Dominique Barjolle

Understanding the motives for food choice in Western Balkan Countries

Substantial empirical evidence exists regarding the importance of different factors underlying food choice in Western Europe. However, research results on eating habits and food choice in the Western Balkan Countries (WBCs) remain scarce. A Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ), an instrument that measures the reported importance of nine factors underlying food choice, was administered to a representative sample of 3085 adult respondents in six WBCs. The most important factors reported are sensory appeal, purchase convenience, and health and natural content; the least important are ethical concern and familiarity. The ranking of food choice motives across WBCs was strikingly similar. Factor analysis revealed eight factors compared to nine in the original FCQ model: health and natural content scales loaded onto one factor as did familiarity and ethical concern; the convenience scale items generated two factors, one related to purchase convenience and the other to preparation convenience. Groups of consumers with similar motivational profiles were identified using cluster analysis. Each cluster has distinct food purchasing behavior and socio-economic characteristics, for which appropriate public health communication messages can be drawn.

Farm management decision and response to climate variability and change in Côte d’Ivoire

This paper investigates threats to farm management in the northern and central region of Côte d’Ivoire, with a particular focus on climate-related threats. To this end, farmers’ perception and adaptation strategies for climate change have been analyzed. The data were collected from 205 respondents by means of the Focus Groups method, and they were evaluated using a framework analysis. The main reported threats related to the implementation of farming activities are the high cost of inputs and the lack of technical support, which are followed by diseases, insects, and climate variations (scarcity of rains, strong winds, and high temperature). We find that most farmers have a strong perception of changes in climatic conditions. Their perceived impacts on the local environment through evidences like the disappearance of certain farming practices, occurrence of new insects, and the disruption of key time reference periods. Farmers mainly attempt to adapt by adjusting their agricultural calendar, adopting new short-season varieties, and using mixed cropping. We find that the most influential factors for farmers’ adaptation behavior is lack of contact with extension services and the scarcity of rainfall. Our suggestions for future agricultural policies for better adaptation to climate change are to take into account farmers’ perception, to provide suitable climate forecast, and to improve local technical support.

Theories of Food Choice

This chapter introduces and evaluates the main models that seek to understand consumer behaviour relating to food. Three of the most influential approaches applied specifically to understand food choice are described in detail, and their strengths and weaknesses are discussed: (a) economic (household and random utility) models, (b) the food choice process model and (c) the theory of reasoned action/theory of planned behaviour. The selection of these three groups of models reflects their influence within the food choice literature and use within policy studies. Given the large number of empirical studies that have validated the theory of planned behaviour for the study of food choice, this model was selected as a core theoretical framework for the Focus Balkans project. From reviewing the models, conclusions are drawn relating to the current state of the literature on food choice.

Food Consumer Science

1 Introduction 2 Theories of Food Choice 3 Quantitative Surveys of Food Consumption and Motives: The Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) 4 Segmenting Consumers Using Cluster Analysis: An Application to Food Motivations in the Western Balkan Countries 5 Exploring an Emerging Market Through Focus-Groups and Expert Interviews: Health Claim Products in the Western Balkans 6 Assessing Fruit Perception Using Focus Groups 7 Harnessing Expert Opinion: Trends and Challenges on the Balkan Organic Market, Based on a Delphi-Approach 8 Utilising Conjoint Analysis: Understanding Consumers Preferences for Traditional Food 9 Conclusions Index

Functional Foods in Macedonia: Consumers’ Perspective and Public Health Policy

Abstract Background: The objective of our study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Macedonian consumers towards functional foods, to predict future trends and to assess the national public health policies encompassing the functional foods market. Methods: Total of 518 respondents aged 18+, from all regions in the country participated in the study. They were sampled through three-staged national representative sampling procedures. The questionnaire comprised questions regarding the level of information about functional foods, trust in health claims, frequency of consumption and knowledge and attitudes related to those foods. Statistical significance was determined at p<0.05. Results: Respondents aged 18-34 were more informed compared to the total population (22 and 16 % respectively, p<0.05). Most of the consumers consume these products once a day. Employed consumers were willing to increase daily consumption from 3 to 18 % (p<0.05). On average 65.1% of the statements assessing knowledge were answered correctly. On a scale from -3 to +3 functional foods were considered as very healthy (mean=2.03, SD=1.42). Conclusion: On average, Macedonian consumers have a positive attitude and high expectations of functional foods. Public health policies still lag when compared to comprehensive approach of the food industry in market placement of these products.

The Challenge of Improving Soil Fertility in Yam Cropping Systems of West Africa

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a tuber crop grown for food security, income generation, and traditional medicine. This crop has a high cultural value for some of the groups growing it. Most of the production comes from West Africa where the increased demand has been covered by enlarging cultivated surfaces while the mean yield remained around 10 t tuber ha−1. In West Africa, yam is traditionally cultivated without input as the first crop after a long-term fallow as it is considered to require a high soil fertility. African soils, however, are being more and more degraded. The aims of this review were to show the importance of soil fertility for yam, discuss barriers that might limit the adoption of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) in yam-based systems in West Africa, present the concept of innovation platforms (IPs) as a tool to foster collaboration between actors for designing innovations in yam-based systems and provide recommendations for future research. This review shows that the development of sustainable, feasible, and acceptable soil management innovations for yam requires research to be conducted in interdisciplinary teams including natural and social sciences and in a transdisciplinary manner involving relevant actors from the problem definition, to the co-design of soil management innovations, the evaluation of research results, their communication and their implementation. Finally, this research should be conducted in diverse biophysical and socio-economic settings to develop generic rules on soil/plant relationships in yam as affected by soil management and on how to adjust the innovation supply to specific contexts.

Sustainability comparison of a local and a global milk value chains in Switzerland

Local food generally has a positive image, supported among consumers by the perception of reduced negative impacts on the environment and other dimensions. However, a critical analysis of local food chains’ performance in comparison with more global ones is still needed to objectively assess the real benefits and drawbacks of local and global food chains. A careful analysis needs to be conducted to compare the sustainability performance of local food value chains with global ones. In this paper, the methodology of selecting a set of attributes and indicators of performance to compare the multi-dimensional performance of a local with a global food chain is presented. A specific selection of attributes of performance around five sustainability dimensions (economic, social, environmental, health and ethical) is used to measure and evaluate two Swiss milk chains’ performances and compare the local chain with the global one.