Gaining and Maintaining a Competitive Edge: Evidence from CSA Members and Farmers on Local Food Marketing Strategies

Sustainability

StephanieB. Jilcott Pitts¹  Jane Kolodinsky²  Weiwei Wang²  Jared McGuirt³  EmilyH. Morgan⁴  RebeccaA. Seguin⁴  MichelleM. Severs⁴  KarlaL. Hanson⁴  Florence Becot⁵  Alice Ammerman⁶  Marilyn Sitaker⁷ 

[1] Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Lakeside Annex 8, Room 126, 600 Moye Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27834, USA;Center for Rural Studies, University of Vermont, 206 Morrill Hall, Burlington, VT 05405, USA;Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 319 College Avenue, 318 Stone Building, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA;Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Savage Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA;School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 210 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;Schools of Public Health and Medicine, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8140, USA;The Evergreen State College, 2700 Evergreen Pkwy NW, Olympia, WA 98505, USA;

关键词: community-supported agriculture (CSA);    direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing;    local foods;    competition;    alternative food network (AFN);   

DOI  :  10.3390/su10072177

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a widely-used approach for farmers to sell directly to consumers. We used the product, place, price, and promotion (4P) marketing mix framework to examine characteristics that help farms offering CSA maintain member satisfaction and thus competitiveness. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 CSA members and 24 CSA farmers in four states. CSA members additionally completed a modified choice experiment. Qualitative data were coded iteratively, and choice experiment data were summarized and compared across scenarios. CSA members and farmers were motivated by a range of personal, social, environmental, and economic objectives. Members favored high-quality staple vegetables (e.g., lettuce, green beans), ideally produced organically. Trust and a sense of personal connection with the farmer comprised part of the “value added” of CSA participation. Time and location of share pick-up were very important; thus, farmers tried to offer convenient sites or an enriched pick-up experience. Small changes in price appeared unlikely to impact participation among current members. Social networks and word-of-mouth were powerful for marketing, but may limit the ability to reach diverse populations. Future research should examine the ability of CSAs to meet the needs of those who do not currently participate.

【 授权许可】

Unknown