Two entrepreneurs sensed a new need, listened to the public opinion and came up with a new concept. Vair Varkenshuis is pig housing that stimulates the pigs’ naturally playful behavior. The two entrepreneurs still invest a lot of time in nurturing their relationship with the public and as a consequence their project is known throughout the Netherlands.
The concept’s key focus points: natural behaviour, fodder, race, no antibiotics and housing. The entrepreneurs try to make room for and stimulate pigs’ naturally playful behaviour.
The innovation process started quite recently. It is still ongoing and the two entrepreneurs who initiated the innovation still run the business. Both came from a mainstream pig farm with a closed system. And both felt that the public opinion was changing in the local area: The neighbours to the mainstream farm were complaining about the small and dark living spaces of the pigs and found their quarters to be dusty, damp and smelly. This sentiment really opened the entrepreneurs’ eyes to running their business in a way that would be publicly accepted and financially feasible.
Social Innovation at Its Best
One of the most important factors of the process was to listen to what other people had to say. Many emotionally charged discussions were held, and people from the opposition gave them a really bad time. The opposition included action groups for animal welfare, anti-meat groups etc. The two entrepreneurs stood by their idea and filtered out the messages which they could use to create a better and more accepted concept. On a personal level, they also took quite a financial plunge. This combination of taking social and financial risks is what makes them true entrepreneurs.
After listening, they devised a plan which they made public to get ideas for improvements. The concept is now fully operational and due to their market strategy the two entrepreneurs get a good price for their pork. They sell it directly to the city and to Michelin restaurants.
They invest a lot in nurturing their public relationship with the neighbourhood and the consumers in general. As a result, their project is known throughout the Netherlands. People like to visit their farm and to see the pigs. They want to know where their food is produced and what kind of life the pigs have had. The entrepreneurs are very interested in hearing about the experiences of the people visiting from other countries and would love to get in touch with farmers abroad who cope with the public opinion or social pressure like they do.
What Was the Method?
Most of the steps that they took during the innovation process were intuitive. They did what felt right at the moment. They were not part of any project or programme, they were just looking for new options. This approach made them very flexible and made it possible for them to talk, turn, switch, talk, mingle, etc. very quickly.
One step was to hold a questionnaire with consumers. They were interested in what the consumers found important with regard to pigs and pork. They used this invaluable information as input for creating their concept. Another step was to talk to the Wageningen University to find out more about their pigs’ natural behaviour and needs. Trudie van Meechen of ZLTO also helped them with information about how policy evaluated new concepts.
They also tapped into a lot of resources outside the primary sector because nothing new came out of the sector itself. They needed new insights and they got quite a bit of help from a senior marketer: Dick Veerman. He also organised the dialogue with their neighbours and fellow citizens.
What Happens Next?
Because of various sources of social pressure, the entrepreneurs could only start with 20 piglets instead of the 250 that they had envisioned. Therefore, the farm is local and small-scale. Within a year, they expect to double in size since they are now allowed to have 60-70 piglets.
Moreover, they want to convince other pig farmers to start implementing their concept. They still feel that pork with a story is a scarce commodity. Also, they are convinced that it is the same in all other sectors (beef, poultry, lamb). Recently, they have been thinking about creating a collective of farmers with the same shared vision.
An Important Lesson
The two entrepreneurs have had many insights along the way. One important learning point is that innovation cannot be streamlined and that policy does not always stimulate innovation. Each process is different and entrepreneurs need space to experiment.
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