Mediaboss Marketing

Breadcrumb Trail Links

Social media gives food consumers direct access to producers

Author of the article:

According to Sylvain Charlebois, one of the most important changes in the food supply network is social media.

Consumers finally have a voice and theyre using it, he said. Theyre talking a lot about food and where to buy it.

In the past, the food relationship was a push from manufacturer to grocer and then to consumer.

Now its a pull in the other direction. And this, in essence, is putting tremendous pressure on the food industry in Canada.

Charlebois says its democratizing the supply chain and its giving everyone a chance to establish direct relationships between producers and consumers. A

Big-name producers like PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, Gordon Food Services, and Sysco to name but a few are now selling directly to consumers.

This shift in the relationship is also introducing food choices that didnt exist before, and thats because small or specialized producers couldnt access the market. Charlebois, who consults with food startup companies, says, You will now see more and more small specialized producers connecting online with consumers and offering them a wider range of products.

Stuart McNish invited food specialist Sylvain Charlebois of Dalhousie University to join him for a Conversation That Matters, Food For Thought episode, about the dramatic changes underway in food production and supply thanks to consumer empowerment.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge here.

Excerpt from:
Conversations That Matter: How social media has upended food marketing - Vancouver Sun