have to be eco-labelled , but there must be controls by the group , through which it could be stipulated that the manufacturers must produce the foods that are going to be sold within the group " in an environmentally friendly way ".
In any case , you must make the choice of what is more important , and this will define the context and the territory within which there the EPG will operate . In general , the group reach thus type of agreements by consensus within the group . Members must discuss the various proposals and reach a common agreement that everyone will accept , even though at first the ideas were different and even if not everybody agrees one hundred percent .
Some criteria that can be found in the solidarity groups in Croatia :
• QUALITY OF THE PRODUCTS : every groupwill adopt primary condition .
• REASONABLE PRICE : always taking into consideration the quality of the product and price transparency . With solidarity groups , you want to save money ( although this is not the primary purpose ) but you will also want to pay a fair price for your product . Therefore , it is always important to explain and justify the cost of the products .
• ECOLOGICAL , BIODYNAMIC AND SIMILAR PRODUCTS : foodstuffs whose cultivation has not caused environmental damage , in which there were a non-use of chemicals and GMO . Groups can opt for certified ecologic products , but can also choose green products without a certificate if they know the producer and its mode of production . In the end , it is easier to trust a farmer who you meet weekly , rather than believe to institutions that issues certificates .
• SEASONAL PRODUCTS : These are products that are not grown in heated greenhouses and that do not come from distant lands , with the resulting high-energy costs and the pollution caused by the transport .
• SMALL PRODUCERS : If your partner is not a great entrepreneur , he will find time to talk with you and to make you visit his farm , and the money that you will give for the products will not be shared in a public company , but will be used for the development of local agriculture . In any case , if you help small local producers , the benefits will be not be only used for their survival but you will also invest in a healthy and uncontaminated life . In addition , more than 80 % of the farmers in Croatia are producers with less than 5 hectares of land , so to choose small farmers also means , in general , keep the area healthy , take part of a land where in rural
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