from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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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: |
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In the evolving landscape of direct marketing, direct-to-retail sales are gaining traction but remain underutilized by small food stores, such as convenience stores. These stores are a mainstay of food retail outside of urban centers, making their procurement of local, fresh foods important for increasing fresh produce consumption among their customers. Additionally, due to their size, small food stores are uniquely positioned to purchase from local farmers who may not produce in quantities large enough to supply major retailers.
In a newly published JAFSCD article, Exploring barriers and facilitators to direct-to-retail sales channels: Farmers’ perspectives on wholesaling produce to small food retailers in Charles County, Maryland, authors Thomas, Lewis, Poirier, Williamson, Xie, Lightner, and Gittelsohn present formative research on a mobile application designed to bridge the gap between small food retailers and small to midsized local producers. This app addresses the underutilization of direct-to-retail sales channels in small food stores by providing a platform to facilitate these transactions. Corresponding author Audrey Thomas can be contacted at athom203@jh.edu
The article features descriptive data from small stores in Charles County, Maryland, paired with qualitative insights from local farmers already engaged in direct-to-retail sales. The findings offer a view of current local food procurement practices, which will guide the app's ongoing development and future implementation in Charles County, Maryland.
KEY FINDINGS
Store offerings: -
Produce stocking was low, suggesting minimal direct produce procurement. Of the 7 stores included in the research, 2 offered fresh vegetables and 4 offered fresh fruit.
- Bananas and limes were the most commonly stocked produce items, which cannot be procured locally.
Farmer-identified facilitators to participating in direct-to-retail sales to small stores: - Charles County's involvement in the national local food movement.
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Farmers’ existing and positive relationships with local businesses in the area.
- Farmers' willingness to collaborate with store owners to simplify the stocking of their products.
- Farmers’ commitment to food access and promoting healthy eating.
Farmer-identified barriers to participating in direct-to-retail sales to small stores: - The perceived impact of COVID-19 on small stores that might have been interested in direct purchasing.
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Farmers’ inability to compete with the price and convenience offered by larger wholesalers.
- The time-consuming nature of direct-to-retail sales.
- The niche and seasonal nature of the products marketed by participating farmers.
INSIGHTS GAINED FROM FORMATIVE RESEARCH App suitability for the context of Charles County, Maryland: -
We believe that the BUD app is an appropriate intervention for small food retailers and small to midsized producers in Charles County. The stores in our sample lacked the infrastructure to support typical wholesale produce quantities, making the BUD app a valuable tool for connecting them with local producers on an as-needed basis.
Potential uses for the BUD app in Charles County, Maryland: -
Most stores in the sample did not participate in the SNAP and WIC programs, which have specific produce stocking requirements. The BUD app could assist stores wishing to participate in SNAP and WIC by connecting them to local produce suppliers, helping them meet the required standards, increase access to healthy foods, and gain an additional revenue stream.
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Farmers indicated that consumers often lack knowledge about local and seasonal foods. The BUD app could include a consumer-facing component with educational modules about locally sourced foods, enhancing consumer awareness and supporting stores using the app for procurement.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
Direct-to-retail sales are on the rise as a popular marketing channel for farmers, but convenience stores and small food retailers are not yet common sources of local foods. A new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health explores formative research in Charles County, Maryland, on a mobile app designed to bridge this gap. The app aims to help these stores source fresh, local foods — increasing access to healthy options in non-urban areas and supporting local farmers.
#localfood #directsales #app #conveniencestores #smallfoodretailers #Maryland
Read the @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.141.003 |
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Logo, above left: The BUD app logo.
Photo, above right: Fresh, healthy alternatives at a convenience store in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Photo in the Flickr album Seeing Green in Detroit's Corner Stores by Mode Shift Move Together; used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.
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Reviewing and Evaluating Transdisciplinary and Engaged Research Projects: Perspectives from Funding Programs Wed., Dec. 11, 2024, 1:00–2:30 pm ET
Details and register HERE |
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As more research funding agencies begin to support the use of transdisciplinary and engaged research practices in their programs, to help generate tangible, positive societal impacts, we can take advantage of opportunities to learn from programs that have been early adopters of these modes of research. The increased emphasis on engagement throughout the research process is helping to shine a light on the importance of partnerships, relationships, and trust in moving research into practice and policy.
Yet identifying these intangible characteristics in proposals and project reports is not always a straightforward process. In this webinar, we will hear from program leaders who have been soliciting, reviewing, funding, and evaluating transdisciplinary and engaged research for several years. They will share what they have learned about crafting requests for proposals to encourage the inclusion of transdisciplinary research practices, how their programs review and rate proposals, and the criteria and tools they use to evaluate the outcomes of individual projects and the impacts of their programs.
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Speakers:
Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, U.S. Geological Survey North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (NC CASC) Maeghan Brass, University of Michigan Water Center Charlotte Hudson, Pew Charitable Trusts Molly Hunter, Joint Fire Science Program
Moderator:
Alison M. Meadow, University of Arizona, Office of Societal Impact |
POSITION OPENING FROM JAFSCD SHAREHOLDER
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The successful candidate will develop and lead externally funded research and extension programs that support and strengthen the viability of the New Jersey agricultural sector and individual farms. Through active engagement with the agricultural community, the Specialist will identify existing and emerging opportunities and needs, conduct applied research to assess what technical assistance and policies would help farmers take advantage of these opportunities, and provide educational outreach in the agricultural community across different scales of operation, commodities, and production systems.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO APPLY |
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