Project Overview
This project is helping beekeepers decide on how best to manage their price and marketing risks by generating higher profit through increasing consumer demand and niche marketing. In stage one, a working group of 30 honey producers identified which labeling and product attributes are most important for the honey market. These attributes were incorporated in research that used experimental economic techniques to elicit consumers´ willingness-to-pay for honey from varying geographies (local, regional, and international) and with various marketing attributes such as jar shape and labeling information. In the third stage, the project team and working group used these results to develop marketing and pricing strategies. Currently in stage four, tools and curriculum are being disseminated to these approximately 2,400 producers via interactive workshops and web-based materials. Two peer reviewed publications are in review and popular industry publications are in progress (one in press by the end of January). Of the 30 honey producers who participated in the workshops, 20 developed a marketing plan for their honey production and have started to implement new marketing strategies they have learned from participating in this project. Project effectiveness will be assessed by tracking producers financial viability after next seasons honey production. The five-year impact of this project is an estimated 12,000 producers. This includes posting of project overview and marketing materials on various websites, presentations of marketing results to beekeeping organizations across the country and publications in economic and trade journals.
Number of Participants: 30
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
There are no promotional materials available for this project.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
There are no educational materials available for this project.
REPORTS & EVALUATIONS
There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.