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Organic food processing must include organic principles to be authentic. This qualitative study aims to understand the processors' understanding of organic food processing quality.

This study is based on semi-structured expert interviews with eight employees of six purely or partly organic dairies from Germany and Switzerland. Interview themes are (1) quality of organic milk processing in general, (2) assessment of specific processing techniques, (3) product quality of organic milk and (4) flow of information between producer and consumer. The interviews have been audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.

(1) Experts prefer minimal processing; some prefer artisanal processing, whilst others stress the advantages of mechanisation. (2) High temperature short time (HTST) pasteurisation and mechanical processing techniques are accepted; ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk processing is partly rejected. (3) Traditional taste and valuable ingredients should be present in the final product. Natural variances are judged positively. (4) Consumers' low level of food technology literacy is challenging for communication.

The results cannot be generalised due to the qualitative study design. Further studies, e.g. qualitative case analyses and studies with a quantitative design, are necessary to deepen the results.

The paper shows which processing technologies experts consider suitable or unsuitable for organic milk. The paper also identifies opportunities to bridge the perceived gap between processors' and consumers' demands.

The study shows the challenges of processors in expressing the processors' understanding of process quality.

Within the agri-food sectors of Western countries, there is an increasing interest in alternative food, i.e., organic, local and regional food, artisanal food, short-supply chains, slow food etc. Innovation in food processing is a significant element both in alternative food and conventional food strategies. Alternatives are based on competition on qualities rather than price. A main question in this chapter is to address how alternative qualities are embedded into food products? This question is explored using a study of two alternative cases within the dairy sectors of Norway and Wales. A model of the different modes of designed qualities of food is developed and discussed to explore the complex issue of quality. We find space and technology especially relevant as dimensions of qualities. Our conclusion is that there is a need to nuance the discussion about quality and food. Firms may develop as hybrids within a conventional vs. alternative perspective, and a strong emphasis on the conventional and alternative as a dichotomy tends to give a static and restrictive perspective.

Global demand for organic milk products gives an opportunity to Polish organic farmers and dairies to supply national, European Union and international milk markets. The purpose of this paper is to review the historic and contemporary changes in organic milk production and processing in Poland, in order to identify the main factors of influence and to propose the direction of future market and policy development in the sector.

In this study, secondary data from a range of literature sources and databases are analysed. The Lorenz’s concentration ratio is applied to the data derived to evaluate the degree of concentration of certified organic farms in the different regions of Poland and conclusions are drawn as a result.

Organic dairy farm operations in Poland are small scale and territorially dispersed. Although there is some evidence of growing supply concentration, Polish processors of organic milk face multiple barriers to development not least a lack of continuity of supplies. Whilst global markets are of interest, the development of alternative, innovative food networks in Poland that focus on provenance, integrity and promoting the special health benefits of organic milk would be of value to the sector, but further cooperation and integration is essential to take advantage of these market opportunities.

This research underpins the need for appropriate national policies in Poland for the development and actualisation of a dynamic organic milk supply system that delivers value to local, regional and international markets.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss characteristics of organic food value chain governance and policy tools that can increase the supply of good quality of agri-products.

This paper discusses a national organic food supply system in China, identifying the link between an organization form with a social confidence crisis and information asymmetry as the main challenges. It develops an analytical model of the market structure of organic certification based on the contract theory, which considers the certification incentive driven by both farmers and processors. Two cases of raw milk producers and processors provide empirical data.

The argument which is brought forward is that product information asymmetry together with strict requirement for ensuring organic food integrity brings the organic milk value chain into a highly integrated organization pattern. A tight value chain is effective in the governance of organic food supply chain under third party certification (TPC), while a loose value chain discourages producing organic products because of transaction costs. TPC is found to be a positively correlation with a tight value chain, but it brings high organizational cost and it raises cost for consumers.

This is the first paper discussing the governance of organic food value chain in Chinese milk industry.

Moralized markets are economic markets in which moral aspects are explicitly used to legitimize decisions. Companies involved in such markets have to cope simultaneously with opposing logics: While they strive for economic growth, their existence is bound to their moral integrity, too. This chapter investigates how ecopreneurs manage this inherent conflict of moralized markets. Based on interviews, documentary analysis and sample purchases, an empirical case study highlights the example of well-renowned ecopreneurial dairies distributing their milk via ecologically disreputable discount stores. By looking into the related struggle between moral and economic expectations, the chapter sheds light on one particular coping strategy: The tacit creation and maintenance of separate fields for moral and economic logics. This strategy of fragmentation is referred to as ‘double game.’ The study emanates from competing logics approaches to hybrid organizations by adopting a field theoretical, Bourdieusian perspective. Its explicit focus on opposing logics and on coping strategies that go beyond reconciliation opens up new perspectives for both sustainability and organization studies.

The purpose of this paper is to determine redesigned product profiles to maximize Erzurum Civil cheese consumption satisfaction of Turkish consumers under an ordinal utility approach.

Data were obtained from a survey conducted in Erzurum in 2014. A conjoint analysis was used to determine the utilities of each level along with the relative importance of Erzurum Civil cheese attributes for measuring the consumption satisfaction as an indicator of the purchase decision and priorities of Turkish consumers.

The results of the study clearly highlighted that Erzurum Civil cheese consumption satisfaction was maximized with the augmented and actual product images redesigned by a private-labelled and local-branded simple product with the highest and medium prices based on organic production techniques for heavy and light consumers, respectively. However, medium consumers appreciated the core benefit obtained from the credence quality attributes supported by the generic branded simple cheese with the lowest price purchased directly from the farmstead villages. Eventually, these marketing tactics and strategies could increase demand, maximizing the cheese consumption and satisfaction of Turkish consumers in each cluster. They could also provide greater consumption satisfaction to Turkish consumers as well as bigger marginal contributions to the market dynamics of the food supply chain.

This study was the first research conducted on Erzurum Civil cheese consumption satisfaction of Turkish consumers using innovative approaches and brand designations, such as Protected Designation of Origin, Protected Geographical Indication, and Traditional Specialty Guaranteed in Turkey using the conjoint and k-mean cluster analyses techniques.

The recent background to the UK market for organic milk is reviewed to establish the background to the Organic Dairy Production: A Sustainable Future for Organic Dairying conference held in March 2002. The presentations given at that conference are critically reviewed. Several of arguably the most important determinants of the sustainable future of organic dairying did not find their full expression at that conference. Issues largely or wholly excluded include: a priori evidence for expecting a higher level of co‐operation among organic than conventional farmers; the distinction between “competitive pricing” and “sustainable pricing”; import penetration and substitution, and post‐conversion subsidies; utilising innovative information technologies to “tell the organic story”; policing organic standards and traceability; and the ownership of the “organic label” and the number of organic standard bodies. The importance of these issues is shown by reference to the current market situation for organic milk in the UK. There is a need for considerable developments in the marketing of organic milk. More distance must be placed between associations that campaign for market growth and an organisation that will need to be appointed to take responsibility for providing reliable and impartial market‐based information.

The Fresh Milk Logo certifies that dairy product sold in Taiwan really is fresh milk. However, the logo represents only a moral pledge by the manufacturer. No method exists for inspecting whether products are fresh milk or reconstituted milk, and the label does not represent a commitment to the same level of quality and consumer health protection as found in organic foods. The purpose of this paper is to analyze consumer perceptions of organic certified agricultural standards (CAS) and estimates consumer willingness to pay (WTP) a premium should the Fresh Milk Logo be transformed into an organic CAS certified label.

Exploratory factor analysis is adopted to extract the main determinants of respondent perceptions and preferences. Additionally, the double-bounded dichotomous choice of the contingent valuation method (CVM) and survival function is used to measure consumer WTP a premium for organic fresh milk.

Consumer consumption preferences for buying fresh milk extracted four main factorial dimensions: Fresh Milk Logo, price/promotion, organic, and product/brand. Respondents are willing to pay US$21.95 extra per year to buy organic CAS milk and the factors affecting WTP are “Fresh Milk Logo” and “organic”.

The problems of the CVM include hypothetical and starting point for price bidding. The double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation model and pre-testing can reduce the biases. The survival function is more flexible, yields more information and permits assumptions regarding parametric distributions without additional costs. The collaboration of survival function with the double-bounded method produces a reliable result that incorporates fewer statistical errors.

Consumers are willing to pay a premium for fresh milk with an organic CAS label that certifies its good quality and safety.

Marketing managers can use the study findings to develop effective marketing strategies and refine advertising campaigns to promote organic fresh milk to attract more consumers.

Organic food labels certify food safety, and are associated with the trend toward increasing awareness of environmental and health issues. Perception of organic food labels are introduced into double-bounded dichotomous choice CVM to estimate consumers’ WTP, an approach which has successfully dominated traditional methods, using Likert scale-type measurement.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the sociodemographic factors that affect Turkish consumers’ decision to purchase organic milk. It is also of interest to derive the demand curve for organic milk based on the consumers’ stated preferences.

The data used in this search are based on a face-to-face consumer survey that asked the respondents about how much they are willing to pay for organic milk and what factors affect their purchasing decision. A variant approach is applied where the determinants selected include both product/market characteristics and household-specific demographic factors. The data are analyzed by means of tabular analysis, summary tables, contingent valuation, stepwise regression, χ² tests and logistic discrete-choice modeling.

The tabular analysis suggests that price, packaging and brand image are the primary milk characteristics that affect consumers’ decision. According to the contingent valuation analysis, consumers are willing to pay substantial premiums for milk products. The stepwise regression, χ² tests and logistic regression results unanimously suggest that educational attainment is the only significant indicator. Households with university education are twice more likely to purchase organic milk.

The data used in this research are based on stated preferences which might be different than actual shopping behavior.

This paper presents a pioneer study on the characteristics of Turkish organic milk consumers and represents a credible, empirical case study to complement existing literature. It also lays the framework for follow-up research work that can be conducted in future.

Since de‐regulation of the UK dairy market in November 1995, the UK dairy industry has lurched from one crisis to another, as milk prices initially rose to levels that were unsustainable for all but the largest processors and then fell to levels at which even the largest and most efficient dairy farmers are struggling to survive. Considerable emphasis has been placed in recent years on cutting costs in the dairy supply chain, yet little attention has been given to the scope for adding value, particularly for the benefit of dairy farmers. Against this background, the Milk Development Council commissioned a research project, from which this paper is drawn, to explore the scope for adding value to liquid milk. The results of the comprehensive consumer research undertaken provide clear evidence that opportunities exist for differentiating the liquid milk market. The research also underlines the strategic importance of consumer research in an increasingly competitive market environment.