Understanding the role of environmental quality attributes in food-related rural enterprise competitiveness

Abstract

This paper examines the role of environmental quality attributes in food-related rural enterprise competitiveness in Denmark, using qualitative interviews. The results of the analysis demonstrate that in the quest to minimize small-market and location limitations, food-related rural enterprises are increasingly offering products with labels such as ‘quality’, ‘green’, or ‘ethical’ and ‘sustainability’ to justify high premiums for their products. Thus, environmental quality attributes are becoming prevalent and important business strategy for rural food-related enterprises in the selected communities. The results also establish that undertaking sustainable activities has been influenced by institutional policies that reward environmental conservation with subsidies and other resources. These findings contribute to our understanding of the growing relevance of environmental quality attributes in food-related rural enterprise performance. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd