SAC Research

The FOODCOMM project has been divided into seven work packages.

Work Package 1 – Development of theoretical framework:  To review the relevant literature and identify the nature of, and factors influencing, communication and economic relationships within food chains, and to construct a theoretical framework for the overall study. The review and theoretical framework will take account of Common Agricultural Policy reforms and their decreasing recourse to market intervention.

Work Package 2 – Review of food chain systems:  To review the study countries in terms of their agri-food production and marketing, with a particular emphasis on the selected study commodities, and including the market, social, cultural, economic and political factors (potentially) influencing the development of sustainable economic relationships and communication within food chains. 

Work Packages 3 and 4 – Representative cross-country, multi-commodity survey of farmers, processors and retailers, analysis of survey data and identification of issues for country-specific research

• To collect representative data describing the role of economic relationships and communication from the perspective of the main actors in the food chain: primary producers, processors, and retailers.
• To gain information and understanding about the role of economic relationships and communication in selected European food chains by analysing the data obtained from the survey. In addition, to identify (and possibly quantify) the economic, social and cultural factors impeding and facilitating relationship-building and communication within these chains.

Work Package 5 – Country-specific, in-depth research of selected issues:  To conduct additional, in-depth analysis of selected food chains, with a focus on economic relationships and communication, in all participating countries. To investigate, by conducting face-to-face interviews, in more detail important issues which cannot be analysed satisfactorily by means of standardised cross-country surveys. To enrich the data collected in earlier working packages and help to further develop their most important findings from the whole project objectives point of view.

Work Package 6 – Evaluation of results and derivation of policy and business implications/recommendations:  To evaluate project findings from the cross-country survey analysis in WP4 and the country-specific research in WP5, and identify means of improving food chain performance with particular focus on communication and sustainable economic relationships. To derive recommendations for possible EU policy development and agribusinesses, and actions to be taken in order to guarantee well-functioning relationships and communication within selected European food chains.

Work Package 7 – Dissemination of research results:  To design and implement a planned series of dissemination activities which will include workshops and other forms of personal interaction with business representatives; seminars with institutional audiences, including the European Commission; and a web-based electronic guide for business and institutional use.

More information on the work packages can be found by using the link on the right to the FOODCOMM website.

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