Incentives domestic feed production
Final report
Duration
August 2011 – September 2012
Contact person at the University of Kassel
Salome Wägeli, M.Sc.
Head of project
Generation of market incentives for domestic feed production through improved marketing strategies for regional organic animal products
Research project within the framework of the Federal Organic Farming Scheme and other forms of sustainable agriculture (BÖLN)
In the last years, the German organic animal production has constantly been increased. This growth was accompanied by an increasing demand for organic animal feed which could not be satisfied by the supply of German organic farmers especially with regard to protein feed. To fill this gap between demand and supply, a high amount of protein fodder is imported. In the next years even more organic animal feed will be needed, due to the new EG Regulation 889/2008 which requires 100% organic feed in organic farming hence the year 2012. To enlarge the German feed production, incentives for German farmers are essential, because they have to compete with cheaper imports.
The aim of the project is to analyse, if a product differentiation for organic animal products produced with organic feed from the region will offer new market opportunities for German farmers and thus is able to create stronger market incentives for local feed production. To achieve this aim, consumer acceptance and willingness-to-pay for organic animal products produced with regional feed are analysed and marketing recommendations for such produces are derived.
A consumer study with 600 organic consumers which are buying and consuming animal products will be conducted. The study includes a choice test and a computer assisted interview to analyse the willingness-to-pay for organic animal products produced with local animal feed. Finally, the results of the study will be presented and discussed in a workshop with experts of farmers’ associations and advisors as well as with animal feed producers. Thereby the practicability of the results will be verified and the exchange of information will occur on both sides – practice and science.