A new phase of development begins for the “Natural Meadow Product” brand

Following a two-year roll-out phase, the “Natural Meadow Product” brand, established by the Latvian Nature Fund (LDF), is reaching a new stage of development – from now on, its management will be taken over by the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre (LLKC).  The “Natural Meadow Product” label is awarded to producers who manage natural grasslands and create products and services related to them, and has so far been awarded to more than 40 businesses across Latvia.

Natural meadows currently cover just 0.9% of Latvia’s territory, whereas a hundred years ago they covered around 30% of the country’s territory. To ensure that natural meadows continue to exist, they must be managed – either by mowing or grazing. The “Natural Meadow Product” brand and label have been created to promote the recognition of such products, as well as to support and encourage producers who maintain and care for natural grasslands. Their creation and development were part of the ambitious “LatviaNature” project, one of the aims of which is to create innovative tools to engage businesses in the conservation of biodiversity.

“We have achieved a great deal in two years – we have established a reliable system for awarding the label, brought together a substantial number of meadow product producers, who have also become our best ambassadors, encouraged the creation of new meadow products, and introduced the public to this label at markets, events, schools and elsewhere. We are delighted that the Latvian Rural Advisory and Education Centre will continue to develop the label in future, thereby providing Latvian farmers with a new opportunity to increase the added value of their products,” says Inga Muižniece, representative of the Latvian Nature Fund and project manager for the creation of the “Natural Meadow Product” label.

The label has so far been awarded to 41 producers, whose range includes more than 400 different meadow-related products and services.

There are currently 17 tourism offerings that can boast this label, 12 beef producers, 9 producers of meadow herb teas, 7 cosmetics manufacturers, as well as producers of lamb, sheep’s wool, honey and other products. Meadow products also include items such as seeds from natural meadow plants, meadow sorbet and ceramics.

“It is important to us to farm in an environmentally friendly way. Our cattle graze on natural meadows, thereby helping to maintain their biodiversity. The “Natural Meadow Product” label on our products assures customers that, by choosing them, they are not only buying high-quality food but also supporting nature conservation and sustainability,” says Artūrs Vīgants, a representative of the beef cattle farm “NEGANTIgardi” and a user of the “Natural Meadow Product” label.

The Latvian Rural Advisory and Education Centre is a partner of the LDF in the “LatViaNature” and will henceforth ensure the development of the “Natural Meadow Product” brand, maintain the community of natural meadow product producers, and ensure the brand’s communication and raise its profile, whilst the Latvian Nature Fund will retain its supervisory role, including continuing to certify producers to ensure the continuity of the brand’s core values and quality standards.

“Those who maintain natural meadows are the guardians of our rural heritage – they look after the environment whilst producing goods that embody the flavour and beauty of Latvia’s natural world. The LLKC is delighted to continue developing the “Natural Meadow Product” label, as it combines two values that are essential to us – local production and the preservation of biodiversity. Our task is to help producers develop businesses that are both economically viable and environmentally friendly. The “Natural Meadow Product” label helps entrepreneurs consolidate their position in the market by demonstrating that high-quality, sustainable and environmentally conscious business is the way forward, highlight their work and the added value generated by meadow management,” emphasises Agnese Radžele-Šulce, Director of Strategy and Commercial Development at the LLKC.

Ieva Saleniece, Nature Conservation Agency, project manager for “LatViaNature”: “The “Natural Meadow Product” label is a very important initiative – it fulfils three objectives simultaneously: it links business with nature conservation, thereby motivating meadow managers, promotes the management of natural meadows, which is essential for their conservation, and raises public awareness of the importance of natural meadows and their management for Latvia’s biodiversity.  The transfer of the brand to the LLKC is a sustainable step towards further developing the brand created under the “LatViaNature” project, alongside other LLKC-managed brands such as “Novada garša”.”

The project “Optimisation of the Management and Stewardship of Natura 2000 Protected Areas” (LIFE19IPE/LV/000010 LIFE-IP LatViaNature) is being implemented with financial support from the European Union’s LIFE Programme and the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development.