chapter 3 inventory of local food systems

Project CP/59 - “Instruments and institutions to develop local food systems”
production costs? How should the cost of a product be calculated? This problem is
concretised in the weekly composition of the vegetable boxes, as consumers are still
free to choose the producer they will buy from.
The second dilemma is the tension between the individual visions of the farmers and the
shared vision of the cooperative. The cooperative’s success depends on the degree to
which these coincide. Similar tensions have led to a break out from the original group of
farmers. But also in the current, smaller group there is no full understanding of each
other’s vision. This leads to underinvestment in the collective of both time and money,
and a stagnation of the initiative. Hence, the degree to which the vision is shared will
also determine the depth of the collaboration.
The third dilemma is the contradiction between fast and slow. Of course this is related
to the previous dilemma, as a shared vision will speed up the action. Taking time in the
beginning to build trust is necessary for building effective teams and a shared vision.
However, when in meetings the social aspects tend to dominate, decisions are
postponed leading to inaction.
4.3.2. Case B: Meat marketing cooperative
Case B is a cooperative of five farmers selling meat through box schemes and an internet
shop. Individually, some of the farmers also use various other marketing channels. Five
breeders (pigs, cattle, poultry, rabbits and sheep) using alternative methods to produce
high quality meat established the cooperative in 2002 to market their niche products.
The breeders were supported by an NGO that coordinated a box scheme. The
cooperative collects orders, buys animals from the cooperative members, has them
slaughtered, has the meat processed by a hired boucher and sells the meat directly to
the consumer. The cooperative members contribute in the packaging of the meat and
transportation of the animals and the meat. In 2004 the NGO and the cooperative
jointly created a label and a webshop in the framework of the a government funded
project. We distinguished four sets of dillemas for this cooperative.
The first dilemma is the tension between pioneers and followers. This dilemma is similar
but not quite the same as the dilemma fast-slow in case A. To capture scale economies
the cooperative needs to grow and take further steps. Different risk profiles of the
members leads to different opinions with respect to development of the cooperative.
But, the fact that pioneers invest more resources (money and time) in the cooperative
without necessarily reaping the benefits of those resources leads to tension.
The second dilemma is the choice between a formal/strict approach versus an informal/
pragmatic one. Informal rules built in an environment of trust leads to more flexibility
and thus potentially to more profit. However, the heterogeneity of the farms in terms of
production practices and the introduction of newcomers may lead to tension and, as a
result, to the introduction of formal rules or the formalisation of existing rules. Examples
of this include labour input, cost sharing and profit allocation.
The third dilemma refers to the individual-collective paradox, as in case A. The
confrontation of the self-interest of the individual farmers with the interest of the
SPSD II - Part I - Sustainable production and consumption patterns - Agro-Food 63