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Economic and Environmental Concerns Regarding Agri-Food Products Within the Context of Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 7819

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sorina Geanina Stanescu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Science and Technology, Valahia University of Targoviste, 130004 Targoviste, Romania
Interests: environmental accounting; green economy; impact of emerging technologies on accounting; sustainable management strategies
Prof. Dr. Liana-Elena Anica-Popa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Management Information Systems, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 010374 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: food traceability systems; artificial intelligence; RPA; emerging technologies in hospitality; blockchain in business; organisational memory information systems; management information systems; decision systems and technologies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, growing economic and environmental concerns related to sustainable development have garnered increasing attention from researchers and policymakers and, despite extensive discussions in the literature, the complex interplay between economic growth, environmental protection and the sustainable development of agri-food systems remains an ongoing challenge. A comprehensive understanding of these dynamics is essential in terms of supporting the transition to sustainable economic practices, promoting the circular economy and ensuring the long-term balance between development and the protection of natural resources. Ensuring a sustainable food system requires an integrated approach that balances productivity with resource efficiency, reducing environmental impact and the resilience of supply chains. Although the concept of sustainability in the agri-food sector has gained traction, research remains fragmented across disciplines and perspectives. To bridge this gap, we invite you to submit original research articles and reviews to this Special Issue.

Potential research areas may include, but are not limited to:

  •  The environmental and economic challenges of food production in the sustainability era;
  • Evaluating the environmental impact of agri-food products—best practices and policies;
  • The role of digital technologies in sustainable agri-food supply chains;
  • Innovations in waste reduction and the circular economy in the agri-food sector;
  • Digital transformation in the global agricultural supply chains;
  • The environmental footprint of agri-food products and the demand for transparency of sustainability metrics;
  • Policy and regulatory frameworks for sustainable agri-food systems.

We look forward to your contributions to the development of knowledge on this significant topic.

Dr. Sorina Geanina Stanescu
Prof. Dr. Liana-Elena Anica-Popa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainability
  • agri-food products
  • circular economy
  • food supply chain
  • innovation in agri-food
  • environmental impact
  • emerging technologies

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 360 KB  
Article
From Feature Selection to Forecasting: A Two-Stage Hybrid Framework for Food Price Prediction Using Economic Indicators in Türkiye
by Uğur Tahsin Şenel, Nursal Arıcı, Müslüme Narin and Hüseyin Polat
Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010503 - 4 Jan 2026
Viewed by 401
Abstract
This study develops a comprehensive two-stage hybrid framework to forecast food prices in Türkiye, addressing inflation prediction challenges in volatile emerging markets where sample sizes are limited. In the first stage, systematic relationship analyses—comprising correlation, ARDL, cointegration, and Granger causality tests—identified ten key [...] Read more.
This study develops a comprehensive two-stage hybrid framework to forecast food prices in Türkiye, addressing inflation prediction challenges in volatile emerging markets where sample sizes are limited. In the first stage, systematic relationship analyses—comprising correlation, ARDL, cointegration, and Granger causality tests—identified ten key macroeconomic predictors from Central Bank datasets. In the second stage, we evaluated diverse predictive models, including XGBoost, Gradient Boosting, Ridge, LSTM, and SVR, using rice prices as a pilot case. A critical methodological contribution is the empirical comparison of feature engineering strategies; results demonstrate that traditional “smoothing” techniques dilute volatility signals, whereas the “Log-Return Transformation Strategy” strategy significantly improves accuracy. XGBoost emerged as the champion model, achieving a remarkable R2 of 0.932 (MAE: 1.68 TL) on the test set. To strictly validate this performance against small-sample limitations, a Recursive Walk-Forward Validation was conducted, confirming the model’s robustness with a strong R2 of 0.870 over a 31-month rolling simulation. Furthermore, Robust Rolling SHAP analysis identified Insurance and Transportation costs as primary drivers, evidencing a strong cost-push mechanism and inflation inertia. These findings integrate econometric rigor with machine learning transparency, offering resilient early warning tools for sustainable inflation management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic and Environmental Concerns Regarding Agri-Food Products Within the Context of Sustainability)
24 pages, 1194 KB  
Article
Peat Partial Replacement: Life Cycle Assessment and Eco-Efficiency in Potted Ornamental Sage Cultivation
by Anna Elisa Sdao, Barbara De Lucia, Annalisa De Boni, Giovanni Ottomano Palmisano and Rocco Roma
Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 11238; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172411238 - 15 Dec 2025
Viewed by 496
Abstract
Peat, a vital component of horticultural growing media (GM), is recognized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a solid fossil fuel which significantly contributes to the depletion of fossil resources and greenhouse gas emissions. This study evaluated the partial replacement [...] Read more.
Peat, a vital component of horticultural growing media (GM), is recognized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a solid fossil fuel which significantly contributes to the depletion of fossil resources and greenhouse gas emissions. This study evaluated the partial replacement of peat with three locally available by-products—wood fiber (WF), coffee silverskin (CS), and brewers’ spent grain (BSG)—in the cultivation of potted ornamental sage through an integrated environmental–economic approach. Ten GM formulations were modeled, with peat substitutions ranging from 0 to 40% (v/v) across one hectare of greenhouse production (90,000 pots). Environmental impacts were assessed using the EPD 2018 method in SimaPro, while eco-efficiency was calculated as the ratio of the environmental impact costs resulting from the different energy consumptions (EUR) to related revenues (EUR). Results revealed only minor variations among impact categories when comparing the alternative growing media with the peat-based control (0PR), with the exception of the Abiotic Depletion of Fossil Fuels (ADff), which showed a consistent decrease at higher peat replacement levels. Treatments with 40% substitution performed best, particularly BSG40 and CS40, with the lowest eco-efficiency ratios (≈approximately 11.4%). WF40 also showed favorable outcomes (≈12.7%), confirming that a 20–40% peat replacement offers the optimal balance between environmental sustainability and economic viability. Overall, partial peat replacement using local by-products effectively reduces the consumption of fossil resources without significantly impacting other environmental indicators, promoting circularity and competitiveness in ornamental plant production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic and Environmental Concerns Regarding Agri-Food Products Within the Context of Sustainability)
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27 pages, 1494 KB  
Article
Digitalization and Blockchain Integration in Agri-Food Supply Chains: Towards a Resilient, Circular, and Sustainable Future
by Sorina-Geanina Stanescu, Constantin Aurelian Ionescu, Maria Cristina Ștefan, Luiza Ionescu, Georgiana-Tatiana Bondac and Andrei Mihai Cristea
Sustainability 2025, 17(20), 9276; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209276 - 19 Oct 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3471
Abstract
The agri-food sector is currently undergoing a significant digital transformation, driven by climate change, frequent supply chain disruptions, and increasing demand for transparency and food safety. This article, based on a systematic review of 113 recent studies (in line with the PRISMA guidelines), [...] Read more.
The agri-food sector is currently undergoing a significant digital transformation, driven by climate change, frequent supply chain disruptions, and increasing demand for transparency and food safety. This article, based on a systematic review of 113 recent studies (in line with the PRISMA guidelines), delves into how emerging digital technologies, particularly blockchain, are reshaping agri-food supply chains towards sustainability, a circular economy, and complete product traceability from production to the final consumer. The paper identifies the main enabling factors, barriers, and implementation models of blockchain and other technologies associated with Industry 4.0 (IoT, artificial intelligence, smart contracts), highlighting their role in increasing the resilience of supply chains, optimising quality control, and sustainable resource management. A key contribution of the study is the introduction of the CTSAF (Converging Technologies for Sustainable Agri-Food Chains) conceptual framework, which provides practical implications for policymakers and organisations, enabling them to make informed decisions. The results also provide valuable insights for future research, supporting the transition to a more transparent, resilient, and sustainable global food system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic and Environmental Concerns Regarding Agri-Food Products Within the Context of Sustainability)
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18 pages, 739 KB  
Article
Transforming Agriculture for a Sustainable Future: Economic, Ethical, and Environmental Perspectives
by Delia-Mioara Popescu, Mircea-Constantin Duica, Nicoleta-Mihaela Duta (Ghita), Anisoara Duica, Cristina-Maria Voinea and George Stanescu
Sustainability 2025, 17(12), 5518; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125518 - 16 Jun 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2183
Abstract
The agricultural sector stands at the intersection of economic, ethical, and environmental concerns, presenting complex challenges for sustainable development. This study investigates how ethical attitudes, conceptualized at political (e.g., perceptions of transparency, anti-corruption, and policy fairness) and social levels (e.g., community engagement, labor [...] Read more.
The agricultural sector stands at the intersection of economic, ethical, and environmental concerns, presenting complex challenges for sustainable development. This study investigates how ethical attitudes, conceptualized at political (e.g., perceptions of transparency, anti-corruption, and policy fairness) and social levels (e.g., community engagement, labor standards, and social equity), influence ethical behavior within Romanian agricultural organizations. Additionally, it explores the impact of sector-specific and organizational ethics on the adoption of social responsibility (SR) practices. Using a quantitative research approach, the study employed a structured questionnaire covering four key dimensions: political and social ethics, corporate responsibility, environmental sustainability, and ethical management in agriculture. The findings suggested that Romanian agricultural companies could improve their long-term competitiveness by incorporating ethical governance, sustainable business practices, and stakeholder engagement into their strategic frameworks. These findings suggest that Romanian agricultural companies can enhance their long-term competitiveness by embedding ethical governance, sustainable business models, and active stakeholder engagement into their strategic frameworks. This research contributes to the theoretical discourse by demonstrating how contextual ethical attitudes influence SR, providing a nuanced understanding of the interplay between economic performance, social equity, and environmental responsibility in an emerging economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic and Environmental Concerns Regarding Agri-Food Products Within the Context of Sustainability)
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