LogRegio - Regional products for the city
: LogRegio - Regional products for the city
Prof. Dr. Michael Huth
General business administration, especially supply chain management
LogRegio GruFo
The aim of LogRegio GruFo is to model ecologically and economically efficient regional value chains (rWSK) for food from farms (bLB). The Rhine-Main region is being considered, with the focus on the out-of-home catering sector on the purchasing side. The project is divided into two work packages and collects the necessary data on the supply and demand side in order to finally carry out a scenario comparison and the modelling of a sustainable RWSK on the basis of this data in the third work package.
On the supply side, the project examines, for example, the quantity, quality and pre-processing stages in which regional foodstuffs are available from bLB and creates transparency about the current and future potential of the region. By including canteens in Frankfurt and their guests, the demand side is also taken into account. In pilot tests, the project uses an innovative mix of classic and new survey methods in order to avoid socially desirable response behaviour.
The aim of these surveys is to find out under which conditions food is accepted and demanded by bLB. On the basis of the supply and demand data, a scenario comparison and the modelling of one or more rWSKs is then carried out. Among other things, different influencing factors from network and transport design as well as container/packaging management are taken into account.
Link to the interim results
The LogRegio GruFo project (HA project no.: 1268/21-169) is funded by the state of Hesse and HOLM funding as part of the "Innovations in Logistics and Mobility" measure of the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport and Housing.
Prof. Dr. Michael Huth
General business administration, especially supply chain management
Marita Böhringer
Doctorial candidate and Project staff LogRegio
Ansprechpartner
Prof. Dr. Michael Huth
General business administration, especially supply chain management
LogRegio - Strengthening direct marketing of regional organic products
Together with BIONALES e.V.- Bürger für regionale Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (Citizens for Regional Food and Agriculture), the HFD research association at HOLM University of Applied Sciences Fulda would like to strengthen the direct marketing of small and micro farms, especially for the Frankfurt/Main area.
To this end, the centre's team, Master's students and student employees, together with BIONALES e.V., are looking at which farmers in the surrounding area of up to 150 km produce which foods and how they can sell them. The collected data is analysed in order to develop standardised processes in the long term and to improve logistics and marketing together with all those involved - producers, processors, community kitchens, retailers and end customers, but also politicians and contacts with a multiplier effect (e.g. eco-model regions).
For many end customers, the procurement of regional organic food is difficult, unless they are members of a solidarity-based agriculture or recipients of a regional box. On the other hand, it is not possible for producers - especially those who do not sell on the market - to take care of the marketing of their own products due to lack of time or missing/inefficient logistics. By bundling and standardising the multifaceted processes in food logistics, sales can be secured for regional producers and availability guaranteed for metropolitan citizens. For this, the next step is basic research that answers questions such as:
- How high is the actual supply of regional products within a radius of 150km around Frankfurt; how high is the potential to grow which products?
- How high is the demand from community kitchens and retailers?
- What demands do potential customers have on producers and products?
A special focus will be on the question of customer needs and behaviour. With the help of game theories and gamificitation, we want to make realistic and valid statements about whether customers are willing to pay a higher price for regional organic products and what the maximum price should be. Only if customers also pay a higher price does it make sense for community kitchens and small retailers to procure regionally and organically produced food and thus participate in the development of regional supply chains.
A master's thesis has already been completed for the LogRegio project and has been very well evaluated. Anyone who would like to see the thesis is welcome to write to us. Two other Master's students are currently working out how the costs and emissions of regional organic products (in this case eggs, meat and milk) differ from conventional products, how and why. Until the beginning of 2021, other Master's students will be looking at how potential so-called FoodHubs need to be set up in order to survive on the market in the long term. The development of a FoodHub is an overarching project goal on which we are working with other partners, in particular BIONALES e.V..