The Fruits Route - a New Initiative of Madein.md Project to Promote the Consumption of Local Fruits

The beneficial effect of daily fruits consumption is confirmed by numerous scientific studies in this area. Moldova, being an agricultural state, has the capacity to provide its population with quality vegetables and fruits on a regular basis. Moreover, recently, especially among young people, there is a tendency to percieve a healthy lifestyle and to consume natural and organic products.

In order to promote the regular consumption of fruits among local population, about two years ago, Madein.md project launched a campaign called "Forbidden fruits are the sweetest" as a result of Russian embargo on Moldovan agricultural products. With this initiative, Madein.md had the goal to support local producers by launching a campaign to raise the awareness of consumers regarding the use of local fruits and vegetables.

This year we decided to continue this campaign and to promote the consumption of Moldovan fruit under the name "Fruits Route", that will consist of a series of visits to farmers and agricultural associations in the country in order to inform consumers about the leading fruits producers in Moldova, providing a wide range of information materials related to successful business development in agriculture.

The objectives of the campaign:

• promotion of local fruits producers, agricultural companies, associations and farms in different regions of the country;
• providing of information on local fruit producers who are Eco certified and uses environmentally friendly methods to cultivate their agricultural products;
• familiarization of consumers with the process of fruits cultivation in Moldova, as well as with the diverity of types and varieties of fruits in our country;
• active promotion of daily consumption of fruits cultivated in Moldova by informing the public about the beneficial properties of various domestic agricultural products;
• promotion of high-quality natural products, in order to convince the local population to give preference to the Moldovan fruits, instead of foreign ones;
• development of nutritional programs that would emphasize the important role of fruits and vegetables in daily diet, especially for children.

In order to organize better these visits there was developed a seasonal calendar of fruits and vegetables, which will help us throughout the summer and autumn period to visit as many manufacturers as possible and to familiarize the population with the variety of crops growing on the territory of Moldova.

For our first visit we choose a domestic producer of strawberries in the Bacioi village, Anteu Top SRL, led by farmer Denis Apostu, where we have the opportunity to feel the amazing taste and aroma of these wonderful fruits.