Consumers and consumption of organic food in Central and Eastern European new member states of the European Union

Despite the significant growth of organic farms and organically managed land in Central and Eastern European new member states of the European Union (CEE NMS) the consumption of organic food in these countries remains at the very low level. The main barriers to organic food consumption growth are low availability of organic food in the sale channels where contemporary CEE NMS consumers prefer to buy food, high prices for organic products, related, inter alia, to high distribution costs and high gross margins that reflect the undeveloped nature of organic markets in CEE NMS. Further development of the organic sector in CEE NMS will contribute to the growth of organic food consumption by overcoming the supply-related barriers. Nevertheless, to increase the consumption of organic food, many efforts needed to communicate the benefits of organic food and farming to target potential consumers

Improving organic market data collection by using the supply balance sheet approach

Analyses of national markets for organic agricultural products are constrained by the lack of official statistics on production, consumption or international trade in any European country. As a result there are several, often very contradictory and inconsistent estimations on the amount of the organic production or consumption in the EU or even in individual EU countries. The main sources for market data estima-tions are surveys with market actors and sometimes extrapolations of household or retailer panel studies. One possibility to reduce the problem of inconsistent market data for a geographical region is to use the method of supply balance sheets (SBS). By using SBS which compare the resources and uses of a product, it is easier to detect inconsistencies between produc-tion, consumption or foreign trade data. Additional quality checks can support the identification of inconsistencies between organic and conventional market data

Report on the evaluation of the pilot case studies (= Deliverable D4 of the Project European Information System for Organic Markets, QLK5-2002-02400), including Annex 1: National working papers on pilot applications (DCPS) in eight European countries and Annex 2 Guidelines on evaluating pilot applications (DCPS) in eight European Countries

The current situation of market information systems on organic farming in Europe shows a substantial lack of information. Although previous EU-research projects such as OFCAP (FAIR3-CT96-1794) and OMIaRD (QLK5-2000-01124) have shown that regional or national data gathering takes place in many countries, the availability of detailed and current data on various levels, such as production, consumption, prices as well as trade, on the national as well as at the European level, is not satisfactory. The main problem areas identified in regard to market information systems for organic farming can be summarised as i) the lack of market information at the national level and ii) where data are available, the lack of data harmonisation at the European level. Within the EU-funded concerted action EISfOM (European Information System for Organic Markets, QLK5-2002-02400), the aim is to build a framework for reporting valid and reliable production and market data for the European organic sector in order to meet the needs of policymakers, farmers, processors, wholesalers and other actors involved in organic markets. Based on the previous research done in Workpackages 2, 3 and 4, this report focuses on the evaluation of pilot case studies in eight European countries, showing proposals for new and/or enlarged data collection and processing systems for organic markets in Europe. This report is based mainly on the pilot application studies conducted in WP5. Following the description of objectives and the general approach of WP5 in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 focuses on the national pilot case studies, including a description of the relevant institutions and DCPS as well as an assessment of data quality. Chapter 3 provides an analysis of the DCPS investigated with regard to the problems and barriers involved with their practical implementation. Chapter 4 then analyses the critical points identified with regard to potential solutions for harmonisation of various DCPS at the national and international level. Chapter 5 deals with the analysis of the recommendations made in WP4, while Chapter 6 summarizing and concluding the results. As well as the national working papers on the results of the pilot application studies, this deliverable is also strongly linked to previous project deliverables, namely D2 “WP2: Data collection and processing systems for conventional markets and WP3: Data collection and processing systems for organic markets” (Wolfert, S. et al., 2004), deliverable D3 “Report on proposals for the development, harmonisation and quality assurance of organic data collection and processing systems. systems (Recke, G. et al., 2004) and the proceedings of the first European Seminar “Development of a European Information System for organic markets – improving the scope and quality of statistical data” (Recke, G. et al., 2004)

Considerations on free public transport implementation - based on Krakow case

[EN] New transport philosophy follows the equity criteria and should also lead toward sustainability and equity in building policies of public transport in cities. Implementation of free public transport for citizens is widely considered in different countries, cities and on several administrative government levels. However, there are not may examples of successful implementation if this concept in Europe. This work presents the discussion on multi-dimensional barriers, which make implementation of equity criteria to transport policies difficult. Both advantages and disadvantages of free of charge public transport system are presented, based on current discussions, as well as on some European examples, case studies and scientific evaluations. The case study simulation for the Krakow urban area is initiated and described, testing the effects of free of charge public transport on economic and mobility factors. Considerations presented in this work are based on current challenges to build green with multimodal transport, respecting factors of economy, traffic volumes, safety and environmental factors. It is predicted that success of free public transport for citizens could create a significant shift in travel demand from private car use toward trams and busses, reducing accident costs, decreasing congestion in city centers and limiting air pollution, contributing to social and economic growth of the whole metropolitan area.Zakowska, L.; Piwowarczyk, M.; Aleksandrowicz, J. (2016). Considerations on free public transport implementation - based on Krakow case. En XII Congreso de ingeniería del transporte. 7, 8 y 9 de Junio, Valencia (España). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 2429-2436. https://doi.org/10.4995/CIT2016.2015.3523OCS2429243

Rosyjscy Niemcy na pograniczu kultur. Strategie tożsamościowe „późnych przesiedleńców” z Rosji w RFN

Udostępnienie publikacji Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego finansowane w ramach projektu „Doskonałość naukowa kluczem do doskonałości kształcenia”. Projekt realizowany jest ze środków Europejskiego Funduszu Społecznego w ramach Programu Operacyjnego Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój; nr umowy: POWER.03.05.00-00-Z092/17-00

Impact of Innovation on Consumers Liking and Willingness to Pay for Traditional Sausages

International audienceThe main objective of the study was to evaluate Polish consumers' liking and willingness to pay for innovations in traditional sausages "Kabanos". The study also attempted to determine whether regional differences may influence acceptance of innovations and the willingness to pay for such products. As both sensory factors and prices are important in food choice decisions, the methodological approach combined hedonic liking and experimental auctions. The study involved 221 consumers of traditional pork sausages who evaluated intrinsic and extrinsic product attributes in blind (tasting only), expectancy (product information only) and fully informed (tasting and product information) experimental conditions. The results show that acceptance of innovation in traditional sausages is determined by the type of innovation proposed. Innovation related to extrinsic attributes like packaging i.e. biodegradable packaging seem to be the most welcome regardless experimental conditions while innovations improving healthiness of traditional sausages but violating their sensory properties i.e. lower salt level tend to be disapproved. There are regional differences observed in acceptance and willingness to pay for innovative variants of Kabanos. In general, consumers in Warsaw are more inclined to pay more for innovative variants of Kabanos than consumers in Cracow. Participants from the two regions had also different hedonic reactions towards organic and spicy variant of Kabanos. Prior research concerning acceptance of innovation in traditional food products in Poland is scarce. Therefore, such information is particularly pertinent to SMEs and distributors operating in traditional food sector to support innovation and development of adequate communication strategies

Europeans and Traditional Foods: Definition and Image from the Consumers' Perspective

This paper provides a consumer-driven definition of traditional food products (TFP) and investigates the image European consumers have about this food product category. Data were collected from representative consumer samples in six European countries, including Belgium, France, Italy, Norway, Poland and Spain, with a total sample size of 4,828 participants. European consumers define traditional foods as well-know products, products that one can eat very frequently, and products that were already eaten by grandparents. Although positive, association of TFP with naturalness and low processing is less pronounced. Sensory, health- and environment-related attribute perceptions contribute positively to the image of TFP, whereas perceived convenience, price, and availability contribute negatively to the TFP image. Finally, TFP are mainly pictured as foods that agree well with people who love national or regional cuisine, with people living in the countryside, equally so with men and women, though more so with families with children rather than singles or household without children. The empirical findings provide insights with particular relevance for TFP positioning, marketing communications around TFP and further development of the TFP market in Europe.Traditional food, Consumer, Europe, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Factors influencing the transport accessibility level - seniors point of view

[EN] The growing group of European older inhabitants, namely senior citizens (aged + 65) belong to the most vulnerable group to social exclusion. Transport accessibility is a concept, that can lead to enhancing life quality of seniors, which is shown based on the case study of Cracow, Poland as a European city. 100 seniors, that are living in different areas (urban, suburban), were asked for define different aspects that may influence their travel behaviour. Respondents were indicating their individual concerns connected with travelling, the existing barriers and expected solutions. The goal of the paper is to present the main outcomes of the conducted surveys, in order to present the concept of transport accessibility in the context of the most important factors influencing seniors life quality. The accessibility conditions and barriers, which can affect mobility possibilities and different activities of senior citizens in urban areas, are indicated in the paper. The identification of the crucial aspects of accessibility play an important role in development of sustainable transport system together with sustainable urban design, that will be friendly for all citizens in aging society.Zakowska, L.; Pulawska-Obiedowska, S. (2016). Factors influencing the transport accessibility level - seniors point of view. En XII Congreso de ingeniería del transporte. 7, 8 y 9 de Junio, Valencia (España). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1253-1260. https://doi.org/10.4995/CIT2016.2015.3519OCS1253126