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Process innovations for sustainable harmonisation of supply and demand for organic vegetables: new modes of cooperation and coordination in retail chains for diminishing conversion barriers and improved adjustment of supply performance and demand requirements
Project
Project code: 2808OE137
Contract period: 15.12.2008
- 29.02.2012
Budget: 236,905 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
In the past years, the German market for organically produced fresh vegetable has grown considerably.However, German organic vegetable production did not benefit accordingly. Reasons for that include:
· Organically producing vegetable businesses are mainly small and specialised on direct marketing ororganic wholesalers. Especially for fresh vegetable they do not meet the needs of the most growingdistribution channel for organic products – the food retail chains.
· Medium and large size vegetable growers could meet these needs. But even if interested inconversion, they keep valuing production and marketing risks as barriers not to be solvable on farm level.
· As a consequence, conventional wholesalers and producer associations face difficulties to provide an adequate offer of fresh German and organically grown vegetable to the retail chains.
Hence, German-grown organic vegetable can barely be found in retail chain outlets – imports dominate. But, transport is being discussed critically by consumers and also the retail chains are increasingly sensitive towards international organic quality safeguarding. As to date, the market has left the conversion risk mainly on the producer’s side. If the German supply of fresh organically produced vegetables should increase, existing uncertainties for marketing have to be removed. It could increase incentives for conversion. This, however, requires learning and adaptation processes along the whole marketing chain in order to harmonise supply and demand for organic fresh vegetables.
On the basis of three case studies regional cooperation and communication solutions will be developed participatory along the whole value chain. The final product will be a manual, enabling consultants to identify relevant actors and their functions in order to accompany change processes in organic marketing chains. Our scientific interest lies in the analysis of change and innovation processes in complex interdependent social systems.
Section overview
Subjects
- Horticulture
- Market Analysis/Marketing Strategy
- Organic Farming
Framework programme
Federal Organic Farming Scheme and other forms of sustainable agriculture (BÖLN)
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Department of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences (WISOLA)
