Polish consumers are increasingly more willing to buy organic fruit and vegetables, as evidenced by the steadily growing number of certified organic farms, which use no agrochemicals or artificial fertilisers.
According to data from the Central Statistical Office, the number of eco-certified farms reached almost 20,000, compared to the 1,500 of 2011. Most are located in the provinces of West Pomerania, Warmia-Mazury and Lower Silesia.
To overcome the usually higher prices of organic food, a new purchasing model has been introduced, allowing consumers to buy directly from growers. It is called RWS, and it was imported from the Czech Republic and France, where it is used by over 300 thousand people. There are currently six RWS in Poland, including in Warsaw, Poznan, Szczecin and Opole.
How does it work?
RWS is based on the simple premise that organic food becomes cheaper than in stores, because of the lack of intermediaries.
Peter Trzaskowski, co-founder of the Warsaw RWS, says that consumer groups can make an agreement with a grower before the start of the season to determine what and how much he/she can produce for them.
In practice, this entails that on a specific day and a specific place, a person in the group can collect the ordered vegetables.
Each customer pays the required sum two days before his arrival into a specific account. After receipt of the goods, the customer has two days to report any complaints, and only after this time is the money transferred to the grower's account. This allows the producer to know that the merchandise will not be wasted, and the client also has the guarantee that he/she will receive the goods. RWS ensures both quality and reliability.
The contract is also safe for the grower, who in the event of a major crop failure does not have to pay any money, adds Trzaskowski.
How much does it cost?
"Prices of vegetables and fruit purchased from organic farms are indeed a little higher, but I am sure that the vegetables have not been treated," says Mrs Bozena, who is involved in one of the RWS.
What are the prices? For a lettuce straight from the grower you will pay 3.50 zł (0.84 Euro), while the same product in the grocery store costs almost 2 zł (0.48 Euro). At an organic store, you have to pay more than 6 zł (1.43 Euro) for the same lettuce. A 2.5 kg sack of potatoes at the market will cost less than 2 zł (0.48 Euro), and through group purchasing the price per kilo is very similar, of just a little over 2 zł, while at the organic store the kilo of potatoes will reach approximately 6 zł (1.43 Euro).
Apples are much cheaper in supermarkets; the price per kilo ranges from 2 to 4 zł (0.48 to 0.96 Euro). In turn, a kilo of organic fruit purchased from the grower costs an average of 5 zł (1.20 Euro), just like at the organic store.
According to Mrs Bozena, quality determines whether we are willing to pay more. "Anyone who has tried organic lettuce or carrots would not want another," she says.
According to the founder of the platform, the main advantage it offers is that it allows the customer to have direct knowledge about the producer. "When buying beets, for example, we know that it comes from Mr Joseph, from a specific farm, and that makes the process more trustworthy," says Andrej Modic.
"Group purchases take place without intermediaries, so more money goes to the grower. Additionally, signing up to RWS is free," stresses the founder. The platform keeps a small commission of just 15 per cent of the purchases made by the customers. "If the customer places an order for, say, 100 zł, the grower receives 85 percent," emphasises Modic, adding that the sum already includes VAT and marketing activities.
