Engaging Consumers
My name is Jim Steffen. I am developing new finance and marketing tools for "sustainable" food brands. These tools include grower-controlled supply contracts, local investor pools and effective branding.
Farmers and gardeners (both urban and rural) need new financing and marketing services that will convince mainstream consumers to support sustainable food systems and food security in urban and rural communities. Food security and sustainability are closely connected.
Food System Sustainability
At the moment, the words sustainable, local, organic and natural say very little to consumers about long term food security. In addition to convenience and price, sustainably branded foods must offer full value to consumers. This new value proposition will include:
· Steady farm profits
· Living wages, safe working conditions and benefits for field and packinghouse workers
· Competitive returns to investors and landowners
· Effective soil, water and wildlife management
· Healthy, affordable foods
This expanded marketing message must be backed by standard supply contracts between producers and retailers, including grocery stores, cafeterias, and restaurants. Direct contracts between farmers and retailers will help finance sustainable food systems. The credibility of sustainable brands will be supported by bar-coded labels with websites that are backed by on-site verification. On-site verification includes visits to farms, food manufacturers, distributors and retailers. In other words, sustainable brands will require reliable farm-to-consumer tracking.
Financing and Economies-of-Scale
But supply contracts with good marketing are still not enough. Local financing is needed to build economies-of-scale from production through distribution - without undue financial risks to any member of the food chain. One way to achieve this goal is to combine local and regional growers, landowners and investors in new “brand partnerships” that are financed largely by risk capital and income from sales, rather than by loans secured by farm land.
Additional Information
Please contact me at jimsteffen@localfoods.org for additional information and a summary of my qualifications. Consumers, farmers, researchers and members of the food industry are invited to work with me, starting with projects in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area.
I do business as "Massena Farms". This name comes from our Nebraska family farm corporation that owns two small farms in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area. These farms are managed by our business partners. My mother, Clara, and I own the shares in the corporation.
Finally, some readers may remember my late father, Bob Steffen, who managed farms for Father Flanagan at Boys Town where he was one of the early leaders in sustainable agriculture. He was a founding member of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society and one of the early board members of the Center for Rural Affairs of Walthill, Nebraska. After Dad’s retirement from Boys Town, my parents moved to our Bennington farm where Dad produced certified Bio Dynamic grain for specialty markets and fresh vegetables for white tablecloth restaurants in Omaha.
Thank you.