90 research outputs found
Trends in consumers’ preferences towards fresh-cut vegetables during the Covid-19 pandemic
No full textThe fresh-cut sector has shown a positive trend in recent years, due to the “ease of use” and the increasing innovation in the quality and safety features of these products. However, in Italy, a negative trend was observed during the lockdown Covid-19. The objective of this study is to investigate consumer preferences for fresh-cut products and to identify the sensory and extrinsic attributes that influence consumer choice. It also examines whether consumer behaviour has changed during the lockdown Covid-19. An online questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 427 consumers. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to identify preferences for specific types of fresh-cut products; then, a factor analysis was conducted to highlight key socioeconomic variables and product attributes. Finally, a cluster analysis was conducted to identify homogeneous consumer groups. The results indicate that some attributes, including “ease of use”, “texture” and “colour” show a high level of interest and appreciation by consumers. The outcomes also reveal that there has been a change in consumer attitudes during the lockdown Covid-19, mainly for reasons related to the difficulty in food procurement, the fear of contagion during purchasing occasion, and higher prices. The findings of this research contribute to the knowledge of consumers’ behaviour towards fresh-cut products in the period of lockdown Covid-19
Consumers’ Attitudes and Purchase Intention for a Vitamin-Enriched Extra Virgin Olive Oil
No full textThis study aims to examine Italian consumer preferences for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) enriched with vitamins and to analyze the key drivers that affect consumer choices for this product. Specifically, we assessed consumers’ intention to purchase the enriched product compared to the conventional one. The methodology adopted inferential and multivariate statistical techniques: (1) exploratory factor analysis (EFA), (2) ordinary least squares regression (OLS) and (3) non-hierarchical clustering. This study appears to be the first research project related to exploring consumers’ interest in an extra virgin olive oil enhanced with vitamins, thereby providing preliminary indications. The main results represent a significant starting point for the development of new marketing strategies for the food industry
The EU Nature Restoration Law (NRL) and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): State of the Art and Future Challenges for Italian Water Resources
No full textAmong its various targets on restoring natural habitats and ecosystems in the EU, the recently adopted Nature Restoration Law (NRL) introduces ambitious targets for restoring surface water bodies (SWBs) as well. Simultaneously, the Italian CAP Strategic Plan for the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027 has been designed to enhance sustainable agricultural practices, including water resource management. This paper provides a comparative analysis of the synergies, gaps, and challenges between these two regulatory frameworks, focusing on sustainable water use in Italian agriculture. A two-level comparative matrix methodology is employed to evaluate the alignment between the NRL’s objectives for freshwater ecosystems and the measures taken by the Italian CAP Strategic Plan on water resources. The results highlight key areas of convergence, existing shortcomings, and necessary steps for aligning Italian agricultural policies with the EU’s water restoration goals. The findings offer insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders engaged in water governance, biodiversity conservation, and agricultural sustainability
Circular Economy Models in Agro-Food Systems: A Review
No full textAround the world, interest is growing in the circular economy in response to the current unsustainable model of production and consumption based on increased use and depletion of resources. This paper provides a review of the academic literature on the circular economy in agrifood systems, with the aims of understanding its main characteristics and perspectives, and summarizing and discussing the literature in this field. This review provides a deeper understanding of the opportunities provided by the circular economy as a solution to the current need to reduce the environmental impacts of business-as-usual economic systems and the state of the art of the circular economy in the academic debate. The results are discussed based on the chosen topic-core investigated in this review: business model and organization management, food loss and waste along the supply chain, analytical tools for the circular economy, stakeholder acceptance of the circular economy, and mitigation strategies and political approach. The findings show the need for the implementation of cleaner production models and consequent increases in stakeholder responsibilities and awareness, from both producers and consumers, as well as the need for the implementation of suitable policies and tools
Simulation and neonatal nursing education
No full textOur world is shrinking due to computerized linkages and the mobility of society, and information is shared rapidly around the world. Newborn and infant health issues are global ones. In efforts to acknowledge the international community, each Newborn and Infant Nursing Review issue presents a column that highlights care-related issues from a featured country or region of the world. This month, Australia is featured. Our guest author is Mrs Manal Kassab, BSN, MSN, PhD, and Regional Network Contact for the Council of International Neonatal Nurses for Australia. This month's article focuses on Simulation and Education
From Roots to Leaves: Understanding Consumer Acceptance in Implementing Climate-Resilient Strategies in Viticulture
No full textThis study investigates consumer perceptions and acceptance of innovative strategies implemented to counter the effects of climate change in the wine industry. The acceptance of wines derived from grapes grown using four different vineyard management practices - kaolin application, use of plant growth regulators, introduction of resilient rootstocks, and fungus-resistant grape varieties (PIWI) - is analyzed. Utilizing a latent profile analysis, the study identifies five distinct consumer profiles, each displaying unique sensitivities and perceptions towards climate change threats. The findings reveal notable variations in consumers' willingness to accept these innovations. Additionally, the study offers insights into how these preferences influence the marketability of wines produced using these innovative techniques. The overall results depict heterogeneous acceptance of these practices. Consumers seem more inclined to choose wines derived from vines with innovative rootstocks and those treated with kaolin. The acceptance for PIWI varieties and PGR is comparatively marginal. The outcomes of this study provide valuable insights for winegrowers, policymakers, and other industry stakeholders on effectively implementing and communicating these solutions. Overall, the research findings contribute significantly to understanding consumer behavior within the context of climate change in the wine industry, presenting substantial implications for sustainable viticulture practices and wine marketing strategies
Circular Business Model Design for Transitioning the Italian Olive Oil Sector into Sustainable Trajectories
No full textThe call for a transition to a circular economy model has gained momentum, challenging the conventional industrial systems. This research focuses on the agri-food system. Shifting towards a circular agri-food system demands collaborative efforts within and between agro-ecological and agro-industrial subsystems, along with active consumer involvement. While suitable technologies exist, operationalizing them within fully functioning circular systems remains a challenge. This study explores the barriers within the agri-food supply chain, particularly in the context of olive oil production in the Apulian and Sicilian regions of Italy. To address these challenges, a three-step analytical strategy is proposed. First, a comprehensive understanding of the current supply chain structure is obtained through semi-structured interviews. Second, an inductive analysis identifies key dimensions combining environmental issues, CE solutions, and transition challenges. This process aligns with the multi-level perspective of socio-technical transitions. Finally, an iterative co-design process involving stakeholders aims to develop circular business models tailored to local needs and sustainability challenges. Preliminary findings reveal critical areas such as environmental concerns, organizational and coordination issues, knowledge gaps, and consumer culture. These findings will inform the co-design phase, facilitating the development of circular business models aligned with the key dimensions. This research contributes to the shift towards CE in agri-food systems by providing a user-driven approach for designing circular business models at the farm and firm levels. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration between academics and industry stakeholders in creating effective CE transition pathways for agri-food systems
Unveiling the exotic fascination of tropical fruits: The role of food values on consumer behavior towards mangoes
No full textMango is one of the most traded, exported, and consumed tropical fruits worldwide. However, little is known about Italian consumers’ preferences for mango. This study empirically explores the factors that influence the consumption of mango in Italy. Food values, subjective and objective knowledge, and socio-demographic aspects were considered. An online survey was administered, resulting in an overall sample of 487 Italian participants. The data were statistically analysed through an ordered probit model. The results show that mango is more likely to be consumed by individuals who are more concerned with the naturalness of the product. Moreover, both subjective and objective knowledge positively affect the probability of consuming mango. The findings also show that socio-demographic traits, particularly gender and undertaking sports activities, significantly influence the probability of consuming mango. Practical implications are proposed based on the study findings
Advances in the insect industry within a circular bioeconomy context: a research agenda
No full textAbstract The agri-food industry is increasingly recognizing the environmental impact of the over-exploitation of natural resources and waste production, which has prompted a search for sustainable alternatives based on circular bioeconomy principles. Insects can efficiently transform food substrates into reusable biomass, thus making them valuable contributors to a circular bioeconomy system. However, the relationship between the circular bioeconomy and the insect industry has so far appeared relatively unexplored in the existing research. To address this gap, a meta-synthesis has been conducted through a systematic literature review. By identifying the state of the art and assessing the role of insects in the transition of closed-loop systems, the aim of this research has been to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of integrating insects in circular bioeconomy strategies. The research revealed three main topics: (1) waste management by insects, i.e., the use of insects as a tool for waste management and with which to create high-value substrates; (2) insect-based feeds, namely the use of insects as alternative food sources in farming systems; (3) insect-based food acceptance by consumers. The results underscore the significant potential of this market within the circular bioeconomy context, highlighting the obstacles that need to be addressed and future strategies that could be adopted
Generalized multiscale finite element methods for the reduced model of darcy flow in fractured porous media
No full textIn this work, we combine the generalized multiscale finite element method (GMsFEM) with a reduced model based on the discrete fracture model (DFM) to resolve the difficulties of simulating flow in fractured porous media while efficiently and accurately reducing the computational complexity resulting from resolving the fine scale effects of the fractures. The geometrical structure of the fractures is discretely resolved within the model using the DFM. The advantage of using GMsFEM is to represent the fracture effects on a coarse grid via multiscale basis functions constructed using local spectral problems. Solving local problems leads to consideration and usage of small scale information in each coarse grid. Besides, the multiscale basis functions, generated following GMsFEM framework, are parameter independent and constructed once in what we call offline stage. These basis functions can be re-used for solving the problem for any input parameter when it is needed. Combining GMsFEM and DFM has been introduced in other works assuming continuous pressure across the fractures interface. This continuity is obtained when the fractures are much more permeable than that in the matrix domain. In this work, we consider a general case for the permeability in both fracture and matrix domain using the reduced model presented in Martin et al. (2005). The proposed reduction technique has significant impact on enabling engineers and scientist to efficiently, accurately and inexpensively solve the large and complex system resulted from modeling flow in fractured porous mediaThe first author Manal Alotaibi would like to acknowledge the support provided by the Department of Mathematics at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) under Start-up Research Grant number . The work of Huangxin Chen was supported by the NSF of China (Grant No. 12122115, 11771363)The work of Shuyu Sun was supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) through the grants BAS/1/1351-01, URF/1/4074-01, and URF/1/3769-0
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