Embedding Diversity: Communication and Label Concept for Underutilized Crops – Checklist for your First Evaluation

Summary

There are some very successful cases of marketing of underutilized crops in European countries. Examples are the marketing of rare varieties in Austrian and Swiss supermarkets. Other examples are market initiatives in Spain, France, or Italy, selling local produces and processed foods in specialised shops, at farmers markets, or directly at the farm. A consumer survey was conducted in 2017 in France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland during DIVERSIFOOD project in order to gain additional data on such examples; and Rossi et al. (2016)1 developed the DIVERSIFOOD Case Study Framework.
Among others an objective of these studies was to identify some best-case examples for the use of a trademark, label or logo and the related communication strategies. Then a flagship approach to communicate the benefits of underutilized crops by means of a label should be developed.
The studies identified many individual approaches of the various marketing initiatives, each based on slightly different secrets of success. Within the DIVERSIFOOD consortium it was concluded that there’s no sense in defining a single best-label flagship approach; instead, a concept should give an idea of the possibilities to communicate the value of agrobiodiversity to consumers.
This concept is the resulting outcome. It provides a structured approach for networks an market initiatives to evaluate whether a label for underutilized crops is feasible, and wheter it is in line with theire values and aims or not, and what the premises for the communication strategy are for those underutilized crops. This concept provides a general idea about topics that should be considered. The result could be the introduction of a label or the abandonment of introducing a label.
In the beginning of such an evaluation there are most likely existing underutilized crops, that is, genetic resources, such as old, locally, and newly bred underutilized varieties, as well as some products or product ideas derived from these crops.
The main target groups of this concept are farmers involved in participatory breeding, seed savers, seed networks and communities, foundations, and breeders of underutilized crops, as well as partners of such genetic resources. Moreover, the concept could be interesting for initiatives and organizations that consider the integration of underutilized crops in their existing label; however there is no specific treatment of this topic in the concept.
The concept should be considered as the first step in the evaluation of a new label. The treated topics might also hint on further considerations when developing a successful marketing initiative. However, the concept focuses mainly on two points:
1. Introduction of a label2, a logo, a trademark or similar and some implications
2. Communication tools and communication contents for products of underutilized crops