Suchergebnisse

Konsumenten stehen beim Kauf von Lebensmitteln einer großen Anzahl an Produkten gegenüber. Eine hohe Dichte an Informationen bezüglich der Zutaten, Herkunft oder des Produktionsverfahrens sind verfügbar. Dadurch können Konsumenten nicht nur über Inhalts- und Nährstoffe der Produkte entscheiden, sondern auch über das System, in dem Nahrungsmittel produziert werden. Somit beeinflussen Entscheidungen rund um die Lebensmittelwahl nicht nur das individuelle Wohl, sondern auch das Gesellschaftliche. Primäres Ziel der Dissertation ist es, (i) einen Beitrag zum Wissen und der Erklärung von Verbraucherpräferenzen zu leisten, und (ii) Implikationen und Empfehlungen für Regierungen, Politiken und insbesondere die Wissenschaft abzuleiten. Am Beispiel von Schulmilch und der Tierhaltung werden Präferenzen für Produkte, Produktattribute und für Produktionssysteme der Landwirtschaft untersucht. Sowohl das Entscheidungsverhalten als auch Einstellungen von Verbrauchern werden betrachtet. Das Entscheidungsverhalten von Kindern und Jugendlichen bei Schulmilch ist deswegen von Interesse, da sich Ernährungsgewohnheiten in der Kindheit ausbilden bzw. diese erlernt werden. Die Einflussfaktoren auf die Nachfrage nach Schulmilch werden im ersten Beitrag untersucht. Das Nachfragemodell, welches auf der Methode der Multilevelanalyse beruht, berücksichtigt sowohl individuelle Merkmale der Kinder als auch Merkmale der Familie und des Schulkontextes. Dabei werden vier Level bzw. Ebenen unterschieden: die Preis-, Schüler-, Klassen- und Schulebene. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Produktpreis (d.h. die Verfügbarkeit einer Subvention) für die Nachfrage nach Schulmilch von Bedeutung ist. Der Anteil der Schüler, die bei einer stärkeren Subventionierung der Preise zusätzlich Schulmilch bestellen, ist jedoch relativ gering. Zudem haben individuelle Faktoren, wie Konsumgewohnheiten zuhause, sozio-demografische Merkmale oder Einstellungen gegenüber Milch einen signifikanten Einfluss. Die Ergebnisse liefern Hinweise auf Sozialisationseffekte und Rollenvorbilder (role modelling), da Einstellungen und Verhalten der Eltern und Lehrer die Entscheidungen der Kinder signifikant beeinflussen. Die Analyse der Präferenzen für Schulmilch in Abhängigkeit des Geschlechtes steht im zweiten Beitrag im Vordergrund. Die Ergebnisse der Multilevelanalyse bestätigen, dass identische und unterschiedliche Faktoren die Schulmilchnachfrage von Jungen und Mädchen bestimmen. Der dritte Beitrag analysiert, ob die am Markt existierenden Schulmilchprodukte (noch) den Präferenzen von jungen Erwachsenen entsprechen. Ergebnisse des Nested Logit-Modells zeigen, dass eine breitere Produktpalette präferiert wird. Weiterhin sind sich die Jugendlichen über den Fett- und Zuckergehalt und die Auswirkungen auf Gesundheit und Körpergewicht bewusst. Wie erwartet, hat der Preis einen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Entscheidung der Jugendlichen. In Bezug auf die Tierhaltung sind das Wissen und Verständnis der Verbraucherpräferenzen ebenfalls von großem Interesse, da die heutige Landwirtschaft und Lebensmittelproduktion häufig sehr kritisch in der Öffentlichkeit und den Medien diskutiert wird. Im vierten Beitrag werden daher am Beispiel der modernen Schweinehaltung die gesellschaftlichen Einstellungen für landwirtschaftliche Produktionssysteme untersucht. Der Hauptkritikpunkt der Diskutanten ist der zur Verfügung stehende Platz pro Tier. Obwohl die Wahrnehmungen und Einstellungen gegenüber der modernen Schweinehaltung generell negativ bzw. kritisch sind, ergibt sich ein differenziertes Bild in der deutschen Bevölkerung. Drei Gruppen mit sehr unterschiedlichen Einstellungen werden bestimmt. Insgesamt zeigen die Ergebnisse der Dissertation, dass durch die Kombination von methodischen Ansätzen detaillierte Erkenntnisse von Verbraucherpräferenzen gewonnen werden können. Bei der Analyse des Entscheidungsverhaltens werden auf Basis von revealed und stated preference-Daten eine Vielzahl an Einflussfaktoren, die das Nachfrageverhalten nach Schulmilch beeinflussen, identifiziert. Zudem werden durch die Kombination von qualitativen mit quantitativen Methoden die in der Gesellschaft vorherrschenden Einstellungen gegenüber der modernen Schweinehaltung detailliert erfasst. Letztendlich werden Konsumenten auch nicht nur in ihrer Rolle als Entscheider oder Käufer betrachtet, sondern auch in ihrer Rolle als Bürger oder als Teil der Gesellschaft. ; Nowadays, consumers face a huge range of products when buying food. A high density of information regarding content, origin and production of food is available. Hence, people can not only choose the ingredients or nutrients which they are going to eat but also the system in which food is produced. The choices people make regarding food relate to several concerns and problems, which affect not only individual well-being but also societal welfare. The main objectives of this dissertation are (i) to increase the knowledge and understanding of consumer preferences and (ii) to provide implications and recommendations for governments, policy-makers and research in particular. Consumer preferences for food are examined by analysing choice behaviour and attitudes. Preferences for food products, product attributes as well as production systems are empirically studied, exemplified by two topics: school milk and animal husbandry. Children's choices regarding school milk products are of interest because childhood is seen as being decisive for dietary habits in later years. The study presented in article 1 focuses on determinants of pupils' school milk demand (grades 2-4). A demand model, which is based on multilevel analysis, is developed and considers individual factors as well as the family and school context. Findings show that the price setting (i.e., the availability of subsidies) is of importance for the school milk demand, however, only slightly more pupils will order school milk if prices are higher subsidized. Further, individual factors such as children's consumption habits at home, socio-demographics or their attitude towards milk significantly affect choices. There are also indications for socialisation and role modelling effects, as parents and teachers significantly influence or model children's choices for school milk. Article 2 contributes to insights to the role of gender in food preferences using the example of school milk. Findings of a multilevel analysis confirm that food choices of boys and girls are generally driven by both, identical and differing factors. The suitability of available school milk products to meet older children's preferences is analysed in article 3. A nested Logit model confirms that youths prefer a wider range of school milk products. The results indicate that youths are aware of fat and sugar content and their effects on health and weight. As expected, children care about prices, however, the study shows a low level of price sensitivity. With respect to the topic of animal husbandry, public attention and debates are increasingly focusing on the conditions in modern production systems. Article 4 provides detailed insights into attitudes towards modern pig production from society's point of view. The main point of criticism is the available space per pig. Although a basic negative or critical attitude is present, a very diverse picture of perceptions, attitudes and expectations exists. In general, three population groups with differing attitudes regarding pig production are identified. Overall, the empirical research indicates that different data types and the combination of methods are beneficial. A deeper understanding of choice behaviour and attitudes is gained, and the significance of derived implications increases. Choice analyses of revealed and stated preference data allow for identifying a huge range of influencing factors on children's choices regarding school milk products. Attitudes towards modern pig production are explored by qualitative and quantitative methods. In contrast to classical consumer research, the empirical research of this dissertation takes up different perspectives on consumers. Consumers are not only analysed in their role as decision-makers but also as citizens or members of society.

While the domestic milk production sector of Ghana remains stagnant over the years, dairy processing on the other hand is continually witnessing growth relying largely on milk powder and other dairy products imports mainly from EU member countries. The EU is blamed for the underdevelopment of the domestic dairy sector of many African nations. However, evidence that either prove or refute these growing criticisms are missing. This study was thus initiated to examine Ghana's dairy sector with an emphasis on those parts of the value chain where imported milk powder is used. The study shows that the dairy processing industry is continually expanding relying largely on milk powder imports mainly from EU member countries. Also, processors expect an increase in consumer preferences for more diversified dairy products in the near future. This implies further growth of the processing industry which already relies largely on imported input. The study identified myriads of challenges facing the Ghanaian dairy sector which altogether contribute to its inability to contribute to the processing industry's needs. Notwithstanding, any attempt to address the challenges of the sector should focus not only on economic and political aspects such as self-sufficiency, sovereignty, and trade dependency but also climate conditions, the use of natural resources and their subsequent environmental impacts should be considered.

Negative effects of heavy meat consumption have been critically discussed in politics, the public and science for a long time. As there is heterogeneity in consumer behaviour, targeted measures regarding behaviour management can hardly be implemented on the basis of an average consumption levels but should take into account different consumer segments. Therefore, this study performs a segmentation and characterisation of fresh-meat-shoppers based on household panel data provided by the GfK. A cluster analysis was performed based on the average per capita monthly purchasing shares of five different meat types. A multinomial logistic regression was used to characterize the different segments regarding sociodemographic aspects, people's attitudes towards food and meat shopping, total purchasing intensity and different shopping locations. The authors found a four-cluster solution, identifying a segment of poultry lovers (24 %), a segment of beef, lamb & speciality purchasers (17 %), a segment of mixed product eaters (15 %) and a segment of pork buyers (45 %). Households assigned to the largest cluster of "pork buyers" have an above-average monthly meat purchase while being price-sensitive. Future policy instruments such as meat tax could address this buyer segment in particular, and probably decrease overall meat purchases. However, it should not be neglected that "beef, lamb & speciality purchasers" also have an above-average monthly meat purchase, causing particularly negative environmental effects. As this buyer segment has a rather high income and reports to be less price sensitive, it might be a challenge to influence their purchasing behaviour by taxing meat products.

While the domestic milk production sector of Ghana remains stagnant over the years, dairy processing on the other hand is continually witnessing growth relying largely on milk powder and other dairy products imports mainly from EU member countries. The EU is blamed for the underdevelopment of the domestic dairy sector of many African nations. However, evidence that either prove or refute these growing criticisms are missing. This study was thus initiated to examine Ghana's dairy sector with an emphasis on those parts of the value chain where imported milk powder is used. The study shows that the dairy processing industry is continually expanding elying largely on milk powder imports mainly from EU member countries. Also, processors expect an increase in consumer preferences for more diversified dairy products in the near future. This implies further growth of the processing industry which already relies largely on imported input. The study identified myriads of challenges facing the Ghanaian dairy sector which altogether contribute to its inability to contribute to the processing industry's needs. Notwithstanding, any attempt to address the challenges of the sector should focus not only on economic and political aspects such as self-sufficiency, sovereignty, and trade dependency but also climate conditions, the use of natural resources and their subsequent environmental impacts should be considered.

Verbraucher in Ghana bevorzugen einheimisches Geflügelfleisch gegenüber Importware und sind bereit, für einheimisches Geflügelfleisch mehr zu zahlen. • Importiertes Geflügelfleisch kann als (schwacher) Ersatz für einheimisches Geflügelfleisch gesehen werden. • Die Höhe des Einkommens ist ein entscheidendes Kriterium für den Konsum von einheimischem Geflügelfleisch. • Verbraucher in Ghana präferieren antibiotikafreies, küchenfertiges und frisches (gekühltes) Geflügelfleisch. • Politische Entscheidungsträger sollten in Lebensmittelsicherheitsstandards investieren, um den Sicherheitsbedenken der Verbraucher Rechnung zu tragen.

Today's agriculture and food production has been topic in public discussions and the media in the last years. Societal perceptions and imaginations of agriculture seem to be far away from reality. There is no indication of a declining gap between consumers' expectations and their perception of animal husbandry. However, precise information about expectations and priorities of the population are unknown. Thus, the paper concentrates on society's views and opinions. On the example of intensive pig production, the objective of the study is to analyse societal perceptions, expectations and main points of criticism. It also aims on the identification and characterisation of societal groups with almost identical attitudes.By combining exploratory focus groups with a quantitative survey, a mixed method approach is pursued. Focus groups are carried out in September 2012 in three German cities to capture a variety of opinions and concerns among the population. On the basis of findings from focus groups a quantitative survey is carried out in spring 2013 per online survey with approximately 1500 German citizens to quantify qualitative results.The surveys' findings confirmed many of the critical views gained in the focus groups. On the basis of four extracted attitudinal factors three groups with heterogeneous opinions are differentiated with respect to modern pig production. Besides a very engaged group which is characterised by a strong criticism in general and a strong critical perception of current production systems, also a considerable group accepting modern animal husbandry was identified. The multinomial logit regression finally allows for a characterisation of the identified societal segments by sociodemographic and regional aspects. Additionally, the question of responsibility and the acceptance of consequences of several governmental actions are included in the model. It turns out that gender and agricultural knowledge of the people are significant determinants in explaining cluster membership. Interestingly, opponents more often have a good knowledge of agriculture. These findings imply that negative attitudes cannot be traced back to a missing knowledge.

Die Haltung von landwirtschaftlichen Nutztieren wird von der Bevölkerung zunehmend kritisiert. Am Beispiel der Milchviehhaltung werden die Vorstellungen sowie die Wünsche deutscher BürgerInnen mit Hilfe von Gruppendiskussionen erfasst, um LandwirtInnen wie auch der Politik mögliche Wege zu einer Verbesserung der gesellschaftlichen Wahrnehmung der Milchviehhaltung aufzuzeigen. Hauptkritikpunkte der DiskutantInnen waren sowohl der vermutete Platzmangel als auch die prophylaktische Medikamentengabe. ; Animal husbandry is more and more criticized by the society. Through the example of dairy farming perceptions and expectations of German citiziens are analysed by using focus groups. Farmers as well as policy makers will get hints how societal perception could be improved. Insufficient space and assumed proactive medical treatment were mainly criticized.

Purpose – The wide divergence of the people's expectations and agricultural reality results in conflicts between the agricultural sector and the general public. Contemporary animal husbandry systems are being increasingly critically addressed by media; however, there is no information about peoples' perceptions and attitudes concentrating precisely on specific animal husbandry systems. The purpose of this paper is to explore citizens' perceptions, expectations and main points of criticism in regard to intensive pig production in Germany, and to identify and describe distinct population groups reflecting different attitudes. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed method approach combining qualitative focus groups with a quantitative online survey has been employed. Focus groups capture a wide variety of opinions and concerns in an exploratory manner. Based on these findings, the quantitative survey (n=1,500 citizens) allowed the identification and characterisation of population groups with identical attitudes regarding pig husbandry. Findings – Qualitative research uncovered a huge range of criticism on pig husbandry, e.g. lack of space, frequency and prophylactic use of medications as well as a lack of care. A relationship was seen between the lack of space, widespread use of medications and behavioural disorders. Consumer preferences for buying cheap meat were believed to be part of the problem since this behaviour fosters the development of larger farms. Quantitative research confirmed the generally critical perception and identified three population groups. Only one third of the population was really concerned about animal husbandry. Younger people and people with better knowledge of agriculture were stronger opponents of intensive pig husbandry. Practical implications – Results indicate that increasing people's knowledge may have an adverse effect on their acceptance of modern farming systems. More communication and better information strategies will probably not improve societal acceptance by itself. Instead, agricultural production systems need to be improved to meet better consumers' expectations whereas communicating these improvements to consumers and the general public in a well-targeted manner will be required as well. Originality/value – When considering options for enhancing public acceptance of modern animal husbandry, a combination of different strategies by different stakeholders is needed. The agricultural sector should improve its communication with the general public and rethink its production practices against the background of public expectations. The government and its agencies urgently need to improve monitoring of the compliance of actual production practices with existing laws and to enforce them. Additionally, adjustments of current regulations of animal husbandry in light of public expectations should be considered.

Despite the subsidies provided for school milk within the European School Milk Scheme, consumption has declined steadily in Germany. Thus, a federal research project was established to analyze factors that influence the demand for school milk. The results should form a basis to improve future school milk policy. To identify the factors affecting the decisions by individual pupils to order school milk and to quantify the impact of each factor, politically induced factors, individual and context factors were considered. Price effects and the associated policy issues were derived via a price experiment in selected German primary schools, while information on weekly orders for school milk was collected at the individual level. Detailed information on the eating habits, preferences and tastes, attitudes, socio-economic circumstances and characteristics of the persons involved was obtained by administering various surveys. The respondents examined in the study included pupils, the pupils' parents, class teachers, school milk managers (primarily janitors) and school principals. To properly account for the hierarchical structure of the dataset (pupils within classes and schools along the different price steps of the experiment), a logistic multilevel analysis was applied based on 7336 pupils from 101 schools. The free-of-charge distribution of school milk had a high positive impact in the demand decision, confirming the importance of the policy setting (e.g., availability of subsidies). Although the price had an expected negative effect, its impact is limited. In addition to socio-economic factors (e.g., age, gender, immigration background and income of households), the behavior and attitudes of pupils and parents, as well as the context or environment surrounding the school milk offering (e.g., number of school milk products, whether teachers drink milk with the pupils during the break) had an impact.

Zielsetzung des Forschungsprojekts ist die Identifikation der gesellschaftlichen Erwartungen an die Landwirtschaft und darauf aufbauend die Analyse und Bewertung von Handlungsoptionen für Landwirtschaft und Politik. Anhand von 3 ausgewählten landwirtschaftlichen Themenfeldern werden die spezifischen Kritikpunkte der Gesellschaft an der Landwirtschaft analysiert. Diese Themenfelder sind Bioenergie in der Landwirtschaft (v.a. Biogas), Haltung von Mastschweinen und Agrarstrukturwandel (Quelle: Thünen-Institut).