The sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is constantly challenged on today’s dynamic operating environment. Evolving regulatory trends, difficult economic conditions, and diminishing natural resources, pose serious questions for all players across the food system....

This article deals with the innovation system in Germany at the borderline of food, nutrition and health. After an overview over existing concepts to analyse innovations in system theory, the major factors (technologies, economic competence, institutional infrastructure, development block) are...

New research indicates that firms combining the science-based STI (Science, Technology, Innovation) and the experience-based DUI (Doing, Using, Interacting) modes of innovation are more efficient when it comes to improving innovation capacity and competitiveness. With regard to innovation...

This chapter traces the evolution of the agricultural economics literature on agrifood output markets over the past 50 years, emphasizing research approaches and policy issues. The analysis of agrifood systems encompasses the demand and supply side of output markets. The analysis in this chapter...

At this point in time, quality assurance schemes in the food industry and agricultural sec - tor are becoming increasingly popular. The International Food Standard is one of the most import - ant. This paper presents the results of an empirical study in the German food industry. In early 2005,...