LIDL AND EBRD TO SUPPORT BULGARIAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS

Manufacturers will receive funding and training for certification according to the global standard for good agricultural practices GlobalG.A.P

Lidl Bulgaria and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are taking joint action to provide financial support and training to Bulgarian farmers for GlobalG.A.P certification. - a world standard for good agricultural practices, announced the retail chain.

The total value of the allocated resource will amount to nearly BGN 170,000 (EUR 85,000). Lidl Bulgaria's contribution to the co-financing is BGN 50,000, and the rest will be provided by the EBRD through a joint program with the assistance of the European Investment Advisory Center at the European Investment Bank.

Under the program, up to 15 small and medium-sized regional farmers will be selected to be supported by Lidl Bulgaria in cooperation with the EBRD. Applicants will be selected on the basis of specific criteria, the coverage of which will ensure both sustainable and effective future cooperation with Lidl Bulgaria and the need to support exactly those small and medium-sized Bulgarian farmers who need it most.

"One of the essential measures introduced and invariably followed by Lidl Bulgaria to ensure the highest possible quality of fruits and vegetables offered in the store network is the requirement that the production processes of each supplier of such products be certified according to the global standard GlobalG.A.P. We know that such certification requires a certain financial resource and that farmers are one of the actors in the food supply chain that is most affected by the economic consequences of the pandemic. Therefore, in order to meet its commitments to help Bulgarian producers, but at the same time to provide consumers with high quality products and maximum variety of fresh fruits and vegetables at an optimal price-quality ratio, Lidl Bulgaria seeks to increase its portfolio of reliable and sustainable suppliers of agricultural products. We believe that in the long run the certification of Bulgarian agricultural producers will open new business opportunities for them, "said Milena Dragiyska, CEO of Lidl Bulgaria.

"Retail chains in Bulgaria and around the world require certain standards to ensure safe and sustainable production. The GlobalG.A.P certification is a high assessment of quality and standard in terms of food safety and sustainability, which will allow Bulgarian producers to offer their products in the country and abroad. Our support is particularly timely, as producers are affected by the effects of the pandemic, and consumers more than ever need to know that food remains safe, ”added Anca Ioana Ionescu, EBRD Country Director for Bulgaria.