The Moldovan Parliament adopted the Law on short supply chains for Agri-Food products in its first reading
The document was developed by a group of MPs from the PAS parliamentary faction in collaboration with independent experts and in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization. It establishes a legal framework for the development of short supply chains for agri-food products in Moldova. The law aims to develop a stable and sustainable food system that reduces environmental impacts and promotes balanced regional development by promoting short supply chains for agri-food products. As Radu Marian, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Economy, Budget, and Finance, explained, the bill aims to ensure that the path from farm to fork is as short as possible, produce is as fresh as possible, and profits remain in the hands of producers rather than being lost on unnecessary commissions. The draft law defines a short supply chain as an agri-food supply chain in which the number of intermediaries between the primary producer (an individual producer or group of producers) and the final consumer does not exceed one intermediary. Consumers will be able to more easily identify short supply chains, as retail outlets and catering establishments participating in short supply chains will display official logos indicating this. At the same time, the government will create a National Register of Short Supply Chains. Operators participating in short supply chains, including producers, groups of producers, producer organizations, processors, traders, and catering establishments, will be registered in it upon request, in accordance with the terms of the Law on Short Supply Chains of Agri-Food Products. The criteria, inclusion and registration procedure, responsibilities of operators included in the Register, conditions for suspension of registration and exclusion from the Register, and the procedure for publishing information included in the Register will be established by government resolution. The draft law also includes a chapter dedicated to the integration of short supply chains into the public procurement system. It stipulates that, when applying the "optimal price/quality ratio" or "optimal cost/quality ratio" award criteria, the contracting authority may award additional points to proposals that incorporate additional sustainability elements, including contributions to balanced regional development and integration into short supply chains. The authors note that this legislative initiative creates a legal basis for the subsequent implementation of grant and financial programs for producers in short supply chains. This includes funding for increasing production capacity, investing in warehouses and joint logistics, as well as providing technical support and consulting for production modernization. The authors of the bill announced that this is the first measure in a series of initiatives through which the state will support local production and the "Cumpăr bun de acasă" campaign. Also on Friday, MPs reviewed the draft Law on Short Supply Chains for Agri-Food Products, developed by the Democracy at Home faction. At the suggestion of the Committee on Economy, Budget and Finance, in preparation for the second reading, these projects will be merged on the basis of the draft Law on Short Supply Chains of Agricultural Products, developed by a group of PAS deputies.// 20.03.2026 — InfoMarket
