PHOTO CONTRIBUTED Bill Henderson of the


Investment Agriculture Foundation explains how better


relationships can be forged between


producers, processors and marketers.


Growers are key link in the ‘value chain’


It’s essential to have a clear understanding of what the consumer wants.


By Judie Steeves I


f you’re not happy with the returns you’re getting for your crop, perhaps you should approach it from a totally new direction.


That is the advice of Bill


Henderson, value chain coordinator for the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C.—and he is willing to help you get started.


The first step is to go to whoever writes the cheque for your product and understand what they really want, he explains. “Otherwise you’re


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British Columbia Berry Grower • Fall 2010 7


just stuck in the mud with all the other price takers,” he says. For instance, if you grow berries, look at how consumers want them. That will likely require some consumer research, perhaps with testing stations or questionnaires in grocery stores, or through a


professional.


With value chains instead of supply chains, there are no isolated relationships between the producer, processor and marketer. Instead, they all work together to provide whatever it is the consumer wants. That’s quite different from


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