from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
|
|
JAFSCD is the world’s only community-supported journal. JAFSCD content is open access (free) thanks to the generous support of our shareholders: the JAFSCD Shareholder Consortium, Library Shareholders, a growing number of Individual Shareholders, and our six JAFSCD Partners: |
|
|
The COVID-19 pandemic led to numerous economic disruptions in the food system and accelerated the trend toward online sales and marketing use in the U.S. Many direct market farmers (farmers who sell directly to consumers or institutions) leveraged their use of online sales and marketing tools during the early onset of the pandemic to continue selling their products when market channels were disrupted. However, not all farmers had equal access to or interest in using these tools.
In a new JAFSCD article, Online tools helped direct market farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic, but resources are needed for equitable adoption, authors Sasha Pesci, Jennie Durant, Gwyneth M. Manser, Ryan E. Galt, Lauren Asprooth, and Natalia Pinzón examine how California direct market farmers used online sales and marketing during the early onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., from March through December 2020. This article reports findings from an online survey of 364 direct market farmers in California and 33 follow-up interviews.
KEY FINDINGS -
Online sales and marketing tools, such as social media and websites, helped direct market farmers confront the economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- During the pandemic in 2020, direct market farmers who used online sales and marketing were more likely to see an increase in their sales and profits.
-
Many farmers lacked the necessary resources to access these tools and/or use them effectively, and technical assistance providers experienced challenges in helping farmers with online technology use.
-
Direct market farmers need reliable access to the internet, as well as advice, resources, and training to access and benefit from online sales and marketing tools. These resources must be available in languages other than English (e.g., Spanish).
-
Research-informed programs and policies can help direct market farmers navigate online technologies and strengthen their resilience to future economic disruptions.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH
Because direct market farmers require diverse types of online tools for sales and marketing, technical assistance providers should advise farmers on factors to consider (e.g., budget, goals, and time investment) to determine whether an online tool is appropriate for them. -
Technical assistance providers should ensure that farmers have the technical literacy to maintain an online tool before helping them with its adoption.
-
When planning a workshop or training session, facilitators should first assess participants’ skills levels with online technology. In some cases, it might make sense to divide farmers into different groups according to their skill levels. These varied levels could be considered when deciding on the modality of the workshop (virtual or in person).
Given farmers’ varied levels of knowledge, peer-to-peer learning opportunities where more knowledgeable farmers teach online technology skills to novice farmers can be very effective.
Technical assistance programs should consider expanding the availability of resources in languages besides English, and hiring staff who are able to support farmers in different languages. In California, Spanish is especially important because, after English, Spanish it is the second most commonly spoken language among farmers of color and female farmers.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS What resources are needed to close the digital divide for direct market farmers?
When the food system faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic, many direct market farmers turned to online sales and marketing tools to sustain their businesses. But what were the barriers to adoption and which resources are needed to close the digital divide for direct market farmers? This new JAFSCD article delves into California's direct market farmers' experiences from March through December 2020. Insights from this study can guide programs working to strengthen the sustainability and resilience of regional food systems in California and across the United States. Read the full @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.133.020
Photo above: Shoppers at Union Square Greenmarket in New York City in 2021, by Flickr user Peter Burka.
|
|
|
USDA National Agricultural Library Transdisciplinary Approaches webinar series
Tribal Research Partnerships:
Indigenous Agroforestry, Food Security and Sovereignty Wed., May 29, 2:00-3:30 pm ET
Join the USDA for a webinar series highlighting opportunities and challenges of transdisciplinary approaches in Tribal agroforestry and food security research. This webinar is part of the Transdisciplinary Approaches webinar series. (Recordings of previous webinars are here.)
The panel reflects a diversity of Tribal, academic, nongovernmental organization, and USDA transdisciplinary research approaches, and will discuss how and in what ways this research is serving tribal communities and how to overcome challenges. Panelists will share information about what processes foster success among research partnership teams and highlight the role of partners in large-scale projects. To register for the webinar Tribal Research Partnerships: Indigenous Agroforestry, Food Security and Sovereignty, go here.
Moderator/co-organizer: Frank K. Lake, USDA Forest Service Panelists: -
Jennifer Sowerwine, Associate Professor of Cooperative Extension, Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley
-
Vikki Preston, Cultural Resources Tech lll, Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources
-
Heather Rickard, Plants Program Coordinator, Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources
-
Kathy McCovey, Karuk Cultural Practitioner and NIFA AFRI and other food-security project mentor and research partner
-
Stephanie Gutierrez, Forest and Community Program Director, EcoTrust. Current principal investigator for a USDA NIFA-funded and -supported PNW Tribal Agroforestry project
|
Photo above: The aupa (Fremont cottonwood) benefits Indigenous communities in a variety of ways (being used for shelter, medicine, and more). This aupa is at the community garden at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona. Photo taken in 2017 by Amy Christian.
|
|
|
This email is sent to you as a notification of the newest JAFSCD articles and other occasional JAFSCD news. |
|
JAFSCD is an open access, community-supported journal! Your library, program, or organization can become a shareholder to help keep JAFSCD's content available to all, regardless of their resources. We welcome anyone to become an individual shareholder; donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
| |
| |
