On December 10, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Economics (EM) with students from the Riga Business School, who presented an idea for a food purchase platform called the “Green Basket.” The platform would be intended for local farmers, allowing them to list their products and thereby create a shorter supply chain from producer to customer. This would make food products more affordable for consumers. The platform would also offer opportunities for retail stores to list products approaching their expiration dates.
The students explained that such a platform would allow consumers to buy food at lower prices directly from farmers or retail stores. At the same time, it would reduce food waste. Consumers are interested in purchasing locally produced products, but their prices are often higher than imported goods, so cheaper alternatives are chosen. This platform would enable local farmers to sell their products at lower prices by reducing the length of the supply chain and retail markups. Shorter food supply chains are also one of the development priorities of the European Union.
“The students’ idea for the ‘Green Basket’ platform is a commendable initiative that would benefit local food producers, retailers, and Latvian consumers. The platform has the potential to shorten food supply chains, lower end-product prices, and reduce food waste. I value initiatives like this, which would provide more affordable food for residents, strengthen local farmers’ competitiveness, and introduce sustainable solutions aligned with EU development priorities,” emphasized Minister of Economics Viktors Valainis.
The platform would operate similarly to food price comparison tools, clearly showing available products and their locations, allowing consumers to select the most convenient offer. At the same time, it would help sellers increase their visibility, as buyers could contact them about other products if needed.
The developers explained that creating the “Green Basket” requires relatively significant funding, which individual farmers or retailers may not afford. Therefore, developing a unified platform would be more financially and practically efficient.
In the future, there are plans to establish multiple food pick-up points in different cities, where farmers could deliver their products weekly closer to consumers.
During their presentation, the students noted that stores in Latvia throw away about 41,000 tons of food annually, and this initiative could significantly reduce food waste.
The meeting followed the path toward achieving the goal set by Minister of Economics Viktors Valainis to reduce prices for basic food products.
