The objectives of the FOCUS-BALKANS project

1. The objectives of the FOCUS-BALKANS project • The general objective are • To improve competencies and understanding in the field of consumer food science in the Western Balkan countries (WBC). • The public health and consumer protection improvement in the WBC. • The specific objectives are to: •  Develop the competences and understanding of public organizations, private enterprises and NGOs in the WBC countries regarding food consumer science (training). • Develop a network of universities, institutes, high schools, consumer organizations, NGOs and private enterprises active in the field of food consumer science that are able to develop joint-research activities (networking). • Have a better understanding of food consumers in the WBC`s, with a focus on products with positive nutritional properties (fruits and health/Diet foods) and/or sustainability (organic and traditional food products).

2. Planned Timing of the Work Packages and their Components

3. Work package number: 6 Start date or starting event: 8 Work package title: Consumer study implementation for products with health claims Activity type: RTD • This Case study is linked with the Regulation of the EC on health claims: • Regulation (EC) N° 1924/2006, 30.12.2006 relating to the labeling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs, especially when dealing with nutritional labeling. • Activities • Activity 6.1 Definition of the scope of the research and preliminary work. • Activity 6.2 Qualitative consumer survey • Activity 6.3 Processors survey • Activity 6.4 Distributors survey • Deliverable • D6.1 Study report on consumer motivations and behaviours for products with health claims. Month 17.

4. Objectives • To identify the image and values that are given to health food product by local consumers. • A specific attention will be put on the global health and food worlds, the places and occasions appropriate for dietetic products consumption (social factors), the factors of this consumption (food habits, health concerns, prices, products availability, taste, etc.) and the resulting expectations and behaviors regarding those products. The expected results - identification of the main firms and quantification of the main markets to be studied. Description of work • WP6 will provide multidisciplinary approach to the consumer study related to food consumption and health allegations. It will improve consumer studies methodology and network capacity building in the WBC. Important variations in dietary patterns and lifestyle behaviors among the WBC, as well as the areas where further development of food marketing is most required will be analyzed. Information from the surveys could also be used as baseline data against which future dietary consumption patterns would be compared.

5. Who will do what? • BEL will conduct the work with the local support of SMMRI and the methodological support of GEM. • IPH MNE will give a specific input concerning the scope of products with health claims in WBC. • ENITA-C will give a specific input, with the following of the qualitative consumer survey and the realization of the focus groups per country. • Processors and distributors surveys will be led by BEL, with the involvement of each local beneficiary and completed by LEI’s food supply chains analysis competences. BEL will lead the different surveys within this case study and propose a definition of the scope of the research with the strong support of GEM, LEI and ENITAC and with the local beneficiary IPH MNE.

6. Organization

7. Qualities of the consortium as a whole Multidisciplinary skills and expertise • AGRIDEA, SEEDEV, ENITA-C, UNEW and PARMA have a strong expertise in supply chain management, differentiation, local initiatives, consumers expectations and willingness to pay, consumer awareness for origin and production methods; • LEI has carried important research in nutrition, dietetic and fruits consumptions; • ECOZEPT has a consolidated experience in research on organic products; • GEM and Strategic Ipsos have a long practice of survey and market analysis.

8. The disciplinary backgrounds of the key researchers

9. Complementary research networks of partners who are involved in consumer science from different points of views and for different stakeholders: • consumers studies; • public health and food safety; • economics; • agriculture and food supply chains. A good balance from several perspectives: • Between private and public sectors: • SMEs are well represented: AGRIDEA, SMMRI, GEM, ECOZEPT and SEEDEV; but • Well-balanced with research institutes and universities: LEI, ENITA-C, BEL, ZAG, UL-SLO, UNEW, PARMA, and • Local institutes and faculties who can express their needs: RIHP, IPH MNE and BiH. • Between western and south-eastern Europe enabling transfer of expertise and knowledge: • 8 participants of the WBC. • 7 participants of western Europe. • Between responsibilities and the implications of the different partners in the project.

10. Links with FP4 to FP6 projects: • All western European partners have been involved in one or several EU funded projects: • AGRIDEA under FP4, 5 and 6 in the following projects: PDO-PGI, DOLPHINS, SUS-CHAIN, SINER-GI, IN SIGHT; • ECOZEPT under FP5, 6 in the following projects: TRACE and TYPIC; • ENITA-C under FP5, 6 in the following projects: EuroMarc, TYPIC, TRACE and SINER-GI; • GEM in VINIFLHOR (Office National Interprofessionnel du vin, des fruits et legumes et de l’horticulture), Audit of the honey sector under the European honey Regulation 1221/97: complete description of the sector; production, quantification of the distribution channels, identification of the encountered problems, required measures. Updating 2005: Evolution of the supply chain, evaluation of the efficiency of the sectorial measures; • PARMA under FP6 in the following projects: TRACE, DOLPHINS and SINER-GI; • UNEW under FP6 in the following projects: SINER-GI, WATERWEB and CEESA; • LEI under FP6 in the following projects: ISAFRUIT and DOUBLE FRESH.

11. Some of the WBC research Institutes have been involved in European Projects: • BEL in several E-U funded studies: Harmonization of Consumer Prices in Serbia and Montenegro, PLAC, Belgrade 2004; Analysis Foreign Trade Sectors Sensitivity in the process of WTO Accession, SCEPP, Beograd, 2004; Economic Aspects of Customs Policy Reform in the Context of WTO Accession, SCEPP, Beograd, 2004; • RIHP in SAFEFOODNET; • UL-SLO under FP6 in the following projects: FOOD-CT-2004-506416, CEEC AGRI POLICY (Agro economic policy analysis of the New Member States, the candidate countries and the countries of the Western Balkan) and TRUEFOOD; Each of the above research institutions have high level researchers able to contribute to the capacity building effort by linking FOCUS-BALKANS project trainings with other consortiums of relevant European projects such as : • SinerGI, TYPIC, traditional products, • SUS-CHAIN and TRACE for FSC good practices, • EUROMARC, for the perception and interests of the mountain agro food products by the European consumers and retailers, • QLIF for organic products, • ISAFRUIT for the fruit supply chain.

12. Thank you for attention!