Policy: Policy Action Plan
Resources & Context
| Stakeholder name | Expertise/skills | Link to CRFS theme |
| Ministry of Agriculture |
Development and implementation of the measures aiming to implement Common Agricultural Policy, inter alias measures aimed to promote development of food production and processing industries |
Impact on availability of locally produced food to be used for catering at educational and social care institutions |
| Ministry of Economics | Industrial policy, RIS3 Strategy |
Impact on capacity building of food production and processing industries, in order to make their products competitive |
|
Institute of Agricultural Resources and Economics |
Research of food production and food chains |
Economic justification of food production, processing, delivery, CFRS analysis and drafting future scenarios |
|
Procurement Monitoring Bureau (PMB) |
To launch and amend procurement legislation and regulations, to assess proper application of procurement procedures |
To launch and amend procurement legislation and regulations, to assess proper application of procurement procedures |
| Ministry of Finance |
Provision of funding for catering of children at educational institutions. |
Giving task to the PMB to improve the Public procurement law and the Green Procurement regulations in order to enable stakeholders to procure and to deliver locally produced food products |
| Food and Veterinary Service |
To monitor food delivery and catering at public
institutions, inter alias education institutions and social care institutions. |
Monitoring food deliveries and catering, inter alias delivery of products procured within Green procurement procedures. |
|
Latvian Association of Local Governments |
Capacity building of local governments. |
Mobilizing stakeholders - local governments - to initiate actions to change procurement law and regulations |
|
Latvian Agricultural Organisation Cooperation Council (58 NGOs, 15 000 producers) |
To initiate incentives aimed to support food production (primary) industry |
Mobilizing stakeholders - food producers to initiate actions to change procurement law and regulations |
|
Latvian Federation of Food Companies |
To initiate incentives aimed to support food processing industry |
Mobilizing stakeholders - food processors to initiate actions to change procurement law and regulations |
Vidzeme Vision
Policy landscape
Aim: Identify policy gap
| CRFS policy | Description |
| Production | |
|
Common Agricultural Policy in Latvia https://www.vmd.gov.lv/public/ck/files/KLP_SP_20 211112.pdf |
Agricultural policy measures starting from 2023, where among other goals two are related to the VPR Policy Lab: 1) to increase added value through cooperation and production of competitive food products for domestic and export markets; 2) ensure safe and high-quality local food to all consumers. Initiatives enabling local action groups are foreseen in the policy. |
|
Common Agricultural Policy in Latvia https://www.vmd.gov.lv/public/ck/files/KLP_SP_20 211112.pdf |
Agricultural policy measures starting from 2023, where among other goals two are related to the VPR Policy Lab: 1) to increase added value
|
| National Industrial Policy |
The development of productivity-based climate neutral, and sustainable economy, stimulating the capacity of local entrepreneurs, promoting innovation, and increasing the competitiveness of entrepreneurs, inter alia, increase the capacity of the food processing industry. |
|
Consumption |
|
|
Public Health Guidelines for
https://likumi.lv/ta/id/332751-public-health- |
Action 1 - Healthy and active lifestyles. Task: Promote the use of healthy and balanced nutrition through realisation of common nutritional policy. |
|
Ecosystem |
|
|
Sustainable Development
https://www.pkc.gov.lv/sites/default/files/inline- |
One of development directions set in the strategy - to strengthen the efficiency and competitiveness of traditional sectors of agriculture in supplying the country with qualitative and competitive food products. The strategy aims to promote development of an innovative, eco-efficient and competitive economy, where development of healthy food production and commercialisation of ecosystem services have been defined as prospective directions. |
|
Vidzeme Planning Region Sustainable Development Strategy 2030 http://jauna.vidzeme.lv/upload/VIDZEMES_PLANO SANAS_REGIONA_ILGTSPEJIGAS_ATTISTIBAS_STRA TEGIJA.pdf |
Objective: Improving the capacity and quality of life of the population of the region. Long-term priority 2: Reinforcing people's health-enhancing habits Measure: Promoting healthy lifestyles. Objective: to increase the economic competitiveness of the region by improving the business environment and increasing economic sustainability. Long-term priority 3: A sustainable business and innovation environment. Measure: The development of traditional farming. |
| Other | |
|
Latvia's Smart Specialisation |
The strategy aims to transform the economy into higher added value, productivity and more efficient use of resources. One of the priority areas is bioeconomy, which also includes food production and processing - directly linked and having impact on the Vidzeme region food system. |
|
Latvia’s National Industrial
https://digital-skills- |
The policy includes directions and measures aimed to develop and strengthen value chains, i.a. in the food sector, to promote increase of competitiveness, to ensure availability to highly qualified professionals for respective industries. |
| Identify the policy gap |
|
Based on the overview above, assess if a policy gap exists. Identify where the policy gap is located; the policy area or policy (instrument) type. The most relevant policies (agricultural and industrial, related to the food production and processing, consumption related, as well ecosystem related) are introduced, but strong, efficient links among these policies are missing or are weak, as well there is lack of sufficiently funded instruments for implementation of these policies. Many good initiatives started with support of EU funds are not sustained because of lack of the funding. |
CRFS landscape
Aim: create a snapshot of the CRFS characteristics
| Key characteristic of the CRFS | Description |
| Food production |
Food producers have low ability to track procurements and understand different requirements (lack of time and human resources). There are difficulties for small producers to meet "green procurement requirements”. Due to complicated procurement system local food producers reluctantly participate in green food procurements. They have low ability to provide the full range of food and fulfill the requirements of procurement procedures. |
| Food processing/distribution |
Food processors have low ability to track procurements and understand different requirements (lack of time and human resources). There are difficulties for small processors to meet "green procurement requirements”. Due to complicated procurement system local food producers reluctantly participate in green food procurements. They have low ability to provide the full range of food and fulfill the requirements of procurement procedures. |
| Food marketing, catering, retail |
The expected selling price of the products within public procurement is too low that does not cover the production costs, at the same time - the requirements specified in the procurement regulations significantly increase the price of supply, thus reducing competitiveness of local producers against imported food. |
| Food consumption |
Consumers are asking for safe (high production standards), qualitative and “easy to reach” production having reasonable prices. At the same time, they are not interested in spending their time to seek for local producers and processors. Sometimes the reason is too many efforts necessary to manage local food delivery, sometimes the reason is price – the last one is of great significance. Though there is growing demand for local food, produced by trustable producers and processors, the most of consumers and communities still have incomplete understanding of the importance of a resilient and sustainable food chain, ensuring safety, quality, and resilience in regular conditions, as well in extraordinary situations, when production/processing/delivery possibly can be limited due to external obstacles. |
| Food security |
Food security requirements are high. Food production, processing, delivery and catering are strongly monitored by the relevant public authority - Food and Veterinary Service: Sākumlapa en | Pārtikas un veterinārais dienests (pvd.gov.lv). |
| Ecosystems |
Vidzeme region food system involves a lot of regional and national stakeholders and there are already implemented or ongoing initiatives related to a) development and strengthening short food chains, b) encouragement of local authorities to apply green public procurement in order to purchase local origin food products, some existing support mechanisms and other resources, there are significant challenges identified. Such as a) too restricted requirements for food purchases, b) too complicated procurement procedures, c) weak links between various stakeholders and therefore fragmented harmonized initiatives, d) lack of capacity of public and private stakeholders to take appropriate actions and make positive change. |
Strategy development
Aim: define a lab narrative
| CRFS status quo |
|
Vidzeme region’s food system is not mature yet enough to respond efficiently to the identified challenge and policy lab focus - to create preconditions enabling stakeholders to organise efficient green public food products or catering service procurement's at education institutions, social and health care institutions, therefore promoting availability of healthy food (significant from health perspective) and supporting regional food producers and processors (significant from economic and regional development perspective). Public stakeholders need knowledge, skills and external conditions enabling them to organise green public food and catering service procurement's where producers offering locally produced, healthy food products are winning the tenders. Private stakeholders need knowledge, skills and external conditions enabling them to take part in green public food and catering service procurement's and to be able to deliver required products in demanded volumes. In order to create such an ecosystem, it is necessary to raise awareness and knowledge of all groups of stakeholders on the significance of short local food chains with regard to the society, region's and local communities' socio-economic development and sustainability. |
| CRFS goals |
|
Goal of the PolicyLab: To create preconditions enabling public and private food system stakeholders to take efficient actions increasing consumption of local origin food products at the municipal education institutions, social and health care institutions, therefore creating positive impact on well-being of the society, socio-economic and regional development and sustainability of the respective municipalities/territories. |
| CRFS strategy |
|
The strategy is to create and implement a set of measures empowering diverse groups of regional stakeholders (local municipalities and their institutions, food producers and processors, local action groups and society) with necessary knowledge and skills leading towards increase of use of local origin food products at education, social care and health care institutions. |
Vision definition
Aim: Translate the CRFS strategy and context assessment into a pilot vision
| Describe the CRFS context |
|
Public stakeholders - local municipalities and their institutions and local action groups- ack knowledge, skills and external conditions enabling them to organise or facilitate green public food and catering service procurement's where producers offering locally produced, healthy food products are winning the tenders. Private stakeholders (food producers and processors) lack knowledge, skills and external conditions enabling them to take part in green public food and catering service procurement's, win the tenders and to be able to deliver required products in demanded volumes. Existing legislation and regulations create a lot of challenges for both groups of stakeholders. In order to create an efficient ecosystem, promoting use of local origin food products, it is necessary to raise awareness and knowledge of all groups of stakeholders on the issues affecting their ability to act efficiently. |
| Formulate the CRFS vision |
|
- Public stakeholders (local authorities and their institutions) are highly knowledgeable and skilled to organise green public food procurements, the ecosystem (legislation, regulations, external advisory services) is highly supportive to them. - Public stakeholders (local action groups) are knowledgeable and skilled to promote the initiatives in their local territories that facilitate green public procurement and short food chain activities implementation. - Private stakeholders (food producers and processors) are highly knowledgeable and skilled to take part in green public food procurements and win the tenders, the ecosystem (legislation, regulations, external advisory and supervision services) is highly supportive to them. - Society has a strong awareness and knowledge level to encourage local origin food production and consumption at the Vidzeme region. |
Vidzeme Pathway to Action
SWOT
Aim: Execute the SWOT analysis
| Strength |
|
- Several regional stakeholders are aware on need to increase local origin food production and consumption at the region - Several local governments and their education and social care institutions have good experience to apply efficiently green public food procurement procedures - Several education and social care institutions have good experience to ensure catering locally (within the particular institution) - Several region’s food producers and processors have good experience to take part in green public food procurements and to win tenders |
| Weaknesses |
|
- There is no defined food policy on local, regional and national level - Local municipalities choose to procure catering services, which due to lack of human and financial resources cannot be efficiently tracked - Due to lack of time and human resources local food producers and processors cannot regularly track procurements therefore they do not take part in tenders - Due to complicated procurement system local food producers and processors reluctantly participate in public food procurements - Small size producers face difficulty to meet "green procurement requirements”, as well they cannot (as single entities) provide the full range of required food products - Foreseen purchase price of the products in public procurements does not cover the local food production costs |
| Opportunities |
|
- There is strong support of the society, especially from parents of school aged children, willing to promote use of local origin food products at meals - There is large number of external stakeholders, e.g. universities and research institutions, having diverse competencies and knowledge necessary for provision of pilot - There are policy initiatives aimed to promote production, processing of food, as well policy aimed to promote consumption of healthy food at all age groups - There is growing collective awareness at regional and national level on need to develop sustainable food system |
| Threats |
|
- Too restrictive laws and regulations related to the green public food procurements - Lack of interest of national public authorities to change existing laws and regulations - Lack of efficient synergies between actions of different national public authorities |
SMART
Aim: Define SMART pilot goals
| Goal |
S specific |
M measurable |
A attainable |
R relevant |
T time-based |
Theme |
|
To increase capacity of local authorities and their institutions |
Staff, responsible for |
- Number of municipalities trained - Number of specialists trained |
Lack of highly competent external experts specializing in issues of green public food procurement. Limited intentions of local municipalities to change approaches related to the food products/catering services procurement. |
Increase of number/specific weight of local municipalities procuring local origin food products (initial data is available). Increased quality of meals, provided at educational and social care institutions. |
May 2023 |
Production, processing, consumption, ecosystem. |
|
To encourage improvement of regulatory framework of green public food procurement |
A set of awareness raising measures
(round table
and processors, civil- |
Changes of the green public procurement regulations. |
Limited intentions of national authorities to change regulations. |
For public authorities - easier to organize food procurements. For food producers and processors - easier to take part in procurements. |
Intention to achieve the goal within a 3 years period |
Ecosystem |
|
To raise
on socio-
impacts of |
A set of awareness raising measures (round table discussions, meetings etc.) bringing together regional public authorities and stakeholders |
- Number of stakeholders informed - Number of participants involved |
Lack of interest for change Lack of understanding of short food chain importance |
Public authorities understand significance of short food chains in green procurement procedures Local action groups implement short food chains in their strategies Created platform for dialog among stakeholders for promotion of short food chains |
November 2022 - May 2023 |
Production, processing, consumption, ecosystem |
Vidzeme Action Plan
Execution plan
Aim: set out the execution of each task
| SMART goal |
| No.1 To increase capacity of local authorities and their institutions |
| SMART task | Responsibility | Timeframe | Prioritization |
|
To identify highly competent green public procurement experts |
Vidzeme Planning Region | September - November 2022 | 1 |
| To elaborate training programme |
Contracted experts, according to the conditions set in the contract, signed with Vidzeme Planning Region |
November - December 2022 | 2 |
|
To organise trainings To provide individual assistance to the local authorities |
Vidzeme Planning Region
Contracted experts, according to the conditions set in the |
January - April 2023 | 3 |
| SMART goal |
| No.2 To encourage improvement of regulatory framework of green public food procurement |
| SMART task | Responsibility | Timeframe | Prioritization |
|
To create working group on green public food procurement issues |
Vidzeme Planning Region | January - March 2023 | 1 |
|
To elaborate recommendations on improvements of the regulations |
Vidzeme Planning Region | March - June 2023 | 2 |
|
To organise a set of meetings with the national authorities |
Vidzeme Planning Region and Latvian Rural Forum | March - June 2023 | 3 |
| SMART goal |
| No.3 To raise awareness and knowledge level of the region’s society and stakeholders on socio-economic impacts of short food chains |
| SMART task | Responsibility | Timeframe | Prioritization |
|
To analyse planning documents of Vidzemes region municipalities |
Latvian Rural Forum | Nov 2022 -Jan 2023 | 1 |
|
To develop dialog platform between stakeholders in certain Vidzeme region municipalities |
Latvian Rural Forum | Nov 2022- May 2023 | 2 |
|
To lobby for short food chains to be included in LAG To lobby for improvement of procurement procedure |
Latvian Rural Forum | Nov 2022- May 2023 | 3 |