Empowering Local Farmers: Lukas on Pantry’s Journey and the Future of Short Food Supply Chain

 

For the past five years, Lukas Lagerweij has been at the heart of Pantry, a pioneering Dutch initiative dedicated to strengthening farm shops and short food supply chains. Pantry helps local farmers reach more consumers through joint sales, shared distribution, and smart use of data, all while promoting fresh, regional food and supporting rural economies.

Lukas has witnessed firsthand the challenges small producers face—from limited marketing capacity and complex regulations to the difficulty of coordinating small shipments—and how collaboration and innovative solutions can transform these obstacles into opportunities.

Today, Pantry is exploring new horizons with the EU4Advice Dutch Living Lab, leveraging training, digital tools, and knowledge exchange to empower farmers, professionalize local food networks, and make sustainable, locally sourced food more accessible than ever.

In this interview, Lukas shares his insights on the future of short food supply chains, effective business models, and how policy and EU support can create a fairer, more resilient local food system.

• Could you describe your role and how it connects to short food supply chains?

I am the founder of Stichting Pantry, an organization that strengthens farm shops and short food chains through joint sales, distribution, and data support. Our goal is to increase farmers’ revenues and improve consumer access to local food.

• What are the main challenges you see for local farmers and suppliers today?
• Limited opening hours and marketing capacity of farm shops; complex regulations; and high consumer expectations on convenience and price.
• Distribution is not efficient due to small shipments. 
• System change is necessary for consumers to make it work!!!

• How do you currently collaborate with local producers or networks such as De Lokalist and Boerschappen?

We work closely with local farmers and small producers. We had a connection with networks such as De Lokalist and Boerschappen, but focus mainly on regional cooperation and joint sales channels.

• In your view, what kinds of training or advisory support would most benefit local suppliers?

Support on entrepreneurship, pricing, marketing, digital tools, and understanding regulations would make the biggest difference.

• What role should policymakers play in strengthening short food supply chains?

Provide clear and accessible regulation, facilitate collaboration projects, and support investments through subsidies and funds. And support the pioneers of the era when the have proven when they are on the right track… we need to jump to the same hoop again and again.

• How do you see EU initiatives like EU4Advice Living Labs supporting your work or the sector?

They can help by stimulating knowledge exchange, financing innovative pilots, and connecting best practices from different regions. Let them be the institution to support the initiatives they know well, so the different initiatives can do what they do best.

• What barriers do farmers and suppliers face in adopting digital tools or new practices?

While not every farmer is the same… Lack of knowledge, time, and financial capacity among farmers. Many prefer focusing on their product rather than dealing with software,  data and marketing. Most of them are stuck in their habbits… ‘we are doing it for ages’.

• Which forms of collaboration (public-private, farmer-to-farmer, cross-country) are most needed?

Public-private cooperation for infrastructure to facilitate in production methods to proffesionalize local production.

Farmers need to collaborate with each other to create a wider assortment. This will help consumers to buy local instead of going to the supermarket over and over again. 

cross-border collaboration for scaling up and set up a wider marketing strategy.

• How can short food supply chains contribute to broader goals such as sustainability and rural development?

Short food chains strengthen sustainability, rural vitality, and social cohesion. They reduce food miles, create fairer prices, and connect consumers with farmers and nature.

With more local products, we get a wider biodiversity. Human health will improve and local economy will rise. 

• Looking ahead, what would an ideal future for short food supply chains look like in your country or region?

A regional network of farm shops and short chains connected through shared logistics and digital platforms, supported by policy and embraced by consumers. Resulting in a fair trade system where local farmers can feed their region and consumers know where there food grows.

• Can you describe the main business models used by farmers or food producers you advise (e.g., direct-to-consumer, farmers’ markets, CSA/box schemes, online shops, collective distribution, partnerships with restaurants/retailers)?

We see them all, and I think we need them all also, there is no best way but every single initiative should look around how we can collaborate and work together. 

• For each business model you mentioned:

  • How does it typically generate income? What makes it succeed (or fail) in practice? Does it usually require subsidies or grants to be viable? If yes: which types of subsidies are most important (e.g., EU CAP, local government support, innovation funds)?

  Farm shops/direct sales → income via direct margins; success depends on loyalty and trust. The small ones just started but there are a lot with LEADER subsidies or provincial.

  Online box schemes/subscriptions → stable cashflow; success depends on convenience and consistency.

  Collective distribution (cooperatives) → economies of scale; success depends on organization and collaboration.

  Partnerships with horeca/retail → larger volumes; requires professionalism and reliability.

All subsidies, whether small or large, can be important—it depends on what you want to achieve. If your goal is just to launch a website, an online shop, or a platform, small amounts may be enough. But if your ambition is bigger—creating a movement or driving systemic change—you might start with small funding, yet soon you’ll need larger investments, and those needs will continue to grow. The challenge is that the impact of these initiatives is only truly measurable at scale.

Getting funding isn’t just about persistence or having a vision—you also need others to trust in your project and see the bigger picture. For example, I’ve been working on Pantry for five years with zero income; every euro we earn goes back into improving the system and covering financial gaps. But I know that eventually, we will reach a point where we no longer rely on subsidies, and our business model will sustain itself.