Farmers' market outlets and food developments
About the Guest EditorGeoff Archer is Centre Manager, North West Advanced Food Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
Farmers' market outlets and food developments
This special edition of the British Food Journal highlights current research into farmers' markets and speciality foods. The work has been carried out in the North West and South West regions of England by researchers from Birmingham University, University of Gloucestershire, Manchester Metropolitan University and Myerscough College.
The research has four strands:
- 1.
Consumer attitudinal surveys on people attending farmers' markets in the North West region or in the vicinity.
- 2.
An assessment of the form and impact of the Gloucestershire farmers'markets.
- 3.
Consumer attitudes to speciality foods and the delicatessen market in the North West region.
- 4.
The role of farmers' markets in supporting the concept of community for older consumers.
The research has been carried out at a time in which the issues raised are beginning to be debated in governmental and media circles. This interest has been born out of general consumer response to a variety of food safety and food production issues, e.g. Salmonella in eggs, E. Coli 0157,BSE/Variant CJD and Foot and Mouth Disease. In addition, the British farming sector is facing severe financial pressures, as reforms are made to the Common Agricultural Policy in response to changes in world trading conditions and EU enlargement.
The following series of case studies and reports highlight the current research philosophy in this food sector. The first case study, authored by myself examines the latest consumer attitudes to farmers' markets in the north west of England and is a good introduction to the second two case studies,written by Dr Young of Myerscough College. Her case studies examine the essence of farmers' outlets and markets in the North West. The case study by Isabelle Szmigin et al. of Birmingham and Gloucestershire Business Schools, gives a clear perspective of farmers' markets in the South West and allows the reader to compare two UK geographical areas, the North West and the South West. The article by Carol Morris and Professor Buller from the Countryside and Community Research Unit at the University of Gloucestershire, further highlights the importance of farmers' markets and their products in developing future sustainable growth in the farming sector. The final paper by Judit García Sánchez, Gianpaolo Vignali and Daniella Vignali-Ryding of Manchester Metropolitan University, looks at the speciality food marketing in the North West as an alternative market segment.
Geoff Archer
