REGFOOD’s
achievements and
lessons learned
Anton Petrenko, PhD
Major trends in food systems
The 1960s: Rapid advance in agricultural development in
industrialized countries with the green revolution (involving
large-scale mechanization and use of chemicals)
The 1980s: Increasing public
awareness of environmental
protection and sustainable
development
The 1990s - present: Increasing globalization of the food system
due to increases in long-distance food trade, global concentration
in food processing and retail industries and diet change
Growth in food production: 1960 - 2000
Globalization =  intensive agriculture and industrial production in
BACKGROUND
Globalization =  local and regional food production
Increased interest among customers, producers and
authorities in food that is environmentally and economically
sustainable
Opportunity for the South Baltic region
to promote local and regional food production
to contribute to its economic development and competitiveness
Initial model for REGFOOD’s intervention
To design
education on
“local food”
Local
producer
Economy
Public health
To
strengthen
professional
network
Local
consumer
Environment
Rational for Regfood’s strategy
REGFOOD
project partners
REGFOOD’s
target group 1
Producers of local and
regional food and food
network managers
REGFOOD’s
target group 2
Students and
instructors
in higher education
institutions
Strengthen liaisons between higher education and
local food producers in the South Baltic region
ACHIEVEMENTS
Research
Education
of students
• Concept paper
• E-learning platform
• Academic publications
• Pilot course
• Anthology
• Syllabus for on-line
course
• Educational programs at
partner institutions
Capacity-building
Of food producers
• Workshop for food
network managers
PUTTI NG L OCAL FOOD ON THE T ABLE:
ENHANCI NG COM PETI TI V ENESS OF PRODUCERS OF L OCAL AND
REGI ONAL FOOD I N THE SOUTH BALTI C REGI ON
Anton Petrenko, Philipp Brinkman, and Viktoria Olsson
ISBN: 978-87-997614-0-1
ã 2014
REGFOOD
Pilot training course
in Kristianstad
June 2014
Syllabus
for the generic course
on local and regional food
Workshop for food network Managers in Copenhagen
February 2015
Lessons learned
Relevance of local food to
South Baltic region
Documentation through field research
that the concept of “local and regional
food”, while different from “ecological
food” and “slow food”, is relevant for
food producers in the South Baltic
region
Model for promotion of local food
Promotion strategy 1
Innovative marketing of local food
Product cost position
Low
High
Unique product quality
Unique product quality
Low
High
Low
Low
High
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Low-cost broad
strategy
Best-cost broad
differentiation
strategy
N/A
High-cost broad
differentiation
strategy
(Standard industrial
food producers)
Scope of the
target market
High
(I nnovative local
food producer)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
Low-cost focused
strategy
Best-cost focused
differentiation
strategy
N/A
High-cost focused
differentiation
strategy
(I nnovative local
food producer)
(Standard local
food producers)
Promotion strategy 2
Capacity building of food producers
• Horizontal networking of local food producers (SMEs)
enhances their capacity to share knowledge, risks and
costs and thereby increase their competitiveness
• Strengthening capacities and skills of local food
producers to self-organize via informal and formal
horizontal networks
• Building capacity of local food producers to conduct on
a regular basis strategic planning
Promotion strategy 3
Educational programs for students
• It is documented that the local food segment in the
South Baltic region needs highly educated and skilled
workforce that is trained in modern business
management
• Increasing levels of competence and skills of students in
business management and marketing through
development of focused educational programs in areas
of marketing, supply-chain management, and business
strategy
Promotion strategy 4
Developing vertical
strategic partnerships
• Establishing and maintaining broad strategic
partnership among local food producers and regional
authorities
• Increasing awareness of legislators and regulators
about needs and concerns of producers of local food
and about positive impact of local food production on
local economy, health of the community, and cultural
identity