CASE STUDY FOR FOOD CHAPTER : BELGRADE
BY Jelena Šćekić
Disclaimer
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this study do not imply the expression of any opinion
whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Environment Programme concerning the legal status of any country,
territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Moreover, the views
expressed do not necessarily represent the decision or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme,
nor does citing of trade names or commercial processes constitute endorsement.
Case Study for Food Chapter: Belgrade
Young researchers of Serbia
Jelena Šćekić
December 2006, Belgrade
Case Study for Food Chapter: Belgrade
1. Objective
The objective of the case study is to provide information on key issues related to food
SCP in Belgrade, Serbia. This case study constitutes part of the research for the
preparation of a chapter on Food Consumption and Production for a report coordinated
by UNEP on ‘Mapping Sustainable Consumption and Production in SEE and EECCA
countries’.
In addition to providing general information on food sustainable production and
consumption in Serbia, the context of the case study would be Belgrade, with emphasis
on empirical research carried out via focus groups.
Purpose of the research
These issues will be examined in this case study for the food chapter:

Availability of choice (access to food sustainable produced and commercialized):
 organic production, less intensive production, dachas, local production
 packaging
 imported food products (transport and food miles, effects on local
production)
 commercialization (traditional markets, supermarket chains)

Availability of information (labeling, consumer education)
 labeling (origin of products, organic)
 information campaigns

Consumer behavior (where they shop and why -markets vs supermarket chains,
changes to traditional practices; the type of products they buy and frequency;
transport used for shopping)

Consumer attitudes (and barriers –availability, information, cost,– to translating
sustainability attitudes into sustainable behavior)
2. Methodology
The case study is based on two types of methodology:
1. Review: research of relevant information and data on food production,
consumption and environmental impacts in Serbia and the local situation in
Belgrade. In addition to reports on the local situation and use of local sources,
national and regional information on food consumption and production would be
valuable. Sources could be reports produced by Ministries (Agriculture,
Environment), NGOs and academia.
2. Generation of primary data: research with consumers and other relevant
stakeholders based on focus groups in Belgrade. Information and data on the
consumption side is usually less readily available than in the production side and
this case study could generate in-depth information from consumers about
availability of choice of products, information, attitudes in relation to sustainable
consumption of food, and behavior.
General information
Serbia
Serbia occupies 88 361 km2 . The population is 7 498 001 (without Kosovo - Metohija,
where the last census could not be carried out, with probably another 2 000 000). There
are two autonomous provinces in Serbia: Vojvodina in the north and Kosovo - Metohija
in the south, it is under the interim civil and military administration of the UN. Central
Serbia has 5 466 000 inhabitants, and Vojvodina 2 032 000.
In general, the natural conditions in Serbia favour agriculture. On two thirds of the
agricultural land the growing period lasts over 200 days; soils, although acid, are not a
limiting factor nor is precipitation. The main limiting factor is the low level of
technology, inadequate equipment, small farm size and poor communications.
Agricultural land (in thousand ha) (Statistical Yearbook of Serbia, 2003)
Region
Total
Arable
Orchards Vineyards Forage
Meadow
Pasture
Serbia
Central
part
Vojvodina
Kosovo
and
Metohija
5 673
3 334
3 656
1 779
255
227
82
61
528
404
672
551
1 008
716
1 763
576
1 586
291
17
11
12
9
88
36
34
87
114
178
Crop structure and yields
Crop
Wheat
Rye
Barley
Oats
Maize
Sunflower
Sugar beet
Soybean
Without data for Kosovo
ha
800
10
120
70
1 400
200
70
70
Thousand
tons/ha
3.5
1.5
2.5
1.8
4.5
2.0
35.0
2.2
Low yields of all crops, in spite of good soils and highly productive cultivars and hybrids
are a consequence of insufficient fertilizer as well as poor control of weeds, diseases and
pests. During the sanctions, introduced by the international community, use of mineral
fertilizers decreased drastically from 99 kg/ha NPK fertilizer in 1986 to only 15 kg/ha of
NPK fertilizer in 1996. After the sanctions were lifted, the use of mineral fertilizers and
other agrochemicals increased as did crop yields.
(Milorad Stošić Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profiles, Serbia
December 2004)
Organic farming
Serbia is making first steps toward organic farming and there are lots of things to be
done on the state level to secure conditions for this process and to allow it to become
well spread and developed. Serbia has very suitable natural conditions for this kind of
production. Among others, the isolation and poverty in the past decade have sustainable
decreased the use of the fertilizers and pesticides, so the soil is recovered to the big
extent. That can influence the quality of the products. But the problem is that in
practice, although Serbia has 4 252 millions hectares of agriculture land only 15 000 is
dedicated to organic farming.
Problems:
o Our participation with organic food products at the world market is very low and
on our market is similar situation, considering that the prices of these products are
high and that the average buyers are not educated why it is important to use
organic products.
o Also the state needs to encourage the development of this kind of production
(education, financial support)
o There is no national certificate system for the producers of the organic products
o All of the above is the reason why in Serbia there are only 12 shops, 2
supermarkets, 2 farms and 5 companies that sell with organic products
o Methods of food production and processing have to be adjusted to the EU
legislation
City of Belgrade
Historical background
Belgrade (Beograd), the capital of Serbia, is located in the south-east of Europe, in the
Balkan Peninsula, at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. It is one of the
oldest cities in Europe and since ancient times it has been an important traffic focal
point, an intersection of the roads of Eastern and Western Europe.
Belgrade is the capital of Serbian culture, education, science and economy. As a result of
its turbulent history, a lots of nations have been living in Belgrade for centuries.
The City of Belgrade is a separate territorial unit, in which the citizens run the local selfgovernment. The City of Belgrade conducts the operations of the municipalities
predetermined by the Constitution, operations entrusted to it by the Republic
corresponding to the legislation, those from the framework of its own authorities and
responsibilities, as well as other operations laid down by the legislation and City Charter.
The bodies of the City of Belgrade include: City Assembly, Mayor, and City Council.
The Territory of the City of Belgrade is set by the legislation. The boundaries among the
City Municipalities are determined by the decision of the City Assembly based on the
previously provided opinion of the assemblies of urban municipalities.
The City of Belgrade comprises of 17 urban municipalities: Barajevo, Voždovac, Vračar,
Grocka, Zvezdara, Zemun, Lazarevac, Mladenovac, New Belgrade, Obrenovac, Palilula,
Rakovica, Savski venac, Sopot, Stari grad, Surčin, Čukarica.
Population
According to the 2002. census Belgrade has a population of 1.576.124 inhabitants
including 588 674 households, with the average number of 2,7 inhabitants (Institute for
Informatics and Statistics Belgrade www.zis.bg.gov.yu).
Map below done by Institute of Public Health of Belgrade shows territory of Belgrade,
municipal areas and number of inhabitants.
Food consumption
The expenses for the food products for one household member in Serbia (in kilos)
(Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia www.webrzs.statserb.sr.gov.yu, 2003)
Citizens of Belgrade and other cities in Serbia are mostly shopping for food at the green
all
1991
65.1
45.3
3.9
98.1
15.7
165.1
14.7
households
2002
35.1
36.3
3.1
93.9
13.2
199.2
9.5
nonagricultural
1991
32.6
45.1
4.5
105.0
15.5
170.6
15.9
households
2002
21.1
32.7
2.7
95.3
10.9
190.4
9.0
year
Potato
Meat
Fish
Milk (liters)
Sugar
Eggs
Dreary
products
Oil (liters)
9.7
9.5
11.6
10.4
Other
74.3
82.2
76.4
78.3
vegetables
Fruits
56.8
53.6
63.8
55.9
markets, which are one of the oldest places for the food commerce. There farmers bring
their products from the rural areas in Serbia, small percentage of them are organically
produced. Serbian population is known for eating lots of meat and milk products
together with different kinds of bread. In the urban areas small percentage of the
population is fallowing the West European trend on healthier nutrition and are using
cereals, fruits, vegetables more than the previously mentioned group.
In the past few years a great majority of Belgrade citizens shopped for food at 30 green
markets that exist in the city. At the beginning of the 2000. the situation changed a bit,
by the emerge of great number of various supermarket chains, where most of the urban
population started to shop. After the first wave of s supermarket shopping some people
turned back to the greenmarkets where the prices are still lower and which are
considered to be selling “healthier food”.
Food commerce at the green markets in Belgrade (in tons)
Year
1980.
2005.
Potatoes
7695
11776
Beans 821
692
Onions
3369
3464 3836
Carrots
2963
3305 3325
Cabbage
6745
3200 3913
1985.
1990.
1995.
2000.
2004.
9479
9863
8172
9397
10853
636
3240
464
2966
727
3525
1215 933
4236
3389
4095
4178
3542
7591
7274
5044
3773
Tomato
5536
4348 3933
Pepper
7832
2327 3334
Green
beans 907
791
Peas 367
747
Spinach
1282
761 769
Lettuce
1000
859 921
Beetroot
379
505
Cauliflower 405
461
Melons
13448
3361 2377
and
watermelons
Other
5260
4394 4261
Vegetables
Apples
5142
4149 4691
Pears 1552
567
Grapes
1571
707 845
Prunes
758
332
Cherries
697
544
Apricots
191
235
Peaches
2265
2344 1472
Strawberries1457
447
Raspberries 86
183
Walnuts
95
Other fruits 376
4324
Eggs 22763
103893
6456
5946
6038
3922
6517
5312
3769
3025
763
337
2340
480
211
1506
348
118
804
348
162
432
1335
1033
772
506
432
161
430
755
562
498
615
431
941
504
415
456
9337
9014
5890
2796
5460
7086
7155
4362
7456
6887
4925
4511
1863
1336
1576
1260
2549
870
927
465
624
731
749
318
385
460
1730
947
550
364
425
525
838
232
277
585
2602
3130
1714
1465
886
796
828
353
435
82
232
91
123
139
270
695
93
467
70
3257
69
3403
68
35
4527
49705
127117
100410
133651
129256
Honey
262
259
Cheese
3568
2297 2633
Poultry meat 2803
2015
207
178
3358
1625
318
2631
558
200
3516
887
241
2783
1092
1541
The trade date from in shops that sell food, tobacco and drinks in central Serbia
Year thousand of CSD (one dinar (CSD) is 80 euros)
2004 37527760
2005 52968897
The food expenses for the 4 persons household in Serbia
September 2002. 11665.51 (CSD)
Labeling
Regarding the law on organic agriculture organic products are labeled
YU-HRANA, PROIZVOD IZ ORGANSKE POLJOPRIVREDE (YU-food, organic
product)
Legislation
Laws
o Law on GMO-draft version
o Law on agriculture-draft version
o Law on organic production and products (14.07.2006. “službeni glasnik RS”
62/06)
Regulations
o On conditions that are needed to be fulfilled by a person that is issuing certificates
for organic (“Službeni glasnik RS”, 81/06).
o On limited use of GMO ("Sl. list SRJ", 62/2002)
o On packing, storaging and transprtorganic products (“službeni glasnik RS”,
62/06),
o In October 2006. Directorate for environmental protection proposed the
following regulative in the field of packaging in order to prevent waste
production:
1. Regulation on compensation for packaging
2. Regulation on compensation for PVC,PP and PET package
The aim of these regulations is to oblige industry and companies dealing
with import to reduce the quantity of waste by forcing them to pay fees
depending on waste amount they produce
o On methods of organic cattle breeding (No 51 13.10. 2002.)
Problems and possible future actions
Based on the analysis of the existing situation it is possible to list problems and possible
actions that will help to improve the situation:
Problems
1. Unstable social-economic situation of the country which led to life standard
decrease
2. Lack of instruments and mechanisms for enforcement of laws and regulations
Possible future actions
o It is necessary to define agricultural policy and create conditions to enable its
improvement, although the economy is in crisis and the political system is in
transition
o Farms and plots must be protected by law from further fragmentation;
o Credit policy should be designed to develop, stimulate and offer incentives in
agriculture, but only support branches of agriculture that are a basis for
development;
o Encourage young people to remain in the countryside with favorable loans;
o Agricultural advisory services directly linked to producers no longer exist. Farmers
learn of innovations (cultivars, technologies, crop protection) mainly through
television, radio and specialized journals or small circulation newspapers;
o An expert advisory service works within the Ministry of Agriculture but has
agricultural stations coordinated by the Institute of Science Application in
Agriculture;
o Research institutions are under the Ministry of Science without any firm link to
the Ministry of Agriculture.
o Legislation
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REPORT
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES, METHODOLOGY
AND SAMPLE
Research Objectives and Tasks
 Identifying basic habits in buying and consuming of food in Belgrade area
 Identifying basic criteria and importance of those criteria in buying of food
 Estimating the level of consumers' knowledge about the concept of "Healthy
Food" and especially about the concept of "Organic Food".
 Estimating consumers'/public knowledge about the recycling of the material issue
and their relation to it – personal responsibility, motivation.
Methodology and Sample
 Qualitative research method was applied – Focus Group Disscusion:
 Sample:
Belgrade area
Sample is structured proportionally by the "subgroup prevalation" in population
I. Women/Mothers (45 – 50), Lower/Middle Class
II. Women/Mothers (25 – 40), Upper/Middle Class
III. Men/Married (40 – 50), Middle Class
Research findings
General Impressions
Especially interesting finding of the analisis is related to the changes in shopping
habits that have had great influence on once very rigid attitudes toward food (buying of
food in a first place). Namely, opening of great number of hypermarkets on different
locations in the city, as well as broadness and quality of product assortment in them
created one very loyal group of consumers.
In most of the families shopping takes place on everyday basis and includes
buying of so called "basic food products" which are consumed for a day - bread, milk,
yogurt... In most of the cases, big shoppings take place on weekly basis, which most
frequently include going to the marketplace and visiting one of the super/hypermarkets.
Big – monthly shopping, besides buying of food most frequently includes buying of so
called "household chemicals" and other products. Families plan and do those bigger
shopings in the first half of the month, when regular monthly incomes are expected as
well.
The fact that there are more and more hypermarkets and that more and more of them
are avaliable in most of the parts of Belgrade has changed the behaviour that used to be
comon. Namely, former habits of going to monthly shopping was determined by the
concrete and practical reasons – bigger supermarkets used to be located in the suburbs,
so transportation, time and help needed to be provided. With enhanced infrastructure
of some hypermarkets (especially MAXI) this kind of needs were reduced – big monthly
shoppings are rare and more frequent are smaller weekly (or even daily) shoppings
according to the needs.
Besides that, one of the most interesting findings is "shift from shopping at the
marketplace to shopping in the hypermarket". Namely, once usual "The Cult of
Marketplace" is being abandoned gradually and that characterizes all groups of
participants equally. One of the main reasons is practical by origin again – "Everything in
one place" and near the house. The new much faster lifestyle of most of the people has
arisen the need for saving the time. So, the hypermarkets have become the places where
one can buy food, household chemicals, even the gifts in "The last minute buy". On the
other hand, the market is viewed as something that requires time, often isn't nearby, and
represents only one part of the shopping process as a whole.
One of the most frequent reason for the change of the habit is price factor. Namely,
marketplace used to be the only place where one could find fresh fruits and vegetables.
However, this has been changed as a result of hypermarket chains more professional
approach, so nowadays it's possible to find fresh fruits and vegetables there as well, even
at smaller prices, as most of the participants say.
The group of participants older than 40 years of age (both men and women) says
that some habits will be hard to change. This mainly reffers to buying of so called
"domestic" dairy products – "kajmak" and cheese. The most of the participants still buy
those products from dairy farmers at the market from whom they have been buying
those products for many years. It's an issue of trust and security for them. The only
viable alternative is the hypermarket they trust. The trust in hypermarkets emerges from
their belief that products are fresh and regular inspections are necessary at the places
where large number of people go shopping. Some of the subjects (though small number
of them) have similar opinion about buying of meet and meet products – local butchers
and so on. Some of the subjects mention price as a criterion, too, so they more often
visit particular butcher chains they find more avaliable.
Small local groceries are almost abandoned mainly because they have higher prices then
big supermarkets.
Basic criteria in buying of food are similar in all three groups of subjects, but
ranking of criteria differs. In group of older women basic criterion is the product price,
and after that is quality. In younger group of women (with higher income), product
quality and "freshness" are at the first place, after that is practicality in shopping, and at
the last place is price. For men, both price and quality of the product are equaly
important. For all groups of subjects the manufacturer is of great importance and they
prefer local manufacturers – especially big ones and those that have been present on the
market for many years (with whom subjects themselves have longtime experience).
Concerning the healthy food concept, stereotypes of so called domestic food are
very noticable and include fruits and vegetables that have not been chemicaly treated,
but the domestic "kajmak" and cheese as well. On some deeper level, the subjects relate
those things to "purity" of the food they eat – pure as "without pesticides", but pure as
"ours – from someone who is mine and whom I trust", too. However, besides that,
there is a strong tendency in most of them to change their diet. That is most frequently
the result of concern for their health. Namely, people know more and more about the
consequences of high levels of fat and sugar in particular products. On the other hand,
there are more and more products with low fat and sugar on the market.
The concept of organic food is almost unknown  on the level of superficial
recognition of something that they "once somewhere heard", but without clear concept
of what that means. Those subjects that have "recognized" the concept relate it only to
fruits and vegetables cultivated without the chemicals.
The recycling of the material issue is something that most of the participants find
desirable, and they see their role in that as a part of collective responsibility. However,
this concept is not related to choice or preference of type of food products' packaging
material.
It seems that there is some kind of willingness for acceptance the changes in
beliefs and behaviour in all groups of subjects, especially the youngest one. However, it's
necessary to introduce continued and gradual informing that will keep the track with
novelties on the market.
Answer Analisis Group by Group
Women (45 – 55)
Lower-middle Class
I. Behaviour and General Shopping Habits
So called "regular shoppings" are primarily divided into two categories: bigger and
smaller. The bigger shopping is weekly and monthly shopping, that, besides buying of
food includes also buying of other products needed in the household - usually that
means "household chemicals". On the other hand, so called regular daily shopping
includes primarily buying of food, particularly food products which are consumed for a
day - bread, milk/yogurt, some meet products ("some meet product for breakfast") and
so on. Yet, the greatest portion of household budget is spent primarily on food.
On weekly basis, shoppings are done for the following week. Frequency and quantity
depend primarily on the household budget – smaller budget means that shoppings are
smaller but more frequent depending only on actual needs.
The most of the subjects go to shopping in different hypermarkets nearby. Little
groceries in the neighbourhood are becoming less frequent shopping places, primarily
because of the high prices; so, they go to the hypermarkets nearby (MAXI Discounts as
the most visited places, primarily because of their availability throughout the Belgrade
area) even when the shopping needs are smaller – some dayly shopping.
There is another characteristic phenomenon related to the changes in shopping habits
(primarily weekly shopping) – less frequent shopping at the marketplace. Namely,
super/hypermarkets are experienced as reliable, trustfull. That is based primarily on large
turnover in super/hypermarkets - "As soon as the turnover is large, everything must be fresh".
MAXI Discounts are most frequently mentioned as the representatives of "the builders"
of that new trend, but primarily for the prices –subjects mention lower prices of fruit
and vegetables (even lower then at the marketplace), broadness of product assortment
and service.
However, some of the old habits are still alive. Namely, the most of the subjects
pay great attention on choosing the dairy products – cheese and "kajmak". When this
kind of products is concerned, caution is extremely high – confirmation, recomendation,
security, trust and personal experience are more needed. So, everybody has their "own
vendor" for the cheese, "kajmak" etc., at the marketplace. However, in the case of any
change, like unavailability or something else, the most of the subjects would seek for the
alternative in one of their hypermarkets as the "institution" they trust.
When buying of meet is concerned, habits are unchanged for this group of subjects –
they choose the place for shopping primarily according to the prices; so, for example,
The Butchery Matijevic is the place most frequently mentioned as the most avaliable.
The new faster lifestyle has also greatly influenced this aspect of everyday life.
Namely, need for saving the time is constantly rising and so the hypermarkets become
the right solution for large number of people (especially employed ones) – "Everything I
need is in one place", while marketplace is experienced as something that demands certain
amount of time to be spend and therefore it is less frequently the place for the shopping.
As the most important criteria for buying of food, subjects mention primarily the price
and then the quality.
II. The Manufacturer as a Criterion of Choice
The manufacturer is one of the most important criterion when buying of food is
concerned. In this group of subjects, the manufacturer has the strongest influence on the
dimension domestic – foreign in favor of domestic manufacturers. There are several reasons
for that: first is security that comes from knowing the origin of product/production; the
second is the trust in the quality of "our" food, but very often there are the "patriotic"
reasons, too – "Why should I buy the Croatian products, when I have ours that are as good as
theirs".
Very often, there is a strong tendency to choose/buy the products made by bigger
manufacturers that are present on the market for very long time and our subjects have
already had experience with them. This kind of relation is especially characteristic for
dairy products or meet and meet products, so the manufacturers as Carnex, Topola,
Juhor, Imlek, Subotica Dairy...are chosen most frequently.
When the manufacturer is concerned there is one more very important criterion: that is
the place of production - The example of Dairy in Pancevo (Pancevacka mlekara) has
been mentioned because of the polution of the environment and it's products are
rejected and experienced as unhealthy and even poisoned ones.
III. Composition of a Product as a Criterion
According to the participants in discussion, the composition of the product is
very important and necessary part of making a decision during shopping. This is
extremely important when new products are concerned – "There are some products that have
been reliable for many years and their composition need not to be checked – for example, Plazma"
However, interest in composition of the product has recently started to raise or, as the
participants themselves have put it "That comes when you reach certain age", so the basic
information besides the expire date they seek for are amount of sugar and fat. On the
other hand, female-participants themselves "admit" that this kind of interest comes from
the fact that products which have no sugar added or have reduced percentage of fat have
become available on the market, so the market itself started to create the trends people
accept more or less.
IV. Type of Packaging Material as a Criterion
Glass packaging is always prefered, when it's available. Then, paper packaging is
experienced as healthier and more acceptable than plastic packaging. On the other hand,
although they are aware of unhealthy additives canned food contains, they mention it as
something that is very often affordable and can be fresh for a long time.
In their mind, the concept of recycling of materials exists isolated and not-related
with themselves or their choice – especially when the choice of food packaging they buy
is concerned and the consequences recycling has on that. The issue of recycling itself is
familiar to them and they see their responsability as a part of collective responsability
"that should happen soon".
V. The Concept of Healthy Food
It seems that the concept of healthy food itself exists primarily on the level of
stereotypes created by the media – fish, plenty of fruits and vegetables, olive oil and so
on. However, this is still very "distant" concept – more on the level of "something that
should be someday" and not something that could actually be the part of everydays life.
The Concept of Organic Food
The Organic food is the concept that the most of the subjects aren't familiar with, while
those who are relate it only to fruits and vegetables cultivated without "the pesticides
and chemicals". The Organic food is experienced as something expensive, meant for the
chosen group of people that can afford it, but not as something that could be the part of
their everydays diet.
Men (40 – 50)
Married, Middle Class
I. Behaviour and General Shopping Habits
It turns out that men take part in organisation of household budget to a large
extent and also take part in shopping very often. This is the case especially when bigger
shoppings – weekly and monthly – are concerned. In great number of families it seems
that tasks are distributed "tacitly" in following manner: wife stayes at home to do the
housework while husband goes shopping ("With the list my wife has made"). On the other
hand, they often go shopping together and that represents some kind of, as subjects
themselves have put it, "family going out".
According to some buying habits and attitudes toward food and it's quality in
general, it's been possible to identify one "more traditionally" oriented and one "more
modern" group among the subjects. Namely, it's about willingness to change some usual
habits; and one group of participants is slowly "going away" from marketplace which
used to be unquestionable – "the only place where one can find fresh fruits and
vegetables". Those are the subjects who give more and more trust to the hypermarkets
primarily for practical reasons (proximity, saving time – everything in one place, parking,
and very often price, too, ...). The same case is when buying of meet and meet products
is concerned.
However, the other group ("more traditionally oriented") still trusts "their own butcher"
the most, the butcher they have been visiting for many years. It's the same, of course,
when dairy products are concerned which most of the participants have been buying at
the marketplace from "their vendors" for many years. It's not only the trust and security
– "I know exactly where and from whom I buy something", but some kind of amost "emotional
relation" – light nostalgia concerning some other time periods and old longterm habits
as well.
II. The Manufacturer as a Criterion of Choice
The manufacturer is very important criterion of choice in this group, too.
Especially important is the dimension domestic – foreign primarily for distrust in quality of
foreign products made for domestic market. Namely, there is a belief that imported
products are specially made for Central and Eastern European market according to
lower standards and have lower quality. This group of subjects states that they resist
the change more, so they usually choose the products they have experience with and it's
difficult to change – only when big change in quality occurs.
III. Composition of a Product as a Criterion
The composition of a product has become important, especially when they buy
something new – for a change. However, the composition of a product is primarily
checked for percentage of fat or sugar, etc. For most of the participants this type of
behaviour is a result of "changing the diet". This kind of caution, as they say, primarily
"came with certain age" as a result of caring for their own health and health of their
family. They often mention information they've heard through media which probably
has additional influence on changing the habits of eating and buying of food.
IV. Type of Packaging Material as a Criterion
It seems that this group of subjects doesn't have particularly developed
relation/preference to certain type of packaging material except on the level of basic
asociations - "Glass is glass and plastic is plastic". Of course, they also often connect the
type of packaging with a price, so they estimate the quality by the following principle:
"high price – high quality".
In this group, as well as in the group of women, there isn't a "relation" to the recycling
issue. It even seems more distant and less known.
V. The Concept of Healthy Food
For this group of subjects, the concept of healthy food is relativelly "diffused"
and many of them relates it to the production process. Disscusion reveals that the
concept is primarily related to proper – healthy (without pesticides) cultivation of fruits
and vegetables – "Healthy soil, air and water are needed". However, the stereotypes
about the healthy food - "Life in the country is healthy so is the food – our "kajmak" and cheese
and vegetables grown from our soil..." – are very present which primarily come from distrust.
Namely, when something is "their own" or "someone's close to them", then it's good
and pure therefore healthy – so, pure = healthy.
The Concept of Organic Food
The concept of Organic food can be considered as practically unknown. A small
number of participants has an impression that they've heard about it, but more as a
"scientific term" than as something they know about.
Women (25 – 40)
Upper-middle Class
I. Behaviour and General Shopping Habits
Younger mothers, with slightly larger income, who are menagers of their
households, do their so called bigger shoppings once a week, predominantly in
hypermarkets. Daily shoppings are comon and depend on actual needs which, besides
buying of bread, milk/yogurt and other basic food products, often includes responding
to different "child's demands" – candies etc.
Shopping is done in hypermarkets for practical reasons mostly: everything is in one
place, it is nearby, there is a parking place, shopping cart – "I don't have to cary the bags"
and so on. In this group of young women "The Cult of Marketplace" has never "truly"
existed. They see a marketplace only as one of the places for shopping, and only when
they have enough time for it. Hypermarkets are more practical solution, and going there
very often represents weekly "gathering of the whole family" (mother, father and the
children).
When different kinds of food products are concerned special attention is payed to
dairy products because they're given to children most frequently. Considering that this
group of subjects has never been much of a "marketplace shopper" their relation to it
and buying of particular products only there differs from other participants'. Namely,
they don't have established institution of "my men for..." (cheese, "kajmak", eggs, etc.).
In there case, there is always someone else (often mothers or mothers-in-law) who is in
charge of buying this "domestic products". They often choose "the industrial version" of
cheese – for example, "Feta cheese from Sombor" which is packed in plastic or in can
and that can be bought in every hypermarket. Certain number of subjects is even aware
of unsufficiently hygienic conditions for storing and selling milk and dairy products at
marketplaces and for that reasons they avoid martketplace as a place for buying that kind
of products.
When fish and meet are concerned, most of them mention butchers and fisheries in the
neighbourhood as a place for shopping, while those who don't have specialised shops in
the neeighbourhood most frequently choose the hypermarket they usually go shopping
in. They often choose more practical – frozen fish products industrially made.
For them, basic criteria in buying food are primarily "freshness" – quality of the product,
and then criteria extremly practical by origin: proximity, parking place, habit and at the
last place is the price.
II. The Manufacturer as a Criterion of Choice
The manufacturer is important criterion in buying of food, especially when buying
of meet and meet products is concerned. In that case, bigger manufacturers whose
products have been available on the market for a long time (Juhor, Carnex, Topola) are
the first choice same as in the other two groups of subjects.
When they decide to change the manufacturer that's most frequently provoked by the
change of quality of the product they usually buy. In that case, using comparison method
they come to "the new favourite".
In most of the cases, when the food is concerned the domestic products are prefered.
However, there are some kinds of products where foreign manufacturers are prefered,
especially Italian spagetti and different types of chocolates (Milka, Finetti, Nutella...).
III. Composition of a Product as a Criterion
Subjects claim that they've always been interested in the composition of the
product as a result of their concern for children. Nowadays, that is more frequently the
result of concern for health of the whole family. Therefore, some of the subjects has the
tendency to change the diet. So, they are willing to replace some food ingrediants, hence
the composition became very important.
IV. Type of Packaging Material as a Criterion
Glass packaging is more acceptable than the others – cleaner and healthier; but,
for some of the participants seeing the content is impotant as well. Plastic packaging
arouses negative asociations of something artificial and not in harmony with food –
examples of the new PET packaging of yogurt or beer are mentioned as extremely
unacceptable and even repulsing type of packaging.
Can as a type of packaging is mostly avoided, too; except in the case of tuna fish.
Recycling as an issue is still something they don't relate to themselves completely
and especially not with the type of packaging they choose. However, this group of
subjects give some thought to this issue. Some of the participants have mentioned that
they "somewhat dislike" plastic bags which are, in their opinion, even unpractical
because nobody discards them and they are piling up; and they know that plastic is hard
to decompose so they expect some kind of reaction – introducing ecological paper bags
or more frequent use of cloth bags.
V. The Concept of Healthy Food
The concept of healthy food is directly related to the country life – healthy air,
domestic food – which means not chemically treated.
Besides that, healthy food is same as cooked food – "To eat something with a spoon", so
employed subjects mention that they don't have time to fully care about their or their
families' healthy diet. So, sweets, bakery products and artificial sodas take charge.
The Concept of Organic Food
Most of the subjects don't recognize the concept of Organic food while those
who are familiar with it experience Organic food as something very distant – like in
foreign countries, expensive and not reachable for very long time.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH
Shopping Habits
The biggest part of the household budget is spend on food, 81% households spend 75%
of their monthly household budget on it. The households from urban areas with more
family members, with 3 or more children younger than 18 and with adults older than 40
with lower level of education spend more than 75% of their monthly household budget
on food.
Food shopping is usually done in the small local shops, 42% of all food shopping, in
large supermarkets, 33% and 25% at the traditional (green) markets.
People from rural areas with lower level of education shop for food often than others in
the small local shops. Urban areas’ citizens younger than 39 with higher lever of
education, fully employed go more often to large supermarkets than others.
Examinees above 50 years with lower level of education, from bigger families shop more
than others at the traditional (green) markets.
Small local shops are the most frequently visited shops, 61% of all examinees buy food
there every day, 45% shop in large supermarkets 2-5 times a month. Almost half of the
examinees buy food in traditional (green) markets 4-5 times a month. Households from
rural areas shop more often in small local shops and the ones from urban areas in large
supermarkets.
.
More than half examinees shop in small local shops 200m away from their home.
Most of the examinees 84%, go for food shopping on foot, 16% use the car and 8%
public transport. Examinees from rural areas, with lower income and level of education
more frequently than others go on foot to shop for food. Middle aged examinees, with
higher level of education, from bigger families use car more than the others with the
same purpose.
Almost one third of all examinees, 30%, own a garden or a small farm, and 36% receive
or buy the food produced from there. More than half examinees from the rural areas,
58%, own small farm or garden and those are mostly people over 60 from bigger
families.
Almost 80% of rural large families with more kids under 18, use or buy the food
produced on a farm.
Standpoints on Food Origin and Organic Products
For 60% examinees food product’s origin is important. By their opinion domestic food
products have higher quality and they have more confidence in them.
More than one third of examinees , 35%, pay no attention to the food product’s origin,
they do not consider it very important and they rather choose the product based on its
quality. They are more often middle-aged males, with lower and high school level of
education.
For the most examinees, 88%, it is important that the food product is organically
produced, without pesticides and fertilizers. Their main reasons for the use of these
products are connected with health issues. Only a small number, 8%, state that the
organic products have higher quality than other products.
Among the ones who do not care for the food production methods, 12% do not believe
that the organic food product have been produced without pesticides and fertilizers.
There are more males from urban areas, over 39, with higher level of education among
them.
82% of all examinees buy organic food products for the sake of better nutrition and
better health. These reasons are stated mostly by the examinees from rural areas younger
than 39, with high school level of education.
18% of all examinees do not buy organically produced food, because they pay no
attention to the methods of food production or they do not have the habit of buying
this kind of food. Among them there are 13% who think that these products are
expensive.
Determinant Factors for Food Shopping
For one third of examinees price is the most important factor that affect the decision of
buying meat, fish and beverages. The determinant factor for the purchase of dreary
products, eggs, cereals and cereal products is the domestic origin. For the 50% of
examinees product’s appearance is the most important factor.
When shopping for meat and fish, 76% of all examinees base their decision on price,
71% on appearance and one half of the examinees on the domestic origin.
Deciding factors for the purchase of dreary products and eggs are: domestic origin, 68%
examinees, as well as price, 68%. For the 50% examinees appearance is the deciding
factor for buying these products.
89% examinees chooses the fruit and vegetable products depending on their appearance.
Other important factors for them also are price, 73% examinees, and domestic origin
65%.
For the cereals purchase the most deciding factor is domestic origin for 58% of all
examinees , than price, 58%, appearance, 52%.
Purchase of beverages is price depending for 72% examinees, beverage’s brand 65% and
domestic origin 44%.
Habits and Standpoints Regarding Packaging
Most of the examinees, 78% states that packages made of plastic are the most harmful
for the environment. Than come metal cans, for 46% examinees. Rural household
members state that all of these package types are harmful for the environment. Among
ones that do not know which packages are harmful for the environment is a bigger
number of persons with lower level of education.
Almost half of examinees preferably buy packaged products, and more than one third
does not pay attention on packaging while shopping. Women from urban areas, younger
than 39 more often buy products in small packages, and examinees over 50 with high
school level of education products in bigger packages.
Most of the examinees, 81%, read the information on food labels while shopping. It is
done more often by women between 40 and 49, from urban areas, with high school and
higher level of education, fully employed, from bigger families.
60% of all examinees seek the information of product’s country origin on its label.
Those are more often women from urban areas, between 40 and 59, with high school
level of education and fully employed.
42% of all examinees is familiar with different promotions of environmental friendly
food products. This is more known for the examinees from urban areas, between 40 and
59, with higher level of education. 94% of all examinees from rural areas do not know
about this kind of promotions.
The results regarding the promotions of locally manufactured food products are very
similar to that. 45% of all examinees is familiar with those kind of promotions. Those
are mostly examinees from urban areas from 30 till 39, with higher level of education.
Sources of information:
Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (www.webrzs.statserb.sr.gov.yu)
Institute for Informatics and Statistics Belgrade www.zis.bg.gov.yu
Ministry of agriculture www.minpolj.sr.gov.yu
Magayine EKONOMIST
http://www.ekonomist.co.yu/magazin/em240/nit/nit1.htm
o Association for organic food TERASS www.terras.org.yu
o Consumers of Vojvodina association http://www.consumer.org.yu
o Milorad Stošić Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profiles, Serbia, December
2004)
http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/AGPC/doc/Counprof/serbiamontenegro/serbiam
ont.htm
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