Deciphering Organic Foods

This book discusses a variety of topics related to organic food production, consumption, and promotion. Written by experts in each of these fields, this book will interest consumers, academicians, marketing practitioners, as well as policy makers. Myths about organic foods are dispelled, and the code is cracked regarding the plethora of existing labels that have led to so much market confusion in recent years. New research findings regarding the environmental benefits (as related to sustainability) of organic food production, as well as the many nutritional and other personal health benefits of organic food consumption are discussed. The issues that lead to the price premium of organic foods, relative to conventional foods, are presented, and suggestions are provided regarding the types of foods that are worth paying the organic price premium. Marketers and advertisers of organic foods will find the overview of successful advertising tactics comprehensive and informative. Similarly, pet owners considering the switch to organic pet food will enjoy reading about this emerging market and will receive vital information to help them in their decision making.

This book sets out to examine what really is going on in the organic sector socially and politically. In the process, it debunks a number of apparently common-sense beliefs: that organic consumers are wealthy environmental and health extremists; that growth in the industry will inevitablyundermine its environmental values; that mainstream media is antagonistic to organics; and that the industry is driven by consumer demand. This book seeks to make a practical contribution to the development of more sustainable food systems by articulating what it takes to get people involved inorganics at each stage of the food chain.

The Organic Farm Management Handbook from the Organic Research Centre is the only source of information on the costs and performance of organic farming. One of the key barriers is the lack of current information on the costs and business performance of organic farms and related management issues that is vital to anyone contemplating the seismic shift to organic farming. The revised OFMH will provide that information – utilising in depth historical data and expert opinion. It is the essential tool for understanding the economics of organic farming in the UK. It can: Help with business plans and budgets Provide a means of assessing the viability of specific crops and livestock Advise on conversion related innovations such as new marketing approaches.

Practical ways to explore and adapt a vegetarian lifestyle Are you considering a vegetarian diet for yourself or your family? Wondering if it's safe and how you'll get the right amount of nutrients? This authoritative guide has all the answers you need about living vegetarian, featuring healthful advice as well as delicious dishes involving vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy. Inside you'll find expert advice on adopting a vegetarian lifestyle, from creating a vegetarian shopping list and understanding the nutritional aspects of vegetarian eating, to using the right cooking supplies to vegetarian etiquette, eating out, and converting a kitchen-and your family's mindset-away from meat. You'll discover how to make it work when you're the only member of the house who is vegetarian, as well as how to support a family member, including a child. Provides the latest information on vegetarian diets as they relate to health, the environment, and other areas of our lives Includes tips for gradually reducing your meat intake Explains the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle Offers dozens of new recipes designed to ease the transition from omnivore to vegetarian Whether you're a long-time vegetarian or just starting out, Living Vegetarian For Dummies, 2nd Edition is your guide to evaluating and enjoying a meat-free lifestyle.

The internet is rife with biased and unsubstantiated claims from the organic industry, and the treatment of issues such as food safety and quality by the media ("if it bleeds, it leads") tends to have a negative impact on consumer perceptions about conventional food. Until recently, more and more consumers in many countries were opting to buy organic food over conventional food, resulting in a radical shift in food retailing. This was due to concerns over chemical residues, food poisoning resulting in recalls, food scares such as "mad-cow" disease, issues like gene-modified (GM foods), antibiotics, hormones, cloning and concerns over the way plants and animals are being grown commercially as food sources. As a result there has been an expansion of the organic industry and the supply of organic foods at farmers' markets, supermarkets and specialty stores. Organic Production and Food Quality: A Down to Earth Analysis is the first comprehensive book on how organic production methods influence the safety and quality of foods, based on an unbiased assessment of the latest scientific findings. The title is a 'must-have' for everyone working within the food industry. Comprehensive explanation of organic production methods and effects on the safety and quality of foods Authoritative, unbiased and up-to-date examination of relevant global scientific research Answers the questions of whether organic food is more nutritious and/or more healthy

Lisa Clark's scholarly account of the development of the organic movement in the United States and Canada beautifully explains the decades-long transition from understanding organic production as inextricably tied to healthy soils, communities, and social justice ('process-based') to views of organics as meeting certain standards for marketing purposes (product-based). Read this book and you will care deeply about the difference in these views as well as understand current debates about the future of organics.' - Marion Nestle, New York University, US and author of What to Eat 'In this fascinating book, Lisa F. Clark presents the history of organic food in North America, from its early roots as a marginal farming activity to its well-established position in today's food market. She analyses political institutions, social movements and corporate actors in how they deal with the delicate question of balancing the search for increasing the market for organic food while maintaining broad organic values. Without offering simple answers to this question, Clark offers important insights into the different approaches to this question. This book is very interesting and highly relevant for anyone interested in organic food in North America and beyond.' - Peter Oosterveer, Wageningen University, the Netherlands 'In a globalized food system that struggles to connect the environmental, social, economic and governance dimensions of sustainability, this book provides precious insights. It documents the birth, development and 'mid-age crisis' of the organic movement in North America. The historic lack of clarity between organic principles and practices, and especially the insertion of the organic sector into the global trade regime, have left behind the process-related goal of organic production. Seventy years of lessons, ebbs and flows of a movement searching for an authentic future. A must read for all those interested in sustainable agriculture, institutional challenges faced by value-based movements and visioning organic agriculture pathways.' - Nadia El-Hage Scialabba, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Italy The Changing Politics of Organic Food in North America explores the political dynamics of the remarkable transition of organic food from a 'fringe fad' in the 1960s to a multi-billion dollar industry in the 2000s. Taking a multidisciplinary, institutionalist approach that integrates social movement theory, public policy analysis and value chain analysis, it tells the story of how the organic movement responded to the social, economic and political changes brought on by the rise of industrial agriculture in the twentieth century. This book examines how the changing constellation of actors, institutions and ideas involved in the politics of organic food influenced the evolving goals and principles of the organic movement, including the muting of social and political organic principles in formal policy and the eclipse of the 'process-based' definition of organic by the 'product-based' definition. It discusses the integration of organic food into the globalized food system and how food and agriculture movements have responded to the forces of industrialization and globalization, as well as critically analyzing the vulnerability of social movements that do not address market interactions in their mandates. This timely and impactful book is a theoretical and empirical resource for researchers and advanced students working on organic food, agriculture, comparative public policy analysis, trade policy, institutionalism and social movements, as well as those involved in making food and agriculture policy.

The marketing of organic products is viewed as a significant link between the production side of the business and the consumers, thereby facilitating the distribution of these relatively new products. It has become obvious that companies can organize organic production and influence consumers'' purchasing behaviour through the employment of appropriate marketing strategies. This book explores the marketing trends for organic food products through the analysis of those elements that contribute to the expansion of the organic product market. It will aid marketers in facing the challenges that the organic food sector will encounter in the future. Contents: The Market for Organic Products: Predicting Developments in Organic EU Markets OCo Are the Competitive Patterns in the Danish Case Useful? (J Vestergaard & M S Linneberg); Trends in the Marketing of Organic Grains and Oilseeds in the US (C L Revoredo); Supply Chain of Organic Food and Quality Products: Marketing Orientation and Its Consequence for the Food Chain (J Hanf & R Khl); Marketing and Distribution of Quality Products: A Dutch Example (G M L Tacken & J J de Vlieger); Market Success of Premium Product Innovation: Empirical Evidence from the German Food Sector (K T McNamara et al.); Marketing Trends in the UK Organic Sector: Perspectives on Marketing Products from the Second Year of Conversion (G C Holt et al.); Organic Food Marketing Trends: Consumer Perception and Marketing of Origin and Organic Labelled Food Products in Europe (G Giraud); Organic Food Consumers OCo The Irish Case (S O''Reilly et al.); Do Consumers Care About Where They Buy Organic Products? A Means-End Study with Evidence from Italian Data (S Naspetti & R Zanoli); Testing and Validating the LOV Scale of Values in an Organic-Food-Purchase-Context (G M Chryssochoidis); and other papers. Readership: Business management researchers, entrepreneurs and marketers."

This book represents a unique collection of European and Asian perspectives on the production, trade and consumption of high quality food. The rapidly growing demand for organic and quality food in Europe imposes new challenges on competing food value chains. Europe, as the biggest worldwide food importer, attracts many developing and developed countries in Asia. Prospering Chinese and Thai food markets offer new opportunities for European operators. Wealthy and informed consumers on both continents search for trustworthy high quality food products. Farmers, operators and retailers from distant cultures are coping with different standards, facing the ever increasing necessity for mutual understanding. This publication is the output of Bean-Quorum, a European funded Asia-Link project. Bean-Quorum represents a consolidated network of researchers working together with the business sector and NGOs to enhance European Asian understanding about organic and quality food. This book describes global trends in organic and quality food trade and connects them with recent developments in Asian and European market structures. Selected case studies illustrate the impact of organic and quality food production on topics ranging from sustainable rural development, to the potential of exotic new plant varieties to purchase decisions of European or Asian retail managers. Selected European markets are mirrored by the situation in Chinese and Thai markets. Finally, environmental issues concerning global trade of quality food are addressed.