Suchergebnisse

Although food with nutritive and health claims in the Western Balkan countries has been present in this region for more than a decade, it has remained rather understudied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the importance of products with nutritive and health claims in the Western Balkans, using qualitative research techniques. In the study, the prices and margins of the subject product group, distribution channels, demand perception and incentives as well as barriers for the future development of the functional food market were analyzed. The study included five categories of products with nutritive and health claims, while the technique of the in-depth interviews was adopted. The total of 29 producers and 26 retailers form all the six countries of the region participated in the research. Even though the studied categories recorded a sales growth in the previous period, a significant increase is expected in the medium and long term, along with the growth of the living standard - given that products with nutritive and health claims are more expensive than regular ones. The results imply that it is necessary that the level of education regarding the role of food in health preservation should be raised; and that a change in bad eating habits should be influenced. The development of functional food markets also requires a government support and an appropriate legislation.

The analysis covers governance indicators and competitiveness in the EU. It clarifies the main concepts and terminology used in this area and provides an overview of the national level indicators. The government's role in agricultural sector competitiveness is of crucial importance, starting from creating the general business environment to the specific factors that influence agricultural sustainability. The analysis of the governance indicators and competitiveness in this paper was based on the pillar 6 of Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) and Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI). The best performers in terms of competitiveness have experienced both good governance and policy implementation, while countries with the worst trade performance have faced significant problems in governance structures. However, relative change in governance structures also affects the competitive position of the EU countries. The new Member States are generally in less favourable position than the old Member States. This fact calls for better government performance in order to develop competitive agricultural sector both within the EU market and worldwide.

This book explores the main methods, models, and approaches of food consumer science applied to six countries of the Western Balkans, illustrating each of these methods with concrete case studies. Research conducted between 2008 and 2011 in the course of the FOCUS-BALKANS project forms an excellent database for exploring recent changes and trends in food consumption.