consultation report artisanal agriculture and premium food...
TRANSCRIPT
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Prepared for: Agriculture Victoria, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR)
Consultation report
– Artisanal
Agriculture and
Premium Food
program
Level 1, 357 Camberwell Rd, Camberwell, Victoria 3124
(03) 9882 2670 – rmcg.com.au
Table of Contents
Introduction and context 2
PURPOSE OF THIS CONSULTATION SUMMARY 2
CONSULTATION OBJECTIVES 2
CONSULTATION ACTIVITIES 3
CONSULTATION FORMAT 3
COMMON CONSULTATION THEMES 3
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 1
Limitations of use
This report has been prepared for Agriculture Victoria as part of its Artisanal Agriculture and Premium Food program.
The report presents the views of those who participated in consultation activities and is not intended to be a
comprehensive reflection or representation of all producers or businesses that operate in the sector.
Every effort has been made to ensure the report accurately reflects the discussions, comments and contributions, made
during the consultation activities, it is not intended to be a transcript of all discussions.
This report complements other activities undertaken by Agriculture Victoria to seek views from the sector.
No responsibility or liability can be taken for errors or omissions, or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report
by any third party.
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 2
Introduction and context
P U R P O S E O F T H I S C O N S U L T A T I O N S U M M A R Y
During June and July of 2018, Agriculture Victoria hosted a series of nine independently facilitated consultation sessions
to help determine the best way of supporting the growth of Victoria’s artisanal agriculture and premium food sector.
Participant views were captured throughout a series of round table discussions, then collated and categorised into
common themes. This report outlines those main themes.
While considerable effort has been made to ensure the consultation report accurately reflects the participant notes of
their discussions, this report is not intended to be a transcript of those conversations.
C O N S U L T A T I O N O B J E C T I V E S
The consultation objectives were to:
▪ Get sector input into program design
▪ Promote services, programs and planning reforms and identify gaps
▪ Provide an opportunity for networking.
The intended outcomes of the consultation were that:
▪ Forums influence program design
▪ Forums connect regional businesses to government services
▪ Forums capture a diversity of views to ensure the program suits different needs of the sector.
The primary target audiences for participation in the consultation activity were:
▪ Existing artisanal producers
▪ Existing producer groups or networks
▪ Market networks.
The secondary target audience included:
▪ Restauranteurs
▪ Tourism operators
▪ Local Government representatives
▪ Consultants / advisors
▪ Local Members of Parliament (MPs).
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 3
C O N S U L T A T I O N A C T I V I T I E S
The workshops were hosted in a variety of regional areas as shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Workshop schedule and participation
LOCATION DATE PARTICIPATION #
Bendigo 12 June 2018 24
Mornington 18 June 2018 28
Meeniyan 20 June 2018 21
Daylesford 25 June 2018 39
Timboon 26 June 2018 28
Avenel 2 July 2018 23
Beechworth 3 July 2018 35
Mildura 11 July 2018 20
Woodend 16 July 2018 25
C O N S U L T A T I O N F O R M A T
Following a brief overview of the program and associated funding opportunities by Agriculture Victoria representatives,
participants heard from a local producer about their ‘in business’ experiences.
Participants were then invited to have a series of group conversations at their tables to cover the following:
▪ What does artisanal agriculture mean for you?
▪ What are the future challenges and opportunities for your business and the sector?
▪ What type of government support would assist to bridge gaps?
Each group captured its collective thoughts on a large notes page. Participants were also encouraged to complete
individual responses on personal notes pages for the same questions.
Following each discussion round, participants from each group were invited to share their main points with the audience.
The points raised from this ‘popcorn’ style feedback were captured by Agriculture Victoria staff.
C O M M O N C O N S U L T A T I O N T H E M E S
The ‘popcorn’ feedback responses were aggregated across all workshops to highlight the commonalities in discussions.
The ‘Word Clouds’1 (Figure 1 to Figure 4 below) reflect the relative frequency of these comments when aggregated
across all workshops. Each Word Cloud has a supporting table that shows the distribution of themes across the various
workshops.
The themes identified across these four Word Clouds have then been used to categorise the feedback from group
discussions as recorded on the participant notes pages. Part 2 and 3 of this report outline the participant comments
attributed to each theme.
1 A ‘Word Cloud’ an image composed of words in which the size of each word indicates its relative frequency.
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 4
W H A T I S A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E ?
The Word Cloud in Figure 1 below shows that across the workshops participants used a range of words to describe
what artisanal agriculture meant to them. Artisanal agriculture was consistently, but not exclusively, described as being
a niche product generally produced on a small-scale in an ethical and sustainable way; which when sold direct to the
customer allowed for customers to connect to, and experience, the authenticity of, and story behind, the product in a
way that provided direct value to both the producer and consumer.
Figure 1: Word Cloud showing the most commonly discussed characteristics of artisanal agriculture
Participant comments about Experience / connection generally referred to the personal interaction between consumer
and producer and the opportunity for consumers to be able to deal directly and personally with the producer and
experience the place, produce and process.
Participant comments about Small-scale generally referred to production being local, with a focus on homemade rather
than commercial mass production, where products were not seen as a commodity.
Participant comments about Value add generally related to the value of the goods going direct to the producer / farmer, the inherent value of healthy food, the variety and vertical integration opportunities; as well a reference to how items were processed such as specialist cheesemaking and curing meats.
Participant comments about Niche related to products being seen as unique, boutique, specialty products that were handmade.
Participant comments about Sustainable / ethical related to the processes and practices of production that considered
seasonality, environmental and social (ethical) considerations.
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 5
Characteristics of artisanal agriculture
The frequency table below was used to create the Word Cloud in Figure 1. Table 2 below shows the main themes for
the characteristics of ‘artisanal agriculture’ generated from participant discussions. It also shows the frequency with
which these characteristics were shared across the various workshops during the post discussion ‘popcorn’ feedback.
Table 2: Characteristics of artisanal agriculture
CHARACTERISTIC
FR
EQ
UE
NC
Y
BE
ND
IGO
*
MO
RN
ING
TO
N
ME
EN
IYA
N
DA
YL
ES
FO
RD
TIM
BO
ON
AV
EN
EL
BE
EC
HW
OR
TH
MIL
DU
RA
WO
OD
EN
D
Experience / connection
18 3 1 3 3 3 2 3
Small-scale 16 3 3 1 1 4 2 2
Value add 14 1 6 1 2 1 3
Niche 12 4 2 2 1 2 1
Sustainable / ethical
11 3 2 3 3
Story 9 1 1 3 1 1 1 1
Authentic / traceable
7 3 3 1
Provenance 7 2 1 1 1 1 1
Quality 7 1 1 1 3 1
Skill / craft 7 2 2 1 2
Traditional 6 1 3 1 1
Whole process 5 3 1 1
Artistic 4 2 1 1
Ownership 4 3 1
Passion 3 1 1 1
Handmade 2 1 1
Recipe Freedom 2 2
* Bendigo Workshop – popcorn feedback was limited to the last discussion question at this workshop.
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 6
S E C T O R C H A L L E N G E S
The Word Cloud in Figure 2 below shows that across the workshops participants used a range of words to explain the
types of challenges the ‘artisanal agriculture’ sector experiences.
The top challenges were consistently, but not exclusively, described as being:
▪ Navigating the red tape of the regulatory framework with its numerous requirements, authorities and standardised
‘one-size first all’ approach that benefits the larger scale rather than smaller local producer
▪ Attracting and retaining a secure, quality labour force
▪ Product distribution with lack of easily accessible supply chain logistics (including roads)
▪ Irregular cash flow and lack of capital to invest in their business in order to scale up
▪ The challenges of branding the sector and its products as ‘artisanal’ when the term is often seen as being mis-used
and over-used by commercial scale operators and multinationals resulting in a loss of real meaning.
Across the workshops there was consistency in describing sector challenges except for those related to the use of the
word artisanal being seen as problematic. This was for different reasons at different workshops. For some, using
‘artisanal’ to represent an agricultural sub-sector or group did not make sense, with a suggestion that ‘artisan’ was a
word better suited to describing an individual. For others, there was no resonance with the word which was described
as a ‘nothing’ word, a ‘yuppy’ word that is difficult to pronounce.
Figure 2: Word Cloud showing the most commonly discussed sector challenges for artisanal agriculture
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 7
The frequency table below was used to create the Word Cloud in Figure 2. The table below (Table 3) shows the main
themes for the types of sector based challenges as generated from participant discussions. It also shows the frequency
with which they were shared across the various workshops during the popcorn feedback.
Table 3: Types of sector-based challenges
THEMES
FR
EQ
UE
NC
Y
BE
ND
IGO
*
MO
RN
ING
TO
N
ME
EN
IYA
N
DA
YL
ES
FO
RD
TIM
BO
ON
AV
EN
EL
BE
EC
HW
OR
TH
MIL
DU
RA
WO
OD
EN
D
Regulations 18 1 3 3 3 2 2 4
Labour 7 5 2
Artisanal branding 6 2 1 2 1
Distribution 6 1 1 1 3
Grants access 5 1 1 3
Marketing 5 1 1 1 2
Consumer awareness 4 1 1 1 1
Infrastructure access 4 1 2 1
Production costs 4 1 1 1 1
Scale 4 1 1 2
Capital 3 2 1
Climate change 3 2 1
Non-regional categorisation
3 3
Ag Education 2 1 1
Business skills 2 1 1
Labelling 2 1 1
Land access 2 1 1
Market access 2 1 1
Price point 2 1 1
Representation 2 1 1
Seasonality 2 1 1
Resources 1 1
‘Small’ business 1 1
Support for domestic production
1 1
Technology access 1 1
Water access 1 1
* Bendigo Workshop – popcorn feedback was limited to the last discussion question at this workshop
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 8
S E C T O R O P P O R T U N I T I E S
The Word Cloud in Figure 3 below shows that across the workshops participants used a range of words to explain the
types of opportunities they see for the sector.
The top opportunities were consistently, but not exclusively, described as being the potential:
▪ To better capitalise on growing consumer interest in what they eat, where their food comes from and how it is
produced
▪ For government to review and implement scale appropriate regulation, recognising that a one-size fits all is not
equitable
▪ To educate consumers to understand the production process, its true cost of production and the benefits
▪ To raise the profile of the sector by promoting agri-tourism opportunities where the story of food is a key feature.
Figure 3: Word Cloud showing the most commonly discussed sector opportunities for artisanal agriculture
The frequency table below was used to create the Word Cloud in Figure 3 above. The table below (Table 4) shows the
main themes for the types of sector based opportunities generated from participant discussions. It also shows the
frequency with which they were shared across the various workshops during the popcorn feedback.
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 9
Table 4: Typed of sector-based opportunities
THEME
FR
EQ
UE
NC
Y
BE
ND
IGO
*
MO
RN
ING
TO
N
ME
EN
IYA
N
DA
YL
ES
FO
RD
TIM
BO
ON
AV
EN
EL
BE
EC
HW
OR
TH
MIL
DU
RA
WO
OD
EN
D
Consumer interest 6 1 2 1 2
Regulation 6 1 2 3
Consumer
education 5 1 2 1 1
Agri-tourism 3 1 1 1
Collaboration 3 1 1 1
Government
advocacy 3 1 2
Shared resources 3 2 1
Knowledge
sharing 2 1 1
Local economies 2 1 1
Local networks 2 2
Logistics 2 1 1
Marketing 2 1 1
Certification 1 1
Distribution 1 1
Flexibility 1 1
Food culture 1 1
Funding 1 1
Health 1 1
Mobile processing 1 1
Paddock to plate 1 1
Pricing 1 1
Storytelling 1 1
Strategy 1 1
Technology 1 1
Vic Food Bowl 1 1
* Bendigo Workshop – popcorn feedback was limited to the last discussion question at this workshop.
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 1 0
S U G G E S T E D G O V E R N M E N T S U P P O R T F O R T H E S E C T O R
The Word Cloud in Figure 4 shows that across the workshops participants used a range of words to explain the types
of sector support they would like to see from government.
The top suggestions were consistently, but not exclusively, described as being:
▪ Improved access to grant funding with easier application processes and lower thresholds
▪ Flexible, tailored assistance specific to individual business needs
▪ A more streamlined regulatory framework that is scale appropriate
▪ Better access to shared infrastructure (processing plant) as well as to centralised information and training and
mentoring opportunities to build business skills and knowledge.
Figure 4: Word Cloud showing the most commonly discussed suggestions for government support for the sector
The frequency table below was used to create the Word Cloud in Figure 4. The following table (Table 5) shows the main
themes for the types of suggestions for how government could better support the sector as generated from participant
discussions. It also shows the frequency with which they were shared across the various workshops during the popcorn
feedback.
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 1 1
Table 5: Suggestions for government support for the sector
THEME
FR
EQ
UE
NC
Y
BE
ND
IGO
MO
RN
ING
TO
N
ME
EN
IYA
N
DA
YL
ES
FO
RD
TIM
BO
ON
AV
EN
EL
BE
EC
HW
OR
TH
MIL
DU
RA
WO
OD
EN
D
Funding / grants 12 2 2 2 3 1 2
Flexible tailored help 11 7 1 3
Access shared infrastructure 9 3 1 2 2 1
Training mentoring 9 1 1 1 1 3 2
Streamlined regulation 7 1 1 1 3 1
Foster innovation 4 2 2
Regional officers 4 1 1 1 1
Information hub 3 1 1 1
Support existing initiatives 3 1 1 1
Ag Education 2 2
Change ‘non-regional’ definition 2 2
Consumer awareness 2 1 1
Labelling laws 2 2
Regulatory body 2 2
Representative body 2 1 1
Support local food 2 1 1
Certification 1 1
Collaboration 1 1
Define ‘artisanal’ 1 1
Land access 1 1
Networking 1 1
One government approach 1 1
Pest and weed management 1 1
Technology support 1 1
Water security 1 1
C O N S U L T A T I O N R E P O R T – A R T I S A N A L A G R I C U L T U R E A N D P R E M I U M F O O D P R O G R A M 1 2
This report has been prepared by:
RM Consulting Group Pty Ltd trading as RMCG
Level 1, 357 Camberwell Rd, Camberwell, Victoria 3124
(03) 9882 2670 — rmcg.com.au — ABN 73 613 135 247
Offices in Bendigo, Melbourne, Torquay and Penguin (Tasmania)
▪