Suckler cow

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Final report

Duration of project

June 2012 to October 2014

Contact person at the University of Kassel

  • Antje Korn, M.Sc.

Head of project:

"Willingness to pay for beef from extensive pasture based suckler cow husbandry"

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

These films were produced as a cooperative project between the Department of Agricultural and Food Marketing at the University of Kassel in Witzenhausen, headed by Prof. Dr. Hamm, and the Department of Film and Television at the Kassel University of the Arts, headed by Prof. Yana Drouz.

Participating farmers: Dr. Dietrich von Bomhard (Lodmannshagen), Bodo Bertsch (Waake)
Responsible for content: Antje Korn and Ulrich Hamm (Agricultural and Food Marketing, University of Kassel in Witzenhausen)
Directed by: Miriam Stehen, Rike Holtz, Khatia Kurasbediani and Yana Drouz (Kassel University of Art)
Produced by: Jörn Möllenkamp, Behrooz Karamizade and Yana Drouz (Kassel University of Art)

Aim

Animal welfare becomes increasingly important for consumers in Germany. Extensive suckler cow husbandry, with the calves living together with their mothers on pasture for several months, probably meets consumers’ expectations of animal welfare to a large extent. So far, however, such beef is not differentiated on the beef market. Objective of this study is, therefore, to examine the market potential for labelling beef from animal-friendly, extensive pasture based suckler cow husbandry. A communication concept for organic and conventional beef from suckler cow husbandry will be developed and consumers’ willingness-to-pay for accordingly labelled beef will be tested.
In a first step, literature on existing successful marketing concepts focusing on product differentiation for beef from suckler cow husbandry will be examined. Based on the results of the literature research a communication concept will be developed, which will be discussed with practitioners and researchers in a workshop. The subsequently prepared communication materials for conventional and organic beef from suckler cow husbandry will be used to inform consumers in choice experiments in order to analyse their effect on consumers’ willingness-to-pay for alternatively produced beef. Results from the choice experiments are then discussed with practitioners in another workshop. Taking into account the outcomes of the workshop and the results of the choice experiments, recommendations for marketing of beef from extensive suckler cow husbandry will be given.