Local Producers Struggle to Win School and Kindergarten Food Contracts in Latvia
Latvian school and kindergarten kitchens need about 30,500 tonnes of food a year, and local producers supply roughly 66% of it. The head of the cooperative Provinces Produkti says an organic certificate alone is not enough to succeed in public procurement.
Kitchens in Latvian schools and kindergartens require about 30,500 tonnes of food per year. Local producers supply roughly 66% of that volume, while around 10,400 tonnes come from other sources. Public catering is therefore a concrete sales opportunity for farmers and food makers. The issue was raised in Dienas Bizness by the head of the cooperative Provinces Produkti, which has obtained an organic farming certificate.
Obstacles in the procurement system
After receiving the certificate, the cooperative began studying tenders published in the Electronic Procurement System (EIS). Its conclusion was that a good product and an organic (BIO) certificate are not enough to win. Tenders require price, delivery distance, volumes, delivery regularity, product range, documentation and evaluation criteria to be matched at once.
If the main criterion is simply the lowest price, or if one tender lot combines too broad a range of products, participation becomes very limited for a small producer. A vegetable grower should not be expected to also supply meat, milk, bread and groceries.
A system in transition
Latvia's food procurement system is currently in a transition period. The previously mandatory Green Public Procurement requirements no longer apply in their earlier form, and a new sustainable food procurement system is being developed. It is expected to put more weight on sustainability, traceability, quality schemes, organic food and shorter supply chains.
Where local produce is lacking
According to calculations by the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre (LLKC), more than 8,000 tonnes of the missing local supply are fruit, berries and vegetables. Local output covers about 61% of demand for potatoes, 51% for carrots, 41% for apples and 51% for onions.
The cooperative's head argues that a market for local food exists, and the question is whether the system can link demand with producers. In her view, an organic-certified product grown a few dozen kilometres from a school should have a real advantage in tenders.
