Full case study report: EKO Zemaitija -Lithuania

Summary

In Lithuania greater benefits encouraged the establishment of many organic farms and their cooperatives, but in the long run they have been ‘infected’ with the organic idea and have persisted even the support has been decreased. Whereas members of the organic cooperative ‘EKO Žemaitija’ primarily interested in the idea of ecology itself, and only then established a cooperative. The cooperative ‘EKO Žemaitija’ is situated in the Telšiai district, western part of Lithuania called Žemaitija (Samogitia). The main its activities are collection of organic raw milk and supply to the milk processing enterprise as well as manufacturing of dairy products. In the end of 2013 distribution of organic dairy products covered mainly the Žemaitija region: small local shops and local markets in Telšiai, Mažeikiai, Gargždai and Klaipėda city and supermarket Maxima in Klaipėda. In 2014 the cooperative produced 14 kinds of dairy products, the distribution area expanded to the biggest cities of the country (retail chains Maxima, Rimi, TAU in Vilnius and Kaunas)