Delivering Value: Best Practices for Alternative Models of Sustainable Regional Food Distribution in Canada
| dc.contributor.advisor | MacRae, Roderick | |
| dc.contributor.author | Marsic, Martina | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-02-17T19:25:17Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-02-17T19:25:17Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2018-12-31 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Canadian food producers with annual gross receipts totaling less than $1 million CAD and small to medium-sized farms find it difficult to compete with the conventional food system on price and availability (Stott et al., 2014). The lack of suitable distribution services and sales channels to urban markets (population greater than 100,000 persons) within their region has been a barrier for these producers (Hild, 2009). As a result, such producers are partially or fully excluded from the conventional supply chain and access to local food options is hampered. In the province of British Columbia, as elsewhere in Canada, local producers are challenged to meet the increase in demand for locally and sustainably produced food (Sott et al., 2014b). Challenges in managing the aggregation, marketing and distribution (purchase, storage, transportation and resale) while also scaling up production create additional costs, concern for preservation of producer identity and the potential for increased logistical complexity (Deloitte, 2013). Chefs, consumers, retailers and processors have indicated that the gap in distribution is a barrier to buying local food (Stott et al., 2014b). Analysis of the marketing and distribution activities of successful sustainably-minded regional distribution networks in British Columbia reveal shared best practices that deliver value to producer, buyer and consumer. Primary research supported the following best practices found in secondary literature: Product quality is defined by consumers and paramount to meeting purchase expectations; product differentiation adds value, increasing price premiums for all those involved in its trade; distribution & logistics supports are necessary for producers; and fair & stable pricing enables long-range sales planning and reduces switching costs. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.citation | Major Paper, Master of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10315/38992 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.rights | Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests. | |
| dc.subject | Value chains | en_US |
| dc.subject | Regional food systems | en_US |
| dc.subject | Food distribution | en_US |
| dc.subject | Business | en_US |
| dc.title | Delivering Value: Best Practices for Alternative Models of Sustainable Regional Food Distribution in Canada | en_US |
| dc.type | Major paper | en_US |