Which approaches are there to differentiate livestock products for enhanced market diversification and new business models?
Euroopan maaseutuverkosto etsii asiantuntijoita kotieläintuotemarkkinoiden monipuolistamiseen
Background information
The Focus Group will explore innovative solutions for differentiating livestock products, aiming to enhance market diversification and develop new business models. This Focus Group addresses the CAP’s Specific Objectives SO2 (increase competitiveness – market orientation and competitiveness, incl. greater focus on research, technology and digitalisation), SO4 (climate change action – incl. sustainable energy) and SO9 (protect food and health quality – food and health, including safe, nutritious and sustainable food, as well as animal welfare). It focuses on the entire value chain within sustainable livestock systems, considering adaptation strategies to climate change, improving resilience, and meeting consumer demands and societal expectations for sustainable products.
In 2019, the European Commission proposed the European Green Deal, which was specified in the ‘Farm to Fork’ and ‘Biodiversity’ Strategies, promoting the transition to sustainable and inclusive agricultural production. The European Green Deal promotes the transformation of the EU food system to be environmentally friendly, socially responsible, capable of preserving ecosystems and biodiversity and contributing to a climate-neutral European economy (European Commission, 2019). It takes a holistic approach by focusing on the entire EU food system, from farmers to consumers, including food production, transport, distribution, marketing and consumption. Sustainability is a complementary concept to resilience and it refers to the proper performance of all system functions in the environmental, economic and social domains (Morris et al., 2011).
Nowadays, there is a growing consumer demand for ”clean, ecological and ethical” products. This is driven by increasing awareness of environmental and social sustainability, health risks and animal welfare concerns. Therefore, there is a new market trend driven by consumer demand for local, fresh, welfare-friendly, seasonal and organic products and products that are specifically connected or contributing to a territorial identity. Although these types of products are receiving increasing attention, they face some difficulties in their development on the conventional market. To respond to these trends, the livestock sector must find alternative strategies for product differentiation that can diversify existing markets and foster innovative business models.
By developing alternative strategies for product differentiation and market diversification, it is possible to combine two sides of the same coin: differentiated products, based on improved and/or alternative production systems, which build a diversified market to respond to new consumer demands and derive value from them.
Question: Which approaches are there to differentiate livestock products for enhanced market
diversification and new business models?
Tasks
- Identify good practices and innovative approaches/strategies/business models for product
differentiation in livestock systems (intensive/indoor and extensive/outdoor systems,
feeding strategies, breeding, animal welfare including space allowance and environmental
enrichment, etc.); - Identify instruments and tools to help farmers implement business models for livestock
product differentiation (labelling and branding schemes, traceability tools, certification and
protocols for sustainability, monitoring and KPI, etc.); - Collect good examples of communication/differentiation solutions and communication tools
to approach the market and deliver objective and evidence-based information to consumers
and citizens; - Identify research needs from practice and possible knowledge gaps related to product
differentiation, and propose directions for further study; - Explore/identify which or how ICT technologies and devices (ie. Facebook consumer
networks) could help bridge this gap, especially for producers in remote areas; - Propose potential innovative actions and ideas for Operational Groups.
Kustannuksien korvaaminen
Focus Groups are expected to work for around twelve months and meet face-to-face twice.
Please note that the dates for the first meetings of the Focus Groups are indicated below. All applicants must be available to travel to the Focus Group meeting on these dates. If selected experts fail to confirm their availability on these dates within one week after having received a notification that they have been selected, they may be replaced. Focus Group participants will also be requested to do some preparatory work before the first meeting and in between the first and second meetings. No remuneration will be provided for participating as an expert in the Focus Group.
Travel and accommodation will be provided by the EIP-AGRI Support Facility according to the EU CAP
Network travel and accommodation policy.
Näin haet mukaan
Lisätiedot fokusryhmästä: Call for new EU CAP Network Focus Groups open ! | EU CAP Network (europa.eu)
Linkki hakulomakkeelle: EUSurvey – Survey (europa.eu)