Alexandria, Virginia, USA
January 24, 2012
Traditionally, retailers have been considered the gatekeepers of products available for purchase by consumers, but with today’s technology and availability of information consumers are in control, said one expert.
Ted Campbell, Florida Strawberry Growers Association executive director, shared the changing paradigm with attendees of the American Seed Trade Association’s 51st Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference Jan. 23 in Tampa, Florida.
“Before my life at the association, I was a 40-year retailer,” Campbell said. “The science of agriculture was almost completely invisible to me and it certainly was for consumers. But when you created something good for my customers, I tried to jump all over it.”
Campbell explained that as a retailer he was in control of which products got placed and which ones didn’t.
Currently in the value chain, there is a hierarchy of conflicting priorities, Campbell said.
“As seed companies, you rely on growers to adopt your technologies,” he explained. “Those growers rely on retailers to place the product and if the stars and moon all align, it ends up being a good product and everyone gets to profit.”
Priorities for producers include productivity, optimum timing of harvest, disease resistance, using fewer inputs and a better return on investment, Campbell said. Priorities for consumers include flavor, appearance, taste, nutritional value, shelf life and year-round availability.
“As you can see, it is difficult for plant breeders to please both the producer and consumer,” Campbell said. “Many fruits have an early maturing variety, which means that producers would typically get a premium for these plants, so there is an incentive there.
“However, these varieties typically have less flavor and color. Basically, the farmer makes more money selling a product that disappoints the consumer.”
The question is how growers get a premium for their product without disappointing the consumer. The answer, Campbell says, is to go straight to the consumer.
“Constant innovation is the lifeblood of our farms,” he said. “Today’s media is quick to embrace new flavors and where your food comes from. We’ve got online blogs, websites, real-time information, increasing popularity in farmers markets and consumer supported agriculture.
“Could today’s rapid information network and growing consumer fascination stimulate enough interest to eliminate the gatekeeper,” Campbell asked.
He said media and consumers are hungry for such information.
“I spent many years explaining to my customers why the color of tomatoes is what it is and while they understood it, they didn’t much like it.”
There have been many new varieties of vegetables and fruits produced, but retailers have shown resistance thinking that consumers would not be willing to pay the premium price, Campbell said. Therefore, these products never got placed. The fact of the matter is consumers can get a flavorful tomato as long as they are willing to pay the price.
“While you may have a great product, if you are ahead of the market, there is no market. Consumers must be willing to embrace the concept,” Campbell noted.
He said the topic from farm to fork and the eat fresh/local is hot.
“Chefs on food channels are now rock stars,” he said. “QR (quick response) codes that instantly link consumers back to a website with the pick date, recipes and information about the farm are a great tool.
“Consumers want information and consumer information is a powerful tool. Today we have the technology to cost effectively provide more information to the consumer and eliminate gatekeepers.”
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