OMIaRD

Partner countries

  • Denmark
  • Germany
  • Finland
  • France
  • Italy
  • Austria
  • Switzerland
  • UK


Duration of project

January 2001 to December 2003

Contact person at the University of Kassel

Coordinator

Peter Midmore
Professor of Applied Economics
School of Management and Business
Cledwyn Building
The University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Penglais
Aberystwyth, UK-SY23 3DD

Financing

EU

Project homepage

Organic Marketing Initiatives and Rural Development (OMIaRD)

Aims

  • Analysis of the European market for organic food with special consideration of regional marketing initiatives in less favoured regions of Europe.
  • Analysis of the use of regional marketing initiatives for rural development and identification of the marketing potential.
  • Drafting of a marketing handbook for regional marketing initiatives.
  • Drawing up of recommendations to the EU commission for promotion of regional marketing initiatives for organic products in less favoured regions of Europe.

Methods and Approach

The region of investigation comprises the 15 EU countries, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Norway and Switzerland.

Workpackage 1

  • Literature review in spring 2001: a) on regional marketing initiatives in 19 European countries, b) on the national organic markets, c) on the consumer behaviour with regard to organic products.
  • First Delphi analysis in spring 2001: six open surveys on the development of the organic market, on the influence of regional marketing initiatives and their success. Questionnaire was sent to five target groups: commercial enterprises, governmental organisations, organic producers, NGOs and research institutes.
  • Identification and first analysis of regional marketing initiatives in spring 2001: 14 questions on the development of the initiative, sales share of organic products, marketing channels, sales in 2000, aims of the initiative, etc. First analysis was used for the financial review and the choice of initiatives for further analyses.
  • Analysis of the national markets for organic food: written inquiry to market experts concerning data for 2000, production, consumer, import and export quantities, marketing channels, deficit in the range of products, identification of factors of success for marketing, factors of influence on the market share of organic products (first results have been published, see below)

Workpackage 2

  • Second evaluation of regional marketing initiatives in selected regions in Autumn 2001: 67 initiatives were personally interviewed about economic, social and environmental goals, marketing, external market conditions, on the financial situation, organisation, management, networking and competences with the goal of evaluating the success factors of the initiative.
  • Second Delphi inquiry in Spring 2002: Inquiries to the development stand of the organic market of each country differentiated according to various product groups, the significance of various marketing channels, limiting factors for market development, estimation of the organic market in the future, differentiated according to product groups.
  • In-depth analysis of four selected regional marketing initiatives as case studies in Autumn 2002: an initiative each from France, Italy, Austria and the UK is surveyed intensively with regard to all their marketing initiatives with the goal of acquiring detailed marketing activities of factors which make up detailed marketing regional organic products.

Workpackage 3

  • Evaluation of the impact of the regional marketing initiatives on the rural development. The in-depth analyses of the four selection regional marketing initiatives from Workpackage 2 form the basis for the evaluation. Institutional and political factors are investigated here additionally to the analysis which contribute to the success of a regional marketing initiative.

Workpackage 4

  • Laddering interviews and focus groups in 2002: Analysis of consumer attitudes with regard to organic products and regional origin, scenario analysis on the future of regional marketing initiatives within the organic market. In this workpackage the aim is to deepen and extend the knowledge of attitudes, expectations, motivations and barriers of the consumer with regard to the buying of organic food. The aim is to obtain trends for the future development of regional marketing initiatives.

Workpackage 5

  • Third Delphi inquiry in Spring 2003
  • Conclusions from the results of the project in 2003: a) Recommendations to the managers of regional marketing initiatives in the form of a marketing handbook, b) Recommendations to the EU commission with regard to the promotion of regional marketing initiatives in less favoured regions.

Publications

U. Hamm, F. Gronefeld, D. Halpin (2002)

Analysis of the European market for organic food. Organic Marketing Initiatives and Rural Development, vol. 1, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom  ISBN 0-9543270-0-4

The book offers a detailed overview on the national organic markets of the EU and on four non-EU countries (Norway, Switzerland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic). The results of the quantitative market analysis are based on expert interviews in the individual countries and comprise production and consumption figures, imports, exports, marketing channels, supply deficits, sales problems as well as producer and consumer prices for 12 important organic product groups. On the basis of this extensive data collection factors for successful marketing of organic products both nationally and regionally have been outlined.

Published by: School of Management and Business, University of Wales Aberystwyth, UK, 2002, 157 pages, in English

Can be ordered at: Friederike Gronefeld, Winbergstr. 3, 79249 Merzhausen E-mail: oekomarkt@gmx.de, Delivery on prepayment of 20 EURO to following account: Account No.:  954 900 205 Sorting Code: 200 100 20 Postbank Hamburg

U. Hamm, F. Gronefeld (2004)

The European Market for Organic Food: Revised and Updated Analysis, vol. 5, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom  ISBN 0-9543279-4-7

Both Volumes 1 and 5 published by the School of Management and Business, University of Wales Aberystwyth

Can be ordered at: a.doering(at)uni-kassel.de