Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
In Australia, for example,
1
billion takeaway coffee cups and lids are
thrown into the countryside every year to litter the environment. As a re-
sult of this, the 'Responsible Cafes' Programme
5
was developed with the
incentive to use reusable coffee cups. In the food tourism market, pro-
viders should care about the environment and should consider a scheme
such as this.
Most disposable coffee cups and lids are not recyclable. We have trav-
elled around Portland, Oregon, where it is compulsory that all utensils used
by all food providers are compostable, but this is not the norm in other cities.
Portland is one of the greenest sustainable cities in the world and lessons can
be learned in their city for all food tourism operators.
More and more coffee retailers see the need for a sustainable future
and many organizations have started to get involved in the development of
'green' coffee offers.
In Australia one approach has been an incentive that has been built into
the coffee offer. Customers are offered a discount if they bring the coffee cup
and lid back, or bring in their own cup; this varies between
30
and
50
cents
a cup.
Not only does this allow the coffee retailer to handle the cups more
effectively, it also increases customer loyalty and attracts new customers.
Plus, a new income stream for the retailer is developed. Reusable cups are
sold at often a 60% mark up to a professional recycling company. The above
scheme is operated in Australia by Take3, the Two Hands Project, Tangaroa
Blue, The Australian Marine Debris Initiative and Transition Bondi.
Consider how you can make your coffee a green sustainable offer that
cannot be refused.
On-Farm Restaurants
Setting up a restaurant is a major decision for any farmer. It is a completely
new business and will need its own dedicated team to manage it. One of the
challenges is that you cannot start small and make a profit. To justify the cap-
ital outlay and development cost, the restaurant will need to sit a minimum
of
60
people; some of the seating can be outdoors to reduce the capital outlay,
but the challenge is still there.
One extra challenge over conventional restaurants is the offer is on the
farm; many farms have flies or other insects and insect screening may be
needed if outdoor eating areas are designed into the plan. This is critically
important in some parts of Australia where flies can be a major nuisance.
Pop Up Food Offers
One of the fastest growing sectors of food tourism is what is known as
'pop up food.' Pop up food is where a food offer literally 'pops up' when and
where it is needed.
