Countries all across Europe are trying to support their producers in a bid to restart the economy as soon as possible. This is no different for V4 countries, which have also launched several campaings promoting the consumption of domestic products.

Czech Republic: Save the beer!

The initiative was a huge success, the excess beer was sold out soon, but Pomahac said the future was not so bright. The production of some five hundred small breweries appears to have fallen by around 80 to 85 per cent, and about a quarter of the producers are unlikely to survive the crisis caused by the pandemic. According to Pomahac, the real difficulties come after the restrictions are lifted, because rescuing breweries will no longer be a priority for people.

Besides the private initiative, the Czech state also offered support to the brewers. The parliament passed a bill at the end of April to reimburse breweries for consumption tax on unsold beer. Incoming applications will be processed one by one by the Czech tax authority, and unsold beer will have to be reprocessed or destroyed. The measure was welcomed by all parties concerned, as the lockdown measures, particularly the closure of pubs and restaurants made the situation critical for everyone.

Hungary: Buy domestic!

The National Food Chain Safety Office (Nebih) is also trying to help, on its website visitors can search for local producers through a database that shows from whom they can buy nearby. According to Nebih, their goal is to connect customers – residents and service providers – with local producers living in the same area.

During the pandemic, a website called Buy Domestic! was also created which defines itself as a large, online community. They try to connect Hungarian small entrepreneurs with their customers, so far more than a hundred have joined the initiative. In addition, on social media a closed group called #vegyelhazait (#buydomestic) was created, which aims to connect conscious customers with small businesses, be they designers, creators or caterers.

Poland: Majority of population buys domestic products

The Polish government is also encouraging citizens to buy domestic products to help Polish producers. In addition to supporting their compatriots, people can also enjoy the high quality that Polish products represent globally. Looking at foreign markets, it is easy to find goods from Poland, such as fruit drinks, poultry, but also household utensils and cosmetics. Polish Agriculture Minister Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski also confirmed that the country s agriculture is very rich, hence encourages people to buy Polish products and thus support Polish economy.

A survey based on data from the Healthy Shopping app shows that Poles tend to buy domestic products, as 88 per cent of the population now pays attention to the origin of the product they want to buy in a store. In the midst of the pandemic, they prefer local products to foreign ones in order to support domestic producers, which effort can persist after the epidemic. According to Bartlomiej Domanski, a manager at Hiper-Com Poland, Polish people feel responsible for their own economy and country, which is why they are willing to buy from Polish producers.

Slovakia: One hypermarket sells almost only local products

Supporting Slovak producers and Slovak economy is not new to the hypermarket chain Kaufland, which has made major sales, especially in poultry products and eggs. In the latter, for example, 97% of sales came from Slovak producers last year. In general, the proportion of local products compared to foreign ones is exceptional in Slovakia s Kaufland stores, as more than 85 per cent of the goods come from Slovak producers. Lucia Langova, a spokeswoman for Kaufland in Slovakia said that in the current pandemic situation they were working even harder to support the country s economy and protect their employees jobs. The store chain continues to hold on to its aim to have as many local products on its shelves as possible.

Small local producers, with whom customers can establish a direct contact, will regain attention, Zsolt Bindics, president of GreenCoop – who grows tomatoes in southern Slovakia – said in an interview in connection with the current situation. Furthermore, the coronavirus pandemic will just reinforce people s need for fresh and healthy food, which they will appreciate more. Mr Bindics believes young and honest producers will benefit from the current difficult situation.