ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the implementation of market orientation at the level of an agricultural-input factor supplier. The feed industry traditionally has adopted a medium degree of market orientation and a limited end-consumer orientation. However, it provides the building block of animal-derived foods, which are increasingly valuable consumer products. Therefore, market orientation embracing the entire food chain becomes an ever more important issue for the feed industry as an input supplier. Against this background, this chapter investigates: (1) the current challenges of the feed industry, which necessitate a more profound market orientation, (2) how the feed industry as a player on the input side of the food chain embraces the challenges of implementing a market orientation, and (3) the different influences with regard to the business model, based on different levels of vertical integration in the feed industry.
