Organic Farming in Austria

During the present decade, Austria has experienced a dramatic increase in organic farming among those countries that comprise the European Union (EU). For example, in 1992, approximately 2,000 farms were practicing organic, ecological, or biodynamic farming methodes. By 1997 the number of certified organic farms plus those in transition from conventional farming had increased 10-fold to some 20,000 farms. This represents almost 9% of the total farms in Austria and an area of 345,375 ha, or 10% of the total cultivated farmland. The largest concentration of organic farms is in regions with a high proportion of alpine grassland or pastures. Approximately 50% of the organic farms range in size from 5 to 15 ha. The strong organic movement in Austria can be attributed to a) government subsidies which provide incentives to organic farmers and b) widepread acceptance of organic products and their brand names by large food chains and supermarkets. More than 60% of organic farmers are affiliated with associations and organizations that provide advisory and support services in marketing activities. Certification of organic farms and food processors is conducted by seven monitoring bodies according to EU regulations No. 2092/91, which guarantees legally-binding standards of food saftey and quality to EU consumers, and according to the Austian Alimentari Codex. Since January 1998, all monitoring/certifying bodies in Austria must verify accreditation according to rgulation European Norm 45011. The major supermarket chain offers a variety of organic dairy and meat products, as well as organic ice cream, pizza, vegetables, fruits, baby foods, and bread. The current domestic wholesale value of organic products arketed from Austria farms is approximately 170 million US$ annually. Unfortunately, funding for support of scientific research and extension to enhance organic farming and marketing has not kept pace with the increasing number of organic farms and farmers. Additional funding is essential to ensure the sustainable development of the organic movement and the organic market

How to Design International Loyalty Programs

Despite the growing importance of customer loyalty programs in marketing practice, research about international loyalty programs is few and far between. Especially the issue of whether loyalty programs can be standardized across countries has not been addressed so far. Hence, this paper investigates whether it is feasible to standardize loyalty program design in countries with different cultural dimensions. We conducted an online experiment with customers in four countries (Australia, Germany, South Korea, U.S.) to examine how benefits that are provided by loyalty programs are perceived by different customer groups in these cultural environments. Particularly social and confidence benefits were perceived differently suggesting the need to adapt loyalty program designs. We also found that if a country is characterized by individualism, customers are more strongly attracted by program loyalty. However, this does not necessarily translate into brand loyalty

Aufbau und Steuerung von Dienstleistungsmarken : die Markenpersönlichkeit als Differenzierungspotenzial und Ausgangspunkt einer Vertrauensbeziehung zwischen Dienstleistungsmarke und Kunde

Mit zunehmender Bedeutung starker Marken für die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und den Markterfolg von Dienstleistungsunternehmen widmet sich auch die Marketing-Forschung verstärkt dem Aufbau und der Wirkung von Dienstleistungsmarken. Aufgrund der inhärenten Merkmale von Dienstleistungen können starke Marken Vertrauen generieren und bieten darüber hinaus ein Differenzierungspotenzial mittels intangibler, symbolischer Attribute. Bislang existieren in diesem Forschungsbereich vor allem konzeptionelle Arbeiten sowie einige qualitative Studien, in denen Dienstleistungsmarken aus der Perspektive von Managern untersucht werden. Demgegenüber finden sich nur wenige quantitative empirische Forschungsbeiträge, die sich mit der kundenseitigen Wirkung von Dienstleistungsmarken befassen. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist es daher, den Einfluss verschiedener Marketing Instrumente auf die Markenpersönlichkeit als Differenzierungspotenzial und Ausgangspunkt einer Vertrauensbeziehung zwischen Dienstleistungsmarke und Kunde zu untersuchen. Zu diesem Zweck wurden Urlaubs- und Geschäftsreisende zur Wahrnehmung von internationalen Fluglinien befragt. Mittels Strukturgleichungsmodell werden die hypothetischen Wirkungszusammenhänge zwischen Marketingvariablen wie Mitarbeiterqualität, Dienstleistungsqualität, Printwerbung und Country-of-Origin-Image mit einzelnen Markenpersönlichkeitsdimensionen, dem Vertrauen in die Marke und der Einstellung gegenüber der Marke überprüft. Dabei zeigt sich, dass Vertrauen in eine Dienstleistungsmarke durch drei Markenpersönlichkeitsdimensionen (Verlässlichkeit, Natürlichkeit und Temperament) erzeugt wird, während die Dimension Attraktivität lediglich zur Differenzierung der Markenpersönlichkeit beitragen kann. Die vorliegende Studie liefert zudem empirische Bestätigung für viele Thesen bestehender Forschungsarbeiten. So wird einerseits belegt, dass Mitarbeiter eine Schlüsselrolle beim Aufbau von Dienstleistungsmarken übernehmen. Eine anschließende Varianzanalyse beweist, dass persönliche Erfahrungen mit dem Dienstleistungsanbieter tatsächlich effektiver für das Markenmanagement sind, als Mundpropaganda oder werbliche Kommunikation

Ecomat und Dammkultur – Alternative Bodenbearbeitungssysteme im Ökologischen Landbau – Erste Ergebnisse aus einem Exaktversuch

In the interdisciplinary research project a field experiment of alternative tillage systems in organic farming was installed. Ridge till system from Turiel-Major and Ecomat-system from Kverneland will be compared with conventional ploughing system. Within the project, located on the experimental farm of the University of Kassel, regular yearly workshops are led. Due to the regular contact with farmers, advisers, developers and scientists knowledge of practice will be carried into scientific research, the transfer of knowledge will be carried on. The change to the Ecomat-system is simple. Take notice that after very shallow till-age, like stubble cultivation (short stubble) or turning grass-clover, the following tillage has to be done a few cm deeper. In the year of implementing the Ecomat-system there were no decreases in yields. The mineralization of Nitrogen was the same as in the ploughing system. When changing to the ridge till system the width of the dams (90 cm) must fit to the track width, planting and harvesting equipment. After stubble cultivation in the ridge till system mineralization of N increased. This N was taken up by the catch crop. Leaching of N is not expected. Even in the first year after changing the tillage systems the alternative systems Eco-mat and ridge till showed higher saturated hydraulic conductivity than the conventional ploughing system. This leads to much lower susceptibility of soil erosion when using these soil layer conservation systems

Brands as Means of Self-expression: A Cross-cultural Comparison

This study investigates the self-expressive function of brands in four countries that represent different cultural dimensions. Survey data collected in France, Germany, South Korea, and the US support the proposition that cultural dimensions influence customers’ motive to use brands as means of self-expression. Additionally, in masculine countries it is more important for customers to use brands to express their ideal self-concept. Furthermore, in countries where power distance is high customers choose brands to show their desired social status. From the empirical results the authors derive implications for global brand management. They suggest the creation of a consistent brand personality across countries while – at the same time – allowing brand management to emphasize particular personality facets corresponding to different cultural orientations

Legehennen in einem mobilen Stallsystem - Auslaufnutzung und Flächenzustand -

The use of the free-range area by laying hens housed in a mobile system and the resulting condition of the range were investigated. The free-range was used very intensively. On an average of nine complete observation days 35 % of the birds (23 – 44 % means per day) were outside the house. The maximum of animals in the free range was 77 %. 75 % (60 – 95 %) of the hens outside the house stayed in an area of 20 m around the house. This led to deteriorated conditions of the range in these areas. By moving the mobile house regularly (after 2 weeks in summer and 6 weeks in winter) a destruction of the vegetation could be avoided, while after not moving the house for three months in winter a complementary seeding became necessary. We conclude that the use of mobile systems for poultry in conjunction with a regular change of position and sufficient area per animal can avoid destruction of the vegetation despite an intensive use of the free-range all year round

Legehennen in einem mobilen Stallsystem - Flächenmanagement und resultierende Stickstoffgehalte im Auslauf -

In the last years free range poultry was often criticised for its negative impacts on environment. As the animals do not use the run equally, a big part of the excreted nutrients are accumulated in the area close to the poultry house. This can lead to an increased rate of nutrient loss especially nitrogen by leaching. Within this study the use of a mobile housing system for 1.000 layers on an organic farm in North Hessia with a mean of 700 mm precipitation per year and an average of 8,9°C (soil texture: loam in the first, silt loam in the second year) was observed for two years. A documentation and optimization of the management and regular investigations into the contents of mineral nitrogen in all parts of the outdoor run were carried out. The aim of the study was to survey, if a well-balanced distribution of nutrients can be reached by moving the house within the free-range and which management is necessary for that. The results showed a better distribution of mineral nitrogen in the second year, when the house was moved in winter time every six weeks, while the contents were slightly less well-balanced, when it stayed at one position for three months in the first winter . In both years the highest amounts of mineral nitrogen in any part of the hen run with 37 and 24 mg / kg DM were much lower than the contents of up to 160 mg / kg DM close to stationary houses examined in other studies. The results of this study show that a well-balanced distribution of nutrients in free-ranges for poultry can be reached by using mobile housing systems combined with the right management

Ermittlung der Futterqualität verschiedener Wintererbsengenotypen in Rein- und Gemengesaat zur Nutzung als nachwachsender Rohstoff, als Grünfutter und als Druschfrucht

Normalblättrige Wintererbsen sind in Reinsaat eine rohproteinreiche Winterzwischenfrucht für die Nutzung als Grünfutter oder als nachwachsender Rohstoff zur Energiegewinnung im Rahmen von Zweikulturnutzungssystemen. Zum Korndrusch im Gemengeanbau stellen sie bei mindestens vergleichbaren Kornerträgen und Qualitäten eine Alternative zu Sommererbsen dar. Dabei können Anbauprobleme von Sommererbsen besonders hinsichtlich der Unkrautregulierung reduziert werden

Samenfeste Sorten oder Hybriden - Untersuchungen an Speisemöhren aus einem Anbauvergleich an zwei Standorten des Ökologischen Landbaus

An zwei Standorten des Ökologischen Landbaus (Neu-Eichenberg, Nordhessen: mittlerer bis schwerer Boden; Queck, Osthessen: leichter Boden) wurden Feldversuche mit Möhren durchgeführt, um sechs samenfeste Sorten und sechs Hybriden auf ihre Anbautauglichkeit zu prüfen. Außer der Roh- und Handelswarenerträge wurden die Einheitlichkeit des Erntegutes (cv%) bestimmt und die Gehalte an Mineralstoffen (K, Ca, P, Mg) und Zuckern (D-Glucose, D-Fructose, Saccharose) analysiert. Auch sogenannte Bildschaffende Methoden (Kupferchloridkristallisation, Steigbild, Rundfilterchromatogramm) kamen zur Anwendung. Die untersuchten Hybriden erzielten Mehrerträge von 25 bis 29% und in den meisten Fällen auch gleichmäßiger lange Rüben als die Samenfesten. Die Inhaltsstoffuntersuchungen zeigten höhere Mineralstoffgehalte und niedrigere Quotienten von Mono- zu Disaccharide bei den samenfesten Sorten. Mithilfe der Bildschaffenden Methoden konnten die Proben blind klar in zwei unterschiedliche Gruppen differenziert werden: Die Bilder der samenfesten Sorten waren im Vergleich zu denjenigen der Hybriden geprägt durch einen höheren Grad an Formintensität und Reife