The quality of organic market data: providing data that is both fit for use and convenient

Abstract

Members of the organic supply chain need high-quality data to make correct investment decisions, but data with sufficient depth and quality are not widely available in Europe. The quality of available data is a key concern for both data collectors and data users. The aim of this study is to identify whether the commonly used quality attributes (accuracy, coherence, comparability, timeliness, punctuality, accessibility, relevance), which have been developed from the perspective of data collectors, are also appropriate from the perspective of end users of organic market data. A further aim is to assess whether the data quality needs of end users are being met by the existing data. The results of two surveys carried out in Europe, one of data collectors and one of end users, are presented. Sales data at retail level (values and volumes) are used as an illustrative example and the perceptions of end users are compared with the reported data collection approaches, quality checks and availability of data. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis were used to investigate the relationship between users' perceptions of the data quality attributes and their overall perceptions of data quality. The findings suggest that data quality checks do help to improve the quality of data as perceived by end users but that people will use whatever data they can get, even if it has poor quality. This could have potentially negative consequences, such as a lack of confidence in the organic market, if important decisions are based on poor quality data. The analysis also suggests that the commonly used attributes represent two dimensions of data quality: 'fitness for use' which encompasses accuracy, relevance, comparability and punctuality; and 'convenience', which encompasses affordability, comparability, timeliness and accessibility. The attribute of comparability belongs to both dimensions as it contributes to both fitness for use and convenience. Data collectors wishing to improve the quality of their data should focus on enhancing fitness for use first and then on the convenience of their data for users.

Beyond “mainstream” and “alternative” in organic food supply chains

“…For this, the added value calculator has proved to be an effective tool to calculate the distribution of added value from the farm to the retail stages and to overcome some limitations in supply chain actors' unwillingness to share some financial data. Future research efforts in the organic sector should focus on improving the availability of market data, as market transparency at all levels of the chain is critical to assist market players in their decisions (Home et al, 2017). More investigations of specific supply chains are also needed to…”

“…Future research efforts in the organic sector should focus on improving the availability of market data, as market transparency at all levels of the chain is critical to assist market players in their decisions (Home et al, 2017). More investigations of specific supply chains Organic food supply chains are also needed to understand factors that may improve organic farmers' rewards.…”

“…Crowder and Reganold, 2015;Padel, 2008;Sutherland 2013;Dupré et al, 2017;Herman et al, 2018) have focused on analysis at the farm level. The reasons why studies on organic food supply chains are lacking and are normally limited to farm level analysis can be explained with the shortage of publicly available organic market data, especially product-specific data (Home et al, 2017), and by a lack of willingness of market players to share market and financial information (Kottila and Ronni, 2013). In our research, we account for all contributing supply chain stages and actors, i.e.…”

Going organic or staying traditionalistic? The role of agriculture information system

“…(CTA, 2015a). Agriculture information systems have been well-documented in the literature as positively supporting agriculture-related activities such as production, marketing and agriculture business (Home et al, 2017(Home et al, , 2018Alvarez and Nuthall, 2006;Majumdar and Singh, 2019). Specifically, agriculture information systems could effectively facilitate farmers' decisionmaking about their production and marketing of agriculture products (Ameru et al, 2018).…”

“…Specifically, agriculture information systems could effectively facilitate farmers' decisionmaking about their production and marketing of agriculture products (Ameru et al, 2018). Moreover, agriculture information and its dissemination system have been recognized as a critical element which could interact with other factors to pose significant impacts on agriculture and its associated processes (Home et al, 2017;Demiry€ urek, 2010).…”