Search

The European Union (EU) is one of Turkey's most important trade partners. A large number of Turkish agri-food processors, however, are still unable to produce in accordance with the EU specifications. Furthermore, it is uncertain how Turkish food producers perceive the EU regulations. Based on a questionnaire survey of 99 Turkish agri-food enterprises from various industry subsectors and a conceptual framework including knowledge, personal and economic perspectives, this article assesses perceptions of the EU requirements regarding food safety and quality systems in the Turkish agri-food industry. The results indicate that those perceptions vary widely among the processors depending on education level, firm size, and legal form of ownership. Moreover, subjective information related to the perceptions regarding advantages, requirements, and costs of food safety and quality practices significantly contributes to the perceptions examined. The findings have manifold implications which should be taken into account when adapting Turkish legislation to reflect EU regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the importance of the country of origin (COO) effect in German consumers' perception of chocolate quality using the example of chocolate made from Ecuadorian raw cocoa. From earlier COO and consumer perception research, a complex research framework grounded in schema and attribution theory has been developed acknowledging the multifactorial character of consumers' food quality perception. Based on this framework, a PLS analysis of primary data from an online survey of 205 German chocolate consumers is conducted. The results demonstrate the overall applicability of the research framework and give evidence on the underlying complex consumer perception process of COO-labeled food products. For the case of chocolate made from Ecuadorian cocoa, PLS estimations show a strong COO effect in German consumers' quality perceptions and identify characteristics of the target consumer group. Protecting geographical indications may offer a potential for products from developing and transition countries to differentiate in the German market, a prime example for European markets, and should be promoted more strongly by government offices and NGOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people believe that welfare standards for nonhuman animals on farms need to be improved. However, the definition of farm animal welfare (FAW) remains unclear, as different disciplines have developed competing understandings of FAW. Some studies have investigated citizens' understanding of FAW through quantitative surveys. This study combined both closed-ended and open-ended questions and compared the findings from the different types of questions. For the open-ended question, respondents mostly named criteria in the categories of "housing system" and "management practice"; however, for the closed-ended question, the category "animal health" was most important. These findings suggest that not only whom you ask determines what comprises animal welfare, but how you ask. These findings should be considered when developing new animal welfare programs to increase the likelihood that the new programs will be accepted by the broader public and meet its expectations. In particular, improvements concerning animal health need to be publicized and clearly communicated to citizens, as health-related aspects are important to many people even though those aspects may not be the first thing they mentioned when asked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gas emissions are one of the major impediments to sustainable food production and distribution. In this study, we address the climate impact of alternative distribution channels for asparagus. Since distribution always includes the transport of goods and people, we include both the producer and the consumer perspective. The product carbon footprint (PCF) was chosen to measure the climate impact. Within the study, three different distribution channels were analyzed: supermarkets, sales booths, and onsite farm shops. Our sample data implies that buying at the sales booths is the most climate-friendly way to buy for several reasons which are further explained throughout the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often hypothesized that geographical proximity in clusters (or industry districts) has positive effects on firms' access to information and knowledge and on firm competitiveness. We present one of the first empirical tests of this hypothesis in the context of the European agribusiness sector. A large-scale explorative empirical study was conducted in the north-western part of Germany, which is one of Europe's leading pig production regions. The results of the farmer survey show that the cluster in north-western Germany provides good structural preconditions for the comprehensive network participation of pig farmers. These structural preconditions comprise a relatively high number of specialized institutions and the geographical proximity of the actors involved in pig production. Additional analyses show that farmers' participation in partly overlapping business and personal networks has positive effects on access to information, their perceived level of informedness, and the competitiveness of their farms. The results have interesting implications for farm management since they indicate the high relevance of the intensity and quality of farmers' relationships with other actors for farm competitiveness. The results are also helpful for political decision-making and public administration in regions with high livestock densities since they show that the regional deconcentration of livestock production which is sometimes considered more advantageous from an environmental perspective may, at the same time, reduce the competitiveness of livestock production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for adequate systems to guarantee the quality of food products has become more and more obvious in recent years. As a consequence, not only in Germany but throughout the world, the number of certification schemes has been increasing for nearly a decade. Due to the implementation of these standards in various countries, a considerable number of contingency factors exist that may influence the effectiveness and efficiency of such schemes. These factors include the diverse political, economic and social conditions in the different countries. Numerous studies attribute a decisive role in the successful implementation of management instruments to cultural influences. Cultural conditions may differ considerably from region to region around the world. Against the background of this multiplicity of cultures, this study analyses the impact of cultural context on the way certification schemes are implemented and work in different parts of the world. Based on theories concerning the influence of culture on the implementation of certification schemes, an empirical study was devised and conducted in 2008. Ninety-six respondents answered the extensive questionnaire, which helped identify how cultural differences are perceived by auditors and how these differences influence the implementation, effectiveness and efficiency of certification schemes. Based on the results, the authors formulate recommendations for standard setters and auditors, as well as the companies that implement these standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU agricultural policy has recently been characterised by radical changes that increase market volatilities. Especially in the dairy market, fluctuating prices as well as production and political risks lead to high uncertainty for farmers. Based on a comprehensive survey, this paper discusses the risk perception and risk management strategies of dairy farmers in selected European countries. This approach allows a more detailed analysis of the determinants of farmers' risk perceptions and risk management. First, based on the literature, a comprehensive framework was developed for the determinants of farmers' risk perceptions and risk management. This framework guided an empirical study in 2007 in which 236 German dairy farmers were interviewed using a standardised questionnaire. Subsequently, parallel surveys have been conducted in the Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland and France using case studies and expert interviews on dairy farmers' risk management. The findings provide in-depth insights into the determinants of risk perception and risk management on dairy farms and the way risk management is integrated into the strategic management of those farms. The most important risks that dairy farmers currently perceive are various market risks followed by policy and production risks. Results show that future-oriented dairy farmers operate in a risk-conscious but not risk-averse way and selectively apply risk management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At this point in time, quality assurance schemes in the food industry and the agricultural sector are becoming increasingly popular. The International Food Standard (IFS) is one of the most important means of certification. This article presents the results of an empirical study in the German food industry. In early 2005, 65 food manufacturers answered an extensive questionnaire and gave insights into their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of certification systems. The study focuses on the IFS, which has gained much relevance in the German food industry because all major German retailers have subscribed to the system and, for the most part, no longer accept suppliers that do not have IFS certificates. Three different groups were identified by using a cluster analysis, namely, the managers, the supporters, and the rejecters. These clusters show the different attitudes toward the IFS and are further specified in the following article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today the European agrofood sector is increasingly confronted with the threats as well as the opportunities of liberalizing markets. Therefore, competitiveness on global markets is becoming of paramount importance for European farmers. The challenges of global markets are accompanied by a growing array of new developments in farmers' economic and political environments, such as accelerating structural changes in the farm and agribusiness sectors, a new EU agricultural policy (decoupling and cross-compliance), and new market opportunities due to the breakthrough of renewable energies. In this article we deal with strategic decision making by German farmers who are confronted with new threats and opportunities. We develop a theoretical framework of strategic farm management based on the differentiation between different levels of strategic management, namely, corporate, competitive, functional, and cooperative strategies. We present the results of a large-scale empirical study in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The empirical results show that farmers employ a broad spectrum of corporate, competitive, functional, and cooperative strategies to reposition their farms in the face of changing economic and political environments. Factor analysis reveals 5 dominant strategic factors and cluster analysis 5 strategic groups in the region under survey. The results of the study allow farmers to benchmark their farms and to identify strategic gaps in the face of globalizing markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]