SHARED VALUE SYSTEM + STANDARDS A PATH TO EQUITY & PROSPERITY
In pursuing EQUITY AS A TARGET GOAL (given that one cannot exist without the other) in the business of food, shared value systems become the foundation and if we add common understanding of STANDARDS of measurement of items transacted in the value chain – it establishes a common reference for VALUE assessment.
Far too often lack of a standard in assessing value or price for a produce or transacting item, has multiple and quite significant implications (immediate and long term) and shakes the core value systems and dismantles trust in the eco system, which then breaks the progress made on the path towards collective good and in creating EQUITY (basis for collective prosperity).
As a definition STANDARDS would mean “something established by authority, custom or general consent” “something established as a measure for quality, weight, extent or value” “the basis of value in a monetary system” Standards is to be established as a common monetary language to be used, for relative, direct valuation or assessment. The Standards could be a combination of farm-gate definition and market driven definition, but it is necessary and to be agreed. Either by general consent, custom or authority.
Again, this simple yet critical establishment and publication of Standards of produce, if not established offers no goals or aspirations for the producer to achieve or to question process of production, or for the intermediary to fairly compete (in a non-monopoly situation) or for the consumer to differentiate and share better part of their wallets.
Also the Standards shall live through the test of times, and not be the multiple up for manipulation when Supply surges or Demand diminishes. So Demand Supply equations shall then dictate price only, but now differentiated by Standards of Produce.
As a real example, we saw farmers grade Tomato on farm with enthusiasm, and trust a price per crate for different quality gradings and trust the transporter to deliver crates and collect money on behalf of farmer, a natural encouraging transformative change seen at farm gates – driven by differentiated price but on an accepted Standards A shared value system along with Standards will make way for Transparency, Information Sharing, Timely Actions and Long Term Focus.
A world (village at a time) where producers exchange information transparently, take self-driven timely actions and collectively grow to long term success and VALUE creation.
We at Farmitopia continuously instill crop specific Maturity Indices (when to harvest), grade definitions as a lever for Farmers to create and be part of the Change in creating EQUITY in value chains!