REKO RINGS – LOCAL FOOD GROUPS
Published on 13 August 2018
Finland
Etelä-Suomi
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
REKO is a model for selling and distributing local food. The first Reko local food group was founded in Western Finland Pietarsaari 2013. REKO basic functional units are local Facebook groups. Consumers order food from producers through these closed Facebook groups without middleman. REKO ring can have delivery meeting for example every other week at agreed time. Producers deliver the products to agreed market place and consumers can pick up all products they have ordered at the same time from different producers. REKO rings are set up by local people. It is a recommendation to have more than one administrator in every ring. These administrators can be both customers and producers. Administrators set the group up and accepts all producers and customers to join closed Facebook group.
Resources needed
REKO is free for producers and for consumers. Administrator of the group needs to ground the group and after that accept producers and consumers to closed Facebook group but administrative work is minimal.
Evidence of success
There are over 160 REKO rings in Finland at the moment. REKO model have spread also in other countries as Sweden, Italy and Iceland. There are about 3700 producers selling their products through REKO and together 250 000 customers in all rings (2017). Annual revenue was about 30 000 000 euros year 2016.
Potential for learning or transfer
REKO rings are innovative ways to sell organic and local products that are not able to penetrate markets since they are produced in small scale or region which has no suitable markets for it. Consumers like to have organic products direkt from producers. Local food groups has showed for the public authority the need of develop the local food market places. The good market place should take part of the design and planning of the towns and villages. REKO-model can be transferred in any regions all around the world.
Further information http://www.aitojamakuja.fi/reko_eng.php
Further information http://www.aitojamakuja.fi/reko_eng.php
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
REKO rings
Finland
Etelä-Suomi
Contact