The market valorisation of ‘diverse food products’ is crucial to increase diversity in farming systems. It involves multiple actors, from the field to the table, and requires an integrated approach to take into account several dimensions involved

D'Amico, S.

Kovács, T.

Oehen, B.

Rossi, A.

English

Organic Eprints

									Why	a	valorisation	strategy?	The	 enhancement	 of	 agrobiodiversity	 builds	 on	 the	social	 acknowledgment	 of	 its	 multiple	 values	(environmental,	 ethical	 and	 cultural	 values),	 in	 all	 their	manifestations,	 from	 the	 agro-ecological	 systems	 to	 the	diet	 patterns.	 In	 this	 regard,	 the	 appreciation	 of	 the	‘diverse	food	products’	in	the	consumption	practices	is	crucial.	The	DIVERSIFOOD	project	has	considered	the	promotion	and	valorisation	of	these	products	in	the	market	as	an	integral	part	of	a	broader,	collective	action	aimed	at	strengthening	and	promoting	the	whole	 production-consumption	 systems	 based	 on	 more	 diverse	 genetic	 resources,	 thus	guaranteeing	their	sustainable	use.	The	definition	and	implementation	of	a	valorisation	strategy	is	therefore	considered	as	a	multi-actor	 process,	 based	 on	 the	 interaction	 among	 the	 various	 actors	 involved	 in	 breeding,	 farming,	processing	 and	 consumption	 of	 the	 final	 products.	 Connection	 with	 similar	 pathways	 may	 offer	further	opportunities	to	broader	actions	of	agrobiodiversity	valorisation.	A	multi-actor	and	multi-dimensional	process	DIVERSIFOOD	 has	 described	 the	 valorisation	 strategy	 as	 composed	 of	 five	 action	 areas	 closely	interdependent:		• mobilisation	 of	 genetic	 resources:	 actions	 aimed	 at	 knowing	 and	 managing	 the	 varieties	relevant	 for	 local	 farming	 and	 consumption	systems;	• definition	of	specific	quality:	actions	to	identify	and	codify	the	attributes	of	diverse	products;	• marketing	 and	 communication:	 choices	 and	tools	 to	 manage	 products	 in	 the	 market	 and	convey	 values	 embodied	 in	 products	 and	productions	systems;	• integration	 with	 other	 projects:	 inter-connections	 with	 other	 projects/strategies,	 at	local	and	broader	scale;	• effectiveness	 and	 sustainability:	 capacity	 of	the	 initiatives	 to	 contribute	 to	 agrobiodiversity	enhancement,	and	to	last	over	time.			DIVERSIFOOD INNOVATION FACTSHEET #12, February 2018 AT	FIRST	GLANCE	The	market	valorisation	of	‘diverse	food	products’	is	crucial	to	increase	diversity	in	farming	systems.	It	involves	multiple	actors,	from	the	field	to	the	table,	and	requires	an	integrated	approach	to	take	into	account	several	dimensions	involved.		BUILDING	VALORISATION	STRATEGIES	FOR	BIODIVERSE	PRODUCTS	–	THE	APPROACH			The	 valorisation	 strategy	 is	 also	 seen	 as	 a	 multi-dimensional	 process.	 Understanding	 the	functioning	of	each	stage	of	the	valorisation	process	and	the	ways	it	can	effectively	work	implies	to	take	into	consideration	several	aspects:		 •technicalities	 and	 knowledge	 around	 the	implementation	 of	 activities	 and	 processes	 that	 are	completely	or	to	a	certain	extent	new;	•	organisational	issues	associated	with	the	-interaction	among	the	various	actors	involved;		•institutional	 elements	 mobilised	 to	 manage	 the	various	activities;	•	political	 and	 legislative	aspects	 that	 affect	 activities	and	processes;	•	 social	 and	 cultural	 aspects	 involved	 in	 the	 several	processes	that	take	place	in	the	valorisation	strategy;	•	 economic	 conditions	 where	 the	 new	 activities	 and	processes	can	work.		Studied	initiatives	DIVERSIFOOD	has	developed	five	case	studies,	chosen	as	examples	of	valorisation	strategies	in	France,	UK	and	 Italy.	They	are	all	marketing	 initiatives	 for	bread	produced	using	 landraces/old	wheat	varieties/newly	breed	wheat	varieties	through	participatory	breeding:		• ITALY:	 three	 regional	 initiatives,	 involving	networks	 of	 farmers	 and	 processors,	 in	cooperation	 with	 Rete	 Semi	 Rurali,	 engaged	around	 cultivation	 of	 old	 wheat	 varieties,	landraces	and	populations,	and	traditional	bread	making.	 Participatory	 breeding,	 production	 of	bread	with	healthy	properties,	 short	chains	and	territorial	 embeddedness	 characterise	 these	initiatives.	• FRANCE:	 a	 national	 programme,	 financed	 by	 public	 funds,	 involving	 a	 wide	 network	including	 farmers	 gathered	 into	 local	 farmers'	 association	 belonging	 to	 Réseau	 Semences	Paysannes.	 The	 aim	 is	 developing	new	population-varieties	 adapted	 to	 organic	 agriculture,	free	 of	 intellectual	 property,	 farmer-managed,	 suitable	 for	 producing	 healthy	 flour	 and	bread.	• UK:	promotion	on	the	market	of	products	derived	 from	a	hugely	diverse	wheat	population	that	is	the	result	of	an	evolutionary	breeding	programme	started	15	years	ago	to	produce	a	population	 suited	 for	 organic	 and	 low-input	 farming	 systems.	 Despite	 the	 long	 breeding	process,	the	initiative	is	at	an	early	stage,	thus	the	number	of	actors	involved	is	still	small	and	the	market	channels	are	relatively	undeveloped.	Suggested	readings	Brunori,	 G.,	 Rossi	 A.,	 D’Amico	 S.	 (2018)	 A	 Comprehensive	 and	 participatory	 approach	 to	 the	 valorisation	 of	 biodiverse	products,	in	A.	Isoni,	M.	Troisi,	M.	Pierri	(eds)	Food	Diversity	between	Rights,	Duties	and	Autonomies.	Legal	Perspectives	for	a	Scientific	Cultural	and	Social	Debate	on	the	Right	to	Food	and	Agroecology,	LITES,	vol.	2,	Basel,	CH:	Springer	International	Publishing	AG;	Margret	Will	(2008)	Promoting	Value	Chains	of	Neglected	and	Underutilized	Species	for	Pro-Poor	Growth	and	Biodiversity	Conservation.	Guidelines	and	Good	Practices,	Global	Facilitation	Unit	for	Underutilized	Species	(GFU),	Rome.	This	 Innovation	 Factsheet	 is	 the	 result	 of	 the	 collective	work	 of	 DIVERSIFOOD	 partners,	 coordinated	 by	 Adanella	Rossi	and	Simona	D'Amico	(UNIPI)	with	the	support	of	Bernadette	Oehen	(FiBL)	and	Tina	Kovács	(ÖMKI).	

Building valoristaion strategies for biodiverse products - the approach

https://orgprints.org/34735/1/rossi-etal-2018-Diversifood_innovation_factsheet12_Analytical-approach.pdf

Building valoristaion strategies for biodiverse products - the approach

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