Rapport nr - SIFO

16particularly PDO and PGI, may be a means to unite producers and local companies in acommon project around a typical local food product. One interest of the quality signs is tocreate a “micro-economy” in local and rural territories, thereby establishing positive changein some rural territories which have declined for 50+ years and contributing to “rural drain”.Second, we cannot expect that the food sector for local products is simply only from producerto consumer. Alternatively, the local food sector is just as complex as the regular food sector,and may be more complex in some cases. Originally, the local food sector was a descendantmarket, that is, from producer to consumer where the products were produced and then chosenby consumer. This type of distribution still occurs in the direct market, open market, marketsat farm stands, and even in small stores like a butcher or baker. During the last 10 years,new distribution methods have appeared with an entry in the local food market of big distributorbrands, such as the creation of the very well known “Terroir” store brands in France.The main evolution in the last 10 years has been the appearance of big “store brands” with anational or international area of commercialisation concerning local food markets. Thechange in consumer expectations and attempts to identify the “real” consumers of local foodis resulting in a new science, termed “local Marketing”, and a new approach in the food sector,which is an ascendant interpretation from consumer expectations to the producer. Theaddition of a management science in a part of traditional agriculture may appear paradoxical,but as revealed in this report, marketing can bring new tools to improve and extend the diffusionof those local products and raise their valorisation.