#BuyConsciously is the slogan of the campaign conducted by KOWR encouraging conscious choice of products with food markings and certificates. These markings include: the POLISH PRODUCT mark, the organic production logo and the EU markings: Protected Designation of Origin, Protected Geographical Indication and Guaranteed Traditional Specialty. The EU marking system guarantees exceptional product quality resulting from specific regional conditions, history or unique manufacturing tradition.
Shop consciously and support the local economy
The country of origin of the product is, next to quality and price, one of the most important selection criteria when the consumer makes food purchasing decisions, and buying food produced in the country and from domestic raw materials is gaining in importance, becoming a practical action to support domestic producers.
Our everyday purchasing decisions have a major impact on the country's economic situation. Growing consumer patriotism, which is reflected in the purchase of domestic goods, builds a strong brand of Polish food, supports Polish agricultural producers and enterprises, influences the increase in sales of Polish food and the functioning of the Polish economy, including the domestic agriculture and agri-food industry.
Shaping consumer patriotism is of key importance, especially in the face of: the ongoing globalization process, trade liberalization, advanced integration of intermediaries and sellers in the food supply chain, changes in purchasing preferences, as well as growing competition on the domestic, EU and global markets. It is also important for the functioning of the national agriculture
and agri-food industry, because it affects the profitability of production and the financial condition of entities operating in these sectors of the national economy, and also has an impact on the labor market.
We encourage producers to label food products with the information POLISH PRODUCT. This white and red mark is a clear message to consumers
and confirmation that the food was produced from raw materials produced 100% in Poland, in the case of unprocessed products. However, processed products must contain at least 75% of raw materials from Polish farmers, and a maximum of 25% may be imported ingredients.
Polish product
The possibility of using 25% of imported ingredients results from the fact that sometimes the production of a given product must use, for example, pepper or other spices not grown in our country. When it comes to meat, the animal must be born, raised and slaughtered in Poland.
We are very pleased that consumers are increasingly paying attention to quality systems recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. According to the report "Poland Countryside and Agriculture 2022", already 75.6% of surveyed inhabitants of rural areas pay attention to the PRODUCT POLSKI sign, and 54.2% of respondents notice the organic production logo when shopping. In 2022, the recognition of all signs was higher than in 2021. This is a sign that consumers are increasingly paying attention to the origin of food and its quality.
National Agriculture Support Center
As KOWR, we are advocates of consumer patriotism. Economics and economy are a very important dimension, but not the only one. It is also about caring for the environment, because when we buy and eat food produced from raw materials from Polish farmers or fruit growers, we do not transport it from the other side of the globe. It is worth realizing how much fuel and energy is needed for transport or maintaining appropriate conditions when transporting products from distant regions of the world.
The fashion for consumer patriotism, i.e. the attitude of choosing and purchasing products of domestic origin, is a desirable trend, and the effects of promoting the quality and taste of Polish food are already visible.
It is worth remembering that as consumers we have enormous power, which we sometimes underestimate. By choosing food with markings, we give a clear signal to the purchasing department of a retail chain or purchasing group that these products must be in the store because customers expect them. By doing so, we have a chance to strengthen Polish trade and processing. Let's buy consciously every day.
