Pre-COVID-19 Organic Market in the European Union—Focus on the Czech, German, and Slovak Markets

This article compares attitudes to buying organic food in selected countries in Central Europe. The current research was conducted in 2019 on a total sample of 2800 respondents in the Czech Republic, Slovakia (Central Europe, with a relatively new organic food market), and Germany (a traditional Western Europe country with a mature food market). The study results demonstrate significant differences between the three selected markets. The product quality is the most important for German consumers. Slovak consumers consider organic food to be the least recognizable and least promoted of all the regions surveyed, and they are also the least likely to encounter targeted advertising for organic products. Germany is the country where most respondents regularly or occasionally buy organic food. In Slovakia, an interesting finding is the highest proportion of respondents who do not buy organic food at all. Czech respondents often buy organic products in specialized shops and like to grow organic products themselves. The results also suggest that Slovak consumers slightly more often prefer foreign organic products to the local ones, whereas consumers in Germany select regional organic products more often and prefer to buy regional products at farmers’ markets.

Model of state support for organic farming of Kazakhstan in the context of creation of international regulatory framework for the industry

The paper evaluates the status and prospects for a wider market capacity of organic foods and items. The paper analyzes regulatory framework for organic market in Kazakhstan. The paper describes the conditions for the development of the organic market. The transformation of global food market structures has influenced the organic farming. Demand for organic products has been growing rapidly. Whereas the European Union has put in place at the time an effective system for regulating organic production, the EAEU, CIS, and SCO countries can see this production taking shape only now. It is argued that Kazakhstan is harnessing its agricultural potential only partially, including organic food production. The paper proves that the development of green farming entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan will enable agricultural organizations, aided by the measures of state support, to form a new niche in the market for organic products and expand the supply of organic products in the world market. New approaches are proposed for the first time in regard to formulating regulations, model laws, and recommendations of international unions.

IDENTIFICATION OF POTENCIAL ORGANIC PRODUCTS IN THE DISTRICT OF KEBONPEDES

Kebonpedes sub-district is one of the sub-districts that has organic products. However, the potential of organic agricultural products in Kebonpedes District has not been fully explored. This study aims to identify any organic agricultural products that may occur in Kebonpedes District. This research is a descriptive research with survey method. The data needed in this study are primary data and secondary data. The sampling technique used is snowball sampling. The results showed that there were 24 farmers in Kebonpedes Subdistrict who had carried out activities towards organic farming in the form of rice, vegetables, rabbit farming and laying hens consisting of 10 rice farmers and 12 vegetable farmers and 2 breeders. The land area used for laying hens is larger than the land area for other commodities. One of the rice farmers has done processing by making instant 250 gram packaged rice. These rice and vegetable products have been marketed both online and offline. One vegetable farmer and one rice farmer already have certification for organic land and products, while the other 22 agricultural farmers are aiming for organic farming but do not yet have certificates for their land. It is hoped that by increasing knowledge about organic products from consumers, farmers can register their land to be certified by an organic certification agency, so that organic farming can become a competitive advantage that will increase the selling value of the products/commodities they plant.

PERSEPSI KONSUMEN TERHADAP MAKANAN ORGANIK DAN PEMBENTUKAN STRATEGI BUSINESS CANVAS PADA START UP ORGANIC MARKET DI KOTA SURABAYA

This study aims to analyze consumer preferences for organic food in Surabaya and recommend the strategic implications of using the Business Model Canvas to open organic food outlets. The research design was carried out with a quantitative descriptive method approach. The sampling method was carried out by judgmental sampling technique, with the criteria of the respondents were 100 consumers of organic products. In this study, the types of data collected were: primary data in the form of a questionnaire distributed to people who shop at organic food restaurants in Surabaya; secondary data, as the data or information obtained through literature studies, theories, and literature related to organic food, and the variables used are perceptions of lifestyle, perceptions of health, perceptions of environmental impacts and perceptions of the Greens community as independent variables. , and interest in buying organic products in Surabaya as the dependent variable.This research provides strategic implications of managerial strategies in the activity of organic food outlets to increase sales using a marketing strategy consisting of production, price, promotion, distribution and this strategy is useful for linking consumers in terms of quantity, quality, and balance that can provide better profitsKeyword : Organic product; Healthy Food; Greens Community; Business Model Canvas

Consumers’ attitudes, motives and behaviour towards organic yoghurt in Croatia

The organic food market is constantly growing, while organic yoghurt belongs to the category of the best-selling organic products in the dairy products group. The aim of this study was to determine consumer behaviour in the purchase and consumption of organic yoghurt, attitudes concerning organic yoghurt, and motives for organic yoghurt purchase. An online survey was conducted among organic yoghurt buyers. More than a third of respondents buy and consume organic yoghurt two to three times a month. Respondents buy most often organic yoghurt made from cow’s milk, in plastic packaging, in supermarkets and specialty stores. The most important motives for buying organic yoghurt are health, nutritional value, and food safety. Respondents have positive attitudes about organic yoghurt. The results of this research are useful for organic food producers (especially organic yoghurt producers) in planning and improving production, and also for food marketing experts in designing and implementing promotional activities.

The essence of competition: microeconomic aspects

Microeconomic analysis of exports and imports of agricultural organic products in Ukraine. Organic agriculture is a way of conducting agricultural production on the conditions of sustainability, which with the help of natural, technologically unprocessed means allows to produce agricultural products - organic food. In recent years, Ukraine has seen a rapid change in the structure of the market for organic agricultural products. The progressive increase in demand for organic food is a consequence of a healthy lifestyle. Demand for organic products is the result of consumer demand for certified agricultural products using organic technology, producers' demand for organic raw materials for further processing and export volumes. The market supply for organic agricultural products is defined as the sum of the supply of organic products, which is formed by agricultural enterprises and the volume of products through imports. Demand and supply of organic consumer products in the world and in the European Union in recent decades have shown exceptional growth dynamics. In Ukraine, the market for organic products is small, but is growing systematically. In 2020, the domestic market for organic agricultural products was estimated at approximately 24.3 million euros. Domestic organic products are exported to more than 40 countries. Recently, domestic organic products are exported mainly to the Netherlands, USA, Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain, Lithuania, Austria and Poland. The main organic products exported from Ukraine over the past five years are corn, wheat, soybeans and sunflowers. The growth of the organic market for agricultural products is changing the role of exports and imports. However, in today's conditions, the volume of exports of organic agricultural products significantly exceeds the volume of imports.

To the issue of prospects and problems of organic production of agricultural products in Ukraine

Organizational production of agricultural products is used to preserve the natural environment and to preserve the quality of the products. The development of organic wines in the light of 100 years and over the course of the period has become insane, as for the correct organization of it, you can preserve ecological, social, and commercial transfers. The organizational structure has become a warehouse part of the bio-economy and circular economy, which is a priority for the economic development of the European Union, the USA, Great Britain, the Great Britain, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United States of America. For determining the prospects and problems of organic production of agricultural products, general scientific methods were used such as publicity, systematization, analysis, and synthesis, of the scientific literature and normative documents. For an additional analysis of regulatory documents, a procedure for certifying the authorities of the United States, the European Union and Ukraine has been established. Ukraine, in turn, began to take the first steps towards organic production in the late 1990s. It was at this time that she began to grow organic grain and opened export lines for its transportation to other countries, mainly Europe. Ukraine remains a leader in the production and export of organic cereals. Export competitive advantages of national agar products are lower production costs and logistics support. Ukraine continues to increase its organic production capacity - an increasing number of operators are appearing in this sector of agricultural production. As of 2019, the share of organic production of crop products in Ukraine is 1.4% (5th place in the world in terms of growth rate of organic agriculture), which is 467.9 thousand hectares of the total area of agricultural land in 32, 7 million hectares, as well as 470 operators of organic production. The dynamics of changes in organic agricultural production in Ukraine indicates a general trend of increasing their number, but in some periods, there is a decrease due to the economic and political situation in the country and changes in legislation in this area. Ukraine has significant advantages of organic production, which include a high level of soil fertility, favorable climatic conditions, traditional orientation as an agrarian state. Also, the price of Ukrainian products is lower than the minimum price of organic products of European countries. In the organic production of crops use methods that optimize the biological activity of soils, provide a balanced supply of nutrients to plants. At the same time, there are problems in Ukraine that hinder the development of organic production. In particular, the diversity of the territory in terms of the level of pollution of environmental components, lack of practical application of innovations and modern technologies of agricultural production. The lack of state support for organic producers and state certification system (including qualified specialists for its implementation). Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of October 21, 2020, № 1032 "On approval of the Procedure for certification of organic production and / or circulation of organic products and amendments to the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of October 23, 2019, № 970" approved the stages of certification. Was made the comparison of approaches to the certification of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine shows that they meet European and American standards. However, the absence of a state certification body that certifies organic producers and accredits private certification bodies makes it impossible for state control over organic market operators and the functioning of state certification. The current certification system in Ukraine does not cover the issue of soil contamination or other components of environment, which may affect the quality and safety of organic products. In Ukraine, enterprises in various sectors of the economy use outdated technologies, which can cause soil contamination of agricultural lands, and, accordingly, affect the quality of organic products. Currently, the Laws of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers do not require: the location of the organic agricultural enterprise; content of harmful substances in the soil (including the content of radionuclides and pesticide residues); content in the soil of nutrients that can ensure the production of quality agricultural products and confirm the activities of the farm aimed at maintaining soil fertility. To guarantee the quality of organic products, it is advisable in the certification procedure to consider the level of fertility and soil contamination of agricultural lands, as well as the availability of sources of environmental pollution in the location of the organic producer. Given the above, it is advisable to introduce criteria for assessing the compliance of soils with the requirements of organic production. This approach can guarantee the safety and quality of organic products. During the organization of organic production of agricultural products in Ukraine, the issues of criteria for assessing compliance with regulatory requirements, documentation to be kept by the operator of organic production, etc.

Household income as a factor forming potential demand on the market of organic products

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to analyze the situation of households in terms of income, expenditure, food quality, consumption of individual products and to assess the potential development opportunities for organic products market. Methodology / approach. The dialectical method of cognition, the systematic approach to the study of economic phenomena and processes, the monographic method (the analysis of scientific achievements of domestic and foreign scientists on the assessment of income, cost structure, quality of life) were used in the research. The abstract-logical method (for theoretical generalizations and formulation of conclusions), the economic-statistical method (when assessing the reliability of differences between groups of households), the graphic method (when constructing graphical images), correlation analysis (to make a correlation between the level of consumption of meat and meat products based on the amount of income in the households) were used among the special methods of research. To assess the actual state of affairs, the authors used data from the statistical observation regarding the level of income and expenditures of the population of Ukraine according to 2018, which was called “Anonymous microdata on the main indicators of income, expenditures and living conditions of households”. The total number of households that responded to questions about their income level was 7698 from 8051, or 95.6 %. Results. The article emphasizes that one of the important criteria for social protection is the quality of food supply in accordance with scientific norms and established standards. The income level and food consumption by households were compared. It was noted that in general the distribution of respondents in cash income levels was not considered to be normal. A clear correlation was established between the level of household income and the level of food consumption in both monetary and physical units. These differences were tested using the statistical method of t-test for comparing averages, which provided evidence of the difference between groups of households. Originality / scientific novelty. For the first time, the level of discrepancies in income and food consumption between households was assessed using the t-test method of comparison of averages, which allowed establishing statistically a significant difference between groups in these indicators. The assessment of the impact of household income on the level of expenditures and consumption of certain types of food products has been further developed with the identification of promising focus groups for consumers of organic products. Practical value / implications. The practical value of the results is that the identification of patterns allows to predict further trends in the level of consumption of certain types of food, particularly organic.

Outlook of Present Organic Agriculture Policies and Future Needs in Sri Lanka

Many countries are formulating organic agriculture or organic farming policies aimed at sustainable agricultural development. Therefore, the objectives of this study were: to understand the present situation of organic agriculture policies in Sri Lanka and also in other countries where successful organic agriculture is operating; identify problems in the organic agriculture sector; and suggest potential policy measures to be implemented in Sri Lanka in future. The research was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, a thorough literature review was conducted to study the suitable policies available in other countries and also in Sri Lanka at present. In the second stage, two field surveys were carried out using pre-tested questionnaires, from December 2019 to May 2020, in order to gather farmers’ and extension officers’ information related to organic farming policy suggestions. According to the findings of the literature review, organic systems in some countries are more integrated with national strategic plans and visions. Those governments are more involved in new initiatives and farmers are encouraged to go organic through reliable and feasible policies. Although Sri Lanka has a high potential for organic agriculture, at present it is at an initial stage. While most organic products in Sri Lanka go to the export market, a small portion is kept at local markets. Demand for organic products in export as well as domestic markets is increasing. Even though there are seven international food certification agencies operating in the country as external inspection and certification bodies, a limited number of accredited certifications exist for products on the domestic market. Results of the farmers’ survey showed that even if farmers have a significant level of knowledge, few of them practice organic farming due to several existing problems. Moreover, extension officers have also identified similar types of problems that are faced by the farmers related to organic farming. Evaluation of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) related to organic agriculture in the country helped to identify key problems facing policy-makers when balancing the supply and demand sides of organic products. Also, in developing organic agriculture, an effective linkage and coordination among government and private participants is crucial. Therefore, in Sri Lanka in this context, strategic focus on policy support for organic agriculture is needed. Current organic farming programs need to be revised in order to formulate policies covering all areas related to production, handling, processing, certification, labeling and marketing, in order to bring the benefits of organic agriculture to farmers, marketers and consumers in a fair manner.

The Effect of Music on Livestock: Cattle, Poultry and Pigs

The welfare of animals, especially those kept in intensive production systems, is a priority for modern agriculture. This stems from the desire to keep animals healthy, to obtain a good-quality final product, and to meet the demands of today’s consumers, who have been increasingly persuaded to buy organic products. As a result, new sound-based methods have been pursued to reduce external stress in livestock. Music therapy has been known for thousands of years, and sounds were believed to improve both body and spirit. Today, they are mostly used to distract patients from their pain, as well as to treat depression and cardiovascular disorders. However, recent studies have suggested that appropriately selected music can confer some health benefits, e.g., by increasing the level and activity of natural killer cells. For use in livestock, the choice of genre, the loudness of the music and the tempo are all important factors. Some music tracks promote relaxation (thus improving yields), while others have the opposite effect. However, there is no doubt that enriching the animals’ environment with music improves their welfare and may also convince consumers to buy products from intensively farmed animals. The present paper explores the effects of music on livestock (cattle, poultry and pigs) on the basis of the available literature.