An interesting piece of news told us last week about a Finnish pig farmer selling shares of his business to consumers in order to finance a new, more spacious pig shed. In this shed all the pigs will have at least two square metres of room while the minimum requirement set by law is 0,85 square metres. The shares cost 200 euros each, and let you in on decision-making at the annual general meeting. The pig farmer is putting us consumers to the test – how much responsibility are we willing to take for our food production, both financially and emotionally?

Some pigs playing their part in Skördefest på Åland, 2010

For the past couple of years Invenire has been giving countless presentations on consumer trends that especially small-scale producers could utilise for their benefit.

One of these interesting trends is City Farmer. Many people living in urban areas seem to long for involvement in food production. This can be seen for instance in the rise of guerilla gardening plots and food co-ops. It can even be seen in the virtual world, where a great number of people spend their time – and sometimes also money – playing FarmVille and other farming games.

In May, we wrote about the National Trust (UK) tapping in on this trend by setting up MyFarm. It’s a real farm in Cambridgeshire, and for £30 anyone can sign up to become a farmer. This means that for a year you can participate in decisions on crops and production methods on the farm. In addition, you can visit the farm and get updates about farm life. What you don’t get is any food or actual ownership of the farm.

Now a Finnish pig farmer is actually letting consumers in on his business by making them shareholders.

Opening up food production this way poses intriguing questions to us consumers. It is convenient to turn a blind eye when you don’t really know about food production and don’t think you have any say in it. But becoming a shareholder means shouldering responsibility. No more turning a blind eye to questions like:

“Do I know how and where my food is produced? Who produced it and were they paid fairly for it? If it’s meat, do I know how the animal lived and died? And if I don’t like the answers to these questions, am I willing to do something about it - pay more money for my food or change my diet?”

Personal responsibility regarding food of course reaches beyond sustainability issues. When it comes to nutrition, it boils down to questions like:

“Do I actually know what’s in my food? What nutrients am I getting and not getting from my food? Do I know what’s actually good and bad for me, or am I just going by hearsay and fads? And if I don’t like the answers to these questions, am I willing to do something about it – pay more money for my food or change my diet?”

If you have about an hour to spare, here you can find an interesting and entertaining lecture by Marion Nestle, professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, discussing personal and social responsibility in terms of nutrition from an American perspective.

Woud you pay for a share in a pig shed?

PS. If you are a small-scale producer looking for ways to enhance your business, don’t hesitate to contact us!