Aiming for Success! New Farmer 59 | Partnerships with the Food Service Industry: Benefits & Challenges for Farmers

I'm Hatasen, and I'll be starting my training in April with the goal of becoming a new farmer. I write 1500–2000 characters daily about what I learn regarding marketing and agricultural management. Thank you as always for reading.

I'm sure you've often seen side dishes or menu items in department store basements or restaurants labeled as "Direct from the farm!"
For example, if something were introduced as "Hokkaido Asparagus Farmer XX Farm Direct! Asparagus Croquette," you'd probably want to buy it on impulse, right?

I, too, am on the path to becoming a haskap berry farmer someday.
I dream of the day when a restaurant owner says to me, "Hatasen-san, I'd love to use your haskap berries."

While partnerships between the food service industry and farmers are indeed increasing, I learned from agricultural consultant Takatsusa-san's Voicy that these arrangements come with complex issues that aren't so straightforward.

Today, let's think together about the problems faced by the food service industry and farmers.

The Dilemma of Money and Vegetable Flow

There are many cases where the food service industry wants to team up with specific farmers to purchase produce directly. However, there are reasons why such transactions often don't proceed smoothly.

One of these is the complexity of the flow of money, or "commercial flow," and the flow of the vegetables themselves, or "logistics."
In particular, it is difficult to predict how much of a vegetable will be needed before it is processed, which creates a problem for farmers in terms of not knowing how much produce they should prepare.

The Problem of Non-Standard Produce and Weather Impact

The standards for vegetables required by the food service industry are strict, which raises the question of what happens to vegetables that don't meet those standards.
Furthermore, when partnering with individual farmers, there is a risk that fluctuations in the quality and quantity of crops, which are at the mercy of the weather, will fail to meet the expected standards.
The food service industry tends to take the stable supply of ordered standards and quantities for granted, but for farmers, fluctuations in shipment volume are common. Bridging this gap is a major challenge for both sides.

Time Lag Between Orders and Delivery

Orders from the food service industry often come in from the evening through the night, with delivery requested for the following day.
This might be possible if the trading partner is a nearby farmer, but it is difficult if they are far away.
Many problems can be envisioned, such as the risk of non-delivery, overlooking an order, or running out of stock because items sold better than expected.

Considering Pros and Cons

Both parties must consider whether there is a benefit to trading directly with farmers, or if it is better to go through a wholesaler. Looking at it this way, while "direct from the farm" sounds good, there are quite a few potential downsides.

The Importance of Communication

Such mismatches may stem from fundamental differences in how both sides think.
Farmers need the skill to clearly convey their actual circumstances to the other party, and it is also important not to hesitate to ask questions on the spot when something is unclear.

The solution to this complex problem is not simple.
However, understanding each other's positions and striving for flexible responses should be the first step toward building a better relationship.
By cooperating, the food service industry and farmers can provide better food for consumers. To build a mutually beneficial relationship, understanding each other's positions and practicing sincere communication is more important than anything else.

So, in this article, I shared what I learned from Takatsusa-san's Voicy regarding the problems that arise when the food service industry, like restaurants, tries to partner directly with farmers to create products.

I often think about the potential of restaurants x farmers, but looking at it this way, it doesn't seem like such an easy story.

When thinking about the pros and cons, I even find myself thinking, "Well, why don't I just run a restaurant while being a farmer?"
Yes. That is exactly why I am thinking about wanting to try running a traditional folk house farm cafe.

Thank you for staying with me until the end today as well.

See you tomorrow.

End

Thanks to you, the "Aim for it! New Farmer" series has progressed smoothly, and this is the 59th article.
Previous articles are compiled in a magazine.
I hope that if you have some time, you will read them as well, and that my passionate thoughts toward becoming a new farmer will come across to you (^^/

Also, I write about various other things, such as education x something, and marketing topics.
I would be happy if you read them.
I would be very delighted if you could "like" or "follow" me.

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