Enhancing public engagement in alternative food networks

Alternative food networks (AFNs), such as farmers markets and community supported agriculture (CSA), are marketing models that shorten the supply chain and aim to offer fair prices, transparency and environmental sustainability. Small and mid-sized farms have higher survival rates when they market directly to consumers, a central feature of AFNs that is fostered by diversified marketing channels and income streams. However, AFNs have not reached beyond a small, saturated niche market, and their growth has plateaued in the past decade. This project aims to identify characteristics of underserved markets and develop strategies that producers can use for engaging a broader customer base.

Project Goals and Research Objectives

The research goal is to enhance farmers' ability to meet diverse consumer needs and preferences and to identify priorities and communication strategies that resonate with a broader audience of New England consumers. The key questions addressed by this research to expand participation in New England AFNs are:

1. What are the food shopping behaviors and values of potential customers who do not currently purchase local foods?
2. How does culture and identity shape food preferences and purchasing behaviors?
3. What are consumers’ perceptions of AFNs?

To answer these questions, a survey was conducted of New England adults with varying levels of engagement in AFNs. The survey, supported by the UNH Survey Center, garnered a total of 2,110 responses and employed a probability-based sampling methodology, allowing the results to be generalizable to all New England adults.

Insights for Broadening Consumer Participation

The survey findings provide information about strategies for increasing consumer participation in AFNs and aiding farmers and practitioners in expanding AFN market reach. Several key points of guidance emerged.

Emphasize important attributes: To appeal to a broader customer base, highlighting attributes such as taste, high quality, healthiness and affordability— which are deemed important by a majority of New England adults—may help AFNs appeal to a broader audience.

Maintain support for small-scale farms: Attributes about how food is grown or the people who grow it, such as grown on a small or family farm are not deemed important by as many New Englanders.

Increase public education: Raising awareness of the benefits associated with small farms may cultivate long-term value recognition by consumers.

Recognize cultural identity and AFNs: Cultural identity, which encompasses how individuals define themselves in relation to different social groups, plays a significant role in shaping food preferences and practices. Recognizing and addressing cultural distinctions within AFNs is pivotal to inclusivity and to serving individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Insights for Marketing Directly to Consumers

The survey results offer valuable insights about marketing food products directly to consumers.

Understand impact of food attributes: Approximately 70% of New England adults consider attributes like taste, quality, healthiness, and affordability as factors when selecting food (Table 1).

Growing practices are important but less than perceived: Attributes related to how food is grown or who grows it—such as organic, small-scale/family farms—and personal connections are only deemed “important” by approximately 30% of New England adults, contrasting with the emphasis often placed on these attributes in AFN marketing.

Self-perception of AFN consumers matters: Consumers are divided about whether they think there is a type of person who buys local foods and where they think of themselves as that type of person (Table 2).

Cultural identity is linked with shopping behavior: New Englanders who prioritize attributes related to how their food is grown also identify themselves as the “type” of person who buys local foods. Those who associate themselves with this type are more likely to perceive their food choices as part of their identity. Furthermore, people who say that they are the “type”, shop at farmers markets, farm stands and CSAs at three times the rate of those who say that they are not the “type”.

Emphasize important attributes: To appeal to a broader customer base, highlighting attributes such as taste, high quality, healthiness and affordability— which are deemed important by a majority of New England adults—may help AFNs appeal to a broader audience.

Exploring Cultural Identity and Food Preferences

The survey findings open avenues for exploring the influence of cultural identity on individuals’ values regarding food. The research highlights that cultural identity significantly shapes food preferences and practices. For example, terms like “locavore” or “foodie” suggest the emergence of a cultural identity rooted in values-based food shopping. While this cultural identity motivates certain individuals to engage with AFNs, it may inadvertently discourage potential customers who do not identify themselves in the same way.

Continued research will include conducting interviews with a diverse range of New England consumers to enable a deeper exploration of the relationships between cultural identity, food preferences and AFN engagement, encompassing the diversity present among New England consumers.

Enhancing public engagement in alternative food networks is vital for promoting sustainable food systems and supporting small and mid-sized farms. By prioritizing attributes that resonate with the broader population and addressing cultural distinctions, AFNs can expand their customer base and increase their impact. The survey findings provide valuable insights for farmers and practitioners, offering a foundation for developing effective strategies to engage diverse consumers in New England.