Jargon Busting - What is "Provenance"?

Its amazing how jargon creeps into business language. "Provenance" is a classic example. No food discussion passes without reference to provenance. Farmers are regularly told that having provenance is big market opportunity, and that people are more interested in provenance than ever before. And yet, according to a piece of research on the topic published by DairyCo(www.dairyco.co.uk) 63% 0f consumers questioned in a survey replied "don't know" which asked what the term provenance meant to them.Indeed an informal poll in my local pub showed 90% not knowing what the word meant. So an easy lesson is never to use it when selling to the general public.

Which is not to rubbish the idea of provenance, defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "The source and origin of a product, it's history and pedigree". Many consumers do care about where their food comes from.

The DairyCo research offers a good guide to the type of consumers most interested in the origins of their food, and what particular aspects of food production concern them most, or appeal to them most. Whilst it is mostly about dairy products, the findings apply just as much to meat, eggs, fruit and vegetables as cheese or milk.

Much of the research builds on what is already known. It tells us that the consumers most likely to be worried about where their food comes from are older, richer, and well informed about food matters. The positive things they value are freshness, high quality, excellent taste, naturalness, tradition. In rural areas, supporting local farmers, local businesses, and the community are of great interest, and organic seems to be most valued in towns and cities. The issues that most worry consumers are connected with health and food safety, as well as ethical issues. So traceability,transparency, additives, pesticides, animal welfare, food production methods and food miles are all relevant. The research also confirms the increase in sales of local foods.

Where the research does shed more light is in the following areas:

1. Selling on a local foods message is not the only way to benefit from consumers' interest in how and where their food is produced.Concern about food is more to do with a consumer way of thinking than location. Indeed the research warns that a local message can be confusing because some consumers see local as within a 10 mile or so radius whereas others, particularly Scots and the Welsh, see local as from their country.

2. If deciding to sell in a small radius of the farm, it is not enough just to say you are local, the product must be accompanied by another benefit, which has to be explained and supported. An example might be freshness -"from the cows to your door in less than 24 hours". Or the particular steps a farmer takes to protect the environment, or the history of the farm and the product.

3. If wishing to sell a long way from home, for example to London stores, then locally based, community messages are less relevant. Instead, selling points which address food safety and health concerns can be highlighted, such as total traceability, or pesticide and additive free feeding regimes. Environmental and animal welfare standards can be emphasised. Again, any claims must be explained and supported.

As well as consumers, the researchers spoke to people in the dairy industry and from them identified several new opportunities, which could also be relevant to other products. The three with the most appeal are county specific products, products from named farmers, and a range of pre-prepared meals. Similar products do exist, so thorough market research is needed to check the competitive scene before proceeding.

There we are then. Provenance is of interest to consumers - but best banish the word from use unless talking to a food jargon specialist. These can be found in consultancy, marketing departments in processors and retailers, and government departments. Not the person in the street - who is the one person that matters.