Search Results (8,357)

High-Standard Farmland Construction (HSFC) is widely expected to support both food security and low-carbon agriculture in China, yet prevailing assessments treat agricultural carbon performance (ACP) as a single aggregate, obscuring the structural asymmetry between emission mitigation and carbon sequestration. This study examines whether HSFC simultaneously reduces agricultural emissions and enhances carbon sequestration. Using a city-level panel of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (2007–2022), this study treats HSFC as a quasi-experiment and decomposes ACP into carbon sequestration performance (CSP) and carbon mitigation performance (CMP). The results show that HSFC robustly improves overall ACP and CSP, while its effect on CMP is statistically insignificant. Further decomposition indicates that HSFC promotes ACP through both efficiency change and technological change, though these gains are concentrated primarily in the sequestration dimension. Mechanism analysis shows that farmland scale management improves both efficiency and technology adoption, whereas agricultural socialized services promote both channels with a particularly pronounced effect on technological progress; neither channel, however, delivers a strong mitigation effect. In addition, the CSP-enhancing effect is robust across mechanization levels and in major grain-producing areas, whereas it is statistically absent in the upstream reaches characterized by fragmented terrain, and no significant CMP effect emerges in any subgroup. These findings provide new evidence on the climate consequences of farmland policies and offer implications for better aligning food security with agricultural decarbonization. Full article

Historically, sweet violet (Viola odorata L.) was an important plant used in various ways, including folk medicine, rituals and festivals, as food, and as an ornamental plant in gardens. The use of this species has varied from ancient times to the present; it is most consistently praised as a medicinal plant, while its popularity as an ornamental and edible species has been intermittent. A review of the extensive scientific literature on its pharmacological and medicinal properties demonstrates its value and the immense diversity of its uses in these fields to this day. While providing a concise overview of its importance for medicinal applications, this paper focuses on the much smaller body of scientific literature concerning horticulture and botany. The aim is to present a comprehensive overview of research on sweet violet, with a primary focus on combining, connecting, and making more accessible notable and related works concerning its taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, and horticultural production. A review of published studies shows fragmented and too specific studies of anatomical structure that are difficult to compare, as well as data gaps in areas of cultivation, hybridisation, selection, and broader comparisons between different populations of this species. It also highlights the overall economic importance which, in combination with the lack of commercial production, results in potentially problematic practices regarding the exploitation of this species in its natural habitats. Full article

Land-use change is a primary driver of changes in ecosystem services, and different development scenarios imply markedly different ecological responses, with consequences for regional economic development and ecological protection. However, existing studies have mostly focused on historical and current conditions, and quantitative assessments of future ecosystem-service changes under multiple land-use scenarios remain limited. In this study, the patch-generating land-use simulation (PLUS) model was used to simulate land-use patterns of Hubei Province under business-as-usual (BAU), economic development (ED), and ecological conservation (EC) scenarios for 2030 and 2040; five ecosystem services—habitat quality (HQ), soil conservation (SC), grain productivity (GP), water yield (WY), and water purification (WP, proxied by nitrogen export)—were then assessed for 2000–2020 and the future scenarios at a 30 m resolution using InVEST-based modules; Spearman correlation analysis was used to identify trade-offs and spatial associations among services, and the geographical detector model (GDM) was applied at 5 km and 10 km grid scales to quantify the explanatory power of driving factors. The results show that from 2000 to 2020, cultivated land, forest land, grassland, and unused land in Hubei Province decreased by 273,146.76 hm², 61,111.08 hm², 8712.99 hm², and 5392.26 hm², respectively, while construction land and water areas expanded. Over the same period, GP, SC, and WY increased, nitrogen export grew (indicating a weakening of water purification), and HQ declined continuously from 0.545 to 0.527; the comprehensive ecosystem-service index (CESI) followed a U-shaped trajectory (0.268 in 2000, 0.243 in 2010, and 0.267 in 2020). Under the future scenarios, GP increases markedly under BAU and ED, while HQ and SC deteriorate and nitrogen export rises; under EC, HQ and SC improve significantly, GP first decreases and then increases, and both WY and nitrogen export decline. Among the driving factors, elevation, slope, and NDVI dominate the spatial heterogeneity of ecosystem services, and their explanatory power varies between the 5 km and 10 km scales. These findings provide a reference for optimizing land-resource allocation and for reconciling economic development, food security, and ecological protection in Hubei Province. Full article

This study examines recurrent pet care spending, its perceived economic incidence on household budgets, and barriers to e-commerce adoption in Yopal, Colombia. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional, non-experimental design, data were collected from a non-probability convenience sample of 619 pet owners. Descriptive statistics, chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests, and binary logistic regression models were applied; online-channel adoption was analyzed exploratorily. Higher pet food and annual healthcare expenditures and ownership of two pets were associated with greater odds of perceiving moderate-to-high economic incidence, while partial affective justification was also associated with greater perceived economic incidence. Online purchasing remained marginal, with only 31 respondents identifying it as their primary purchasing channel. Among non-adopters, distrust of digital platforms and limited internet access were the most frequent barriers, with distributions differing significantly across age and income groups. Overall, the findings are consistent with an economically active but digitally incomplete market configuration, where recurrent demand coexists with limited digital transactional development. Full article

The European Union Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 on novel foods has created new opportunities for the valorization of marine by-products within the framework of the circular bioeconomy and sustainable blue economy. Refined shrimp peptide concentrate (RSPC), obtained through enzymatic hydrolysis of Pandalus borealis shells and heads, represents a relevant case study for examining the interaction between food innovation, regulatory assessment, sustainability, and value-chain development. This study analyzes the EFSA scientific opinion on RSPC and reviews available compositional, toxicological, allergenicity, and clinical evidence, contextualizing the ingredient within European policies on circular economy, resource efficiency, and sustainable food systems. The assessment indicates that RSPC consists mainly of 8 low-molecular-weight peptides with demonstrated angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity and potential applications in blood pressure management. Beyond its functional properties, the valorization of shrimp processing by-products offers opportunities to reduce waste generation, increase resource efficiency, and create new economic value within the seafood sector. The case study highlights how the novel food regulatory framework can support the safe market introduction of innovative marine-derived ingredients while contributing to circular economy objectives. Although challenges related to allergenicity management, consumer acceptance, and industrial scalability remain, RSPC demonstrates the potential of marine by-product valorization to foster more sustainable, resilient, and economically viable food systems. Full article

Digital finance has emerged as a rapidly evolving field shaped by advances in financial technology (FinTech), blockchain, artificial intelligence, digital banking, and payment innovations. Our analysis applied bibliometric techniques to examine the evolution, trends, intellectual structure, and future directions of research in the field. Data were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection using a search strategy designed to capture publications that explicitly address research trends, evolution, and future directions in digital finance. After applying predefined screening criteria, a final dataset of 334 publications published between 2016 and 6 March 2026, was analyzed using Bibliometrix, Biblioshiny, and VOSviewer. The analysis included performance indicators, science mapping, co-authorship networks, co-citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence analysis, thematic mapping, thematic evolution, author productivity analysis using Lotka’s Law as a descriptive reference, and Bradford’s Law. The findings indicate a substantial increase in publications over the study period, with an annual growth rate of 33.35%. Research output is highly concentrated in China and India, which together account for approximately 70.06% of the publications. The intellectual structure of the literature is primarily organized around themes related to FinTech, blockchain, cryptocurrency, innovation, and financial inclusion. At the same time, emerging areas include artificial intelligence, sustainability, ESG, green finance, and decentralized finance. The results also reveal fragmented collaboration networks and significant geographical concentration in research production. This study contributes to the literature by providing an overview of the evolution and thematic development of trend-focused digital finance research and identifies promising directions for future investigation. The findings should be interpreted within the scope of the selected trend-oriented literature and not as a representation of the digital finance literature landscape. Full article

Although natural biopolymers represent promising sustainable packaging alternatives, their weak mechanical and barrier properties limit industrial use. While previous reviews focus on descriptive aspects of enzymatic modification, this review fills a critical literature gap by systematically bridging molecular-level laccase-driven reactions with quantitative techno-economic and safety and regulatory frameworks. We evaluate the kinetic and topological differences between direct tyrosyl-coupled protein homopolymerisation and mediator-assisted ‘graft-then-link’ polysaccharide strategies. Crucially, we analyse how entrapment versus surface-immobilised architectures dictate mass-transfer regimes, establishing their specific functional fitness for active oxygen scavenging or intelligent time-temperature monitoring. Beyond physical performance, we critically assess the translational bottlenecks currently hindering industrial scaling. For the first time, we integrate a quantitative techno-economic analysis using the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) framework, demonstrating that active film fabrication costs (EUR 0.01–0.10/m²) are heavily offset by high-protein food waste savings (>EUR 2.00/kg). Finally, we navigate European and US regulatory landscapes for enzymatically active materials and evaluate safety risks via the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) model and deterministic migration modelling. This comprehensive analysis establishes a ‘Safe-by-Design’ paradigm, guiding the scalable development of intrinsically safe, high-performance biocatalytic packaging. Full article

Mycotoxin contamination in food and feed remains a major public health concern because of its potential toxicological impact and its global economic implications. Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A are of particular concern due to their carcinogenic, hepatotoxic, and nephrotoxic effects, highlighting the need for effective surveillance systems to reduce dietary exposure in the population. This study analyzes 2479 mycotoxin-related notifications concerning both food and feed reported through the iRASFF system during the period 2020–2024, with the aim of characterizing temporal notification trends, identifying the most affected food products and geographical regions, and evaluating the evolution of control strategies implemented by competent authorities. The results did not show a statistically significant long-term increasing trend in the number of mycotoxin notifications, although interannual fluctuations may reflect both changes in contamination patterns and improvements in detection and reporting systems. Products originating outside the European Union accounted for 90.44% of notifications and showed a significantly higher mean number of notifications than products originating within the European Union. Turkey (24%) and the United States (14%) were the most frequently reported countries of origin at a global level. Aflatoxins were the most frequently detected mycotoxins in food (84%), followed by ochratoxin A (15%), mainly affecting nuts, cereals, fruits, vegetables and herbs and spices. These findings demonstrate that mycotoxins continue to represent a persistent challenge for European food safety. Strengthening surveillance systems, enhancing international cooperation, and adapting control strategies to emerging environmental and trade-related factors are essential to minimize consumer exposure, particularly to compounds with genotoxic and carcinogenic potential, and to improve risk management within the food supply chain. Full article

Driven by the escalating worldwide consumption of animal-sourced commodities, the livestock industry faces intensified constraints regarding its ecological consequences, encompassing large-scale deforestation, elevated greenhouse gas emissions, progressive soil deterioration, and the suboptimal management of hydrological resources. In response to these challenges, the concept of sustainable livestock husbandry integrates production practices with environmental management strategies designed to conserve biodiversity, optimize resource use, and reduce emissions. The objective of this review is to emphasize the significance of sustainable cervid farming as an integral element of contemporary food supply chains, comprehensively addressing its environmental, production, and nutritional dimensions. A comprehensive assessment of current scholarly articles from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was performed to explore topics concerning eco-conscious livestock practices, non-conventional farming models, organic rearing, animal well-being, and the evolution of deer breeding. Particular attention was paid to the role of permanent grasslands in venison production, soil protection, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity preservation. The nutritional value of red deer and fallow deer meat and its significance in sustainable food systems are also outlined. As indicated by the analysis of available research findings, extensive cervid farming based on the use of permanent grasslands and local feed resources can reduce environmental pressures through support of landscape conservation, preservation of ecosystem functions, and efficient utilization of biomass that is inedible for humans. Venison is shown to be a valuable source of high-quality protein, minerals, and essential fatty acids, which meets growing consumer demands for high-quality food. The literature review has confirmed that properly managed cervid farming can be an important element of sustainable food production systems combining production goals with environmental protection and animal welfare. It also emphasizes the need for further research into the environmental, economic, and social aspects of this branch of animal production. Full article

Food price inflation provides an important economic context for consumer behaviour related to food; however, its impact on sustainable and responsible food consumption remains understudied. This cross-sectional study analyzed self-reported changes in food-related behaviour among Polish consumers during a period of strong upward pressure on food prices and identified demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with the intensity of these changes. In June 2023, a CAWI survey was conducted among a quota sample of 1000 adults in Poland, representative in terms of age and gender. To assess changes in the analyzed areas of food-related behaviours (food procurement, shopping planning, meal preparation, use of food service establishments, consumption of selected food products, and food waste), the Friedman test and the Wilcoxon test with Holm correction were used. To examine the relationship between the reported changes and the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents, a synthetic change-intensity index was constructed based on 52 items covering the six behavioural domains. The significance of the relationship was tested using Pearson’s chi-square test and ordinal logistic regression. Respondents reported changes in all areas analyzed. A decline in the consumption of selected food groups was observed, including fresh fruits and vegetables and fish, with the largest decline in consumption noted for alcoholic beverages. The extent of these changes varied significantly according to characteristics such as age, place of residence, employment status, source of income, and income level. The results indicate that high food price pressures were accompanied by multidimensional changes in consumer food-related behaviours, including more frugal management of food resources and reduced consumption of certain food products. These results underscore the importance of maintaining economic access to nutritionally dense foods, particularly among economically vulnerable households. Full article

Last-mile delivery is constrained by manual cargo handling, which consumes a large share of the operating window and limits the number of delivery rounds per shift. This study evaluates the operational and economic effects of the Automated Horizontal Loading and Unloading System (AHLUS), a retrofittable in-vehicle technology that converts the cargo bed into an active handling platform using a belt conveyor and a movable bulkhead. Using daily records from two AHLUS-equipped one-ton trucks operated in a South Korean fresh-food network over four months, an interrupted time-series regression with Newey-West standard errors estimated the effect of the deployment process—encompassing driver adaptation and the dispatch reallocation enabled by the system’s enhanced handling capacity—while controlling for the pre-intervention trend. After stabilization, daily throughput was approximately 19.8 percent higher than the learning-phase baseline (approximately 14.8 percent relative to the model-implied counterfactual trend), a gain that was statistically significant, held for both drivers, and corresponded to an increase from two to three delivery rounds per shift. A transparent total cost of ownership model incorporating payload-loss, power, maintenance, and downtime yielded a base-case break-even point of 4.1 months, and a Monte Carlo simulation indicated a positive net benefit across all sampled parameter combinations under the assumed input distributions, with a median break-even point of 4.6 months. As an exploratory single-company field validation without an untreated control series, the study estimates the effect of the deployment as implemented in practice rather than the isolated effect of the hardware. The findings provide field-based evidence that in-vehicle handling automation can deliver measurable throughput and economic benefits in last-mile operations, pending confirmation in larger multi-company and multi-region deployments. Full article

Economically motivated adulteration of powdered ginger with low-cost cereal flours represents an increasing concern for food authenticity and quality control. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a rapid, reliable, and non-destructive method for the quantitative determination of powdered ginger adulteration using visible and near-infrared (Vis–NIR) spectroscopy coupled with chemometric modelling. Ginger powder samples were adulterated with wheat, corn, and rice flours at concentrations ranging from 5 to 50% (w/w), with particular emphasis on the low-to-medium adulteration interval (10–25%), where reliable quantification is especially relevant for food fraud detection. Spectral data acquired in the visible (400–700 nm), near-infrared (700–2500 nm), and combined Vis–NIR (400–2500 nm) regions were preprocessed using Savitzky–Golay filtering and evaluated using Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Random Forest Regression (RFR). In addition, Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Random Forest (RF) were compared for sample classification. Among the evaluated approaches, LDA achieved the highest classification accuracy (>95%) using the NIR spectroscopic region, while PLSR models developed from the NIR spectral region provided the best quantitative performance, with validation coefficients of determination above 0.99, prediction errors below 1%, and RPD values greater than 13. The results demonstrate that Vis–NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometric modelling enables accurate discrimination between authentic and adulterated samples, as well as reliable quantification of flour adulteration in powdered ginger without sample preparation or chemical reagents. The proposed methodology constitutes a rapid, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective analytical strategy with strong potential for routine quality control and food fraud prevention. Full article

Carob has traditionally been used as a nutritious alternative to cocoa. The present study evaluated the physicochemical, microbiological, nutritional, sensorial, phenolic, and antioxidant profile, along with the bioaccessibility of phenolics and antioxidants, of a developed carob-based spreadable product in comparison with two commercially available similar chocolate–hazelnut spreads popular in Greece. Moreover, the implemented food safety management system and the economic impact of the new product were also considered. The carob-based product was slightly more acidic (pH 5.3) and had an increased water activity (a_w = 0.67) when compared to the commercial chocolate spreads. Consumer acceptability for the developed product was almost 80%, and it had a shelf-life of over six months. In terms of nutritional value, the product is suitable for vegans with no added animal protein and preservatives, while it is also low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and very low in sodium. Comparatively, the carob-based product exhibited higher total phenolic (TPC) but lower total flavonoid (TFC) contents and increased DPPH activity than the other two cocoa-based spreads (p < 0.05). Predicted bioaccessibility in the newly developed product was 67% for TPC (p ≥ 0.05) and 10% for total antioxidant capacity (TAC; p < 0.05). Market analysis indicates that there is a considerable margin of profit for the developed product against competition. Conclusively, this research demonstrates that carob-based food products with functional properties can constitute a suitable, promising alternative to conventional cocoa-based similar products. Full article

Several global challenges are converging: rising organic solid waste generation, growing food demand, and increasingly unfavorable conditions for food production, including more frequent and severe droughts, water scarcity, and limited agricultural land for expansion. Bioconverting organic waste into alternative protein sources has emerged as a promising strategy to address waste management and feed production challenges simultaneously. This study presents a comprehensive systematic literature review on protein production through the bioconversion of residual biomass using the black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens). The BSF is a highly voracious organism during its larval stage and can substantially reduce organic waste volumes while converting them into biomass rich in proteins and lipids with high nutritional value for livestock and aquaculture feed formulations. The review examines Waste-to-Protein systems from three perspectives: technical, economic, and environmental. The technical perspective focuses on production system operations and substrate properties. The economic perspective addresses profitability indicators, capital and operating costs, economies of scale, and the economic performance of incorporating insect-derived protein into animal production systems. From an environmental perspective, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the predominant method for evaluating WtP-BSF systems. Among the systems assessed using LCA, 63% rely on crop-derived substrates for larval feeding. These substrates have intrinsic commercial value, and together with the environmental burdens associated with energy consumption during BSFL rearing, they may constrain the overall sustainability and profitability of WtP-BSF systems. By evaluating factors such as feed dosage, larval density, actual organic waste, and eco-efficiency metrics for livestock feed, opportunities for a circular economy could be developed in developing countries, helping to decrease dependence on landfills. Full article

The study of the conceptual framework examined climate change, water civilization, and socio-economic development in ancient Dalmatia (Croatia). The study examined the cultural and social development centered on managing and depending on water from 350 BCE to 900 CE. Significance was highlighted on water resources and water civilization as the basis of human society, influencing culture, governance, and survival. This research utilized a thermodynamic framework to illustrate the dynamic interrelationships that affect the development of civilization, establishing continuous cycles of reciprocal influence and adjustment. The findings indicate that the main external dangers to civilizations in Dalmatia were significant alterations in climate patterns and abrupt variations in water cycles brought on by solar radiation and cooling due to volcanic eruptions. Within the organization, there was an insufficient water management expertise required to manage and regulate water resource systems. With the failure of water networks and dissipative structures, local communities were deprived of water and food resources. Hunger, warfare, and illness frequently ensued, resulting in large-scale movement or the desertion of cities. The results suggest that the connection among climate change, water societies, and socio-economic elements underpins both human history and contemporary global issues. Full article