Food Distribution

Demand for organic food has increased tremendously over the last decade in the United States. In the Southeast, high demand for organic food has sparked interest in organic production techniques among conventional vegetable growers and put increasing demand on existing organic growers. However, little information is available on profitable organic vegetable crops suitable for the region. This study analyzes crop rotation systems for high-value, cool-season vegetables to develop production and economic models to help growers increase profit and reduce risk.

The objective of this study is to assess meat managers' expectations about impact of the recent regulatory approval of irradiated raw meat and meat products on marketing decisions and plans by supermarkets and grocery meat retailers. Forty managers of meat departments were interviewed in person to obtain the information for the study. While many of the meat managers believed that irradiation would help increase shelf life and reduce spoilage, they were less optimistic about consumers being willing to pay a higher price for the irradiated product than the non-irradiated product.

The fast growth of product differentiation affects even the raw food product market and causes substantial price variations. The hedonic price technique is applied to examine raw-egg attributes because of a recent transformation from an undifferentiated to a highly differentiated market. The effects of product attributes, production methods, distribution, and product image on retail egg prices are considered. Results reveal that retail egg prices are influenced by specific product attributes including nutritional characteristics and unconventional production methods. Results provide knowledge useful in the development of marketing strategies and suggest areas for possible involvement of policymakers.

This is my final thesis of my master degree about Communication Strategies.
In this work I will present the most important points about a local brand promotion (radio campaign, packaging,  product's specs, distribution etc.), action developed mostly by myself.
This campaign is about a everyday -usage  product, fresh eggs; the company as case study is a Venetian SME, "Azienda Agricola Lago".
Also, I will analyse come aspect about the "Fipronil  Scandal" and the "Avian Emergency" to understand how these problems have affected the fresh eggs' business.
Also, I will analyse the Advertising investments over the radio and over the web to understand how much they are important.
In the final part, there are some interviews of many Venetian Stakeholders that will provide some interesting information about the advertising and food business in Veneto.

Even prior to the strain put on the food economy by the
COVID-19 pandemic, Native American communities have
been fighting food insecurity. This brief article details how Native people have been responding to the challenges of accessing food and working toward food sovereignty during the pandemic.

In the context of B2C markets, note, it is worth to underline the important
contribution of relationships to the value for final customers and to the development of innovation driven by cooperation between the enterprise and consumers. By developing their consumer relationships, enterprises may also generate innovativeness and, thus, create value for the owners and consumers.
In this area, an interesting discovery are the practices for building trust, positive image and sustainable customer relationships in the food markets. The above developments considerably affect the food markets and the challenges they face. The development and heterogeneity of food markets is the reason why they can experience the full spectrum of relationships and phenomena associated with the operation of business networks. In this paper, the issue of food market relationships is considered from the consumer perspective. The initial section of this paper introduces the term and structure of relationships between consumers and enterprises. The second section presents selected phenomena and trends occurring in food markets, as seen from the relational perspective. The operating conditions of and prospects for
the Polish organic food market are also discussed. The authors also emphasize the importance of consumer relationships in actions taken to boost competitiveness and innovativeness in food markets. Additionally, this paper presents the concept and awareness of fair trade in the Polish market as well as the perception of health as a value, and attitudes towards sustainable development, illustrated by the example of the Hungarian society. In the final part, this paper considers the consumer information activity and the role of sustainable packaging in food
market relationships.

This bulletin was prepared by researchers in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee who are associated with Regional Research Project S-222. It is being electronically published with the approval of the Directors of the Southern Agricultural Experiment Stations. Under ...

Organic food consumption is increasing among United Arab Emirates (UAE) consumers in the last few years. This increase is due to high per capita income, more awareness on healthy food and the diverse population. Consumers are willing to pay higher prices for the certified organic food products. The objective of this paper is to examine consumers’ Willingness to Pay (WTP) for the organic food in UAE. Data was collected in UAE from 300 respondents. Regression model was used to identify major determinants of consumers WTP for the organic food. The results showed that majority of consumers responded positively when asked if they are willing to pay more for the organic food products. The age, nationality, education; household size and income were deciding factors for consumers to pay higher price for the organic food. These results will provide key information to organic food industry that will help to promote organic food markets in the UAE.

This research evaluates the main characteristics considered in commodity-procurement decisions made by food manufacturers. Procurement characteristics are examined and a framework is developed which classifies procurement characteristics into three categories: product constraints, company constraints, and service constraints. A case-study approach is used to determine the importance of various procurement characteristics and their impact on the buyer's procurement-mechanism choice. The research also examines the strategic role that a commodity-procurement department plays within a corporation and how that role relates to the three commodity-procurement decision classifications.

In this paper I will try to examine how the monthly distributions of free grain to the urban citizens of Rome worked.
Starting from the already well-known problem of the monthly distributions of free grain from the Republican to the Imperial era, I will try to reconstruct the original aspect of the buildings where they took place, generally known as porticus Minuciae (the vetus one and the frumentaria one), by means of a new comparative approach involving the archival data (from 1884 to 1941) and the nowadays archaeological evidences.
The examination of the excavation journals of its discoverers Guglielmo Gatti and Antonio Maria Colini (done on 1937-1941) allows for both the reconstruction of the appearance of the building at its discovery and for the dating of its phases. A careful analysis of this archival material with the help of the successive documents of the adjacent excavations of Giuseppe Marchetti Longhi (non-edited notes, drawings, tracings and photos of the years 1928-1937) has permitted the reconstruction of the history of the excavation of the building and the identification of the Marchetti Longhi’s excavation pits and of the relative finds.
Moreover, a study of the present state of the monument (the temple of via delle Botteghe Oscure and the ruins under via S. Nicola dei Cesarini) and a new survey of the structures revealed a bulk of unpublished information, not yet accessible through the journals. On these grounds, it is now possible to offer a scientific reconstruction of the building that impedes the general interpretation as one of the two porticus Minuciae known, and sheds new light on the topic, providing new directions for further research.

This study explores the application of risk perceptions as a segmentation tool in the poultry meat market. Principalcomponent analysis is used to examine data from a 2006 survey on a potential avian infl uenza outbreak in the U.S. The results suggest that the perceived level of safety of poultry meat will drive consumption choices in the case of an avian infl uenza outbreak. Based on the perceived safety level, the poultry meat product market was categorized into those that are home cooked and from familiar brands, the technological/novel, and organic/fast food poultry products, with the fi rst category being perceived as the safest and the third as the least safe. The results also show signifi cant differences in public trust in the avian infl uenza information provided by the government, poultry producers, politicians, and the media.

The paper discusses how the lean concept could be applied to a food-manufacturing company. The paper first presents the lean concept and value-stream mapping tools. The empirical section discusses how a case company, operating as a contract manufacturer in the food industry, has applied the lean production concept and tools. In the case study, three analysis tools are examined and the structures of demand chains of different customers are presented. The delivery times will decrease and more flexibility will be needed from the contract manufacturer. The case study shows that much movement is possible toward the lean supply chain and partnership-based cooperation. By implementing the lean concept, food companies can increase customer value through cost reduction or through provision of additional value-enhanced services.

During times of crisis, economic practices organized on principles of reciprocity often arise. Greece, with the vibrant sociality pertaining to its ‘solidarity economy’, is a case in point. This article is premised on the idea that crises make contradictions in societies more visible. I suggest that a central contradiction is at play in Greece between informal and formalized economic activity, as demonstrated in the tension between the fluid features of ‘solidarity’ networks and the formalization proposed or imposed on them by state institutions. In Thessaloniki, the informal solidarity economy proves to be more efficient than the work of NGOs. Arguing that such economic activities are built around the rise of new forms of sociality rather than a tendency toward bureaucratization, the article contributes to anthropological understandings of solidarity and welfare, as well as their relation.

This study analyzes vertical-coordination practices in the U.S. beef supply chain focusing on strategic alliances. We present results from a survey of beef alliances describing their organizational structure, the nature of participants' involvement, contractual requirements, information-sharing practices, services offered to alliance participants, and marketing strategies. Survey results provide a detailed description of 13 beef alliances and are intended to inform potential participants about vertical-coordination alternatives. In addition, the study provides relevant information for future economic research on the formation, organization, and functioning of beef alliances.

The report of the High Level Committee (HLC) to restructure the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has major implications for the future trajectory of food policy in the country. The Committee has made some important recommendations for improving the operational efficiency of the FCI. These recommendations, particularly the ones related to technology adoption and bulk handling in storage, should go a long way in improving the current situation of grain management. However, the Committee has left many important questions related to food policy and models of food distribution unanswered. Most importantly, the HLC has missed a major opportunity to highlight the importance of evolving a conceptual framework to define and measure food security in the country, which is crucial for a meaningful discourse on food security issues. The methodological errors in calculating leakages from PDS and the absence of discussion of alternative models of food management are the other major shortcomings of the report.

This research evaluates the main characteristics considered in commodity-procurement decisions made by food manufacturers. Procurement characteristics are examined and a framework is developed which classifies procurement characteristics into three categories: product constraints, company constraints, and service constraints. A case-study approach is used to determine the importance of various procurement characteristics and their impact on the buyer’s procurement-mechanism choice. The research also examines the strategic role that a commodity-procurement department plays within a corporation and how that role relates to the three commodity-procurement decision classifications.

Shrimp represents 27% of total U.S. seafood consumption. A shrimp farming industry has been developing in the southern United States in response to shrimp market demand. To provide farmers with market information needed to develop successful marketing strategies, this analysis examines sociodemographic determinants of at-home and away-from-home shrimp consumption behavior. A survey was mailed to 5,000 households in nine southeastern U.S. states. A probability model was developed to estimate the influence of consumer characteristics on the frequency of shrimp consumption. Using the estimated coefficients, the probability distribution for shrimp consumption frequency can be calculated for any combination of explanatory variables.

This study evaluates long-term structural adjustments in fresh grapefruit packing under aggregate market pressures, including those from retail concentration. While individual firms enter and exit, Markov-model results are indicative of an industry near equilibrium with little expectation of change in the distribution of firm sizes given existing patterns of sector adjustment. Estimation of Lorenz curves and corresponding Gini coefficients fully

This study evaluates long-term structural adjustments in fresh grapefruit packing under aggregate market pressures, including those from retail concentration. While individual firms enter and exit, Markov-model results are indicative of an industry near equilibrium with little expectation of change in the distribution of firm sizes given existing patterns of sector adjustment. Estimation of Lorenz curves and corresponding Gini coefficients fully

The study estimates the influence of consumer characteristics on the consumption of four nut-containing products, that is, the consumption of nuts as a snack, in salads, covered in chocolate, and in ice cream. Gender, age, and education are among the characteristics that frequently influence nut consumption. Female, older, and non-white respondents consumed nuts as a snack more often than male, younger, and white consumers did. Chocolate-covered nut consumption was associated with higher income and rural consumers while nut-flavored ice cream was consumed more frequently by older rather than younger respondents and respondents from larger households.

Among processed and manufactured dairy products marketed in the United States, yogurt has one of the shortest histories and sharpest growth trends. To examine the socioeconomic factors associated with U.S. at-home yogurt demand, a demand system is used to analyze three yogurt products. Findings suggest that own-prices have negative effects and total expenditure has a positive effect on U.S. yogurt demand. Demographic factors do not have a large impact. Among the processed and manufactured dairy products marketed in the United States, yogurt has a relatively short history. The appearance of signifi cant numbers of advertisements, both print and visual, and an almost four-fold increase in plain and fl avored yogurt production from 1989 to 2007 suggest that milk producers, dairy product manufacturers and marketers, and consumers are more aware of yogurt products today than they did two decades ago. This increased awareness has been most likely triggered by the publicized links between yogurt consumption and a healthy lifestyle and diet. A wide array of dairy products are processed or manufactured in the U.S.; these products provide important nutrients, including vitamins and calcium, for healthy diets. Low-fat yogurt, cheese, and fl uid milk are considered to be great sources of calcium, and are the three dairy products currently supported by the USDA for good health and nutrition. The Dairy Council of California named yogurt the food trend of the decade. "Yogurt was named the food trend of the decade by Harry Balzer, Vice President with the market research fi rm NPD Group" (PR Newswire 2010). Yogurt is a convenient food and provides multiple health benefi ts, which are fuelling its rising popularity. There are not many economic studies that focus primarily on yogurt consumption, and this paper aims to fi ll the gap. Given the concern with improving health in the U.S., assessing the factors that contribute to healthy food choices is of great importance. Demographic factors are major determinants of household consumption patterns (Pollak and Wales 1981). Granner et al. (2004) note that disparities in healthy food consumption among households could be due to a number of environmental, social, cultural, psychological, and behavioral factors. They further note that a better understanding of the determinants of food choice, including differences across groups, could be of great importance in reducing nutritional disparities and promoting healthful diets. In examining the factors that determine fruit and vegetable consumption among adolescents from 11 to 15 years of age, they found that Blacks reported greater social infl uences, and Whites reported greater family environmental infl uences than did adolescents of other races. An important fi nding of their study was that White and female participants reported a higher preference for vegetables than did Black and male participants. Studies have indicated that meals eaten in restaurants are generally of lower nutritional quality than meals at home, mainly due to higher fat and calorie contents in the former. Taking this as given, Freeman (2007) and Binkley (2006) have discussed and analyzed the importance of socioeconomic and demographic factors in the decision to patronize restaurants, particularly fast food restaurants. Freeman (2007) notes that fast food has become a major source of nutrition in low-income, urban neighborhoods across the U.S., with social and cultural factors contributing to the popularity of fast food among inner-city populations. He further notes that these factors have resulted in a relatively large number of fast food establishments and limited access to healthy food choices in urban areas. Binkley (2006) identifi ed demographic measures, including race, ethnicity, education, gender and age, as well as lifestyle measures (e.g., hours spent watching TV), and the Body Mass Index of survey

The Effect of Conflicting Health Information on Frozen Salmon Consumption in Alberta, CanadaMegan Nickoloff, Leigh Maynard, Sayed Saghaian, and Michael Reed ... A Durbin-Watson sta-tistic of 1.78 was calculated and fell in a range that yielded an indeterminate result. ...

This study utilized intra-firm, socio-cultural, geographical-proximity, and political-stability variables to explain bimodal foreign direct investment (FDI) patterns by agri-food and beverage multinational companies into and within the European Union. A logit framework incorporated a unique-count database of firm-level investment patterns from 1987-1998. The results showed the 1992 structural changes under the Maastricht Treaty increased the probability of wholly owned FDI modes such as greenfields and buyouts. The model also found that past modal strategies of firms, language barriers, and exchange-rate volatility all correctly explained modal investment patterns. The results provide important contributions toward understanding modal investment strategies including the role of macroeconomic changes within a custom union.

La logística de la ciudad es uno de los asuntos principales en logística debido que los centros urbanos tienden a crecer y consolidar las actividades económicas e industriales con aquellas sociales y humanas. La gran mayoría de los estudios se centran en el enfoque tradicional de transporte, que tiene como objetivo explicar las variables relacionadas con la oferta de transporte, en lugar de analizar la demanda real. Existe una falta de comprensión sobre el comportamiento de los clientes, lo que es explícito en estudios previos relacionados con la logística de la ciudad. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo ofrecer un análisis de las principales tendencias y el comportamiento de las compras en el hogar, específicamente en la compra de alimentos, mediante el uso de fuentes primarias de información y herramientas estadísticas. Los resultados obtenidos en un centro urbano de rápido crecimiento en Colombia, ofrecen un marco para comprender el comportamiento de las compras en los hogares, con base en tres variables principales: a) Los productos, b) Vehículos y c) La frecuencia de compra en relación con las instalaciones para la adquisición de alimentos (tiendas).

This paper is a descriptive study of consumers' self-reported knowledge, assumptions, and acceptance of genetically modified foods in the U.S. These findings are based on a national survey of consumers. Our findings demonstrate a rather low level of awareness among most Americans about bioengineered foods. Most Americans tend to view the use of biotechnology in food production with guarded optimism. While a majority believe that biotechnology will benefit many people, they also feel that the dangers of genetic modification warrant strict regulation of the technology. In general, there is greater support for the use of this technology in plants than in animals and in order to bring tangible benefits to consumers.

This paper examines problems being faced by agribusiness firms in developing countries in meeting the food-safety standards imposed by importing countries in their respective markets. Based on existing institutional frameworks in developing countries such as India, it is suggested that in order to meet the prescribed standards in international markets there is a need to establish inter-linkages across different institutions

This article discusses a case of popular social response to imposed austerity and recession in Greece. It focuses on the antimiddleman movement in an Athens suburb. It also addresses the broader picture of the current Greek crisis, explaining how participants in this grassroots response extend their activity beyond food distribution, beginning to imagine modes of economic conduct and interaction different from those currently dominant in Greece. I explore their efforts to turn the food market they have established in Athens into a formal co-operative which links consumers in their neighbourhood directly to selected farmers through bonds of solidarity, and to work with others to create a network of similar co-operatives which will span the whole country. I argue that their endeavours strongly resemble the co-operativism and practical socialism advocated by important social theorists such as Mauss and Polanyi, and suggest that it may be important for the young activists in Athens to learn more about their ideas.

The processes of structural change and modernization in the food distribution industry have been submitted to different economic and institutional frameworks in European countries. Three essential factors have affected structural change in Spain: 1) the role of technical and organizational innovations, 2) institutional factors such as regulation and market structures, and 3) foreign direct investments. This article discusses with the framework of the “latecomers.” In these countries, the factor of innovation has been produced in terms of appropriation, whether this is technological or organizational, usually influenced by foreign models or through direct foreign investment. The impact of these innovations has been highly conditioned by inflexible institutional surroundings. Considering the Spanish food trade in the last sixty years is a good way understanding processes of structural change in Mediterranean Europe. This research helps one understand the role taken by countries, which...

This study analyzes U.S. consumersÂ’' acceptance of genetically modified foods within the ordered-probit-model framework. The willingness to consumer three difference GM foods is modeled in terms of consumersÂ’' economic, demographic, and value attributes. Empirical results indicate that respondentsÂ’' attitudes and perceptions of biotechnology and their views about various private and public institutions associated with this technology are important determinants of their acceptance of food biotechnology. We find that attitudinal variables have greater influence on the acceptance of food biotechnology than do consumers'Â’ economic and demographic attributes. We find significant difference in consumer attitudes between plant- and animal-based bioengineered food products. Compared to plant-based products, there is far less consensus on the acceptance of genetic modification in animals.

Unlike earlier surveys based studies on public attitudes and perceptions of biotechnology, this study investigates the importance of consumers' awareness and knowledge of and interest in biotechnology. Results suggest that Americans are largely unaware of both of the presence in their lives of GM food and of its wide application in food production. In view of this, many Americans would like to see more GM media coverage. Additionally, most Americans are unfamiliar with the laws and safety testing regarding GM food.

Product differentiation, a prerequisite for successful state promotion of state branded farm products, may be reflected by differences in the own-price, cross-price and income elasticties of demand between a state's brand and other products. This paper tests for such differentiation by estimating demand functions for tomatoes available at the retail level in New Jersey. The "Jersey Fresh" brand is shown to have higher own-price and income elasticities of demand. It is thus perceived to be of higher quality than others. Consumers are also found to be origin biased. Promotion based on the Jersey Fresh's unique attributes and on encouraging further origin bias may have a good chance of success.

Public debate on biotechnology is embroiled in controversy over the risks and benefits associated with this emerging technology. Using data from a national survey, this study analyzes public acceptance of biotechnology in food production. Empirical results suggest that while there is general optimism about biotechnology and support for its use in plants, public approval of its use in animals is perhaps more limited. Younger and more-educated individuals are generally more supportive of biotechnology. Attitudes toward biotechnology differ substantially between males and females, and between white and non-whites. While people's religious and social views and confidence in scientists, corporations, and government have significant influences, income and regional differences do not have significant effects on public acceptance of biotechnology.

Water quality standards and a limited water supply have dramatically restricted the expansion of the U.S. trout industry. Faced with production rmbictions, producers have turned to value-added products to strengthen the economic growth of the industry. In the near fhture, trout steaks could surface in retail outlets as a new revenue source for the mature trout industry. A telephone survey of consumers in Chicago and Los Angeles was conducted by the University of Idaho in the spring of 1997 to determine consumer preferences for trout steaks and, ultimately, to determine the viability of this product form. Using a probit analysis, fresh trout steaks were found to be more popular than frozen trout steaks. Consumers that oxldbited significantly higher prefwence for fresh trout steaks were Hispanic, had high schooI education (or less), andlor believed that trout was less expensive than other meats. Chicago respondents and individuals with an urban background tended to display a higherpre...

Contact Author: Wendy J. Umberger Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics Colorado State University 302 B Clark Building Fort Collins, CO 80523-1172 Phone: (970) 491-7261 Fax: (970) 491-2067 E-mail: [email protected] ... 1 The authors are an ...

This case study focuses on an investment decision made in a poultry processing firm which is faced with increased sales targets but is constrained by dependence on other companies for storage and distribution. The decision to construct a distribution center is analyzed in this study. Instructors can use this case to teach agribusiness finance. As with other case studies, many

On January 9, 2018, the Small Farm Futures workshop took place on the campus of Northern Illinois University. The goals were two-fold. First, I aimed to share the findings of my research thus far on the opportunities and obstacles facing diversified and sustainable farming in northern Illinois in a way that promoted further dialogue about these findings. This led to the second goal, to engage in participatory research design with diversified farmers and others invested in creating prosperous local food systems in Illinois.
This workshop was a strategic effort to bring the voices of small-scale food producers more directly into the design of agriculture research. The heart of the workshop centered on this question: How can further applied social science research address the farming challenges that small-scale producers see as being highest priority?
The workshop took inspiration from a January 2016 gathering of farmers and local food advocates at Starved Rock State Park, hosted by the Angelic Organics Learning Center. At that summit, participants identified key shared challenges for direct market farms and began discussing solutions. The workshop at NIU drew on this past work and moved towards a targeted goal: to cooperatively develop a prioritized list of specific research questions for which qualitative and mixed methods are well suited.
This report includes the information presented and discussions held at the workshop, and it highlights the priority challenges and potential research directions identified by participants. Participants have agreed to share their contact information, and I encourage any readers who are interested in collaborating on research—whether as fellow academics, food producers, or other participants in local food systems—to contact me.

Policy concerns arise as e-business activities become increasingly common. This paper discusses important elements of such concerns, particularly the proand anti-competitive assessment of online business-to-business (B2B) exchanges. The definition of markets, the role of quality management and communication, and joint purchasing implications within such environments are related to food distribution systems. Other online business-to-consumer (B2C) and consumer-to-business (C2B) policy concerns are also raised.

This study explores the application of risk perceptions as a segmentation tool in the poultry meat market. Principalcomponent analysis is used to examine data from a 2006 survey on a potential avian infl uenza outbreak in the U.S. The results suggest that the perceived level of safety of poultry meat will drive consumption choices in the case of an avian infl uenza outbreak. Based on the perceived safety level, the poultry meat product market was categorized into those that are home cooked and from familiar brands, the technological/novel, and organic/fast food poultry products, with the fi rst category being perceived as the safest and the third as the least safe. The results also show signifi cant differences in public trust in the avian infl uenza information provided by the government, poultry producers, politicians, and the media.