Sophia Philipp (M.Sc.)

Orchard Meadows as Traditional Agroforestry Systems: Consumer Perceptions and Communication:

The research aims to identify consumers’ perception and attitudes regarding orchard meadows, the criteria for consumers' purchasing decisions for products from this agricultural system, and promising on label communication of products emerging from orchard meadows.

Orchard stands are habitats with high biological diversity. However, the development of the past decades shows that despite their ecological importance, political support and the work of orchard initiatives, the populations in Germany continue to decline. Against this background, this research project aims to identify ways of enhancing the value of orchard cultivation through improved consumer communication. In order to better understand the purchasing decisions of consumers, it will be determined which perceptions and preferences are related to orchard products and how orchard products should be communicated in order to achieve a willingness to buy among consumers even at higher product prices. The following questions will be answered

• What do consumers understand by orchard fruit? What associations do they have with orchard fruit?
• Which preferences and which willingness to pay do they have for orchard products (apple juice) and which factors influence them?
• Which are the potential buyer segments for orchard products? How do they differ?

• Since 08/2021: External PhD student at the Department of Agricultural and Food Marketing, University of Kassel
• Since 01/2020: Agricultural economist at Tourismus-, Standort- und Regionalentwicklung neuland+, Aulendorf
• 10/2012 – 07/2020: MSc Agriculture and Resource economics at the Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, title of Master thesis: “Streuobstwiesen als Mittel zur Wertschöpfung in ausgewählten Regionen“
• 10/2015 – 09/2018: BSc Agricultural Sciences at the University of Hohenheim, titel of Bachelor thesis: „Einfluss von Trocknung und Vermahlung auf qualitätsgebende Parameter bei Malus domestica (Jonagold)“ in cooperation with Innotech Ingenieursgesellschaft mbH
• Work experience on parental farm; internships on different farms, in agricultural administration, drying technology and publishing

• German
• English