Practice Note: How to stimulate producer cooperation and regional food labelling?

In the framework of the Strength2Food project, Eco-Sensus, a local non-profit organization based in Hungary, the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade, and the NGO EUTA, Serbia, implemented a joint pilot action to expand co-operation and regional food labelling. The pilot action aimed at finding ways in which fresh, healthy, and quality food products can become accessible to local, regional, and international markets via farmers’ co-operation and regional branding, thus increasing opportunities and returns to local farmers. The key recommendations of this pilot action are as follows: For sector practitioners: - Increase innovation of the agricultural sector, both at production and marketing level, to improve farmers’ income; - Opt for organic production and invest more in product labelling and branding; - Develop tools to support local production that take into consideration economic and non-economic factors; - Explore consumers’ preferences to develop effective and sustainable local food systems; - Promote the development of new cooperatives of small farmers. For policy makers: - Restructure national incentive systems for small farmers; - Establish quality and safety standard control systems to support export-oriented practices; - Promote common branding for regional products; - Discourage unfair trade practices; - Make grant and tender procedures more accessible and ensure funds for innovative producers‘ initiatives; - Facilitate multi-stakeholder connections and public-co-operative-partnerships.