Browsing by Person "Doluschitz, Reiner"

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Akzeptanz, Status quo und Entwicklung der Digitalisierung entlang der genossenschaftlichen agro-food Wertschöpfungskette
(2022) Munz, Jana; Doluschitz, Reiner
Within the first subject area (I. Status quo and development of digitalization in German agriculture) in one publication presented in this dissertation, the model of Porter and Heppelmann (2014) was taken up and further developed to empirically capture the status quo of digitization in German agriculture. Using a cluster analysis, the farmers participating in the survey could be assigned to two specific development stages. 58.2 % of the respondents were assigned to the second development stage of "users of smart products". 41.8 % of the respondents could be classified as "users of smart, connected products", among whom the use of complex systems that connect individual mechanical and electrical components are particularly widespread. Thus, it could be determined that German farms have not yet reached the level of "smart farming" and also not the level of "product systems". The nature of the use of FMIS in terms of widespread use of web-based applications, automatic digital data entry and, above all, the use of universal data standards were identified within the study as the greatest obstacles on the way to achieving "smart farming". Digitzation is also presented as a prerequisite for future economic performance and survival for cooperatives, with rural cooperatives in particular facing increasing competitive pressure due to structural change processes, ongoing transformation processes through digitization and the emergence of new competitors. According to the current state of knowledge, the topic of digitization in rural cooperatives has not been examined yet and is now, for the first time, the focus of scientific studies within the second subject area of this dissertation (II. Acceptance, status quo and development of rural cooperatives in the context of digitization). Two publications first shed light on the determinants of acceptance factors for the use of digital technologies among rural cooperatives. The first study presented here is based on the identification and analysis of acceptance factors regarding the use of internet-based information systems (IS) along the cooperative value chain of the red meat industry from the perspective of farmers or members/customers of a livestock marketing cooperative. Three benefit-generating factors regarding the expected use of internet-based IS could be identified as valid acceptance factors: the support in documentation and an obligatory exchange of data towards administrative bodies (B2A); the inter-farm data exchange between farmer and livestock marketing company/slaughterhouse (B2B); the function of integrating external data into the IS. Another study focuses on the intermediary level of German agricultural trade and commodity cooperatives from the perspective of the managing directors, with the three acceptance factors relating to the expected use of digital technologies in the business areas of procurement and logistics, customer/member management, and marketing being identified as having a beneficial effect. Personnel and financial factors as well as strategic and operational factors were identified as the greatest challenge on the way to implementing digital technologies. Opportunities arising from membership of the cooperative network therefore need to be exploited in a targeted manner to address challenges and jointly mitigate risks. Overall, it was possible to demonstrate that there is an "attitudinal acceptance" of the introduction of digital technologies at the level of primary production and the intermediate level of agricultural trade and commodity cooperatives. In the course of the analyses, the determinant of the size of the cooperative or farm could be attributed as a positive influence on the acceptance of digital technologies. The final paper presented as part of this dissertation makes a contribution with regard to identifying the status quo of digital technology adoption in agricultural trade and commodity cooperatives and derives opportunities for a digital differentiation for these cooperatives. Based on a cluster analysis, the cooperatives could be assigned to the cluster of "Basic Adopters" (n=48) and "Advanced service-oriented Adopters" (n=18). Against the backdrop of ongoing cut-throat competition and the findings obtained in the present studies, it is recommended that agricultural trade cooperatives consider an individually tailored differentiation strategy and, to this end, build up concrete digital competencies with an increased service orientation in order to adapt their business model or business processes to current industry developments.
Assessing quality and safety of food and beverage products in Albanian processing enterprises
(2012) Kapaj, Ilir; Doluschitz, Reiner
It is apparent that the consumers, for many reasons, do not have the ability to control directly the product they are purchasing. It is the FBE who have the ability to control and manage the quality and the safety of the products keeping in mind the customers? expectations of a product in terms of quality and safety. The mechanism that realizes this demand today is certification, a process that every product and system of quality and safety management in an enterprise should undergo. The management of quality and safety is concretized in the framework of a special system: as an international system for quality and safety, under the care of the special international organizations; as a national system, under the care of the respective ministries and institutions of a country; and as a system of quality and safety of a certain enterprise, established and maintained by the directorate of this enterprise. The attention in this analysis for this study is more focused on the management of products quality and safety issues at the level of the FBE. In this study, the elaboration of these issues is done in the logical sequence of the consumer, the standards and legislation, the quality and the safety of the products in the enterprise, the certification according to the standards and in the end, some general data regarding food and beverage enterprises. The changes that have occurred in the Albanian market regarding food products and beverages, especially the increase of the quantity/demand and variety, have resulted in the development of a new standard within the food and beverage industry as well as made it apparent the importance of the FBE relations with the markets and amongst other FBE as well. . Among the main features of this food and beverage paradigm is that consumers set higher expectations, especially concerning qualitative requirements, resulting in fierce competition between FBE. Such a situation imposes changes and transformations within FBE, not only progressive changes but in some aspects even revolutionary changes. The last 15 years markets a transition period within the industry as increased number of imports have transformed the internal market of food products and beverages into ?an international market?. In this market exists a continuous competition between foreign products and national products. The export of food products and beverages, although in low quantities and very spontaneous, has started to make the Albanian FBE aware of the competition with western enterprises in the foreign market ?ring?, which today is considered the global market. The agreements that the Albanian Government has signed with the WTO and EU, such as the Agreement on the Technical Barriers of Commerce with the WTO and the Stabilization-Association Agreement with the EU, to name a few, treat also the technical problems related directly to the ?pillars? of the ?Temple of quality?: standardization, metrology, accreditation and certification. It is on these ?pillars? that the restructured and reformed Albanian enterprise should be set, so that it can overcome the obstacles that are present in the global market. Albanian FBE, regardless of their current status in the markets, are making attempts and are being prepared to face the inevitable challenges that lie ahead regarding the multi-plan development that includes the economic, technical, human, managerial aspects and more importantly the Albanian mentality and culture. Even for the Albanian enterprises, the purpose of their establishment, development, and existence is and always will be for the profit. The significance of profit and the need for it to constantly be increasing and improving is closely related to the investment made from the enterprise, but with different attitudes. To be specific, in the earlier stages of enterprise development, short term investment is often implemented supported by the slogan, ?I am investing today so I gain the profit still today?; whereas in the later stages of development where there exists the competitive market enterprises follow the slogan, ?I am investing today so that I gain the profit tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?. This slogan makes the enterprise think and work foremost for the long-term investment, which is an investment that provides a more sustainable profit and strategic approach for survival in the market. Profit is the indicator of long-term investments. It is one of the most important indicators through which FBE can be evaluated regarding the economic-technical-human-managerial level of the enterprises. In order to establish and to put into play the certification system, some requirements by the consumer side are needed (i.e., legislation, ministries, different organizations), etc., but also from the enterprises side. Regardless, the level that is achieved it is important to define the indicator, through which is measured the quality and safety level in an enterprise, in an industrial sector, and even in a state; today, this indicator is the certification indicator. As stated above, besides the issues related to quality for food and beverage products, there are also the safety-related problems to consider. The latter are of particular importance and are related with the so-called ?consumer protection? rights, as they represent the potential risks or harm to consumers health in using and consuming the products produced by the FBE in the processing stages. The legislation on food and beverage products quality and safety, as part of the general legislation of the Republic of Albania, is based on the respective legislation of the European Union. Intensification for this legislation to be completed is encouraged and supported mainly by the international agreement, where a special section covers the Stabilization Association Agreement. This Agreement, among others, instructs and controls the adaptation of the European Directives towards that of the European one regarding the products quality and safety. In addition, it aims to harmonize the legal acts and relevant by-acts (technical regulations, decisions, orders, and guidelines). Therefore, in order to explore the possibilities and the potential trends of the development in the field of product quality and safety, a detailed analysis of the current situation of the FBE in Albania was completed. To be more specific, the study included the assimilation of data and information gathered from face to face interviews investigating the FBE in Albania regarding product quality and safety. Albanian FBE comprised the basis of the selected sample. A sample of 112 enterprises was chosen to participate in the face to face interview, of which 106 enterprises actually completed the questionnaire. As such, the FBE sample from this study was considered to be representative of this sector of the processing industry in Albania F. The respondents of the FBE were mainly managers, owners or high level personnel of the selected food and beverage processing enterprises. A descriptive statistical analysis was used to elaborate the situation within the food and beverage industry in Albania. A model of ordinal logistic regression was used to quantify the effects of the different management factors on different quality management aspects. According to the enterprises who participated in the questionnaire, informing activities from the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Consumer Protection (MoAFCP) were weak or absent; only the inspection activity was done well. In addition, more than half of the enterprises surveyed had allocated the competencies regarding quality and safety in their own respective departments. Next, it was determined that Albanian FBE operate mostly in domestic markets (local and national) with some exceptions. Moreover, 95 percent of enterprises stated that they communicate with their customers regarding product quality and safety, representing the main source of information to FBE in this regard. Information from scientific studies is rarely used for decision making in terms of quality. The enterprises standards are widely used for compiling technical specifications for their products, while international standards are used only in some enterprises. Further determined from the study results was that almost all FBE believe that their production technology responds to the product quality and safety requirements. All FBE stated full compliance of their production activities with the requirements of Good Management Practices. In addition, more than half of the FBE lab facilities were non-existent (missing) and half of the enterprises did not even measure any characteristics of their products. Next, there seems to be no standard for the qualification of employees in terms of quality and safety but enterprises did express their willingness to invest in such trainings for their employees. Furthermore, in the majority of FBE cases, materials related to product quality and safety were provided from governmental agencies. Next, 75% of FBE have their products labeled and certified, whereas 21 of FBE also express the willingness to invest in label improvement or relabeling. Nearly 75% of FBE do not apply international quality management standards (ISO, HACCP, TQM), but they understand and support the need for applying and certifying such systems. Based on the regression analysis, it was determined that information and activities from the MoAFCP, as they relate to product quality and safety in particular, have a great impact on enterprises willingness to invest in QMS. Furthermore, FBE training of employees, focusing on selling and on product delivery and application of client technical specification, appear to all be prerequisites to entering the competitive markets. On the other hand, application of management standards and certification, qualifications of employees, increased level of information on quality standards and updated production technology, all have a significant impact on enterprises annual turnover and export/annual turnover ratio. It is recommended that the MoAFCP and all related governmental agencies, such as the Veterinary Institute, Commerce and Industry Chamber and the General Directorate of Standardization must put more effort into information sharing/awareness and communication activities in terms of food and beverage quality and safety as well as on quality management standards. More importantly, food and beverage enterprises should address the issues of alternative sources of information, improving their organizational structure, upgrading production technology, investing in trainings, investing in label improvement and product certification and application and certification of QMS, as prerequisites for increasing their overall business performance.
Die Bedeutung von Werten in Genossenschaften und deren Umsetzung : eine empirische Analyse
(2015) Hill, Sebastian; Doluschitz, Reiner
In this dissertation, we aimed to clarify what values are considered as typical for cooperatives in theory and practice, how the values are applied and realized in practice, and what are their functions and potentials. In the first step, a comprehensive analysis of relevant literature on a national and international level was used to identify which values are seen, in theory, as cooperative-specific values. Based on the results of the literature analysis, a questionnaire was developed and the branch, the size and age of the cooperative as well as the status of the respondents were defined as influencing factors. The questionnaire was sent as a digital quantitative survey to one manager in each of the 844 existing cooperatives in the Baden-Württemberg study region. As a second step, a written (postal) survey was conducted, involving a total of 3,552 members and 707 employees from two Cooperative Banks and Raiffeisen Cooperatives and three Commercial Cooperatives. The evaluation results of the database (from primary and secondary data) show that in scientific literature, cooperative values’ core is described as one that includes the values of democracy, self-help, solidarity, self-responsibility, voluntariness, equality and justice. Some of these values were also mentioned in the results of the empirical survey, whereas the cooperative managers tended to list general values such as reliability, sustainability and fairness, as typical for cooperatives. However, it can be shown that the traditional values still have significant and implicit influence on the legal form of registered cooperatives, and that the previously defined influencing factors have a strong effect on the relevant central values. Although differences could be found between the perception and implementation of cooperative values, a conscious and purposeful communication strategy can have a decisive influence here. The hidden functions and potentials of cooperative values are undisputed in practice, such as the functions of identity and foundation of trust, or discrimination against other types. In addition, the survey shows that in the minds of the managers, members and workers, the cooperative values have social and economic potentials as well as potentials for the marketing of the cooperatives. In summary, it can be said, that the cooperative values are a unique instrument for the cooperatives to promote the legal from of registered cooperatives. It is therefore important to recognize and exploit these potentials to gain a sustainable and successful future not just for the cooperative sector, but also for the whole German society.
Beiträge des Informationsmanagements zur Qualitätssicherung in der ökologischen Schweinefleischproduktion in Deutschland
(2011) Hoffmann, Christa; Doluschitz, Reiner
Fuelled by recurring food scandals in recent years, the demand for organically produced pork has also increased. In order to continue to meet the particularly high demands for organic production, the requirements for effective quality assurance concepts at all levels of the supply chain are also increasing, with increasing production volumes and the first scandals in organic pork production. The requirements for documentation associated with legal regulations and the increasing demands for quality made by the consumer present great challenges, particularly for the many small-scale farms of organic agriculture. In order to make use of the increasing breadth of available data, information must be not simply collected, but also analyzed in a targeted manner and sharing it with other members of the supply chain is vital. For these reasons, interest in operational and industry-wide management systems for quality assurance is steadily increasing, also in organic pork production. Therefore, the goal of the present study is to discover the optimization potentials for information management, a central element in quality management of organic pork production. The present study approaches this goal in a two-part process. First, the general strengths (e.g. high quality), weaknesses (e.g. small stock structures), opportunities (e.g. new markets) and risks (e.g. cheap import products) of organic production are identified and analyzed, using interviews with a total of 30 experts from 11 European countries. In addition, the production structures and information management are comparatively analyzed. The differences between often small-scale, rural producers and increasingly industrial operations and marketing are apparent for Germany as well. According to the interviewed experts, Germany is currently considered among the leading countries in information management, although it sometimes exhibits great potential, largely in primary production. With a focus on this sector of the supply chain, exclusively German organic pork producers will be surveyed in the second part of this study. In terms of information management, information and communication technologies appear to be well organized within the farming operations. Nevertheless, computers and internet are as yet only rarely used for operations management. Similarly, a movement towards a continuous improvement process in the context of quality management in the farms is taking place (via feedback and the introduction of measures), but deficiencies in hygiene management are also prevalent (e.g. failure to disinfect stalls). The cause study identifies the influencing factors within the framework of the factor analysis. The relationships are illustrated by the behaviour acceptance model developed in this study. The model is based on relevant theories on behaviour research, technology acceptance and benefit optimization. In the concluding comparative factor analysis, clear differences and even contrasting results were observed in the current activities between specialized and unspecialized farms, in terms of information management for quality assurance. As a result, individual needs are different for these two types of operation. The recommendations for action derived from this are, for example, advanced training and education opportunities that can be helpful in many ways including, for example, to provide the basic knowledge that is lacking in hygiene and quality management. The concluding discussion of the results brings together the findings of both parts of the study and ties them in with the relevant scientific literature, and conclusions are drawn. Hence, from the first part of the study, essential requirements for structural changes are derived. There are two possible directions for development for Germany, based on its established direct marketing and distinct organizational structures. One, an industrially and focally structured production with increasingly large stock populations and another, much smaller-scale production oriented toward direct marketing. Because the technical foundations for efficient information management in the farming operations are available, in essence the responsibility for quality assurance (e.g. through targeted education) must be encouraged across the country. Information management must be adopted as a profitable component of the agricultural activities. This study has shown that information management for quality assurance, and also above all industry-wide systems, are still in the early stages of development, implementation and use. However, there is a need for further research in other areas of the supply chain, as well as for detailed studies of this subject in other EU countries.
Bürokratie in landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben : dargestellt am Beispiel von Milchviehbetrieben
(2013) Rothfuß, Kathrin; Doluschitz, Reiner
As in many sectors of the economy, state bureaucracy is regarded as an increasing und costly problem for individual agricultural businesses and for the agricultural sector as a whole. Coping with internal administration as well as the exchange of data as part of quality assurance programmes and based on contractual regulations are also growing in importance. It is no longer justifiable to question which administrative work is too time-consuming or unnecessary but rather how the inevitable bureaucracy can be dealt with as effectively as possible. The goal of this dissertation is therefore firstly to determine the administrative burden that exists for farmers and, secondly, to ascertain the factors that can affect the intensity of this burden or alleviate it. The bureaucratic burden will be ascertained in this dissertation on the basis of a subjective rating by farmers. A definition of the bureaucratic tasks to be evaluated by farmers was also needed in order to be able to define the bureaucratic burden. The criteria for this was that the tasks had to be relevant for dairy cattle farmers with arable farming in Baden-Württemberg. Furthermore, the analysed tasks had to be performed at least once per year and a certain level of work would be required for it. Quantitative and qualitative methods of empirical social research were combined to respond appropriately to the diversity of the aforementioned subject of this analysis. Dairy cattle farmers in Baden-Württemberg were surveyed in a multi-stage process. In the first step, 1,060 surveys were distributed to the participants of the milk recording. 487 farmers (46% return rate) responded to the standardised questions on the structure of their enterprise and their socio-democratic profile and rated the selected 45 bureaucratic tasks. 125 of these farmers agreed to a further interview. From these 125, 40 farmers were then selected for personal interviews based on defined criteria. These interviews were partially evaluated by qualitative methods and also include the questions contained in the subsequent telephone interviews. A further 82 farmers were surveyed by phone about their attitude towards bureaucracy. The factors that led to "very serious" bureaucratic mental burden were determined using a factor analysis and a subsequent binary logistic regression. The empirically recorded dairy cattle farms are above-average in size in terms of the number of dairy cattle and their total area. The burden felt is considerable. Almost half of those surveyed judge the burden caused by bureaucratic ("red tape") as being very significant and on average greater than other work-related challenges. Based on the rating of bureaucratic tasks, the "Gemeinsame Antrag" (application for subsidies) in first place and the recording of information concerning the use of veterinary drugs in second place are identified as being the bureaucracy that causes the most stress. Qualitative analysis of the personal interviews permits a description of ten general problem areas in dealing with bureaucracy to be identified. It becomes apparent, that difficulties arise in the majority of cases if, for example, the use of resources or the division of labour is not planned or the farmers cannot justify their processes. Within the ten tasks perceived as being most stressful, alongside general problem areas there are specific problem areas that generally explain well the volume of bureaucratic stress and burden. A factor analysis enabled this standardised statements about the farmer?s attitude towards bureaucracy to be combined into eight factors. Three of these factors affect the farmer's mental stress with bureaucracy. The factor of "Acceptance of external requests for information and design" reduces the bureaucratic stress felt and the "Lack of time" and "Lack of efficiency of statutory obligations regarding documentation" increase the bureaucratic stress and pressure felt. This dissertation clearly demonstrates which bureaucratic obligations the legislature should change to reduce stress. The procedure selected for this has proved itself. It also demonstrates that farmers should not remain passive when faced with the issue of bureaucracy but should take measures themselves to reduce the burden within their own business. Service providers and advisers are called upon to provide assistance by developing individual strategies. From a scientific point of view, this investigation provides insights into various processes in the organisation of agricultural businesses and the underlying attitude of the farmers themselves.
Eigenkapitalmanagement in Genossenschaftsbanken vor dem Hintergrund von Basel III
(2018) Reifschneider, Annika; Doluschitz, Reiner
How will German cooperative banks face the dare of the new Basel III framework now and in the future? This cumulative doctoral dissertation should provide an insight into the results to this question. The sequencing as the methodical concept was choosen to establish a profound impression of the possible concequences of the increased worldwide acknowledged requirements within the supervision system of the banking sector. The combination of methods, the sequencing, seemed to be applicative, due to the fact that there is only very limited availability of appropriate literature when analysing specific consequences and impacts of new established standards. During the conception of the questionnaire for the broadly based online survey the choosen methodical approach and the implementation of two consecutive empirical studies enables to fall back to the results of the guided interviews with finance experts. At last case analyses were carried out, refering to the findings of the online survey. Diverse and meaningful results were obtained through the analysis of the availiable data – the results of the interviews and the evaluation of the available secondary literature. The following section will provide a brief résumé of the achived results: The cooperative banks with their unique company culture is based on a specific governance structure and the guidance on values of the traditional legal status registered governance. Certain principals and values were identified as reasons for the efficiently overall system. Of particular interest are the self-help principle and the principle of democracy as well as certain values such as the cooperative mission of promoting the members, transparency and a high equity capital ratio. In addition the cooperative institution guarantee provides more than the legal regulations of deposit protection. It ensures both the bankruptcy protection within the affiliated companies of the FinanzGruppe and the comprehensive protection of all bank client deposits. Certain experts have raised critical objections such as the danger of a Moral Hazards. Those critics can be encountered by indicating to the reduction of the asymmetrie of information, which is based on the transparent corporate management. The communication contributes sharing the important cooperative values and general principles of the executive board as well as it supports a long-term membership and customer loyalty. The co-operative objective to advance and support their members is even fixed in §1 German Cooperatives Act (§1 GenG). At the same time the memberhip itself is an important and reliable aspect regarding the generation of equity capital which plays a central role concerning the introduciton of basel III. Within this context there are for sure common equity instruments like creation of deposit money and interest income. Furthermore the payings of the members are a possibiliy to rise equity capital. With regards to this it has to be noted that the cooperative shares can not be freely transferred, they do belong to a defined person. So if a person quits the cooperative the share capital of the Cooperative will be reduced. Cooperatives are not forced to hold a certain amount of capital stock. The share capital of each member builts the actually available liquid funds of the institutions. In addition the explained combined system with the DZ BankAG as highly quoted credit institution does a significant bit for the generation of equity capital. For instance an important aspect is the sourcing of mezzanine capital at the capital markets which is realized through the DZ BankAG. Within the following years it is recommanded to closely monitor the actual impacts and effects resulting from Basel III. According to this empirical research in general the cooperative banks should be able to cope with the challenges and consequences. Of course adaptions and changes are inevitable in some areas. But concerning to the fact the cooperative banks have quite strengthened during the recent times of crisis it should be safe to say that the cooperative banking group is going to stay a competitive structure within the credit intitutions in Germany. The recent banking crisis has shown that in opposite to many of the global Systemically Important Banks the co-operative banks with their regionwide branch network of often small structured primary banks overcame this challenge very well. This fact should be noticed by establishing the new regulatory framework Basel III.
Entwicklung eines GIS-gestützten schlagbezogenen Führungsinformationssystems für die Zuckerwirtschaft
(2005) Laudien, Rainer; Doluschitz, Reiner
The European Union aspires the GIS-based documentation of every agricultural area under cultivation from the year 2005 onwards. With this in mind, this thesis aims to design and develop a user-friendly Management Information System (MIS) for the sugar beet industry, which processes, visualizes, archives and documents geographical, remote sensing and attribute data. To meet the EU requirements the design of this "'Sugar beet Management Information System"' (SuMIS) is targeted at a GIS-based, modular, field-based approach which reflects the whole sugar beet supply chain. Therefore, the user of SuMIS will be able to geo-track and -trace every step from soil sampling to the beet delivery (fff = "from farm to factory"). By including and integrating GIS- and remote sensing data, SuMIS is a comprehensive System which can also be used as a Decision Support System within the Supply Chain Management. Due to the modular process-oriented design of SuMIS the potential of the system can be used by different users of the Supply Chain e.g. the field based documentation on the part of the farmer or the GIS-based decision making on the part of the sugar company. The design of SuMIS is based on the geo-datasets of two areas under investigation: Gemmingen/Kraichgau (area 1) and Plattling/Niederbayern (area 2). The dataset of area 1 represents the main part of the relational SuMIS geo-database and includes operational and external geo-data. The sugar beets in this area do not show plant diseases in general. Therefore, multi- and hyperspectral reflectance data of selected fields of area 2 is used to detect biotic growth-anomalies, general stress indicators and differences concerning plant vitalities and to create the respective spatial cognition. In order to collect the field data, a hyperspectral spectroradiometer (FieldSpec Handheld) is mounted stationary on a developed measurement device. This data is stored in a HTML-based spectral library. Besides that, multitemporal tractor- and airborne hyperspectral spectroradiometer measurements (GVIS, AVIS) are included to validate the ground based data. The reflection measurements are utilized to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy plants by using multispectral and hyperspectral vegetation indices. SuMIS includes new components which are developed and embedded by using the developer software "'Visual Basic"'. These are combined with existing functionalities in order to meet the EU GIS-requirements. Beside the functionalities which are used to analyze the hyperspectral data, two land-use classification methods are presented, applied and compared. Therefore, an object oriented (by using ERDAS Imagine® and a pixel based approach (by using eCognition) is employed to differentiate sugar beets from other crops in a simple and time efficient manner. QuickBird high resolution satellite form the basis for the accurate land use map. By applying the SuMIS functionalities and tools presented in this thesis, the users will be able to digitize their field data without any knowledge about GIS or geo-databases. Furthermore, storing and visualizing alphanumeric geodata is also possible by using these tools. Because of the information-specific structure of the geodata and its storage in several information layers, SuMIS is able to generate for instance mathematic calculations, clip-, merge- and join-procedures. This can be used for the spatial analysis or for creating new information layers. In this thesis such spatial GIS-results are shown in the context of a case study. The results of this case study indicate that the approaches developed lead to plausible results. Besides the description of the design of SuMIS and it's functionalities, the acceptance and survey of the expected individual benefits by potential selected users has been tested. Concerning the utility and value of SuMIS for the sugar beet industry, the functionalities are evaluated. The investigated results are discussed and perspectives for a broad application are described.
Factors influencing the adoption of agricultural machinery by Chinese maize farmers
(2021) Quan, Xiuhao; Doluschitz, Reiner
As the major labor force has shifted from rural areas to cities, labor shortages in agricultural production have resulted. In the context of technical progress impact, and depending on farm resource endowments, farmers will choose effective labor saving technology such as machinery to substitute for the missing manual labor. The reasons behind farmers’ adoption of machinery technology are worth exploring. Therefore, this study uses 4165 Chinese maize farmers as the target group. Multivariate probit models were performed to identify the factors that affect maize farmers’ adoption of four machinery technologies as well as the interrelation between these adoption decisions. The empirical results indicate that maize sowing area, arable land area, crop diversity, family labor, subsidy, technical assistance, and economies of scale have positive effects on machinery adoption, while the number of discrete fields in the farm has a negative impact. Maize farmers in the Northeast and North have higher machinery adoption odds than other regions. The adoption of these four machinery technologies are interrelated and complementary. Finally, moderate scale production, crop diversification, subsidizing agricultural machinery and its extension education, and land consolidation, are given as recommendations for promoting the adoption of agricultural machinery by Chinese maize farmers.
Hohenheimer Genossenschaftsforschung 2013
(2014) Forschungsstelle Genossenschaftswesen; Doluschitz, Reiner
Hohenheimer Genossenschaftsforschung 2014
(2015) Forschungsstelle Genossenschaftswesen; Doluschitz, Reiner
Hohenheimer Genossenschaftsforschung 2015
(2016) Forschungsstelle Genossenschaftswesen; Doluschitz, Reiner
Hohenheimer Genossenschaftsforschung 2016
(2017) Forschungsstelle Genossenschaftswesen; Doluschitz, Reiner
Hohenheimer Genossenschaftsforschung 2017
(2018) Forschungsstelle Genossenschaftswesen; Doluschitz, Reiner
Hohenheimer Genossenschaftsforschung 2018
(2019) Forschungsstelle Genossenschaftswesen; Doluschitz, Reiner
Hohenheimer Genossenschaftsforschung 2019
(2020) Forschungsstelle Genossenschaftswesen; Doluschitz, Reiner
Hohenheimer Genossenschaftsforschung 2020
(2021) Doluschitz, Reiner
Household food waste quantification and cross-examining the official figures: A study on household wheat bread waste in Shiraz, Iran
(2022) Ghaziani, Shahin; Ghodsi, Delaram; Schweikert, Karsten; Dehbozorgi, Gholamreza; Faghih, Shiva; Mohabati, Shabnam; Doluschitz, Reiner
The global consumer food waste (FW) estimates are mainly based on modeling data obtained from governments. However, a major data gap exists in FW at the household level, especially in developing countries. Meanwhile, the reliability of the existing data is questionable. This study aimed to quantify wheat bread waste (HBW) in Shiraz, Iran, and cross-examine the governmental HBW data. Face-to-face waste recall questionnaire interviews were conducted in 419 households from December 2018 to August 2019. A multistage sampling strategy consisting of stratification, clustering, and systematic sampling was employed. Moreover, we carried out a comprehensive document review to extract and analyze the official HBW data. The results revealed that the HBW in Shiraz is 1.80%—the waste amounts for traditional bread and non-traditional bread were 1.70% and 2.50%, respectively. The survey results were compared with the previous official data, revealing a substantial contradiction with the 30% HBW reported between 1991 and 2015. Possible reasons for this disparity are explored in this paper. Although our results cannot be generalized to other food commodities and locations, our findings suggest that considering the substantial likelihood of bias in the official data, policymakers should conduct more FW measurements and re-evaluate the accuracy of the existing data.
Identifying loss and waste hotspots and data gaps throughout the wheat and bread lifecycle in the Fars province of Iran through value stream mapping
(2023) Ghaziani, Shahin; Dehbozorgi, Gholamreza; Bakhshoodeh, Mohammad; Doluschitz, Reiner
Reducing wheat and bread loss and waste is crucial for ensuring global food security and sustainability. The importance of reducing wheat and bread loss is particularly significant in Iran, where wheat is a staple crop and a vital component of the country’s food security. A value stream mapping study was conducted to identify loss and waste hotspots and critical data gaps along the wheat and bread lifecycle (WBL). In October 2018, 14 experts were surveyed in Fars province, Iran’s second-largest wheat producer. The study presents a detailed cradle-to-grave overview of WBL and identifies farms, foodservice, and households as the loss and waste hotspots. The results revealed significant data gaps regarding on-farm wheat loss and household bread waste. Additionally, although data exist in other segments of WBL, they are not readily accessible nor utilized to report loss and waste, highlighting the need for transparency within the WBL system and further research to compile existing data and analyze wheat and bread loss and waste. Other researchers can employ the holistic approach of the present study to investigate loss and waste throughout the lifecycle of other food items in different geographical contexts. The methodology adopted in this study offers advantages for defining the scope of research in lifecycle assessment and circular economy studies.
Integration von tiergesundheitsrelevanten Daten in betriebliche Managemententscheidungen
(2010) Fick, Johanna; Doluschitz, Reiner
For many years agriculture in Germany has been subject of changes due to economic, technical and social developments. These changes are structural, market and environmental induced. Livestock owner may react with increasing turnover and/or cost reduction to face the changes and to achieve sustained success in livestock farming. Expenditures for veterinarian and pharmaceuticals in dairy farming have a large share in the expenditures. Furthermore revenue losses due to animal diseases have to be added to the costs. Strategies to reduce costs and revenue losses can only lead to success if farmers and veterinarians act jointly. Basis for this can be an established digital information exchange between the process partners. Existing data of the process participants are used, consolidated and analysed in such a digital information exchange. Previous activities to improve the animal health were mostly partial solutions of individual members of the process chain. These are partial solutions due to the fact that the existing data are not brought together and that the use as an entity is not possible. The available software merges the animal health data and the animal performance data merely partial. The target of this research focuses on the integration of relevant data on animal health in operating management decisions by conception and development of an IT-model. This IT-model links relevant but distributed, incomplete, and redundant animal health data of the process participants (farmer, veterinarians, and professional associations) in livestock farming. So this contribution shall improve the use of animal health and animal performance data. Thereby issues of veterinary medicine and dairy farming will be joined by using information technology (IT). The procedure is structured in drafting the principles, an analysis of the status quo, and a market- and potential analysis consisting the use and application of sector software by farmers and veterinarians. It is followed by the conception and development of the animal health system and the conception of the implementation with a first product test. To answer the research questions of this paper a process model has been developed which was used as methodical frame. Different explanation strategies were necessary and therefore qualitative and quantitative methods of social research were used.
Kooperative Lösungsansätze zur Begegnung der Herausforderungen der Daseinsvorsorge im ländlichen Raum
(2019) Adams, Isabel; Doluschitz, Reiner
In the context of social, (infra-)structural, agricultural and demographic change, new challenges are emerging for rural areas. Demographic change especially impacts on smaller communities without an efficient infrastructure (IREUS 2011, p. 64 f.). One central challenge that affects all areas of life is the nationwide provision of public services. Based on the challenges of providing public services on a nationwide basis, an approach already practised in some locations was analysed and further developed. Observations, infomation and statistical records from the past decade indicate that the wide-ranging tasks involved in providing public services are partially performed by cooperatives (cf. BLOME-DREES et al. 2015; DOLUSCHITZ et al. 2013a; GOESCHEL 2012, p. 51; KLEMISCH and BODDEN-BERG 2012, p. 570; Kluth 2017; MARTENS 2012, p. 145; MÜNKNER 2012, p. 332; STAPPEL 2016, p. 66) with the aim of addressing specific local problems (HAUNSTEIN and THÜRLING 2017, p. 2). Due to the lack of a basis of specifically required secondary data, a comprehensive data set was collected throughout Germany that enables analysis of the specific details and background to the emergence of newly-founded public service cooperatives. The results obtained confirm the background to these foundations as described in the literature, such as the desire for an appropriate infrastructure, regional deficits (BLOME-DREES et al. 2015, p. 134), threats to the infrastructure, social challenges (cf. WIEG 2016, p. 78) and specific local and regional problems (HAUNSTEIN and THÜRLING, 2017, p. 2). However, an analysis of the underlying the establishment of cooperatives also provides fresh, supplementary findings. On the one hand, further goals reflect a charitable purpose such as the creation of social points of contact, while on the other hand there are efforts to organise further training programmes, for example, based on the wishes/initiative of like-minded individuals. About two thirds of the responding public service cooperatives, especially in rural areas, are creating a new scheme for both members and non-members. Approximately one third of the public service cooperatives analysed aim to maintain or reactivate existing facilities and services that risk being discontinued or where discontinuation has already occurred as a result of various challenges. A second aspect of this dissertation relating to public services is the digitisation of the agricultural and food sectors. All in all, a heterogeneous pattern emerges with regard to digitisation along the value chain. As a result, the companies analysed are divided into pioneers, newcomers and followers. User structures were analysed by means of a survey among practising farmers that focused on the use of e-commerce structures when purchasing agricultural resources. These structures proved to be independent of age, farm size, location and farm orientation. On the basis of the surveys, time benefits were identified as the main source of motivation behind the procurement of resources through e-commerce channels, which contradicts the cost benefits described in the literature (cf. CLASEN 2005, p. 54 f.).