Warmwater Fish Production as a Niche Production and Market Diversification Strategy for Organic Arable Farmers with Implications for Sustainability and Public Health
This project has now finished. However, there are exciting opportunities for potential adopters under our new collaboration with Scottish Enterprise - Tilapia Scotland
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Institute of Aquaculture I Department of Marketing I Public Health Research Group |
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Background Research Outputs |
Marketing The initial marketing focus involved an assessment of tilapia markets, both worldwide and more specifically within Europe and the UK. Once general market characteristics were established, primary research was undertaken through consumer focus groups and interviews with organisational channel members. The marketing results so far support the initial premise of there being a number of niche markets for tilapia produced from local, small-scale environmentally-friendly units. Three target groups in the UK are identified: ethnic consumers, green consumers and the gastro-pub set (a growing component of the wider foodservice market).
An investigation into farmer entrepreneurship was undertaken in the summer of 2006 to explore the challenges farmers face when diversifying from conventional agriculture. In-depth interviews with a range of agricultural farmers in Central Scotland brought light to the factors that either encouraged or prevented them and their families from taking on diversification strategies. The main issues explored were the current socio-economic status of their farming and business activities, their attitude towards diversification, how and why any diversification strategies were undertaken and possible reasons why these ventures were or were not successful. For more detailed information please see the marketing research section.
Fresh, whole red tilapia, Billingsgate Market, June 2006
Frozen tilapia fillets, London, 2006
Frozen, whole nile tilapia, London 2006 |
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