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How Certifications Grow Customer Loyalty with Emily Moose from A Greener World
172 Plays5 years ago
In this episode of the Direct Farm Podcast, we're delighted to host Emily Moose, Director of Communication and Outreach at A Greener World. Listen in to hear how Farmers can leverage food labels and certifications to increase transparency in the food system and enable buyers to make ethical and sustainable food choices.
Show Notes:
https://agreenerworld.org/
https://www.barn2door.com/resources
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Transcript
Introduction to Direct Farm Podcast & AGW
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Direct Farm podcast, the weekly listen for farm selling direct. We'll talk about the four levers for farm success, which are quality, brand, price, and convenience. We'll hear from outside industry experts and producers like you to delight your customers, save time, and to increase your direct farm sales and business. We're glad you're here.
00:00:25
Speaker
Welcome to the Direct Farm podcast. During today's episode, we hear from well-known nonprofit and advocate for sustainable farming solutions, AgreenaWorld, or AGW for short. Home of the world's leading labels, including animal welfare approved, certified grass fed, and non-GMO, AGW is a leader in promoting sustainability for the environment, society, and animals across the globe.
Meet Emily Moose from AGW
00:00:49
Speaker
At this time, I am delighted to introduce you to today's guest, Emily Moose, Director of Communication and Outreach for a Greener World. Welcome, Emily. Thanks for having me, Alyssa. Great to be with you.
00:01:01
Speaker
So glad you're here and so excited for this conversation. Well, I guess just to start, we'd love to learn and hear a little bit more about the history and the story behind AGW, maybe touch on the founder when it started and how the organization started as well. So Greener World started in 2014 and we actually, the seed of a greener world was born many years before that. We actually started as Animal Welfare Approached, which is our first flagship label.
00:01:29
Speaker
And we had that label growing for years and years and had increased demand and increased growth of the program. And farmers were asking us, hey, we would like for you to certify my other practices. And so with that growth and that demand for new labels, we realized we needed to be our own independent organization. And so our mission is to identify and promote agricultural systems that have a positive impact on the environment and society and animals.
00:01:57
Speaker
And we also do a significant amount of education around food choices and the impact of our food on the planet. And the way that we serve the function of transparency in the food system, which is our primary goal.
Why Are Verified Food Labels Important?
00:02:12
Speaker
is through these certification programs. And just a kind of a big picture overview, you know, what is third-party certification? Because sometimes, you know, I think that's a new concept to folks. Most food labels that you'll see don't mean anything, really. You know, a lot of it is really just marketing spin, whether it's natural or
00:02:31
Speaker
you know, even sustainable. If there's not a definition behind that term, and if nobody is actually verifying that that definition is true, then there's not a lot of meaning in most food labels that you see. And so we realized that there was a significant demand for meaningful food labels. And that is one of the main drivers behind what we do, is to deliver transparency in the food system.
00:02:58
Speaker
And so since 2014, we've added a number of labels. You mentioned a few animal welfare approved certified grass fed certified non GMO. We also have certified regenerative coming up and certified organic to coming soon. And we also have salmon welfare certified.
Educating on Sustainable Practices
00:03:14
Speaker
So.
00:03:15
Speaker
We are really dedicated to ensuring that people have a way to choose food that matches their values and a way to choose products that are produced to practices that people can actually trust. And so we've been dedicated to that for decades and we are really proud to work with the farmers that we do and really excited about the interest in food labels and in connecting farmers and consumers.
00:03:43
Speaker
I love how you touched on the education piece because I think it's so important to let not only the members or current members know, but also the farmers, the consumers of just giving them the information at their fingertips for where their food comes from. So I understand AGW is actively involved in terms of promoting sustainability, not just in the United States, but also across the globe. But for the United States specifically, what are some of your main areas of focus in this region?
00:04:11
Speaker
So we are really dedicated to helping independent farmers stand out in the marketplace. And we really want to give farmers a way to differentiate themselves and to communicate their practices to their customer. And so delivering that transparency and having a focus on integrity and
00:04:33
Speaker
communication with consumers because there's such a disconnect between agriculture and people eating the products of agriculture. Most of us, when we go into a grocery store or buying food online or however you're getting food into your household and into your belly, you are interacting with agriculture. But there is often not a real background or visceral connection or expertise in agriculture. So most of us didn't grow up on a farm.
00:05:03
Speaker
And so there's a knowledge gap there and it's no one's fault. It doesn't mean that consumers are ignorant. It just means most of us don't have that experience. And so with that, there's a hunger for information about food. And so that, that creates this opportunity for education and learning and connection. And that is one of my favorite parts about what we do is to connect eaters with farmers and to help them learn more about each other and to meet on the same page around
00:05:31
Speaker
values of sustainability.
The Significance of Grass-Fed Certification
00:05:34
Speaker
Definitely and speaking of just the educational component, I'd love to hear a little bit more about the certifications that AGW offers. What are the most popular certifications with farmers?
00:05:47
Speaker
Right now we're seeing a real interesting growth in grass bed certification. So that is definitely becoming a more and more popular claim. It's also widely misunderstood as well. So a lot of times people will assume when they see a grass bed label that it means the animals were
00:06:07
Speaker
raised out on pasture and had a really good life. But unfortunately, when there's such a range of grass fed labels out there that don't have meaningful standards like ours. And so you really have to be choosy about which grass fed labels you're putting a lot of confidence in. And so we actually made a comparison chart of different grass fed labels. That's really helpful for navigating what would really live up to your expectations around a grass fed label. But it is a really important label in terms of
00:06:37
Speaker
in terms of facilitating agriculture that is truly pasture-based and that makes the best use of land. As folks listening to this may realize, there is a lot of land that cannot be used to grow crops and that is best suited for grazing animals. In an effort to use the land that we have to the most efficient way that we can and to feed ourselves in the most sustainable way,
00:07:03
Speaker
utilizing grazing land for animals that produce milk, cheese, meat, animals that are doing that just by eating grass. I mean, it's this, it's amazing like animals that can eat grass and make protein. That is a true superpower and it's something to celebrate. And it also produces really nutritious food. We're seeing a lot of increased interest in that from the consumer end and also farmers realizing that demand and wanting to demonstrate those practices to their customers.
00:07:32
Speaker
Definitely. And I love how you keep touching on just the consumer side and the producer side as well and how those two go hand in hand.
Introducing AGW's Regenerative Certification
00:07:40
Speaker
So I know in addition to the GRASS Fed label, you also have the regenerative certification that is also recent. It's new. What prompted AGW to create this new certification? Oh man, this is a really exciting program. So we developed this in anticipation of a growing interest that has absolutely come to pass.
00:08:01
Speaker
in a whole farm assurance of sustainability. So what we've seen in the natural foods industry over the last decade and longer is a lot of these hot buttons, single issue, you know, people gravitating towards one thing, whether it's natural or sustainable or, you know, no added hormones or whatever the, you know, the claim of the day may be.
00:08:24
Speaker
And at the same time, never really making real change because all of these single hot button issues don't really take into account the full farming system. And so all of our, all the labels that we offer already are high welfare pasture-based environmentally sustainable systems.
00:08:42
Speaker
But regenerative, we saw as an opportunity to weave in not only those aspects, but also looking at the social aspect of it too. And so how are workers treated? What is the impact of the farm on the community? Measurable progress around air quality and water quality, looking at soil health. And so really looking at a comprehensive set of sustainability metrics and practices,
00:09:09
Speaker
that really deliver benefits in a comprehensive holistic way. And the really cool thing about this program is that it is place-based, it is farm-specific, and it's very farmer-led. So farmers are really taking the lead on writing their own regenerative plans, and so looking at their specific area, their land, their farm, their holding, and what they can do to make it the most
00:09:35
Speaker
have the most positive impact on the planet. And so writing that plan, working with experts to write that plan, and then delivering that plan over years. And these are comprehensive five, 10 year plans that our job as a greener world as the certifier is to help them reach their goals in that plan and to hold them accountable to that.
00:09:58
Speaker
And it's been really exciting because farmers, you know, people keep telling me these are things that I've wanted to do for years, but I just haven't had the reason, the excuse, the motivation, the inspiration, whatever, to sit down and actually make it happen.
00:10:13
Speaker
And so we're seeing some really cool goals come out of this. And we just launched the pilot. We have over 50 farms from all over the world that are engaged in this and a lot in the US. And so we are in the early stages of getting those plans written and working together. It's a really collaborative process and a lot of cool connections being made from farmers across the world in working on this program. And so we'll be
00:10:40
Speaker
announcing the first certified regenerative farms toward the end of this year and we're really excited about that.
00:10:46
Speaker
That's awesome. And to hear about the collaboration aspect as well and how each farmer can tailor it to what works best for them. And I'm sure a lot of those farmers kind of jump in with the idea of how can this not only help the farm, how can this help me as a producer, how can this also help me reach more consumers. But like you said, global standpoint and for the earth to make sure that the grounds are taken care of, the animals are taken care of, the water, all aspects of farming and how it touches so many different areas.
00:11:15
Speaker
So in terms of certification, I know there's a lot of focus on transparency and trust consumers specifically.
Benefits of Certification for Farmers
00:11:22
Speaker
What data can you share in terms of improved customer loyalty and sales for farms and producers who obtain AGW certification? The biggest indicator of that that I can share is the interest in what we do. So every farm
00:11:38
Speaker
handles certification differently and the people who make the most of it and who use the logo and you know put the stickers on their products, edit on their website and talk about it to their customers. Those farms see the highest
00:11:52
Speaker
return of customers, the highest loyalty, the highest benefit from certification. And it is, you know, it's market specific too, but I've seen it have an incredible impact on farm businesses. And I have also seen an increase in interest from consumers just on our website and our resources and people
00:12:12
Speaker
seeking high welfare sustainable products. So we launched a page on our website early on in the pandemic that was focused on online shopping.
00:12:23
Speaker
And that became the highest trafficked area of our website, followed very closely by the directory, which has, you know, it's not just online shopping, it's local stuff too. But those two pages have been the most popular sections of our website and we've had incredible traffic on that. We have seen increase in signups to our consumer updates of over 500%. So there is incredible demand and
00:12:50
Speaker
incredible interest right now in finding sources of sustainable food that you can trust and people are really looking to credible third-party certifications to help them make those choices because the way the food system is right now you can say anything you want to you really can there's very little regulation about what you
00:13:13
Speaker
as a marketer, as a business, as a company can say about food. So it really is up to the consumer to decide whether or not they trust those claims. And so more and more people are finding that to find products that really do match their values and that really do deliver the kind of sustainability that people want to see in the planet that we all inhabit and that our children are going to inhabit, that they want more than just a claim. They want
00:13:41
Speaker
assurance and they want proof. And so that's what we offer. It's a voluntary program, farmers come to us and they say, hey, I believe I meet these standards, you know, one of the many labels that we offer, whether it's grass fed, non GMO, animal welfare approved. And I want you to come to my farm and verify that I am meeting these standards so that I can offer my customers that assurance and honor their trust in me. And so that's what we do. And we are seeing that from both farmers and consumers.
00:14:10
Speaker
And that's great to see, especially looking back on last year and how it was definitely a unique year to go through and kind of, ooh, and also looking ahead to, you know, we're already in February of 2021. So I'm sure the conversation for you with your members has changed or may have not changed from last year to this year.
Impact of Pandemic on Farming
00:14:29
Speaker
So how has the pandemic affected your members and what is some of the advice that you're providing to them at this time?
00:14:36
Speaker
I mean, it sucked. 2020 was not a great year. I mean, I don't know anyone who wasn't impacted by the events of 2020. Most people experienced significant impacts, whether it was to losing market, whether it was to restaurants closing and no longer buying their food.
00:15:00
Speaker
whether it was having to balance remote schooling on top of farming and doing business or losing loved ones. I mean, it was a really tough year and we're not out of the woods yet, but there does seem to be a bit of light at the end of the tunnel and at least a path out. So I think it affected different people in different ways.
00:15:22
Speaker
And I think one of our responses to that was to obviously check on all of our farmers and to make sure that we were supporting people where we could and where they needed it. So making matches and helping people find markets that have lost them.
00:15:36
Speaker
and helping food to people who were food insecure, newly insecure, and also existing needs. So we supported a fundraiser to get food from certified farms to food pantries and other organizations that could distribute it to people who needed it. And those were just a few of the ways. Everybody had a different situation. And so it was a lot of tailored response and tailored support to help people
00:15:59
Speaker
get supported, balance them on their feet as much as you could at that time. And so I think a lot of it was working together and supporting each other and recognizing that it was going to take all of us working together to get through it.
00:16:12
Speaker
For sure. And just thinking about how, like I said, you know, it's February and the first month, I don't know about you, but definitely kind of flew by a little bit in some aspects. So what are some of those kind of diving a little bit more, I guess, into the tactics portion of this, but in terms of spring, like what would you say is best practices or top of mind for you as you're communicating with farmers for how they can best prepare for the spring and summer months coming up ahead?
Strategic Planning for Future Seasons
00:16:37
Speaker
Planning, I would say that is, and it's hard to do because the situation is evolving quickly and it can be hard to win the future seems uncertain, but you can modify an existing plan when the situation changes. But if you start with no plan, it's a lot harder. What we've seen be most successful is to figure out what are your risks and try to mitigate those risks as much as you can, and to be flexible. Keeping those things in mind,
00:17:07
Speaker
No one's guaranteed success, but if you keep those things in mind, you have a better chance.
00:17:11
Speaker
And I think planning is huge and that definitely ties into spring, which is definitely quickly approaching for many farmers and producers are looking ahead at the spring and summer months and farmer's markets and how they're going to sell direct to market, if that's an area interest for them as well. So what have you found to be the most effective tactic for AGW members who are transitioning their business in 2021 and looking to possibly pursue or adopt a certification with AGW?
00:17:42
Speaker
I would say start early and just go ahead and read the standards, go ahead and get in touch with our team. Our outreach coordinators are standing by and happy to help support you on getting any technical questions answered, helping you with the application. It's a really straightforward process, but you know, it does, you do have to do it. So, and it is the first step. So we are more than happy to, to assist with that. And, you know, it takes a little bit of time. It's not a long process, but it does.
00:18:09
Speaker
take some time to actually get through the certification process. So we want everybody to be ready to go as soon as possible with their marketing. And so we are really excited about helping folks once they are certified with getting the logo on their products and getting their certification woven into their marketing plans and making sure that their customers know how amazing they are.
00:18:30
Speaker
And I think it all, like you said, touches to planning ahead, controlling your controllables, you know, taking the information that you have available to you and utilizing those resources that you guys have to being able to kind of look into what certification makes sense for your farm, since there are several options. So thank you so much for providing just a little bit more context on that. So before we sign off, is there one final piece of advice that you'd like to share to farmers as they look to build more certainty for their farm in 2021?
00:19:00
Speaker
I think the biggest advice that you know, and this is just coming from what I've seen working with farmers every day is to remember that you're a business. And that is not meant to be patronizing in any way, it is more meant to recognize how much heart and soul farmers put into their business.
00:19:20
Speaker
And sometimes it can help to step back and look at it from like a cold calculating perspective. You know, if this was a business and I wasn't involved in any way, you know, like what would I change? You know, to make plans, to follow the plans or adapt them, you know, as you said, like situations change and sometimes you have to rethink things.
00:19:39
Speaker
but taking care of the farm as a business, make sure that you're getting paid, make sure that you're taking a little bit of time to take care of yourself. I know that's really hard, especially for farms and anybody in independent food productions. It is hard. It's hard for small businesses. It's hard to make that time, but the business will not survive without you. So making sure to take care of yourself as well as your business.
00:20:07
Speaker
For sure. So important. Reading a good book, going on a walk, all good things. Well, thank you so much, Emily.
Conclusion and Resources
00:20:14
Speaker
I also wanted to take the time to thank the entire membership at AGW for all the awesome work that you guys are doing to support farmers across the country and across the globe. So thank you so much for that. At Barn to Door, we are delighted to serve many AGW farmers all across the country who promote sustainable farming practices. And for more information on Agreener World, you can visit their website at www.agreenerworld.org.
00:20:37
Speaker
And also to learn more about Barn to Door, including access to numerous free resources and best practices for your farm, you can go to www.barntodoor.com slash resources. So thank you so much again, Emily. I truly enjoyed chatting with you and the conversation. And thank you all for tuning in this week and we will see you next week. Thank you, Emily. Thank you.