Ante Vuletić

Overview of consumer research in Western Balkan countries

A set of 205 publications from Western Balkan countries was gathered and systematically ordered as an action of the EU project ‘Focus Balkans – Food Consumer Sciences in the Balkans’. Six country reports provided the base data. Methodologically, publications were split up by the use of primary or secondary data or both, as well as being a qualitative or quantitative study. Qua research concept focus on the individual (human being), on the environment or on the product itself was analysed. As research tools interviews, focus groups and experiments as well as surveys, questionnaires and on-line panel data were considered. There is in general a lack of primary data, and a disproportion between qualitative and quantitative studies in favour of quantitative in the WBC. The majority of publications gathered were ‘environment’ oriented. There is somewhat less focus on fruit than on other product groups, being organic, traditional and health claimed. Use of interviews and written questionnaires is by far the most popular. On-line panels are not yet utilized. A study of keywords listed gave quite a useful and objective impression concerning the emphasis on different topics in the various WBC publications under consideration. The keywords indicate a focus on ‘market’ and ‘marketing’ research in most countries. Consumer ‘behaviour’ and ‘attitude’ are less listed as a main keyword, while, remarkably, ‘obesity’ as concept is hardly mentioned. It was noted that the ‘house’ of scientific expertise in this field has, perhaps, a poor foundation, while ‘the pillars behind consumer science’ are not interrelated and fastened together. Indeed, a multidisciplinary approach is rare. There is also a lack of interaction with the international community. By far the most publications are published in the local languages and nearly all are written by local authors. Some of the countries conclude that there is a huge knowledge gap on food consumers’ science and that should be used as a stimulus for developing further research and knowledge transfer in this field.

Harnessing Expert Opinion: Trends and Challenges on the Balkan Organic Market, Based on a Delphi Approach

The market for organic products in Western Balkan countries has only recently started to develop. Today, it is still a small niche market. This chapter presents an analysis of the organic food market in the mentioned countries based on the knowledge and opinions of experts. The main objectives of this study were to identify and aggregate the opinions of experts regarding the current state of the Western Balkans organic food market and to forecast the future trends and challenges as well as to suggest improvements for this market.

Market trends and consumer behaviour relating to organic products in the Western Balkan Countries

Organic agriculture in Western Balkan Countries (WBC) has promising perspectives. Natural resources of extraordinary richness, heterogeneity and quality are primary preconditions for a prosperous agriculture in general, and also for organic agriculture and wild plant collection. The market and consumption situation can be described as ‘patchwork’. Some elements reflect the early beginning of the organic sector in Western Europe, with direct selling, short supply chains and little processing. On the other hand, committed, strategic and highly professional market actors show within the WBC organic markets successful examples of marketing of organic products and efficient organisation of supply chains. Generally, preconditions for further positive market development are fulfilled. It is the current heterogeneity that illustrates best the potential of the organic sector in WBC, both at the production and consumption levels. Some macroeconomic and transnational factors, like the economic slowdown in Europe or the world-wide financial crisis, might hinder the development of the organic sector as they limit access to financial resources and slow down the broadening of a ‘middle class’ with more wealth and purchasing power. Apart from these factors, which are difficult to influence, the barriers to be overcome are rather typical for young markets: aggregation of critical volumes, constitution of critical production basins, producer organisation, professionalization, scaling up, and information for and communication with consumers. These are the main areas where weaknesses exist today.