The indication of the manufacturer country in the price tag helps to choose the food / day produced in Latvia

Agriculture Minister Armands Krauze: « Consumer study shows that the decision to indicate the food price tag in which the product is produced was correct. The state indication both informs the buyer and encourages the choice, often in favor of Latvia, thus supporting domestic entrepreneurs. Specified as a food producer, 25.7% of consumers more than previously selected products produced in Latvia. « 

The indication of the producer country in the price tag makes it easier for consumers to recognize and support local entrepreneurs in Latvia – 40.9% of consumers have affected the purchase of food products, while 19.4% of the surveyed buyers have refused to purchase the producer country. At the same time, however, it can be concluded that the price of the product is the most important role in the choice of consumers.

The state indication of the price tag also helps to make the choice in the current geopolitical situation and not to buy food produced in Russia and Belarus. Since the price tag indicates the aggressor countries, 26.1% of the surveyed buyers are selected.

Of the surveyed Latvian retailers, 47.8% do not sell products produced in Russia and Belarus at all, but 27.3% of retailers have not marketed aggressor food since Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Although there is no mandatory requirement for all foods to indicate its producer country at EU level, the Saeima adopted changes in the Food Chain Supervision Act on April 25, 2024, which determines the price tags to place the flag of product origin or the name of the country in writing. The government, on the other hand, adopted rules on the reference to the country in which the food produced to raise consumer awareness, allowing deliberately selecting products and clearly understanding which country it is produced. At the same time, the Government also instructed the MoA to submit to the Cabinet of Ministers an informative report on the impact of food producing country’s indications on consumer choices and market development by June 1, 2025.