The situation for producers is much more serious. For many producers and farmers the entry to the EPG is an ideal mean to survive. Knowing the buyers and their friendly relationship simplifies things greatly. In particular, the agreements that are made at the level of EPG, greatly simplify life for small farmers because in this way, for example, the producers of vegetable plan in advance with consumers the sowing season, define what and the quantities that may cultivate, and often the product purchases are paid with 3 or more months in advance. It is a very concrete example of solidarity and risk sharing between consumers and producers, which is diametrically opposed to the terms offered to the farmers from the real " free " market. However, it must be taken into consideration that the whole thing can be made only after that between the producer and the consumer has been established a high level of confidence. As you can be inferred from examples provided in the Desk research, after a certain period the producers tend to understand the importance of EPGs and to leave the traditional market.
There are several reasons why people become part of such groups. Most of them do it to ensure themselves the purchase of organic food at a reasonable price. However, it is also very important the personal contact with the producer. In today ' s world, with such numerous scandals related to food industry that we hear talking about so often, it is not something trivial to have some trust in this field. Most of the people who joined these groups are members of families with small children, follow people with health problems, older people, searching for companionship and affection, and then the younger generations, which are much more aware of issues such as ecology and sustainability.
What can you buy in EPGs and what are the advantages of these gr oups?
The EPGs are characteristic formations within the critical consumerism. These characteristics differentiate the EPGs from other types of groupings of citizens that simply buy something together. You cannot buy / sell within the EPGs a special list: the only important thing is for everyone in the group to be able to agree and to cooperate. There is the need to find a balance between the needs of all members and to define what criteria will be used for the product selection clearly. For example, it is not mandatory to buy certified environmentally friendly products, but all members of the group must agree with this. Alternatively, you can choose to give preference to environmentally friendly products, provided they are local. Alternatively, as in Istria, it can be settled that the producer does not
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