The goal of the campaign is obvious – to support local producers and stimulate the national economy by promoting agricultural and food products produced in Moldova.
On the official MAIA website, the essence of this PR campaign is conveyed in the form of a “question-answer” quiz.
So, the question is: “Why is it important to consume local products”? Answer: “When citizens choose local products, the economic effect is significant and manifests itself on several levels: the added value created in agriculture stays in the country; farmers can pay their employees, invest in technology and support the activity of their farms; the state budget benefits from taxes and contributions”.
Convincing? Generally speaking, yes. If we do not take into account the fact that on the shelves of Moldovan supermarkets similar imported goods are presented no less widely than domestic foodstuffs. Moreover, they are often lower in price, and in quality – alas and ah – at least not worse. At the same time, imports bring solid revenues to the state budget in the form of customs duties, excise taxes, etc. And the consumer, when buying both many imported and many domestic food products, patriotically pays 20 percent VAT – one of the highest in Europe.
The next question is: “How does this choice affect the development of the agri-food sector”? Answer: “The growing demand for local products drives new investments: entrepreneurs can modernize technology, expand production capacity and improve quality standards.”
Moreover, the beneficial effects are not limited to agriculture. Income from local production is reinvested in services, equipment and rural infrastructure. “This economic circuit keeps communities active and promotes village development.” Finally, choosing local products “strengthens food security, reduces dependence on imports and increases the economic resilience of the Republic of Moldova.”
Based on all of this, MAIA’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry encourages citizens to choose local products for holiday meals and everyday consumption. “Every decision made at the shelf or counter contributes to the development of agriculture and the national economy”!
In turn, associations of agri-food producers have been asking the Moldovan authorities for years to legislatively reserve part of the shelves in the country’s supermarkets for Moldovan products. And also to allocate budgets for national programs to stimulate the consumption of domestic products, for example: “an apple for a schoolchild”, “a spoonful of honey for a sick person”, etc.
Without all this and similar, the call to consume domestic products is like an incantation: “it is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick”.
