways to prevent the losses caused by the Russian embargo to the Latvian economy. In turn, we will intensify our monitoring so that the information instructions in stores are placed accurately and buyers are not misled.”