Structure analysis
Final report
Duration of project:
December 2009 until November 2011
Contact persons at the University of Kassel
- Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hamm
- M.Sc. Sabine Plaßmann
Project partners
Structural data of organic food shops: Survey on the status quo and development of an instrument on the ongoing structural description of the organic market segment “Organic Food Shops”
Research project within the framework of the Federal Organic Farming Scheme and other forms of sustainable agriculture (BÖLN)
The project aims to portray and update the structure of the German organic food retail and wholesale sector. It includes the development of a method to calculate the expansion of the market volume of organic food retail and wholesale trade in Germany. This should serve as a basis for expansions of the market volume of specialised organic food retail. These data are aggregated structure data which naturally were evaluated anonymously, so that no inference to the turnover of individual firms is possible. A further aim is the development of a concept which makes sustainable monitoring of this market segment possible. The results contribute to an increase in the transparency of the organic market, whereby especially market actors, but also associations and policymakers will profit by an improved data basis for decision-making. Theproject consortium consists of an association of organic food processors and traders (Bundesverband Naturkost Naturwaren Herstellung und Handel e.V., BNN), three consultancies with specialisation in the organic food market (AgroMilagro Research, Kommunikationsberatung Klaus Braun, Land und Markt), a publisher of organic food journals (bio verlag gmbh) and the institute of organic agricultural and food marketing at the University of Kassel. The whole expert coordination is by the project consultancy Land und Markt. The research is accompanied by an advisory board consisting of 5 persons.