Chapter 15 Quality, norms and certification
In this final session, we want to have a deeper look onto the discrepancy/accordance between consumer’s demand and the real outcome of the supply chain. The former sessions of this module covered many issues in which the consumers must trust that the suppliers/growers are satisfying their expectations. Those subjective expectations are involving the complete assortment and the whole supply chain. Thus, the consumers must trust whether the processes of breeding, cultivating, storage, transportation, packaging and selling fits his/her personal minimum requiremets (Sustainability, social aspects, safety issues etc.).
15.1 Materials
To collect your own personal material (information) please follow up the further schedule stepwise. Behave like you do as a common consumer. Make your decisions based on your individual and current knowledge.
First - go shopping!
Answer the questions of step 2 after shopping
15.2 Subjective Data mining
15.2.1 Step 1
Buy your favorite fruit and/or vegetable and try to get all information about it while picking it up in the store. Whatever you can get as information about „your“ produce in the shop: report it (price, brand, classification, origin, cultivation system, etc.)
15.2.2 Step 2
List up the answers to following questions:
Which of this information was able and/or essential to drive you to your decision to buy it ?
Did you have other sources of information, which guided your decision (media, advertising, recipes, allergies, expected taste, etc. …)?
Did you miss further information in the moment of your buying decision - if yes, which one?
Which are the relevant information around the bought produce you still are missing?
Once you had visually selected the produce, what other invisible attributes made you decide to buy it?
15.3 Legislation/Standards
After completing step 1 and step 2 you may gather further information with the following sources for the produce which you bought. You may get an idea, how legislation is able to guarantee that your consumer’s expectations and assumptions (see step 2) are fulfilled.
Quality (If you don’t find „your“ produce on the data bases - please contact me)
Cultivation systems:
15.4 Literature for discussion
15.5 Term paper topics
Do the common regulations of the fresh fruits and vegetable market really contribute to the important fields of interest in the society? Give positive examples on the one hand and try to focus on the adverse consequences relying on this benefit (what is the price, which must be paid, for reaching such goals).
Important fields of interest are:
Sustainability (resources: water, air, energy, etc. …)
Food safety (contaminants, pesticides, microbiology)
Quality (visible quality)
Food waste (in production and consumption)
Availability (in time and volume)
… you may find more