Sustainable food systems: Exploring a research agenda for organic and local food webs in Australia

Transcription

1 Sustainable food systems: Exploring a research agenda for organic and local food webs in Australia Dr David Pearson Presentation to Human Ecology Forum Fenner School of Environment Australian National University 23 October 2009

2 Overview of presentation Background Sustainable food consumers Sustainable food - distribution Organic food systems Local food webs Research agenda for Australia

3 Sustainable academic life The horse: God s gift to mankind or dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle?

4 Sustainable family life

5 Global context World food supply challenge of producing more from less

6 Food supply chains Food service sector food away from home Grocery sales - food at home Supermarket chains dominate or

7 Research expertise sustainable consumption Niche food networks Not well understood as under researched Area of innovation Niche today mainstream tomorrow??? Organic and local offer alternative, or complimentary, food webs

8 Complimentary food webs National food security contribution including food democracy system resilience Consumers Reengagement with food supply Sustainable consumption gateway Part of transition to low carbon future

9 Sustainable food consumers Modern man has built a system of production that ravishes nature and mutates man. (Schumacher, 1974)

10 Sustainable food consumers If organic products are better for consumers, and better for the environment, why are sales only 2%?

11 Consumers - conclusions Black box of human decision making 93% understand organic, 40% buy, 1% market share Context of buyer decision very complex Publications: Pearson, D Organic fresh fruit and vegetable purchases: Buyer s selection of retail outlet and evaluation of individual products. PhD Thesis, University of New England, Australia. Pearson, D. 2003, Fresh fruits and vegetables: Why do so many of them remain unbranded? Australian Agribusiness Review, vol. 11, no. 6, pp Pearson, D. 2002, Marketing organic food: Who buys it and what do they purchase? Food Australia, vol. 54, no. 1, pp

12 Sustainable food - distribution We used to be hunter-gatherers, now we're shopper-borrowers. (Williams, 2009)

13 Sustainable food - retailing Community based food co-op Research Pearson, D. and Henryks, J. 2008, Marketing organic products: Exploring some of the pervasive issues Journal of Food Products Marketing, vol. 14, no 4, pp Pearson, D., Henryks, J. and Moffitt, E What do buyers really want when they purchase organic foods? An investigation using product attributes. Journal of Organic Systems, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1-9.

14 Sustainable food supply chain Community based food co-op with $700,000 T/O Research Pearson, D., Henryks, J., Jones, P., Parker, G., Trott, A., Dumaresq, D. and Dyball, R. Under review Innovative local food retail outlets: Understanding consumer motivations. British Food Journal.

15 Sustainable food - production $100 million program over 4 years, 1000 projects Research grants Growing True Food Co-ops Local Roots. Local Food Consortium for $ Master Gardeners Programme - developing the model. Local Food Consortium for $

16 Sustainable food household engagement Charity with 40,000 members and $10m T/O Research Reinvigorating rural communities in Warwickshire. European Union LEADER for $ GO 2007 Measuring your Garden Footprint Garden Organic

17 Sustainable food research group Australian Organic Industry Research Group Collaboration of academics, farmers, retailers and activists Research BFA 2008 Australian Organic Market Report.

18 Local food Local food sector reducing food miles Developing rapidly, eg in UK Increasing demand from consumers Support from charities, celebrity endorsements Schemes funding community led initiatives Local food buying offers a leisurely and pleasurable alternative to the generally convenient but dull supermarket shopping

19 Local food supply chains UK Australia Farmers Markets Retail food Co-ops Box schemes Farm Shops CSA Supermarkets Gardens

20 Principles of organic agriculture Health: soil, plant, animal, human, and planet Ecology: work with natural systems Fairness: equity, respect, stewardship to all Care: precautionary to environment and people (International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements - IFOAM)

21 Organic food in Australia full product range niche market (1.5%) fresh fruits and vegetables are key $5 per person/week (cf. alcohol $10) minimal imports (6%), minimal home-grown (2%?) many consumers buy organic food more healthy higher quality protection of the environment less important

22 Research agenda - policy Justify perceived sustainability benefits Identify the environmental, social and economic benefits of organic, and local, food Identify production capacity from local, and organic, food Maintain credibility with customers Develop some form of consumer assurance for localness of foods Others

23 Research agenda - practice Marketing organic food Explore the gap between consumer perceptions and scientific research on the health benefits of organic food Understanding consumer switching behaviour between organic and conventional products Do organic food purchases contribute to sustainability transitions? Others

24 Research agenda - practice (cont.) Marketing local food Identifying key success factors for local food networks in Australia Explore the possibility of providing a clearer definition of local food Measure size of local food sector, including production from gardens Others

25 Questions and comments

26 Bibliography Marketing organic food articles by Dr David Pearson Pearson, D., Schoen, V., Fearne, A., Henryks, J., and Jones, H. Under review Organic Food: What we know (and don t know) about consumers. British Food Journal. Pearson, D. In press Exploring shopping behaviour to improve marketing of organic fruits ACTA Horticulturae. Pearson, D. and Henryks, J. 2008, Marketing organic products: Exploring some of the pervasive issues Journal of Food Products Marketing, vol. 14, no 4, pp Pearson, D., Henryks, J. and Moffitt, E What do buyers really want when they purchase organic foods? An investigation using product attributes. Journal of Organic Systems, vol. 2, no. 1, pp Lockie, S., Halpin, D. and Pearson, D Understanding the market for organic food. In: Kristiansen, P., Taji, A. and Reganold, J. (eds.) Organic Agriculture: A Global Perspective CSIRO Publishing, Sydney. pp Pearson, D. 2003, Fresh fruits and vegetables: Why do so many of them remain unbranded? Australian Agribusiness Review, vol. 11, no. 6, pp Pearson, D. 2002, Marketing organic food: Who buys it and what do they purchase? Food Australia, vol. 54, no. 1, pp Neeson, R. and Pearson, D. (Eds.) 1998, Marketing Organic and Bio-dynamic Products Conference, NSW Department of Agriculture, Sydney.

27 Bibliography (cont.) Local food Articles by Dr David Pearson Pearson, D., Henryks, J., Jones, P., Parker, G., Trott, A., Dumaresq, D. and Dyball, R. Under review Innovative local food retail outlets: Understanding consumer motivations. British Food Journal. Pearson, D. and Bailey, A Sustainable horticultural supply chains: The case of local food networks in the UK. ACTA Horticulturae, vol. 821, pp Websites relevant to organisations discussed in the presentation Australian Organic Industry Research Group (ORG) Garden Organic International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements Local Food Consortium Soil Association Transition towns True Food Co-op