International competitiveness and efficiency of apple production in Germany and other European countries

Project

Production processes

This project contributes to the research aim 'Production processes'. Which funding institutions are active for this aim? What are the sub-aims? Take a look:
Production processes

Project code: TI-BW-08-PID2350
Contract period: 31.05.2020 - 30.04.2024
Purpose of research: Applied research

Apples are among the most popular fruits in Europe. Nevertheless, European apple producers face major challenges. On the one hand, the sector is subject to high competitive pressure due to a large supply on the world market, and on the other hand, apple producers are exposed to very different production conditions. Therefore, we address the question of how competitive the most important European apple-growing countries are and how apple growing in Europe will develop in the future.
Apples represent one of the world's most important fruit in terms of production volume, ranking third after bananas and water melon. Apples can be grown in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Storage and transport of apples is relatively easy, and they are traded globally. Global apple production has increased significantly in recent years. Apple producers are exposed to strong international competitive pressure. In addition, very different framework conditions for apple production prevail in different countries; these mainly concern wage levels, access to labor - e.g. also regulations for migrant labour, regulations and standards with respect to pesticide use, and public support such as subsidies for hail or late frost protection or insurances. Meanwhile, climate change is strongly influencing apple production and increasingly leading to a shift of areas with favourable growing conditions. The overall objective of the project is to assess the competitiveness of different apple production systems in the main growing countries, with a focus on Europe, and to identify potential future developments. Current challenges, in particular the economic impacts of climate change and corresponding adaptation measures will explicitely considered in the project.

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