Theme and Background
Overall improvement of the quality of agri-food products is a strategic task for agriculture and rural economic development and has become a policy priority. The key words when talking about agriculture and food products are quality and safety. In this respect, Europe has drastically reformed its Agriculture Policy with the aim of guaranteeing quality and sustainability of production, and safety for consumers.
Under the pressure of increasing international and EU demand for safe, high-quality and environmentally-friendly food products, and a domestic push for safer food, developing countries also are starting to open the doors to new concepts such as EU organic and geographical indication foods.
The strategic importance of marketing and trading issues and the key role played by unique food products value enhancement, food quality, food safety and environmental-friendly practices in an increasingly globalised market have stimulated co-operation activities between European and foreign partners and institutional initiatives like International Projects (e.g. programmes funded by the EuropeAid co-operation office, INCO initiatives within the 6th Framework Programme, etc.).
The marketing of quality food products generates important opportunities for increasing relationships among Europe and the other countries, both on the export and import side. These opportunities - along with the related exploitation of the opportunities created by growing world trade flows and growing markets for organic and quality food - have increased the need of specific competencies and skills in the marketing and trading of food products having specific features.
In this respect, the adoption of food value enhancement tools (such as EU food quality marks and regulations, or Thailand's OTOP initiative) might play a key role, because they can help both in guaranteeing food safety and quality and in promoting traditional food specialities, stimulating the development of rural areas and local markets (locality/ traditional/geographical indication food specialities). The adoption of common food value enhancement tools enlarges the scope of food supply networks in international markets and affects consumers' confidence and willingness-to-pay.