Engjell Skreli

Consumer attitudes towards organic food in the Western Balkans – the case of Albania

Despite the organic food sector production and market potential organic farming is weakly developed in Albania. The sector faces several constraints related to legislation, institutional and private sector capacities. A major challenge for the development of the organic food demand for organic food in Albania is the limited awareness of Albanian consumers regarding organic products. This paper provides insights into consumer awareness and preferences concerning organic food, applying descriptive and segmentation analysis based on a structured survey conducted in Tirana, Albania. According to the study results, there is an overall strong preference for organic food, as organic food is perceived to be safer and healthier compared to conventionally produced food, while environmental considerations of how organic food is grown are not as important in consumers’ view. Despite this overall preference for organic food, most consumers have limited understanding about organic food which should be addressed with awareness campaigns by the private sector and policy makers.

Determinants of long-term business relationships in the dairy value chain in transition countries: the case of Albania

(e.g. Batt and Wilson, 2000; Fischer, 2013), less evidence has been collected from developing or transition countries which face higher institutional voids (Bouis and Haddad, 1990). By testing our model in the Albanian dairy sector with data from a structured survey with farmers engaged in production of goat and sheep milk, we aim to bridge this gap. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this is

Relational governance – an examination of the apple sector in Albania

This study provides an in-depth analysis of the value chain governance in the fruit sector in Albania. Particular attention was paid to the nature of relations between agricultural producers and marketing channel chosen by them, distinguishing between big wholesalers, local collectors and exporters, longer-term relations, commitment and trust, and contracting along the value chain. Given the absence of, or weak, contract enforcement and the clear evidence of embeddedness in dyadic relationships in this chain, we focused our analysis on sustained relationships, contracting and personal bonds as a determinant factor to improve business relationship quality. This paper is based on a structured survey targeting 182 orchard farmers in two leading fruit production regions in Albania, namely Korca and Peshkopia. The survey showed a weak prevalence of verbal contracts in embedded relationships. The percentage of contracts between farmers and local collectors is slightly higher compared to wholesalers. This evidence is much stronger when we investigate the incidence of contracts in stable relationships (i.e. selling to the same buyer). We also find that mature relationships generate higher sustainability - a result which does not come as a surprise, although the coordination between farmers and other actors downstream is only at early stages. The main implications which arise from our analysis are relevant for agribusinesses, farmers and policy makers.