Once a product has been produced, processed, and packaged, the next level of pricing begins: its journey through the network.
Transport costs reveal that a product does not originate in just one place but must pass through multiple stages—being carried, consolidated, stored, and distributed—until it reaches a community, pickup location, or another form of onward distribution.
The "Transport Costs" category includes all expenses incurred by moving a product from its origin to regional distribution.
This encompasses, in particular:
This level is important because products do not simply move directly from the farm into the hands of members but are transported and organized across multiple stages.
The first transport usually begins even before export.
Here, the product is moved from the farm, processing site, or collection point to a consolidation warehouse, packing facility, or export hub.
This stage is easily overlooked but is a real part of pricing. Especially in rural areas or for smaller farms, this step can involve considerable effort.
After consolidation in the country of origin, the product is transported to the destination country.
This stage demonstrates that prices also depend on distances, transport routes, volumes, and consolidation.
The better products can be organized collectively, the more sustainable this level becomes for the network.
Once products arrive in the destination country, national redistribution begins.
This stage is crucial because products do not automatically end up in the right place upon arrival. Only through national logistics do they reach the structures from which regional distribution becomes possible.
Between national logistics and local distribution, there are often additional stages.
These locations serve as network hubs. They bridge the gap between large-scale transport logistics and regional supply.
In the TEIKEI context, they are particularly important because they enable products to transition from centralized arrival to regional structures.
At the end of the transport chain is the regional handover.
For many members, this is the most visible form of logistics. At the same time, it is often where community organization, volunteer or coordination work, and actual transport costs intersect most directly.
Transport costs show that supply must always be spatially organized.
They reveal:
Without this level, the amount of organization between origin and distribution would remain invisible.
In the TEIKEI context, logistics is not merely a technical intermediary.
It is part of the community’s architecture.
Transport costs therefore relate not only to vehicles or warehouses but also to questions such as:
Here, it becomes clear that pricing is always also about structure-building.
Once products have traveled through origin, export, national logistics, and regional distribution, it becomes evident that—beyond the product and transport—the supporting system itself must also be financed.
This marks the beginning of the next level of pricing: operational support.
One level up: Price Components
Author: Felix Schröder, with assistance from AI (ChatGPT)
Creation: written by Felix Schröder › formatted in Markdown by ChatGPT › published by Felix Schröder › layout adjusted by Claude
Created: 2026-03-30 · Last updated: 2026-10-11 · Questions or feedback? support@teikei.us