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Balancing profitability with social consciousness: Determinants of suppliers' intensity of participation in the EU school fruit scheme

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2016

Jan-Paul von Germeten  and
Monika Hartmann
Jan-Paul von Germeten*
Affiliation:
Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn, Nussallee 21, 53115 Bonn, Germany
Monika Hartmann
Affiliation:
Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn, Nussallee 21, 53115 Bonn, Germany
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the determinants of suppliers' intensity of participation in the European Union school fruit scheme (SFS) based on the example of the SFS in the German federal state North Rhine-Westphalia. In 2013/14, approximately 100 suppliers including many agricultural enterprises or farm shops took part in a telephone survey. The data were processed by a factor analysis. Multivariate regression and ordered logit analyses were used to examine the determinants of intensity of participation. The results indicate that economic as well as non-economic factors determine suppliers' intensity of participation in such programs, though the financial aspect was determined as the most influential single factor for participation. In addition, the feel-good factor from helping to improve children's dietary habits and supporting the local community has been identified as an important motive.

Keywords

school procurementschool fruit schemesuppliersocial embeddednessbuyer–supplier relationshipintensity of participation
Type
Research Papers
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , April 2017 , pp. 131 - 144
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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