?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Improving+quality+and+safety+and+reduction+of+cost+in+the+European+organic+and+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Clow+input%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+food+supply+chains%3A+Subproject+1%3A+Determining+consumer+expectations+and+attitudes+towards+organic%2Flow+input+food+quality+and+safety&rft.creator=Richter%2C++Toralf&rft.creator=Kovacs%2C+Annamaria&rft.subject=+Markets+and+trade&rft.description=State+of+the+Art%3A%0D%0AConsumer+expectation%2C+attitudes+and+perception+about+organic+foods+have+or+are+currently+being+studied.+The+EU-project+OMIaRD+project+has+produced+the+most+comprehensive+statistics+so+far+on+the+scope+and+dimensions+of+the+organic+market+in+Europe+and+will+shortly+provide+more+detailed+insights+from+focus+group+and+laddering+interviews+with+regular+and+occasional+consumers.+Data+sets+are+or+will+be+soon+available+from+survey+based+studies+in+several+EU+countries.+However%2C+it+is+currently+difficult+to+compare+consumer+surveys+from+different+EU-countries+because+a+range+of+different+questionnaires%2Fsurvey+approaches+is+used.%0D%0ADefinition+of+the+problem%3A%0D%0ARecent+scientific+studies+and+information+from+major+retail+chains+indicate+that+the+attitudes+and+expectations+of+consumers+towards+foods+(those+expressed+in+quantitative+questionnaire+based+surveys)%2C+may+differ+from+their+actual+buying+behaviour.+It+has+been+suggested%2C+that+this+is+due+to+the+higher+price%2C+not+being+offset+by+a+sufficiently+high+value+given+to+quality+and+safety+benefits+(perceived+and+actual)+associated+with+such+foods.+On+the+other+hand%2C+the+example+of+baby+food+market+(where+up+to+80%25+of+the+total+retail+sales+is+now+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Corganic%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D)+shows+the+great+potential+for+expanding+the+market+for+organic+and+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Clow+input%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+foods.%0D%0AThe+survey+methods+and+questionnaires+used+were+developed+and+focus+on+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Cquality+and+safety%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+characteristics+known+to+be+recognised+by+consumers+of+conventional+foods+(e.g.+appearance%2C+taste%2C+packaging%2C+microbiological+safety+and+production+or+trade+system+associated+quality+benefits+such+as+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Cfree+range%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D%2C+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9CGM-free%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+and+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Cfair+trade%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D).+Many+of+these+characteristics+are+also+important+for+organic+consumers%2C+and+for+example+surveys+have+confirmed+that+consumers+buy+organic+food+because+they+perceive+it+as+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Dhealthier%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D%2C+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Ctastier%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D%2C+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9CGM-free%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D%2C+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Canimal+welfare+focused%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D%2C+and%2For+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Cprotective+of+the+environment+and+biodiversity%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D.+Also%2C+surveys+indicated+that+there+are+relative+differences+in+the+ranking+of+these+characteristics+between+EU-countries.+%0D%0AHowever%2C+a+range+of+other+quality+characteristics%2Fparameters%2C+which+are+thought+to+influence+the+buying+behaviour+of+consumers+of+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Clow+input%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+and%2For+organic+foods%2C+have+rarely+been+included+in+existing+questionnaires.+Parameters+that+were+often+insufficiently+covered+include+proximity+of+production+(imports%2C+country+of+origin%2C+regional+food%2C+locally+produced)%2C+specific+animal+welfare+standards+(e.g.+livestock+standards+prescribing+different+levels+of+access+to+the+outside)+and%2For+nutritional+benefits+associated+with+different+levels+of+processing+of+foods+(e.g.+pasteurisation%2C+homogenisation+and%2For+filtration+of+milk%3B+use+or+non-use+of+specific+crop+protection+strategies).+%0D%0AFurthermore%2C+little+detailed+information+is+available+of+the+actual+evolution+of+buying+behaviour+of+consumers+of+organic+and+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Clow+input%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+foods.+There+is+also+little+quantitative+knowledge+about+the+effect+of+changes+in+knowledge+levels+and+perceptions+of+quality+and+safety+benefits+on+consumer+decision+making.%0D%0AProject+aims+including+target+group%3A%0D%0AProject+aims%3A%0D%0A-+to+identify+and+explain+differences+and+similarities+between+EU+countries+with+respect+to+consumers+expectations+and+attitudes+concerning+the+quality+and+safety+of+organic+and+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Clow+input%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+foods+%0D%0A-+to+Identify+important+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Cquality+and+safety%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+characteristics+recognised+by+consumers+of+organic+and+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Clow+input%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+foods+that+are+not+currently+addressed+in+consumer+surveys+%0D%0A-+to+conduct+a+quantitative+European+consumer+survey+about+attitudes+to+organic+food%0D%0A-+to+determine+actual+consumer+buying+pattern+behaviour+through+consumer+choice+tests+%0D%0A-+to+determine+potential+future+trends+in+consumer+buying+behaviour+through+detailed+semi-quantitative%2Fstructured+consumer+interviews+(consumer+narratives).+This+is+also+expected+-+to+allow+the+evolution+of+consumer+buying+behaviour+to+be+correlated+to+changes+in+knowledge+levels+and+perceptions+of+consumers+about+organic+and+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Clow+input%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+foods.+%0D%0A-+Analysis+of+implications+for+future+demand+%0D%0ATarget+group%3A+Policy+and+market+actors%0D%0A%0D%0AMethodology%3A%0D%0ADifferent+methods+of+quantitative+and+qualitative+consumer+surveys+are+conducted.&rft.publisher=Stiftung+%C3%83%C2%96kologie+und+Landbau&rft.contributor=Richter%2C++Toralf&rft.contributor=Kovacs%2C+Annamaria&rft.date=2005&rft.type=Project+description&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.identifier=%7BProject%7D+EU-QLIF%3A+Consumer%3A+Improving+quality+and+safety+and+reduction+of+cost+in+the+European+organic+and+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Clow+input%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D+food+supply+chains%3A+Subproject+1%3A+Determining+consumer+expectations+and+attitudes+towards+organic%2Flow+input+food+quality+and+safety.+Runs+2004+-+2008.+Project+Leader(s)%3A+Richter%2C+Toralf%2C+Research+Institute+of+Organic+Agriculture+(FiBL)%2C+CH-5070+Frick.+More+information+online+at+%3Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.fibl.org%2Fde%2Fschweiz%2Fforschung%2Fsoziooekonomie.html+%3Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.fibl.org%2Fde%2Fschweiz%2Fforschung%2Fsoziooekonomie.html%3E%3E.&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F6218%2F