Market-Oriented Sustainability of Sjenica Sheep Cheese

Abstract

This study investigated the nature and level of market-oriented sustainability of Sjenica sheep cheese, a Serbian Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)-registered product. In the analysis of the supply chain market sustainability, three theories were used: Resource dependence theory, upper echelons theory, and signaling theory. The data were collected using a stepwise research design, applying techniques of observation and in-depth and telephone interviewing. The results show that the low recognition of the PDO label among Serbian consumers and all participants in the supply chain and the lack of the presence in the markets and large packages negatively impact domestic consumers in their decisions to purchase higher amounts of Sjenica sheep cheese. Small producers lack bargaining power, whereas their perceptions hinder formation of inter-organizational arrangements. The insufficient education of big producers and distributors impede the achievement of better business results. The main challenges for the export of Sjenica sheep cheese are the inadequate certification of this food product for the European Union market, the lack of standardized production process that results in variations in the product quality, and the unawareness of the regional consumers of Sjenica sheep cheese due to insufficient communication efforts.

Estrategias de comercialización de quesos artesanales por tipo de mercado, a partir de su revisión sistemática

“…At the regional, national, and international levels, actions are described such as the adoption of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), specialization of labor as part of a division of labor, and the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Regarding the latter, it is important to mention that its implementation allows the streamlining of the flow of commercial information, which has a positive impact on increasing sales, customer relations and follow-up, decision making and pricing (Abdelali-Martini, Dhehibi, & Aw-Hassan, 2014; Gokkaya, Adanacioglu, & Akyuz, 2016;Mancini et al, 2019;Filipovic, 2019).…”

“…A nivel regional, nacional e internacional se describen acciones como la adopción de Buenas Prácticas de Manufactura (BPM), la especialización de la mano de obra como parte de una división de trabajo, así como la utilización de Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (TIC). Respecto a esto último, es necesario destacar que su implementación permite la agilización del flujo de información comercial cuyo impacto es positivo en el aumento de ventas, relación y seguimiento con clientes, en la toma de decisiones y en la fijación de precios (Abdelali-Martini, Dhehibi, & Aw-Hassan, 2014;Gokkaya, Adanacioglu, & Akyuz, 2016;Mancini et al, 2019;Filipovic, 2019).…”

“…The articles describing cases of intermediation are classified as trade at the regional and national levels. In particular at the regional level, this situation is due to the limited scale of production and the lack of resources that restrict access to larger and more distant markets (Abdelali-Martini et al, 2014;De Herde et al, 2019;Filipovic, 2019 Los supermercados también son un posible canal a nivel nacional y global, no obstante los trabajos revisados señalan que este medio ha sido poco eficiente debido a los numerosos requisitos que implica y la escasa apreciación de este tipo de quesos por parte de los consumidores del queso convencional (Santos-Lavalle, Flores-Verduzco, Cervantes-Escoto, Salas-González, & Sagarnaga-Villegas, 2018); otro aspecto es la alta competencia que se da con otras marcas habituales que generan información confusa (Maye et al, 2016). Inclusive Schmitt et al (2016) indican que los consumidores tienen la percepción de que un queso obtenido en supermercado es de menor calidad que uno adquirido directamente en la quesería, a pesar de ser exactamente el mismo.…”

Consumer Habits of Local Food: Perspectives from Northern Sweden

“…With particular reference to artisan cheeses, the studies by Filipović [56], Silvestri [57], Ribeiro et al [58], Giraud et al [59], Adanacioglu and Albayram [60], Paxson [61] and Brunori [26] highlighted consumer trends towards the search for cheeses produced in specific areas. The local artisanal cheese is recognised and appreciated by consumers for its qualitative aspects and for its economic, social, environmental and ethical values.…”

Regional aspects of the development of the cheese market in terms of the trend of healthy nutrition

“…Thus, the organization of sales of cheese is an important direction in the functioning of an effective distribution system in the FMCG market (Aleksina, 2018-19). Filipovic (2019) showed the high role of proper cheese distribution in forming consumer preferences.…”