Zacharoula Andreopoulou

Agricultural and Environmental Informatics, Governance and Management: Emerging Research Applications

Agricultural and Environmental Informatics, Governance and Management: Emerging Research Applications is a state-of-the-art reference book which explores how rural policymakers and stakeholders can use information and communication technologies to sustainably manage agricultural and natural resources. The book explores how ICT can support public governance and rural decision-making, how supply chain and agricultural informatics tools and methods can improve agricultural management, and how ICT is especially useful for environmental, resource, and ecosystems management and for geospatial landscape planning. The book integrates cross-disciplinary knowledge about agricultural and environmental applications of informatics, connecting science and policy on a subject critical to the present and future quality of life in rural areas

The adoption of e-commerce for wood enterprises

Lately, the internet has become a major means in electronic commerce (e-commerce), as it offers various advantages and benefits. In Greece, there are many Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the context of the timber trade and the wood processing and products sector that have already created a web presence in various stages of maturity. This paper studies the adoption of e-commerce in websites that support e-commerce activities within the timber trade and the wood processing and products sector. Therefore, the paper aims to identify and evaluate their qualitative and quantitative content characteristics, classify them as to their geographical distribution, rank them according to 13 content characteristics/criteria using the multicriteria method of PROMETHEE II and classify them in groups of similar adoption. The case of Greece was selected and the retrieved websites were studied and then ranked and classified accordingly. The findings of this study reveal the rate of adoption of e-commerce in the sector and can be a valuable model for the designers of the websites that promote e-commerce activities within the wider area of wood.

Optimising e-marketing criteria for customer communication in food and drink sector in Greece

In modern societies, internet has become |the key to success| for businesses, as it offers various advantages and benefits in e-commerce through e-marketing. The case of Greece was selected, as there are many enterprises in the food and drinks sector that have already created a web presence in various stages of maturity. This paper studies the use of e-marketing criteria in e-market places in the internet that support e-commerce activities referring to modern network applications and ways of promotion and function of enterprises. Therefore, the paper aims to optimise and evaluate them qualitatively and quantitatively according to six e-marketing criteria using the multicriteria method of PROMETHEE II and further to classify them in groups. Finally we can identify and describe the optimum group of e-market places to be used as a model for designers of websites promoting e-commerce activities within the wider area of food and drinks with enhanced customer communication services.

Promotion of rural regional development through the WWW

Development Agencies constitute an innovative institution aiming to support integrated local development in rural areas, hence contributing to the transformation of economy. Shareholders are public and private organisations such as local prefectures, municipalities, scientific societies, unions, cooperatives as well as natural bodies. As internet has facilitated new prospects and opportunities for all to benefit, various websites were also established representing local development agencies. This paper aims to identify and study website content characteristics and to classify them according to their content. Most retrieved websites are information-based websites yet they can further evolve in e-service delivery.

NATIONAL FOREST PARKS DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES FOR ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES

National Forest Parks are protected under national and international environment laws because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. Since they provide economic perspectives through recreational and tourism opportunities for the public, the visitors’ overuse and the supplementary development of facilities and services in these protected areas are the main threats to their ecological integrity. Within the current digital innovations, Internet has become a viable alternative business channel and many firms have already created their internet presence. The aim of the paper is to study the employ of internet technologies in Greek National Forest Parks for economic perspectives and rank the websites, respectively. Internet presence of Greek National Forest Parks is evaluated qualitatively according to their content, used as criteria. Following, the multicriteria method of PROMETHEE II is applied for the total ranking. Furthermore, the optimum National Forest Parks internet presences are identified and described to be used as models with the total exploitation of internet technologies. Finally, necessary recommendations for website optimization are presented.

Internet marketing for sustainable development and rural tourism

Internet is very widespread in all business sectors and has been an extremely important tool for the promotion of business sales. Moreover, internet-based marketing is widely accepted by tourism enterprises. Sustainable tourism refers to development in such a manner and at such a scale, that it remains viable over an indefinite period. There is a special relationship between the concept of sustainable tourism and the rural tourism. This paper assesses internet and e-marketing adoption for the sustainability of rural tourism enterprises, for the case of Greece. Rural tourism enterprises are analysed and further ranked as to their e-marketing features and ICT functions accomplished. An integrated-dynamic framework is developed for ranking the enterprises based on the multicriteria method PROMETHEE II and the results are discussed. Finally, we identify and describe the optimum enterprises to be used as a model for designers of websites promoting e-marketing activities for rural sustainability.

Assessment and optimization of e-commerce websites of fish culture sector

Fishculture has been flourishing during the last decades in Greece and EU. Many enterprises in fishfarming sector have already proceeded in employing e-commerce and they have created their websites. This paper aims to assess websites of commercial purpose within fishculture sector and identify their optimum group. As a case study it was selected the paradigm of Greece. Qualitative and quantitative content characteristics were identified in the retrieved websites that were further ranked according to 13 content characteristics/criteria using the multicriteria method of PROMETHEE II. Finally, the retrieved websites were classified in groups, aiming to identify the optimum group of websites concerning content characteristics. The optimum group of fishculture websites will be a useful standard while designing for a fish culture enterprise aiming to initially or further expand their e-commerce activities.

E-Innovation for Sustainable Development of Rural Resources During Global Economic Crisis

Zacharoula Andreopoulou holds a BS degree in Mathematics, a BS degree in Forestry and Natural Environment, and a PhD degree in Forest Informatics, all from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where she is currently an assistant professor in the Laboratory of Forest Informatics. She teaches courses on networks and Web services, databases, project management, and software programming with focus on the environment and sustainable development. Her scientific and research interests include networks and Web services, databases, modeling and project management in natural resources and environment, sustainable development, and regional development applications. She is an active member of scientific societies and she has organized and participated in many international and domestic conferences. She is the author, co-author, and editor in books regarding environmental informatics, and her recent scientific publications include papers in various international Journals. Released: September 2013 An Excellent Addition to Your Library!

Consulting for Sustainable Development, Information Technologies Adoption, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Issues in Livestock Farms☆

Consulting agricultural services constitute a major key for implementing successfully sustainable development EU goals in rural areas. Today, in the context of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, there are initiatives for funding crop and livestock farms and entrepreneurship. Presently, there are bureaus offering consulting services and reliable information to t he Greek farmers regarding Information Technologies adoption and innovative e-tools, marketing and processing of agricultural products, certificated agro-products (ISO), modernization of agricultural holdings, etc. Farmers have the opportunity to participate in EU funded measures that support the development of new activities, such as innovative actions, marketing services, new information technologies software and web tools and promote production innovations through specific investments. This paper aims to study and evaluate the adoption of consulting from livestock farms and discuss future opportunities. The study is based on primary data collected from the prefecture of Rodopi, in Thrace/Northeastern Greece, through a farm management survey which was carried out during September and December 2011. A sample of 120 livestock farmers between the ages of 20 and 70 was surveyed for the empirical application of this study using a well-structured questionnaire. The survey took place in private consulting bureaus and locally at farms. The collected data were coded and statistically analyzed using SPSS. Data was classified with cluster analysis in order to identify and describe groups with common attitudes among farmers. Findings show that 54% of the farmers in the sample are interested in consulting and adopt information technology solutions, marketing and entrepreneurship issues, aiming to sustainability in the context of EU goals. The results also indicate that 63% of the farme rs have already participated in a program, while 37% have participated in the schemes promoting the establishment of young farmers. Moreover, 55% of them would prefer to be consulted by private consulting bureaus rather than government consulting divisions. Private consulting bureaus satisfy farmers who consider them as a significant support in their attempt to achieve the contemporary EU goals for sustainable development through the adoption of information technologies tools and innovative trade and marketing techniques. Farmers can be further classified in two groups that share similar either innovative or traditional aspects about Greek agriculture trends, in relation to their social characteristics.

Marketing and organisational evaluation of rural firms in the internet

Internet has become a successful way to promote a firm and it provides the firms’ managers a key point in organisational and marketing functions through incorporation of e-marketing activities, total quality management and corporate social responsibility in corporate website. Since many firms already have an enhanced internet presence, this paper aims to evaluate the marketing and organisational functions in a corporate website as to further decide for website’s improvement and innovation. As a case study, the agri-food sector in Greece was selected. Thirty Greek big agri-food firms were studied, analysed and were categorised taking into account six marketing and organisational criteria in their corporate websites. Through factor analysis, it was provided a three-factor model, to be used as a validated determinant that can be applied in wider context. Business managers can use this three-factor model to decide on the current marketing and organisational functions adoption in the corporate website and decide to proceed in website development and upgrading.