UGOE

The University of Goettingen is a research university of international renown with a strong focus on research-led teaching. With the exception of engineering sciences, the subject spectrum of the 13 faculties represents almost all academic disciplines. In 2007 the University of Goettingen was successful in the Initiative of Excellence of the German Federal and State Governments with its institutional strategy for the future entitled “Goettingen. Tradition – Innovation – Autonomy”.
 
As a part of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development represents the disciplines agricultural economics and sociology. Its various chairs cover all of the essential aspects of teaching and research in the fields of farm economics, food economy and rural development.
 
One field of work that is affiliated to the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development is the chair Marketing and Market Research of Food and Agricultural Products of Prof. Dr. Achim Spiller. His main research areas are food quality and safety, branding, management in agribusiness, consumer behavior, market research and organic food. He is a member of the scientific council “Agricultural Policies” with the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection and chairman of the Board of Trustees of “QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH” the major certification scheme for agriculture in Germany.