Promoting rural development through the marketing of local food products in producer networks

Introduction

Collaboration is urged as one of the significant tools for advancing societies towards sustainable development (Fadeeva 2003).  Collaboration can manifest in many ways, one of them being producer networks.  This research focuses on producer networks within local food systems as a way of promoting products, a region and local economic activity.  Local food products are often produced on small family farms and the farmers often want to differentiate their products and use alternative techniques than those practiced by conventional farmers.  The increasing demand for locally grown produce among certain consumer groups reveals how concerns for local, small scale agriculture, farmland, preservation and open space, and worries about food safety, may begin to shape eating preferences (Jarosz 2000).  By combining local products with the goal of rural development, stakeholders can achieve an increased market activity, promote their product and make a contribution to the sustainable development of the region.

ARPEA I assignment

The objective of this course is to investigate the different concepts involved in the promotion of rural development through the marketing of local food products gathered in producer networks.  The course is preparation for the SED exercise to be conducted onGotland in April 2006.  In order to assist the students in their work during the SED exercise, the ARPEA assignment will cover a number of areas with students being given a choice of different research areas in which to delve.  These topics are:

• Strategy and stakeholder communication – How a company or organisation constructs a strategy for successful development is to be focused on in this paper.  Looking at how stakeholders function and communicate with each other also relates to the methodological approach which is suggested for the SED exercise.  The analysis section should include some the comparison of a number of different strategic methods that could be used for a small organisation.
• Networks – what are networks?  Why are they set up, and what do they do?  The task here is to investigate the theory behind network construction, using existing literature sources.  The investigation should link the network concept development to food and rural communities, although all examples used do not have to be from this sector.  Analysis should include a collation of successful elements that should be included in a network and discuss known barriers to networks.
• Local food systems – What is meant by local and what is a local food system?  Investigate the development of these systems, mapping the social, environmental and economic advantages as listed in the literature, examples may be used to illustrate the text.  The analysis should reveal criteria for a positive local food system in terms of the social, economic and environmental advantages that
• Networks that work!  - This purpose of this assignment is to gather examples from throughout Europe and beyond of successful networks that had as a purpose the promotion of local food and empowerment of local producers.  An analysis of why these networks succeeded and how these winning factors can be transferred to other systems is expected.

The finished report will be handed in according to the guidelines laid down in the ARPEA course guide.  The work is individual but results should be shared with the group during the SED exercise.

SED exercise

A group of 4 students will travel to the island of Gotland off the east coast of Sweden in order to study the networks of local food producers established there.  Prior to the trip, information will be gathered pertaining to the works assignment and initial contact will be made by the group with the Gotland municipality, who are the hosts of the trip.

There are five different networks promoting the food and beverage products made on the island.  The networks pride themselves on producing high quality food products, and many are working using environmentally sound techniques, such as organic techniques.  These five networks are covered by an overarching network called “Goda Gotland”.  When the networks were established the goal of the project group was to “act as catalysts and drivers in the clusters so that the members will be self-sufficient and work towards a common goal”.  It is the observation of the municipality that the business plan of the networks needs to be taken to another level in order for local island products to be successful and compete with products both from and on the mainland.  It has been decided that new opinions and views from outside would be beneficial to find new solutions for better cooperation and possibilities for marketing the products through the networks.  Therefore the goals of the assignment are:

1)      Study the cooperation within the networks and gather the members understanding and wishes regarding what the networks should be achieving.

2)      Create common goals for the networks in order to improve cooperation between members.

3)      Plan how the goals for the networks can be reached and the products marketed.

4)      Reflect over the productions environmental influence on the island and how the networks cooperation can create a more sustainable business activity on the island.

The students will have five days in which to travel around the island and meet actors in the networks and related stakeholders within business and regional development.  They will present their initial findings to the municipality before leaving the island and will present their final report at the IIIEE.  The deadline for handing in the report as well as the page limitations can be found in the guidelines for the course, distributed separately.

References

Fadeeva, Z. (2003). Exploring cross-sectoral collaboration for sustainable development - A case of tourism. IIIEE. Lund, Lund University.

Jarosz, L. (2000). "Understanding agri-food networks as social relations." Agriculture and Human Values 17: 279-283.