SP 2.2

Titel:

Business Models and Cost-Benefit Analysis

Scientific Co-ordinator:

Prof. Dr. Reiner Doluschitz

Institutions involved:

Institute of Farm Management, Computer Applications and Business Management in Agriculture, Universität Hohenheim Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), Berlin

Staff:

M. Sc. Johanna Fick M. Sc. Johannes Otto M. Sc. Michael Roth

Aim of the Sub-project:

• Develop an IT-module for animal health
• Create a systematic for foodstuffs and implementation of unique operation numbers
• Carry out a cost-benefit analysis for the entire model

Sections of the Sub-project:

SP 2.2.1: Integration of animal-health relevant data into an integrated-animal health system (Supervision: Prof. Dr. Reiner Doluschitz. Implementation: M.Sc. Johanna Fick)
SP 2.2.2: Data flows and code systems between the food industry and regulatory oversight agencies (Supervision: Dr. Matthias Frost (BVL), Implementation: M.Sc. Johannes Otto)
SP 2.2.3: Cost-Benefit Analysis (Supervision: Prof. Dr. Reiner Doluschitz, Implementation: M.Sc. Michael Roth)

Research:

SP 2.2.1: Integration of animal-health related information into an integrated-animal health system (M. Sc. Johanna Fick)
The research focuses primarily on the emergence and flow of data amongst the stakeholders, including livestock owners, veterinarians and public authorities. The currently laborious data acquisition should be significantly simplified. Currently decentralized, fragmentary and redundant data systems of the individual stakeholders in animal production should be integrated into an animal-health system. Such a system should allow for an optimized use of the acquired animal health data. Questions regarding accountability and use-rights of a centralized animal-health data bank are related to the design of IT-models.

SP 2.2.2: Data flow and coding systems between food industries and official food control (M. Sc. Johannes Otto)
Due to the regulation (EC) 178/2002 every feed and food enterprise within the European Community is compelled to guarantee tracking and tracing of its feed and food products. This became well-known in politics with catchwords like “farm to fork” and “from stable to table”. However, in the case of a food crisis food enterprises and other institutions have to transmit all relevant data to the responsible authorities e.g. the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety. They are consigned to manage the crisis and report to the public.
At the moment data flow between food industries and food control authorities suffers from several breakages because of different coding systems for food products and different data keeping systems. Standardisation within the value-added chain and its stakeholders is not existent, urgently needed, but currently under development.
Additionally, data flow and keeping is rising due to higher claims for food security and public health protection, so that more and more data is transferred between authorities for food control and also between food enterprises along the value chain of feed and food products. This is not standardised at the moment either, leading to high transaction costs for public authorities. Existing data management systems in food industries and federal offices are specific, very expensive and should therefore not be dismissed. In fact, these should be used further for their special application field.
Outlook:Coding and classification systems will be identified and analysed for their strengths and weaknesses. Afterwards, a central coding system shall be proposed being compatible to as much as possible coding systems used in food industries and relevant authorities. For systems not being embedded, data bridges will be offered allowing stepping easily between these different coding and classification systems.
Data flow within federal and state authorities and between food industries is also analysed and then visualized in a network plan. These data flows will be consolidated in a central database allowing different stakeholders of the value-added chain to access data. Special rights of access are assigned.
Both the standardisation of coding and classification systems and the improvement of data flows will lead to lower transaction costs and by this to added value for the public. Commercial interests are not envisaged in sub-project 2.2.2.

SP 2.2.3: Cost-Benefit Analysis (M. Sc. Michael Roth)
Food scandals have led to a number of traceability solutions of different characteristics in the food industry. A profound analysis of economic profitability cannot be carried out in advance due to the current lack of a system owner and with it the lack of cash flows, which are necessary for an investment appraisal. Statements about the anticipated economic profitability and acceptance of IT-supported quality assurance and traceability systems are important to their market success. Empirical results concerning the relevance of cost- and benefit aspects of IT-based traceability solutions are presently not available, the aim of this sub-project therefore is the identification these aspects. Another aim is the estimation of acceptance among the members of the meat supply chain. Finally, case studies will be used to show some examples of economic profitability of IT-based traceability solutions for potential stakeholders. The research project mainly will be carried out by means of a Delphi-Survey.

Publications:

Doluschitz, R., Brockhoff, K., Jungbluth, T. und Liepert, C. (2007): Rückverfolgbarkeit von Lebensmitteln tierischer Herkunft. In: Böttinger, S., Theuvsen, L. Rank, S. und Morgenstern, M. (Hrsg.): Agrarinformatik im Spannungsfeld zwischen Regionalisierung und globalen Wertschöpfungsketten. Referate der 27. GIL-Jahrestagung, 05.-07. März, Stuttgart. download

Fick, J. und Doluschitz, R. (2007): Vernetzung tiergesundheitsrelevanter Daten zu einem integrierten Tiergesundheitssystem. In: Böttinger, S., Theuvsen, L. Rank, S. und Morgenstern, M. (Hrsg.): Agrarinformatik im Spannungsfeld zwischen Regionalisierung und globalen Wertschöpfungsketten. Referate der 27. GIL-Jahrestagung, 05.-07. März, Stuttgart. download

Roth, M. (2007): Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse für Qualitätssicherungs- und Rückverfolgbarkeitssysteme in Wertschöpfungsketten tierischer Produkte. Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaues e.V., Bd. 43

Roth, M. und Doluschitz, R. (2007): Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse für Qualitätssicherungs- und Rückverfolgbarkeitssysteme in Wertschöpfungsketten tierischer Produkte. In: Böttinger, S., Theuvsen, L. Rank, S. und Morgenstern, M. (Hrsg.): Agrarinformatik im Spannungsfeld zwischen Regionalisierung und globalen Wertschöpfungsketten. Referate der 27. GIL-Jahrestagung, 05.-07. März, Stuttgart. download

Fick, J. und Doluschitz, R. (2007): Linking-up Animal Health Related Information to an Integrated Animal-Health System. EFITA-Tagung 5.-7. Juli 2007, Glasgow, Schottland. download

Roth, M. und Doluschitz, R. (2007): Cost-Benefit-Analysis of Quality- and Traceability Systems in Supply Chains of Animal Products. EFITA-Tagung 5.-7. Juli 2007, Glasgow, Schottland. download

Doluschitz, R., Brockhoff, K. Jungbluth, T. und Liepert, C. (2007): The Interdisciplinary Research Project IT FoodTrace - Introduction and Selcted Preliminary Results. EFITA-Tagung 5.-7. Juli 2007, Glasgow, Schottland. download

Fick, J. und R. Doluschitz (2007): Vernetzung tiergesundheitsrelevanter Daten zu einem integrierten Tiergesundheitssystem. In: Züchtungskunde 80 (1) S. 11-19.

Doluschitz, R. und B. Engler (2008): Rückverfolgbarkeit von Lebensmitteln tierischer Herkunft. In: eZAI (elektronische Zeitschrift für Agrarinformatik), Ausgabe 3/2008 www.eZAI.de

Otto, J., Frost, M. und R. Doluschitz (2008): Classification of Foods: Potential Contributions for Improved Inter-Organisational Data Exchange through Standardisation in Semantics. Posterpaper presented at the IAMO Forum 2008: Agri-Food Business: Global Challenges - Innovative Solutions, Halle.

Otto, J., Frost, M. und R. Doluschitz (2008): Ein Vergleich von Produkten und Rückverfolgbarkeitssystemen: Eine Studie über „Food“ und Blut. In: Journal für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit. Vol. 3 (3): 282-289.

Associated Partners:

Landesverband Baden-Württemberg für Leistungsprüfungen in der Tierzucht e.V. Landestierärztekammer Baden-Württemberg Ulmer Fleisch GmbH Bundesverband praktischer Tierärzte e.V., Landesverband Baden-Württemberg (bpt)