DEVELOPMENT

To explore my subject I travelled to rural Croatia where I spent several weeks conducting ethnographic research, meeting with experts, visiting family farms, and various agritourism sites. By illustrating different solutions and presenting them to various stakeholders, I received feedback that would inform my final proposal. I found that Croatia's hinterland enjoys a rich culture of locally cultivated food and drink, but little recognized value in the global community and high rates of poverty. Due to the pitfalls of turbulent political history, I saw that the way of life for a Croatian family farmer is at risk of disappearing and with it generations of cultural practices.

There is a belief amongst farmers that these are sacred lands, and they expressed a dedication to safeguarding their perfected traditions. It is established that one man's cow, raised on his land, grazing on his hill is not the same as another farmer's a few miles away. The milk, meat and cheese we yield from each cow are going to taste different. And naturally, each farmer believes his products are better. There is a word that describes this belief that typically is only used in winemaking, terroir.

What is 'Terroir'?

(/tɛˈrwɑːr/, French: [tɛʁwaʁ]; from terre, "land")

French term used to describe the various factors that contribute to the taste of a crop, including unique environment contexts, the crop's specific growth habitat, as well as the farming practices of the grower. Farmers committed to their practice believe that the taste and quality of their products cannot be replicated in any other place by any other person, it is their terroir that has unique value.

These rural communities lack the support needed to preserve and share their unique terroir products with the world.

KEY INSIGHTS

My approach was to talk directly to as many stakeholders as possible,  I can pool them into 3 main archetypes:

• Gastro-explorer: Intent on discovering the “hidden games”, they will spend their tourist dollars to eat and drink well, but don't necessarily believe that money buys taste. For these travellers, the discovery process is important. Spoon-feeding these people where to go won’t scratch that travel bug itch. They need to find and taste it for themselves. At the same time, the “fear of missing out” is real. Striking the right balance of information sharing is key to engaging this demographic.
• Diaspora: Descendants raised abroad, these people romanticise their heritage and often seek to affirm feelings of identity by learning about food and culture. There are millions of ethnic Croatians all over the world, contributing billions of euros to the Croatian economy. For a small country like Croatia, the diaspora is a powerful stakeholder financially and politically... Learning food and drink traditions is a positive way to keep them engaged.
• Local family farmer: Struggling but proud, these people believe their practices yield the best quality products. Preserving their traditions for future generations is very important to them. Local politics, financial strain and lack of labour support continue to endanger their way of life. Agritourism is a possible solution, but risky. Local farmers are wary of what large numbers of outsiders could do to their small villages, and so are only interested in connecting with a small number of the right kind of visitors.

Discovering + Learning + Preserving

FINAL CONCEPT

A platform where lovers of gastronomy and culture can organically share their knowledge and discoveries in a way that is fun, engaging, and helpful. An introductory online experience extends awareness and curiosity about new farms and foods. Beautifully packaged samples allow food lovers around the world a low-stakes way to engage in unique terroir products, they can “taste” a country from the comfort of their homes. The app goes on to build photo logs and capture memories across the whole traveller journey to provide a unique service for gastro-tourists. The service takes care of the small farms by rotating their efforts through the seasons to share the load of providing services to travellers.

Preserves uses a 3 prong approach:

Smart Maps; a treasure map of tastes and stories fueled by community input and AI.

• A library of "must tastes" mapped around the world ensures users never miss out on the best each land has to offer. The platform intelligently maps and links user photos of food and drink to online content, allowing users to document and share their unique experiences.

Subscription Samples; unique terroir products delivered to customer's door each season.

• Coalitions of family farms contribute to a subscription box of seasonal goods that features themed information on the subscribed region. Subscribers will receive different things, as boxes are filled randomly based on what’s available from each farm. 

Exclusive Seasonal Events;  hosted by local communities in rotation to not overwhelm any one particular village or family.

• Each season a different location within the region hosts a small event, providing a unique cultural experience that builds mystique and appeal. Events are kept small to ensure a quality experience can be supported but guarantee sufficient income for each small group of family farms. 

While each of these elements could function as standalone services, they are much more powerful when combined. This creates a magical, multifaceted service with powerful triggers that encourage travel and discovery.