Food Value Chains: Creating Shared Value to Enhance Marketing Success

This USDA Agricultural Marketing Service report (produced with the Wallace Center at Winrock International) explains what food value chains—values-based food supply chains—are, how they are initiated, structured, and operated, and the benefits they provide to farmers, distributors, buyers, and communities. Drawing on a 2009 “writeshop” of researchers and practitioners, it covers the theory of “creating shared value,” embedding values, values-based leadership, business planning, branding, and third-party certifications, illustrated with numerous case studies (e.g., Good Natured Family Farms, Red Tomato, Organic Valley, Shepherd’s Grain). It is intended as a guidance document for individuals and organizations exploring food value chains as a distribution and marketing system, as well as researchers and educators who study and teach food marketing.