Search Results (54)

Social media platforms have become essential tools for businesses aiming to engage audiences through innovative communication, particularly in the food and beverage industry. This study explores the impact of three core digital marketing strategies, namely, social media advertisements, electronic word of mouth, and digital influencers, on customer responsiveness in the Lebanese food and beverage sector. Based on a cross-sectional survey of 400 participants, the findings reveal that social media advertisements significantly and positively influence customer responsiveness (β = 0.227, p < 0.001). Likewise, electronic word of mouth strongly predicts customer responsiveness (β = 0.453, p < 0.001), affirming the power of customer-generated content in shaping brand perceptions. Furthermore, the presence of digital influencers emerged as a significant predictor of consumer reaction (β = 0.236, p < 0.001), suggesting that consumers regard influencers as credible sources when making food-related decisions. Among all predictors, electronic word of mouth demonstrated the strongest effect. Control variables such as gender, age, and social media usage intensity showed no significant effect on customer responsiveness. These findings underscore the strategic value of rich media content and peer influence in shaping consumer behavior in the food and beverage industry. The study offers practical insights for marketers seeking to enhance customer engagement and brand responsiveness in digital spaces. Full article

The HoReCa (Hotels, Restaurants, and Cafes) sector plays a pivotal role in the economy due to its strong connections with various other industries, including agriculture, food and beverage, construction, packaging, waste management, water, and textiles. Given its broad impact, understanding the perceptions of students—emerging consumers and future professionals—could provide valuable insights for businesses seeking to enhance sustainable practices in ways that resonate with younger generations and improve their competitiveness. However, there is still limited understanding of how students perceive and engage with sustainability in this sector. This study explores student perceptions of sustainability practices within the HoReCa sector, examining their awareness levels, expectations, and behavior. The objective is to assess how effectively current business approaches align with student values regarding sustainability initiatives and identify key factors influencing their engagement. A structured questionnaire was distributed among university students, and the collected data was analyzed using statistical techniques to identify meaningful trends and correlations. Findings revealed a notable disconnect between students’ professed sustainability values and their actual behavior. Primary obstacles included price sensitivity, skepticism toward environmental marketing claims, and insufficient access to clear sustainability information from businesses. Despite supporting sustainable initiatives in principle, students often struggle to translate their values into purchasing decisions. The research suggests that greater business transparency, enhanced sustainability education, and incentive programs could foster increased student engagement. Full article

Travel and tourism are essential to global economies, generating social, economic, and environmental impacts. However, there is a lack of standardized methodologies to assess the environmental footprint of tourist destinations beyond carbon footprint analysis. This study introduces the Greentour tool, the first of its kind to evaluate the environmental impact of accommodation, restaurants, and tourism activities using nine environmental indicators from a life cycle assessment (LCA) perspective. The tool applies a hybrid bottom-up and top-down approach, integrating data from tourist establishments and destination managers. The tool was tested in four tourist destinations in Spain and Portugal (Rías Baixas, Camino Lebaniego, Lloret de Mar, and Guimarães), revealing that transportation is the primary contributor to environmental impacts, ranging from 60% to 96% of total emissions, particularly in air-travel-dependent destinations. Food and beverage services are the second-largest contributor, accounting for up to 26% of emissions, while accommodation ranks third (1–14%). This study highlights the significant role of electricity consumption and food choices (e.g., red meat and dairy) in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, emphasizing the need for sustainable alternatives. Despite challenges in data collection, particularly for food and transport statistics, the Greentour tool has demonstrated robustness and adaptability across diverse destinations, making it applicable worldwide. This tool provides key insights for policymakers, tourism stakeholders, and businesses, supporting the integration of sustainability strategies into public policies and industry best practices. Future research should focus on expanding its use to additional destinations to foster science-based decision-making and promote more sustainable tourism practices globally. Full article

This study explores the role of persistence in eco-innovative (EI) activities in enhancing firms’ resilience during crises, focusing on the Spanish food and beverage industry. It distinguishes between two types of eco-innovators: efficiency-focused eco-innovators, who aim to reduce material and energy usage, and environmental eco-innovators, who seek to minimize direct harm to the environment. Additionally, the analysis evaluates the impact of regulation and institutional interventions on fostering eco-innovation during economic downturns. Using panel data from Spanish food and beverage companies between 2004 and 2016, we adopt a longitudinal approach to study how long-term commitments to EI influence green technology adoption. We identify three distinct periods: 2004–2007 (boom), 2008–2013 (crisis), and 2014–2016 (recovery). Finally, the study analyses the most effective institutional interventions and corporate green strategies for fostering the green transition during challenging times. The analysis provides theoretical insights and tailored managerial and policy recommendations. Full article

Adaptive reuse of vacant houses in Japan offers an innovative and sustainable solution to the increase in vacant houses. This approach aligns with principles of sustainable architecture and the circular economy by reducing waste, lowering energy consumption, and extending the lifecycle of existing structures. This study uses purposive sampling, analyzing 262 adaptive reuse cases across Japanese prefectures through partial surveys, municipal records, and online maps. K-prototype clustering identified three distinct patterns. Cluster 1 emphasizes modern businesses, such as food, beverage, and accommodation services, within urban areas to address the needs of densely populated regions and tourist hubs. Cluster 2 blends urban and rural contexts, balancing historical preservation with modern functionality. Cluster 3 highlights rural and scenic accommodations that cater to tourists seeking cultural immersion and authentic experiences, despite challenges like low population density and limited accessibility. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of adaptive reuse as a key strategy for repurposing underutilized spaces, promoting both economic and social resilience. In practical terms, it demonstrates how adaptive reuse advances circular economy objectives by preserving cultural heritage, enhancing environmental sustainability, and creating economic opportunities. Further investigation is needed to unlock the unexplored potential of adaptive reuse in broader contexts and functions. Full article

Food and beverage in Europe represents a central sector in terms of contribution to GDP, employment, and the trade balance. At the same time, it has significant environmental, economic, and social implications, making the adoption of sustainable strategies of vital importance for companies in the sector. This study explores how sustainable business practices can create long-term strategic value, with a particular focus on the food and beverage sector. The research analyzes the relationship between sustainability and business strategy, focusing on how companies can thrive in the context of environmental uncertainties, social fluctuations, and economic interconnectedness. Specifically, the study aims to identify the key sustainability practices and strategies adopted by leading food and beverage companies and determine how these practices affect their ESG performance (environmental, social, and governance) results. The study uses a reasoned selection of case studies from one of the primary CSR regulatory categories—listed companies with considerable size (excluding tobacco companies and those with a capitalization of less than EUR 10 billion)—comparing companies’ sustainability reports and the latest 2023 integrated annual report to assess every aspect of each company, from market position to sustainability policies and sustainable reporting. Full article

The digital transformation age introduces cybersecurity threats into the hospitality industry by increasing the exposure and vulnerability of hospitality firms’ data and systems to hackers. The hospitality industry is a diverse segment of the service sector dedicated to the provision of services in areas such as accommodation, food and beverage, travel and tourism, and recreation, including hotels, restaurants, bars, travel agencies, and theme parks. Cybersecurity risks in the hospitality industry affect the data and systems of businesses such as accommodation, food, travel, and entertainment, primarily enabled by the industry’s increasing digitization. This study aims to map the principal cybersecurity risks to the main stakeholders by proposing a novel Picture Fuzzy Sets (PFSs)-based Matrix of Alliances and Conflicts: Tactics, Objectives, and Recommendations (MACTOR) approach. The purpose here is to examine each stakeholder’s position towards handling cybersecurity attacks and estimate the uncertain nature of personal judgments of industry representatives when stating their point of view. The research aimed to extract the triggering positions of the defined cybercrime risks to reach the root cause of these risks, as the point to try to mitigate first. Thus, this paper contributes to the literature in both theoretical and practical ways by proposing a new approach and by providing real industry officials’ perspectives to solve the challenges. A hospitality practitioner can easily understand their position in this service network and take action to prevent such cybercrimes. Full article

The relationship between online review types and their outcomes is dynamic. However, it remains unclear how the influence of the three prominent kinds of online reviews (ratings, photos, and text) evolves from the initial to the phases of the restaurant visit cycle. To address this gap in the literature, this study administers a survey in mainland China using two time-lag intervals. Based on the data collection methodology proposed in the consumption-system approach, this survey separates the pre- (T1) and post- (T2) stages of specific restaurant visits. While rating reviews’ direct impact on behavioral intentions increases during the visit cycle, that of photo reviews does not change before and after restaurant visits. As for text reviews, these do not directly influence behavioral intentions before a restaurant visit; however, the impact increases after a visit, highlighting a difference in behavioral responses between the pre- and post-restaurant-visit phases. Rating reviews’ direct effect on review skepticism is negatively significant after visiting a restaurant; moreover, review skepticism is important in mediating the relationship between rating reviews and behavioral intentions after a visit. Full article

The circular economy, driven by waste elimination, material circulation and nature regeneration, is crucial for business, people, and the environment. With the increasing demand for distilled beverages, managing agricultural waste like spent grains is paramount. While previous studies focused on individual beverages, investigating technologies across different types of beverages has been overlooked. This paper provides a systematic review of agricultural waste valorisation over the past five years, focusing on four representative distilled beverages: whisk(e)y, tequila, baijiu and shochu. Research efforts have primarily focused on bioenergy production from whisk(e)y and tequila waste, whereas extracting functional substances is common for baijiu and shochu. Through integrating different technologies, a “Three-level Valorisation System” was proposed to enhance the translation of agricultural waste into value-added products like proteins. This system is directly relevant to the distilled beverage industry globally and applicable to associated industries such as biofuel and food production. Full article

The use of single-use take-away packaging for food and beverages is steadily growing globally. The consumption habits of ordering food online and the very short time of use of single-use take-away packaging suggest that high amounts of potential resources are continuously being wasted. Since there is a lack of studies that could represent the status of packaging materials used within the take-away delivery industry, it is difficult to predict the potential for material recycling and reuse. This research aimed at identifying (1) the predominant packaging materials used by the take-away food and beverage industry according to the food category, (2) packaging weight in order to understand the potential for material recovery, (3) labelling in order to understand communication with consumers about what is relevant for choosing end-of-life scenarios, and (4) the residues of the food and beverage within packaging after use, which potentially affects the recyclability of packaging. The research identified at which stages of the value chain there was a potential for the better circulation of single-use packaging materials and provided insights for decision makers (businesses, institutions, etc.) to improve the sustainability of take-away packaging. Full article

Coffee by-products, such as coffee leaves, are components of the coffee plant that remain underexplored. In recent years, driven by efforts from both the public and private sectors to pursue circular economy goals, there has been a resurgence in the interest in coffee leaves for producing new products and diversifying the coffee supply chain. It is well known that coffee waste is a source of bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites, which have various applications in the food and beverage sector for producing functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals. Recently, coffee leaf infusions have been approved as novel food in the European Union, demonstrating the feasibility of marketing coffee leaves. To support their potential applications, it is essential to thoroughly understand the chemical composition and phytochemical profile of the by-product to guide future investigations. Omics techniques can be used to support the valorization process, collecting a large amount of information from a complex matrix allowing the use of coffee by-products as extraction materials for the discovery and recovery of functional compounds. The simultaneous extraction of polar and non-polar fractions and the subsequent application of liquid chromatography coupled with high- or low-resolution mass spectrometry techniques allows the simultaneous identification and quantification of several compounds through a holistic approach. Moreover, through the application of chemometrics on the spectral information, it is possible to highlight the main similarities or differences in the batch that could change according to their origin or the post-harvest process as well as discover new molecules with bioactive properties. The application of omics techniques provides support for the reintegration of coffee by-products back into the production chain, reducing the impact on the environment, providing new business opportunities for farmers and companies. Full article

Around the world, medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) play a fundamental role in the economic, social, cultural, and ecological ambits of local communities. Today, the most important uses of MAPs are their applications in the pharmaceutical, perfume, cosmetics, toothpaste, soap, beverage, and food industries. At the same time, the expression MAPs is often used with a plurality of meanings that are not always clear and well-defined. Thus, the paper aims to answer two research questions: (1) to understand how the expression MAPs has been meant over time by scholars, and (2) to realize the weight that socio-economic research regarding MAPs has assumed in this context. To these ends, a literature review was conducted using the scientific database Scopus. The results highlight that researchers started talking explicitly about MAPs in the 1950s, and the geographical focus of the literature on this theme is in India, followed by China. Researchers have published studies concerning the agronomic aspects, cultivation, characterization, and germination techniques of MAPs, but the most cited articles concern the health and beneficial properties of their essential oils. At the same time, nobody has ever wondered what MAPs are, and since 1977, the World Health Organization definition has been taken for granted, and any species with medicinal or aromatic functions is considered to be a MAP. Regarding the socio-economic weight of the research conducted on MAPs, they represent only 1% of the total academic publications, but from them, it has emerged that, especially in rural areas, MAPs depict important sources of income for several local communities. At the same time, there is a need to increase the estimation of the ecosystem services that MAPs offer, the analyses of consumer preferences in the search for new business opportunities, and the environmental impact assessment of the entire supply chain. Full article

This research aims to reformulate the value-added model of persimmon fruit as an instrument to increase farmers’ income by developing a product downstream strategy. This research was conducted in Malang and Tulungagung in East Java through observation and interviews. Then, we used SWOT analysis technique (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) to identify various factors in reformulating and developing strategies systematically. The results show that farmers must consider product diversification, improved quality and packaging, certification and label, increased nutritional value, marketing and promotion, network and partnership development, training and capacity building, access to capital and financing, research and innovation, and farmer empowerment. Then, in downstream development, it is necessary to carry out strategies in the form of increased production quality, sustainable agricultural practices, processed product development, preparation of partnerships with private parties, effective marketing and promotion, intelligent packaging, product diversification, logistics and distribution optimization, business and financial management, and organic and sustainable certification. This research also identified that persimmon fruit production has great potential, with a large amount land and a high amount of production. In addition, various downstream persimmon products in the form of processed food and beverages can provide significant added value and have the potential to increase farmers’ incomes. Full article

Digital platforms such as social media and e-commerce platforms have become a major space where foods and beverages (F&B) are promoted. Prior research has found that online, unhealthy F&B receive more presence than healthy F&B. This obesogenic food environment may increase the obesity rate. Therefore, it is critical to understand how healthy and unhealthy F&B are promoted online. A content analysis of 2906 posts related to F&B via five digital platforms was conducted in China, where the obesity rate has increased in recent years. Firstly, the results show that unhealthy F&B received more presence on digital platforms than healthy F&B. Secondly, healthy F&B posts tended to highlight the healthiness of the products, whereas unhealthy F&B posts leveraged a wide range of promotional strategies, specifically use cues, food cues, chewing sounds, sensory descriptions, friend cues, local cultural appeal, nostalgia appeal, price information, discount information, and trending hashtags or topics. Next, use cues, chewing sounds, sensory descriptions, family cues, and friend cues increased the quantity of audience feedback, whereas price information and using trending hashtags or topics lowered the quantity of audience feedback. Moreover, local cultural appeal and social proof exhibited the opposite impact on audience feedback. Finally, health benefit statements lowered audience feedback for healthy F&B posts, whereas brand visibility and purchase links inhibited audience feedback for unhealthy F&B posts. In addition to describing the digital food environment in China, the present research provides implications on how to promote healthy F&B. Particularly, we suggest that healthy F&B businesses and healthy eating campaigns should leverage the strategies unhealthy F&B use to receive more consumer attention, in order to increase their own products’ public visibility and attractiveness. Full article

Expert groups recommend that populations adopt dietary patterns higher in whole, plant-based foods and lower in red and processed meat as a high-impact climate action. Yet, there is limited understanding of populations’ willingness to adopt plant-rich dietary patterns. This study examined United States (US) adults’ perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors towards plant-rich dietary patterns and practices over a decade. Fifteen questions from the International Food Information Council’s Food and Health Surveys (2012–2022) were analyzed across four sustainability domains (i.e., human health, environmental, social, and economic domains). Most respondents had favorable perceptions of environmentally sustainable food and beverages, but sustainability influenced less than half of consumers’ purchase decisions. Plant-rich dietary pattern adherence increased across survey years (12.1% [2019] to 25.8% [2022], p < 0.001). One-quarter (28.1%) of Americans reported reducing their red meat intake over 12 months (2020–2022). Yet, another 15.5% reported greater red meat intake, and 18.8% reported greater plant-based meat alternative (PBMA) intake over 12 months. The percentage of respondents who reported greater red meat and PBMA consumption in the previous 12 months significantly increased across the years surveyed (2020–2022, p < 0.05). IFIC Survey findings highlight growing US consumer awareness of health, environmental, and social sustainability but low adoption of plant-rich dietary patterns and practices. Government leadership and coordinated actions by health professionals, civil society, and businesses are needed to educate and incentivize Americans to adopt plant-rich dietary behaviors, and greater industry transparency is needed to show how food and beverage products support human and planetary health. Full article