Market trends and consumer behaviour relating to organic products in the Western Balkan Countries

Abstract

Organic agriculture in Western Balkan Countries (WBC) has promising perspectives. Natural resources of extraordinary richness, heterogeneity and quality are primary preconditions for a prosperous agriculture in general, and also for organic agriculture and wild plant collection. The market and consumption situation can be described as ‘patchwork’. Some elements reflect the early beginning of the organic sector in Western Europe, with direct selling, short supply chains and little processing. On the other hand, committed, strategic and highly professional market actors show within the WBC organic markets successful examples of marketing of organic products and efficient organisation of supply chains. Generally, preconditions for further positive market development are fulfilled. It is the current heterogeneity that illustrates best the potential of the organic sector in WBC, both at the production and consumption levels. Some macroeconomic and transnational factors, like the economic slowdown in Europe or the world-wide financial crisis, might hinder the development of the organic sector as they limit access to financial resources and slow down the broadening of a ‘middle class’ with more wealth and purchasing power. Apart from these factors, which are difficult to influence, the barriers to be overcome are rather typical for young markets: aggregation of critical volumes, constitution of critical production basins, producer organisation, professionalization, scaling up, and information for and communication with consumers. These are the main areas where weaknesses exist today.