From Bread We Build Community: Entrepreneurial Leadership and the Co-creation of Local Food Businesses and Systems

Abstract

This case study of a self-described community supported baker (CSB) in Southern Arizona explores entrepreneurial leadership as a model for promoting consumer co-creation of both local food businesses and food systems. The analytical focus of the case is the entrepreneurial strategy of the CSB to embed his customers in the creation of both his community supported business and the development of a more robust Southern Arizona local food system (LFS). Specifically, the CSB's business model positions customers not only as the purchasers of his product, but also as marketers of his breads, promoters of local grains, and champions of the Southern Arizona food 1 "Consumer" and "customer" are not treated as interchangeable terms. "Consumer" refers broadly to any individual who cooks with and generally eats local food. "Consumer" movement. Data was collected through a series of individual interviews with the baker and other relevant informants, as well as through multiple instances of participant observation. The case illustrates the capacity of entrepreneurial leadership to serve as a model that promotes consumer cocreation of local food businesses and more cohesive and extensive LFSs.

Local Food Entrepreneurship: Sebagai Model Pengembangan Kewirausahaan Berkelanjutan

“…Perlu memperhatikan orientasi pasar dan orientasi kewirausahaan dalam pemanfatan peluang (Ie & Pratama, 2019) sehingga semakin berkontribusi dalam peningkatan kesejahteraan masyarakat serta menekan kemiskinan di kawasan pedesaan. Peluang usaha tersebut relevan dengan gagasan local food entrepreneurship (Mars & Schau, 2017) sehingga diperlukan kebersamaan dengan konsumen dalam pengembangan bisnis local food tersebut (Mars, 2015). Oleh karena itu, aktivitas kewirausahaan di sektor pertanian (agriculture entrepreneurial) bersentuhan dengan isu-isu keberlanjutan seperti dalam aspek triple bottom line tersebut (Sargani, Zhou, Raza, & Wei, 2020).…”

“…Artinya mengajak konsumen untuk saling memberi "influence" tentang local food sehingga peran konsumen tidak sekedar membeli tetapi terlibat dalam promosi produk lokal Kulon Progo. Hal seperti diuraikan sebelumnya oleh Mars (2015). Dengan demikian media sosial dapat dipergunakan sebagai Electronic Word of Mouth (EWoM) (Kristiawan & Keni, 2020).…”

Consumers in local food markets: from adoption to market co-creation?

“…Studies have established the necessity of a value co-creation perspective for the development of chains, networks, constellations, flows and services (e.g. Festa et al , 2015; Mars, 2015). Such findings are encouraging consumer co-creation in both local food businesses and food systems.…”

Understanding the consumption of traditional-local foods through the experience perspective

“…The social, economic and environmental aspects of TLFs emerge in different ways: improving the farmers’ income as well as their skills, thus increasing the competitiveness of rural areas (Schmit et al , 2017); stimulating aggregation and strategies – also involving different industries (e.g. tourism, handicraft) – that improve the overall value creation (Mars, 2016); promoting social vibrancy (Ray, 1998) and encouraging environmental protection and animal welfare as well as the consumption of healthy and safe goods (Gilliland et al , 2015); and involving local people in TLF management, thus strengthening the identity of the population itself.…”

“…stimulating aggregation and strategies – also involving different industries (e.g. tourism, handicraft) – that improve the overall value creation (Mars, 2016);…”