Quality Management and Improvement in the Spanish SME Food Industry: The Adoption of ISO 9000

This paper presents the results of a large-scale study in the Spanish F&DI aimed to identify the motivators, perceived costs, and benefits of implementing ISO 9000 standards. Results indicate the increasing importance of ISO 9000 standards as a strategic tool in the Spanish F&DI with an increasing number of F&D companies seeking ISO 9000 certification. Despite being a recent strategic option among Spanish F&D companies latest figures show a total of 1,754 firms being ISO 9000 certified (a significant increased from a total of 4 firms in 1993)ISO 9000 certification, food industry, Spain, performance, Agribusiness,

Uncertainty in Spanish Organic Products: A Global Analysis from Consumer to Entrepreneurs

The organic market is a very particular one. Starting from the premise that organic products are confidence and credibility products which cannot be easily differentiated from the rest, we find that consumers face a risk when purchasing them. In Spain, the marketing chain does not follow the conventional stages in most of the cases, so there is always some uncertainty about how the products will be sold. In addition, the great majority of the Spanish organic production is marketed abroad. In this paper we show some of the results of an investigation project in this topic.Organic, risk, chain, producer, consumer, Agribusiness, Risk and Uncertainty,

Challenge to SME to Survive in Food Dynamic Markets: Innovation and Efficient Networks

The EU food entrepreneurs are facing dramatic changes in the competition arena. Globalization and liberalization processes are offering cheaper food products in international markets, either from countries with better comparative advantages or with more efficient marketing strategies. At the same time, food markets are in a process of continuous segmentation and changes. Consumers are located in different niches, according to socio-demographic variables, cultures and traditions. Some of them respond to price changes while others are more concerned with quality control and food safety. It is on this segment where typical products, traceability and denominations of origin have significant values. SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) have to survive on this competitive scenario using several strategies: focusing their attention on specific consumer segments (aged people, gourmets or ethnic groups), products (typical, denomination of origin) or with more personal attention. Their flexibility to adapt the production process should compensate the lack of economic and human resources and specialization activities. In the 21st century they may survive through adequate strategies, most of them based on several pillars: innovation, tradition and adequate network.Agribusiness, Industrial Organization, Marketing,

Fish Chain Performance in Madrid Market: An Empirical Analysis

Food chain analysis is becoming a useful instrument to increase efficiency. We focus the attention in the fish sector looking at the links from consumer to wholesalers in the region of Madrid. In order to get adequate information we developed face to face enquiries to the consumers, retailers and wholesalers. The analysis of the Madrid market give us a useful approach of the national and international sector, due to the fact that Mercamadrid is the biggest fish wholesale market in Europe, and the consumption in Madrid is representative in many ways of the Spanish market. Finally there are some conclusions and recommendations oriented toward the stakeholders.Fish, food chain, performance, competition, Agribusiness,

Meat safety as a tool of differentiation for retailers: Spanish and French examples of meat "supply chain brands"

The purpose of this article is to analyse how the health crises have contributed to increasing the segmentation of the supply of fresh and little-processed food products under the impetus of a reinforcement of regulations (affecting the supply chain as a whole) and of strategies adopted by the stakeholders. Indeed, since several food crises have strongly affected the production of animal food products, food safety has become one of the most important aspects of quality products for both consumers and retailers. The authors carry out an empirical and comparative analysis of the reactions of two neighbouring countries (Spain and France) faced with major health crises caused by similar events: the emergence of BSE cases. A special focus is made on the initiatives taken privately by two French retail groups (Carrefour and Auchan) operating in both countries. The analysis shows that retailers have developed systems of quality insurance developed in order to reduce uncertainty and to restore consumers’ confidence in the quality of the products they buy. These programmes of actions pave the way for policies of product differentiation. In a relatively different context from that of France, the two big French retail groups Carrefour and Auchan operating in Spain have developed similar approaches, which had not been the case in France. The paper provide useful keys for a better understanding of the strategies of retailers (use of "supply chain brands" as tools of differentiation to ensure consumers’ loyalty, marketing communication) in a context of sharp competition and of relative dissatisfaction with respect to «minimum quality» standards. \u

Demand for Organic Milk Products in Portugal

Milk consumption patterns are changing in Portugal. Factors like convenience, quality and safety increasingly constitute the basis for the Portuguese consumer purchasing decision. Demand for organic milk products (OMP) is emerging while most of these products are supplied by foreign companies. This study explores the demand for OMP in Portugal using both direct market observation and multivariate methods, in particular factor and cluster analysis. It appears that there are specific emerging segments preferring OMP, as they are increasingly concerned by health attributes and environmental protection.Organic milk consumption, market segmentation, Portugal, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

La sobirania alimentària al debat de les relacions internacionals

El concepto de soberanía rebasa el abastecimiento alimentario, para abarcar también otros mecanismos y recursos que garanticen su viabilidad a medio y largo plazo, lo que exige que el tema sea abordado con una mirada compleja. Es necesario conjugar aspectos como el respeto al medioambiente, el mantenimiento de la biodiversidad y una ética en la implementación de las políticas económicas con el sentido de justicia social y apoyo a los más desfavorecidos. Además, debe satisfacer una serie de condiciones que redunden en el bienestar de la sociedad donde se entronca, incluida una cierta llamadas a los valores locales o regionales.La sobirania alimentària constitueix una qüestió de debat permanent amb una gran càrrega sociopolítica. Tradicionalment, i des d'un enfocament logístic i econòmic, s'ha vingut parlant d'autonomia o autoabastament alimentari, recorrent al balanç del comerç exterior. No obstant, i de forma més recent, l'enfocament és més complex i es planteja amb unes dimensions diferents. No es tracta només de produir per a aconseguir una autonomia alimentària, sinó també de disposar dels mecanismes i recursos necessaris perquè aquest objectiu sigui sostenible. Ha de satisfer, a més, una sèrie de condicions que redunden en el benestar de la societat on s'entronca, inclosa una certa crida als valors locals o regionals.Peer Reviewe

El proceso de sustantivación y lexicalización de los adjetivos con artículo en Español.

Sin resume

TDAH en abusadores de sustancias

Los trastornos por consumo de sustancias (TCS) suponen en Holanda una prevalencia a lo largo de la vida del 19,1% y su relación con el trastorno por défi cit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH) es bien conocida. Sin embargo, los datos cuantitativos de la literatura acerca de esta relación son muy dispares. En este contexto, el grupo de Van mmerik-van Oortmerssen se planteó una revisión sistemática de los estudios existentes con objeto de determinar la prevalencia real de TDAH en pacientes con TCS. Para ello, llevaron a cabo una búsqueda en las bases de datos MEDLINE, EMBASE y PsycINFO con las palabras clave ADHD, substance-related disorders (MeSH de MEDLINE), addiction (palabra clave en EMBASE), drug abuse, drug dependence, alcohol abuse, alcoholism (palabras clave en PsycINFO), comorbidity y prevalence entre 1966 y enero de 2010, limitando la búsqueda a artículos en humanos y en inglés. También se recuperaron las referencias que se encontraron en los artículos seleccionados y que no se habían localizado en la búsqueda. De acuerdo con los títulos o el resumen se seleccionaron aquellos artículos que incluían cualquier tipo de TCS (abuso o dependencia) y que: - Comunicaban la prevalencia de TDAH en poblaciones con TCS. - Hicieron el diagnóstico de TCS en todos los pacientes por medio de un instrumento diagnóstico validado, como SCID-I (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM disorders). Si no se encontró información específi ca acerca del diagnóstico pero se trataba de pacientes atendidos en un centro de tratamiento de adicciones, se supuso un diagnóstico correcto del TCS

Eva Hache and El Club de la Comedia: from the monologic script to the dialogic register

El presente artículo muestra el análisis del registro de la cómica Eva Hache, presentadora del programa de televisión español El Club de la Comedia en 2011 y 2012. De acuerdo con la Teoría General del Humor Verbal de Attardo y Raskin (1991) y Ruiz Gurillo (2012), el trabajo se enmarca en el recurso de conocimiento denominado estrategia narrativa. La planificación, la inmediatez, la interacción cara a cara, así como la retroalimentación y el dinamismo con la audiencia son analizados en el guión escrito y en el monólogo dramatizado, con el fin de argumentar que los monólogos de Eva Hache son realmente diálogos con la audiencia.This article shows an analysis of the register of the comedian Eva Hache, the presenter of El Club de la Comedia (a Spanish TV program) in 2011 and 2012. In accordance with the General Theory of Verbal Humor of Attardo and Raskin (1991) and Ruiz Gurillo (2012), this analysis mainly focuses on the knowledge resource known as narrative strategy. Planning, immediacy, face-toface interaction, as well as the feedback or the dynamism with the audience are analyzed in the written script and in the dramatized monologue, in order to argue that Eva Hache’s monologues are in fact dialogues with the audience.Este artículo ha sido posible gracias al Proyecto I+D FFI2012-30941 “Innovaciones lingüísticas del humor: géneros textuales, identidad y enseñanza del español”