Vegetable Program
Ethnic Crops Marketing

Ethnic Markets

Every year thousands of people immigrate to the United States from their native countries. Once here, many seek the things that remind them of home. One of the most sought after reminders is the taste of local dishes and meals enjoyed before immigrating. The power of food as a tie to home is evident in the consistent increase in the sales of ethnic vegetables.

The immigrant population in the United States has been rising in recent years. The percentage of immigrants in the United States is higher than it has been since 1930 (Figure 1) and the total population of immigrants is estimated to be close to thirty-five (Figure 2). In Massachusetts, it is estimated that over 100,000 immigrants have arrived in Massachusetts since 2000 (Center for Immigration Studies).

Questions in Spanish and Portuguese can be sent to Frank Mangan.

Figure 1. Immigrants as a percentage of the total population in the United States. (Source: Center for Immigration Studies.)

Figure 2. Cumulative number of immigrants in the United States. Source: Center for Immigration Studies.)

These immigrant groups represent new and expanding markets for growers in Massachusetts. They are also sources of new growers

The UMass Extension Vegetable Teams’ Ethnic Marketing Program is part of the ongoing Ethnic Crops project. Its main objective is to evaluate and quantify the market potential for specific vegetables desired by different immigrant groups and viable for production in Massachusetts. Once a crop has been identified with a strong market potential, a marketing campaign is developed and implemented by the Team. A key component of the marketing campaign is recognizing the importance of language and culture of the target groups.

Components of integrated marketing campaigns implemented by the Ethnic Marketing Program have included advertisements in local and national ethnic newspapers, spots on ethnic radio stations, and commercials on non-English cable stations. The Ethnic Marketing Program works very closely with the UMass Nutrition Education Team to develop and promote nutritionally-balanced and culturally-appropriate recipes using the new vegetables for Massachusetts.

Since 1995, the Ethnic Marketing Program has successfully targeted Latinos, Brazilian, Asian and African markets. Contact the Ethnic Marketing Team at market@psis.umass.edu.

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