Promoting the consumption of local fresh vegetables produced under the integrated production quality scheme

Half of Slovenians eat unhealthy, as 68.7% of the population is overweight. Therefore, the objectives of the project are to raise consumer awareness of national guidelines for healthy eating regarding vegetables, increase consumption of fresh and local vegetables produced according to national guidelines for integrated production; and strengthen the economic position of the producer group by increasing revenues from the sale of fresh integrated vegetables. In Slovenia, more than half of fresh vegetables are imported. It is exposed to long transport routes and storage. Local vegetables are fresher, have higher nutritional value, reduce the negative effects of the food chain on the environment and are healthier for the consumer. Integrated vegetables are environmentally and human-friendly, have a lower environmental footprint, reduce environmental impact through lower uses of plant protection products and fertilizers, and promote soil fertility, plant resistance and environmental biodiversity through agro-technical measures. Key project's communication messages encourage the consumption of fresh, local and safe vegetables grown according to European production standards several times per day. With a modern communication mix, which includes diverse marketing communication channels such as the Internet and social networks, video messages, media and culinary events, PR activities and promotion at points of sale, we will reach more than 750.000 target groups. The main project's impact is broader, affecting the economic returns of many small farms producing fresh vegetables and other producers of products with an EU quality scheme. The selected organization ensures the representativeness of producers in Slovenia through the share of producers included in the quality scheme of integrated vegetable production, provides the necessary financial and human resources and has many years of experience managing and implementing such projects.