Country : United States

Organization: University of Missouri

Year the initiative began: 2002

Project Website: Website

Geotourism Challenge Addressed by Entrant:

Quality of benefit to residents for the destination

Organization size:

Large (more than 1000 employees)

Indicate sector in which you principally work:
Academia

Primary field of activity:

• Culinary or agritourism

What is the goal of your innovation? Please describe in one sentence the kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.

To demonstrate the potential of label of origin approaches for rural development in the United States, eventually changing the national intellectual property regulatory regime protecting these labels.

Please write an overview of your project. Include how your approach supports or embodies geotourism or destination stewardship. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the map located on the competition homepage.

The Missouri Regional Cuisines Project promotes Missouri wine and food products using distinct labels of origin based on ecological regions of the state. The MRCP encourages sustainable rural development through the identification, study, labeling and quality improvement of products that reflect an area’s ecology and the know-how of its people. The project organizes producers, locally-owned restaurants and lodging, arts and crafts businesses, local government and education, bringing them together to encourage tourism that will sustain and protect the authenticity and uniqueness of their region and strengthen their local economies. The project is active in four regions in Missouri, encompassing 25 counties and over 200 rural towns. Approximately 24,500 family farms are located in these counties, reflecting the fact that Missouri is second in the nation in the number of farms, 97% of which are family farms. This makes Missouri a key location for exploring innovations that can support family farming.

Explain in detail why your approach is innovative.

The Missouri Regional Cuisines Project is the only regional food project of its kind in the US to explicitly base its regional delineations on ecological factors, and the only one to orient regional partners towards the long-range goal of having a regionally significant product that enhances local tourism attractiveness, sustains local culture, and creates new jobs and income for those engaged in the product's production through both local and extra-local sales.

What is the origin of your innovation? Tell the Changemakers and media communities what prompted you to start this initiative.

The concept for Missouri Regional Cuisines resulted from several case studies of label of origin regions in Europe (France, Spain, Portugal) and in Quebec, as well as research into how social, research and governmental systems collaborate to support them. I wanted to adapt what I had learned to the US context and demonstrate it's potential here. As a newer, "settler" country, we do not have systems like those in Europe to recognize and protect products worthy of a label of origin. I feel we need to become much more aware of our regionally specific ecological wealth, as well as the specific know-how of our people who have worked with their local ecology to produce something outstanding. We have many such products and they need to be better understood, better "seen" by consumers, and better supported by our government at all levels (local, state and federal). I felt that by creating on-the-ground examples of organizations of local sectors that mimic, in our own way, what I had observed in Europe, citizens would naturally see the advantages and move much more quickly to help their region organize and pursue shared goals related to maintaining and promoting their heritage products. This in turn could influence government at higher levels (state and federal) to do more to help them. If we change the situation in the US, we also make it much easier for developing countries to move in the same direction--towards working with their locally specific products to support regional development--as the US would not longer be opposing the creation of a global system of recognition for these products when they enter international trade.

Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.

Dr. Elizabeth Barham is nationally and internationally known for her research on labels of origin as catalysts for rural development, revitalization and tourism. Her work in France, Spain, Portugal and Quebec led to the establishment of the Missouri Regional Cuisines Project which now encompasses four major wine producing regions in Missouri. Her work pushes forward an exploration of how American producers can innovate and compete using the model of geographical indications, or labels or origin, for regionally distinct products. She holds a Masters and Ph.D. in Development Sociology from Cornell University and is fluent in French. Her specialty areas are food and agricultural systems, rural development and globalization. In 2004, she was knighted by the French government for her contributions to the field of agriculture. She has been honored to serve as the only international expert on the founding committee to review requests for protected labels of origin in Quebec.

Describe some unique tourist experiences that your approach provides. Be specific; give illustrative examples.

The Missouri Regional Cuisines Project helps tourists find agritourism opportunities of all kinds in the four active regions, which cover 25 counties in the state. Recognizing that approximately 70% of the tourist dollar will be spent on food an lodging, the project also encourages tourists to patronize local restaurants that feature regional products, as well a locally owned B&Bs. Regional arts and crafts are included as an expression of regional creativity and local authenticity. Cultural heritage sites are identified so that visitors can learn more about the amazing history of the state in terms of exploration (Lewis and Clark), European settlement (the towns of Hermann and Ste. Genevieve), Native American history (Manitou Bluffs), the opening of the west (Santa Fe trail and the Steamboat Arabia Museum), natural history (the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and their ecosystems), and Black American history (Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area). By visiting rural towns and farms, tourists can come away with experiences that span the past 205 years of American history and culture, as well as a deeper appreciation of the role played by food production and farming in sustaining rural communities. At the same time, by visiting local establishments by preference, they will be helping these communities gain the economic multiplier effect that comes with buying from local businesses, thus producing a "virtuous circle" of sustainable tourism. As most of our population now lives in urban areas, the project can also help build stronger rural-urban connections, and give city dwellers the opportunity to experience and learn about the natural environment.

What types of partnerships or professional development would be most beneficial in spreading your innovation?

It would be helpful to be able to share my understanding of how label of origin systems are organized with other regional efforts in this country that already encompass food and agriculture, along with perhaps the arts, but do not explicitly pursue the intellectual property goals of the Missouri Regional Cuisines Project. It could encourage the emergence of a civil movement to change our governmental position concerning this type of intellectual property protection. Funding is also a constant constraint for projects such as the MRCP that do not align with the status quo in terms of state and federal agencies and their grant programs. The project is not easily understood by other donors (foundations, etc.) as they do not readily grasp the importance of the intellectual property dimension, or else they do not want to enter an arena that involves actual changes to federal policy. So professional development related to fundraising for the project would be helpful.

Describe the degree of success you have had to date. How do you measure, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the impact on sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How has it transformed or contributed to the power of place or demonstrated the sustainability of tourism? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?

The Missouri Regional Cuisines Project has been successful thus far in launching and encouraging the internal organizating efforts of local participants in four major regions in the state. Each regional group has included the preservation of local culture, heritage, environment and remarkable landscapes among their goals, I feel that they are empowered as a group to have a much stronger impact on making that happen in a sustainable way. All of the groups wish to promote tourism to the towns and historical sites that they feel they want to share, but they have discussed, and continue to discuss, the fact that sustainable tourism requires planning, and not everything about tourism is positive. Sharing that discussion is important, particularly as their meetings often include officials, such as county commissioners and mayors, who can help them address opportunities as well as problem areas. Work is currently underway to develop a quantitative tool to measure the regional economic impact of the project in each region using a business cluster approach and tracking economic indicators using NAICS data. The clusters are not the same as more traditional economic development models (i.e., smokestack chasing), so there is no off the shelf tool available. Qualitative interviews, however, reflect a heightened sense of regional identify among participants, commitment to the project, and the conviction that their regional networking will be very important to their success at achieving the benefits of sustainable tourism. The pilot region for the project has seen gains in numbers of tourists visiting, as well as new businesses related to the project (new wineries, more diversification of farm products, new products such as goat cheese introduced). Potential negative results of tourism are openly discussed in group meetings, which sets the stage for better planning to prevent them.

In what ways are local residents actively involved in your work, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?

While the MRCP exists to provide information and help regions link to resources, ultimately each region's future rests in the hands of local participants. They have to make the project their own and pursue it in their own way for it to be sustainable. Milestones of success, for me, are internal organizational efforts such as the successful conclusion of a shared visioning process across multiple sectors that results in concrete and achievable objectives for the region, along with persons committed to work together on them at the local level. In two of the regions, a more formalized organizational structure has emerged (non-profit regional association with by-laws and elected boards) that can help participants pursue collective goals and have a stronger voice with local and state government partners as well as the university. The two other regions have set their goals and established committees, but are not yet to the more formalized state of creating an association.

How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?

Consumer demand for local food has become a prominent social trend in the past several years, and fits well with the purposes and activities of the Regional Cuisines Project. Media in the state have been very interested in the project, sensing that their readership is hungry for news about good local places to eat and visit that can give them a real taste of a region. Through stories written by journalists in our major cities (St. Louis and Kansas City), tourists interested in rural travel opportunities become tuned into the work of Regional Cuisines and seek out more local places. Working at the local level with project participants, we develop a database of business partners in each region, check accuracy, and develop maps to guide tourists to their locations. We are hoping to find the funding to convert our maps to a smart phone application so that urban tourists can plan a visit and easily find their way to local businesses when on the road.

Describe how your work helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues.

I believe people only value something when they know something about it. The best way to encourage travelers and residents to value what a region can offer is to encourage an actual visit to the spot. There is no replacement for direct experience, particularly in the realm of local foods. We encourage local businesses to include Regional Cuisines information in tourist information such as on menus in restaurants. Maps are also useful to point out cultural and historical points of interest to visitors. Residents gain a sense of pride from realizing how much, in fact, they do have to offer. And they are pleased to find that people from outside their region can recognize the value of what they have. On environmenal issues, we benefit from the participation of the Missouri River Communities Network that organizes Stream Teams to monitor water quality, along with many events featuring environmental information and experiences. We also collaborate with state conservation agencies.

How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.

The initiative is facing a transformation soon in its funding, as it will likely be moving from its base in an academic office to become a non-profit entity. In the past, support has come from the funding of a position by the U. of Missouri, but the university is under great financial pressure, as are many others. Various grants have been used to advance the project (Federal-State Market Improvement Grant and grants from the MO Wine & Grape Board primarily). But grants eventually run out. What is needed is a more systemic source of funding. We are working with the Mid-MO Regional Planning Commission on an approach that would derive at least a base of support from the communities being served in the four regions. The annual budget thus far is typically in the $100,000 range. No earned income revenue has been generated directly to the MRCP office at this point, but it is possible that a smart phone application, if well received, might help finance the office and regional efforts. The project has always been led by one full-time person, but a person with other responsibilities as well (teaching, research, publishing, etc.). Part-time staff varied depending on whether there was an active grant including that that. Help has also come from graduate students and VISTA members working with the MO River Communities Network. A better and more sustainable model is needed, and we are working on that.

Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? Is there a potential demand for your innovation?

If the communities involved feel that it is important to them, I believe we will find a way to work with them to obtain base funding (tax measure, establish a community foundation, etc.). The project needs to find ways to generate some income, as well, and this is under discussion (smart phone application, fund raisers, annual conference supported by grants and registration fees, etc.). It is clear that there is a very strong demand for the work of the project at the grassroots level, but there is very little funding available for rural development in the US (compared to Europe), and no government agency structure at this time to support labels of origin, so we will need to approach the situation from a non-profit point of view for the time being. But the project concept is definitely replicable to other regions.

What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?

Lack of sustainable funding (and so, lack of support staff). Turf issues for state agencies, each one of which has a different way of defining their administrative regions in the state (groupings of counties), none of which align with each other. As my projrect is based in the ecology, it differs substantially from any of the ways government agencies define regions. But the regions I work with are very well recognized by people on the ground, who understand "where they are" sometimes better than the state agencies do. The project is much easier to manage with the local people than it is to get acceptance and support from higher levels. The current economic downturn has put pressure on all funding sources, making things more difficult in terms of raising needed funds. And it seems that having an operating structure outside of either the university or a government office, one that responds directly to the regions themselves, will be necessary to make it most responsive to their needs and give the local people more voice with more powerful entities at the state and federal level.

What is your plan to expand or further develop your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.

The project was always conceived of as a demonstration that could be applied across the US, in a variety of settings and for a variety of key products. I would like to see it fulfull that goal, but much depends on current efforts to find a sustainable funding base closer to the people being served who see the benefits. It would be greatly beneficial if regions that are organized could have regular exchange programs to visit one another. I have organized some of these, and they have the most impact in terms of people from other states seeing what they could do in their own area. And I would like to see more exchanges between US producer groups and international producer groups with origin products. I am actively working with some US producer groups on forming a US association of origin products, and this could be an important avenue for helping them reach a larger audience.

Contact Information
Dr. Elizabeth Barham
Leader, Missouri Regional Cuisines Project
University of Missouri
105 Eckles Hall
BarhamE@missouri.edu