Regional Feeds and Feedstuffs

Summary

The main objective of this project is to develop a concept on how the origin of feeds and feedstuffs can be integrated in the declaration of locally produced animal products. The recommendations derived from the results shall contribute to an increasing share of regional feeds in these kinds of products. In the framework of the project the determination of a (growing) minimum regional feedstuff share in the guidelines of the so-called ‘Regionalfenster’ [literal interpretation: regional window] is tested (guideline approach). Furthermore, it is considered if a (facultative) declaration of the share of regional feeds can increase the demand of the analyzed labelled products (declaration approach).
The University of Kassel is mainly responsible for answering the last-mentioned research topic. For this purpose computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI) will be conducted in four German regions in the urban as well as in the rural area. The survey is conducted in eight specialized organic retail shops and eight conventional supermarkets with in each case 100 consumers. In total 1.600 interviews will be conducted in front or inside the selected shops. In such a manner consumers’ knowledge and the expectations about the use of imported feeds for the production of regionally labelled food products will be analysed. In addition, it will be tested if consumers appreciate the labelling of feeds at all or if they feel insecure if the share of the regional feeds is below 100 %.
In addition to the survey, the consumers will be confronted with visualised product samples for judgement. For this purpose, different locally produced animal products will be displayed with varying information about the feed origin. In this regard, the intention is to explore if consumers’ expectations concerning the feed origin vary in dependence upon the analysed food products and whether different Willingness-To-Pay (WTP) exist. In the analysis, differences between organic feeds and conventional feeds will be considered as well.
The product-specific determination of WTPs for varying shares of regional feeds serves to answer the question, if higher production costs resulting from higher shares of regional feeds can be compensated by higher WTPs in each case.

In cooperation with

  1. FiBL Deutschland e.V.
    Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau
    Dr. Robert Hermanowski (Projektleitung)
    Postfach 90 01 63
    60441 Frankfurt am Main

  2. Thünen-Institut für Betriebswirtschaft
    Dr. Jürn Sanders
    Bundesallee 50
    38116 Braunschweig

Contact person and project partner at University of Kassel

Duration of project

May 2016 - December 2019

Research Project „Regional Feeds and Feedstuffs“

Research project within the framework of the Federal Organic Farming Scheme and other forms of sustainable agriculture (BÖLN)

www.bundesprogramm-oekolandbau.de