Search Results (47)

Food loss and waste are critical challenges in Taiwan’s agri-food supply chain, deteriorating security and resource efficiency. By employing the best–worst method (BWM), a multi-criteria decision-making model was developed in this study to evaluate the severity of losses and wastes. Combining literature review results with expert survey analysis results, key loss points, and mitigation strategies were identified to enhance sustainability and efficiency in Taiwan’s agricultural food system. Among the seven stages of the agricultural food supply chain, supermarket waste (16.95%) was identified as the severest, followed by government policies (16.63%), restaurant waste (15.35%), processing loss (14.71%), production site loss (13.64%), household waste (11.93%), and logistics/storage/distribution loss (10.79%). In the subcategories of each supply chain stage, the eight severe issues were identified as “Inadequate planning and control of overall production and marketing policies” under government policies, “Adverse climate conditions” and “Imbalance in production and marketing” under production site loss, “Inaccurate market demand forecasting” and “Poor inventory management at supermarkets” under supermarket waste, and “Improper storage management of ingredients leading to spoilage” as well as “Inability to accurately forecast demand due to menu diversity” under restaurant waste. The least severe issues included “Poor production techniques” under production site loss. Other minor issues included “Inefficient use of ingredients due to poor cooking skills”, “Festive culture and traditional customs”, and “Suboptimal food labeling design”, all of which contributed to household waste. Based on these findings, we proposed recommendations to mitigate food loss and waste in Taiwan’s agricultural food supply chain from practical, policy, and academic perspectives. The results of this study serve as a reference for relevant organizations and stakeholders. Full article

The Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) model presents a transformative framework for advancing sustainability in food festival tourism, particularly in Thailand. Food festivals serve as dynamic platforms for celebrating local culinary heritage while fostering environmental responsibility and economic resilience. This study examined the integration of the BCG model with critical success factors and community identity to assess its impact on sustainable food festival management. Employing a quantitative research approach and structural equation modeling, data were collected from 503 festival attendees to analyze key relationships among event management, community identity, and sustainability practices. The findings underscore the effectiveness of the BCG model in enhancing resource efficiency, minimizing waste, and promoting local sourcing, thus strengthening the sustainability and attractiveness of food festivals. Notably, while the role of community identity was found to be less significant than anticipated, this suggests evolving tourist preferences favoring sustainability and quality over traditional cultural attributes. These insights offer valuable implications for policymakers, event organizers, and stakeholders in designing eco-conscious, culturally enriching festivals that align with the global sustainability goals. This study contributes to the theoretical discourse on sustainable tourism and provides practical strategies to foster environmentally responsible and economically viable food festivals. Full article

The Smart Choice logo (SCL), as an encouraging form of front-of-package nutrition labeling (FOPNL), helps consumers to choose low-oil, -salt, and -sugar mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is widely acknowledged that nutrition knowledge contributes to nutrition label use, but there has been little research on whether it helps enhance consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP). Our study aims to fill this gap by investigating 630 randomly selected Chinese adults from Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Henan, Sichuan, and Guangdong. The semi-double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent value method was selected to measure their WTP for pre-packed mooncakes with the SCL at 20 different premium levels, ranging from 0% to 95% of the price per unit. It was found that the respondents’ WTP decreased by 0.7% as the premium level increased by 1%, and the WTP of people from South China, those who were obese, and those with a high income was not sensitive to changes in premium. Nutrition knowledge played a negative moderating role, and the probability of the premium levels affecting WTP decreased by 1.0% for each 1 point increase in the nutrition knowledge level. These findings highlight the potential implications associated with SCL promotion and differentiated mooncake pricing, as well as the supply of healthier Chinese holiday foods. Full article

This study assesses the economic contribution and motivations of tourists attending the Raymi Llaqta festival in Chachapoyas, Peru. This study used an econometric analysis based on the application of two types of regression models: non-zero truncated Poisson regression and zero-truncated negative binomial regression. Data were collected through face-to-face structured interviews with domestic and foreign tourists who visited Chachapoyas during the festival. Results indicate significant spending on accommodation, food, transportation, and activities. Tourist satisfaction averaged 3.7, with notable appreciation for the festival’s variety, authenticity, local hospitality, and safety. While both foreign and domestic tourists expressed positive views on the cultural representation and organization of the event, they suggested improvements in hygiene and promotional efforts. Despite using a structured questionnaire, response bias could affect the accuracy of self-reported experiences. This research provides valuable insights into the festival’s direct economic impact on the local economy and highlights the importance of high tourist satisfaction for effective marketing strategies. Full article

This study uses an input–output model to assess the economic impact of the 2018 Mile High 420 Festival on the Colorado economy. A comprehensive assessment was conducted to determine the economic impact of the Mile High 420 Festival, which included analyzing the direct, indirect, and induced effects of festival spending. The study involved 233 respondents whose primary motive was to attend the 420 Festival. Using IMPLAN, the study’s data were analyzed to determine the economic activity generated by visitor activity. On average, each respondent spent USD 2013 during their trip to Colorado. The largest expense per person was on cannabis-related activities and shopping, followed by lodging and food and drink. When these expenses were multiplied by the number of visitors (25,650), the total spending amounted to USD 51.7 million. When indirect and induced spending was included, the 2018 Mile High 420 Festival generated a total economic impact of over USD 95 million for Colorado. It contributed to the creation of 787 jobs in the region. No study has been conducted on the economic impact of a cannabis-themed festival in the current tourism literature. Therefore, this study contributes to filling this gap by developing literature on the impact of cannabis tourism and its implications for host communities or states, especially for state policymakers and business professionals. The results of this study are expected to serve as a reliable benchmark for subsequent economic impact analyses and comparisons with other industries. Full article

Nowadays, introducing innovations is treated as a necessity to ensure market survival. However, this may be difficult, especially for food entrepreneurs whose innovations are strongly connected with tradition. The main aim of this study was to assess the innovation abilities and potential of traditional food producers in the context of the classic dilemma of innovation-and-tradition interplay. The surveyed food producers were from five Polish voivodeships belonging to the European Culinary Heritage Network. The study conducted 70 semi-structured interviews. The respondents were divided into two groups: the innovative and non-innovative groups. The statistical significance of the differences between the two groups was tested using a two-independent-samples t test. A comparison revealed significantly different average results for the following variables: general managerial education, business duration, sources of knowledge about traditions, profits and earnings, and own product brand. For the remaining variables (employment, sales range, financial capital sources, business goals in total, and own business), no significant differences were found between the mean results. Both tested hypotheses were verified to be valid. The vendors-producers of traditional food in this study showed innovative abilities and untapped innovation potential. Full article

Tourism is multifaceted and primarily encompasses cultural activities, aiming mainly to ensure visitors’ relaxation and rejuvenation. Therefore, activities that involve exploring the culinary richness of a destination, which provide elements of the local culture and history, are important. The purpose of this study is to outline the profile of potential gastronomic tourists in order to identify the motivating factors for tasting local cuisine. Additionally, gastronomic festivals are raising the question of whether they serve as a means to attract potential tourists and what conditions they must meet in order to become an attractive activity. A survey was carried out targeting two nationalities with a deep gastronomic culture: Greeks and Koreans. The findings indicate that despite their common perspectives on food selection motives and that the existence of a gastronomic festival at the travel destination interests both nationalities, they differ in terms of choosing a gastronomic festival as the primary factor in visiting a destination. Overall, it is deemed useful to implement and promote gastronomic festivals with a focus on the particular needs of the respective potential tourists. Full article

To enhance the competitiveness of the traditional handicraft industry, providers should offer service experiences using their products (i.e., servitization) instead of merely selling them. Effective management for servitization in the traditional handicraft industry must consider the differences in customers’ prior knowledge. Nevertheless, previous studies have overlooked how this knowledge about traditional handicrafts impacts service experiences. This study explores which factors of consumer behavior (during services) and service outcomes (post-services) are affected by customers’ prior knowledge about a traditional handicraft. An organic food restaurant booth was provided at an annual summer festival about pottery as an experiment, and data were collected on customers’ meal experiences with a pottery plate through a questionnaire. The findings suggest that customers’ prior knowledge about a traditional handicraft promotes their search for information from service resources (i.e., organic foods) which are integrated with the traditional handicraft and their creativity during services, thereby changing their understanding of service resources and increasing satisfaction with service experience. This study contributes to services marketing by identifying the factors of during and post-services that are affected by customers’ prior knowledge about a traditional handicraft in the context of servitization. Full article

This research aimed to ascertain the prerequisites for the advancement of the slow food movement in Iran. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, it adopted a descriptive and survey-oriented design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 experts well-versed in the extension of slow food, employing a snowball sampling technique. The interview data underwent coding and analysis employing open coding, axial coding, and selective coding methods. The study encompassed experts and managers in agricultural extension and education across the nation. For statistical analysis, a structural equation model and confirmatory factor analysis were employed, utilizing SMART PLS 3 and SPSS 26 software. The goodness-of-fit index (GoF) was utilized to evaluate the comprehensive validity of the research model. From a qualitative perspective, six primary facets of the slow food model emerged: 1. Extension strategies in harmony with slow food principles; 2. Methods of extending the slow food movement; 3. Supportive policies for slow food propagation; 4. Intervening conditions; 5. Causal conditions (triggers and applications) of the slow food paradigm; and 6. Outcomes resulting from the adoption of the slow food ethos. These facets collectively comprised a total of 38 sub-components. Through analysis of the structural equation model, key facets with substantial operational weight and significant influence on the promotion of slow food were identified. These prominent components encompass disease prevention, the organization of festivals and exhibitions, the revision of laws, the shaping of individuals’ lifestyles, the enhancement of food tourism capacity, and the optimization of human resources. Full article

(1) Background: There has been a growing interest in understanding the causes of obesity and developing effective prevention strategies. Lifestyle change programs are often considered the gold standard for weight reduction, and they can help individuals with obesity achieve an annual weight loss of around 8–10%. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effect of food during the winter holidays. This knowledge will serve as a valuable foundation for the development of targeted interventions and prevention programs. (2) Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the literature via one database (PubMed). The search was limited to studies published in English in the last 10 years, with adult participants, but without specifying limits regarding the study design. We excluded articles that addressed intermittent fasting diets or weight loss intervention methods during the holidays through various diets. (3) In separate sections, we analyzed the psychological causes of gaining weight during the winter holidays, behavioral patterns, prevention strategies and the nutritional composition of the different types of food served during the festive period. Results: Using the combination of the terms “holiday and obesity”, “holiday and weight gain”, “festive season and obesity”, and “festive season and weight gain” we obtained 216 results involving the addressed topic. Thus, only ten articles remained after screening, with a total of 4627 participants. Most participants experienced weight fluctuations during the study period, particularly during holidays. One concerning observation was that most of the weight gained during these periods was maintained even after the end of the studies, especially in those with obesity. A supervised exercise program and a controlled diet at work over the Christmas period are effective strategies for avoiding weight gain and its deleterious effects in people with metabolic syndrome or weight problems. (4) In addition, attention must be focused on the psycho-social factors during the holidays because for some people it is a stressful period and can cause a much higher caloric consumption. The simplest method to approach during the holidays is to implement small tips and tricks during this period that will prevent individuals from gaining extra pounds. Conclusions: It is essential to acknowledge that obesity is a multifaceted condition that requires a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to address its underlying factors and provide ongoing assistance to individuals in their weight-management endeavors. Even the most effective short-term interventions are likely to produce continued positive outcomes with persistent intervention and support. Full article

Central places described in the literature as metropolitan cities or urban hubs significantly impact the socioeconomic development of their surroundings, hence the interest in their influence on the organization of local food tasting and promotion events. This paper aims to identify the spatial differentiation of food festivals in Poland, focusing on major metropolitan areas. The study presents a geostatistical analysis conducted with the use of spatial interpolation methods, with the aim of revealing the extent of the impact of metropolitan areas on the organization of food festivals, which are a determining factor in the development of a given area with the simultaneous initiation of the impact area’s own brand. The study consists of a literature review and spatial data collection regarding Polish geolocation of food festivals. Detailed analyses cover food festivals which, in terms of the number of visitors and their circumstances, could be classified as mass events, while considering their impact on the voivodship and ultimately, Poland as a whole. The results are compiled in cartographic, descriptive, and tabular forms. A synthesis was conducted separately for each voivodship. The study’s results confirm the hypothesis that the spatial autocorrelation of food festivals is related to the directionality of the major supply chains and the gradient of human movement intensity. The movements of people and cargo along this direction strongly determine key decisions regarding the organization of food festivals. Full article

The importance of food festivals in the functioning of local rural areas is manifested in the construction of a sense of community and place. However, each stakeholder group perceives the impact of such festivals differently. The literature lacks a comprehensive approach to this issue. The main aim of this research is, thus, to identify how particular groups of stakeholders perceive the impact of a local food festival on the development of a rural area. The research was conducted at a small local food festival in Poland in July 2020. Individual groups of stakeholders (organizers, vendors and visitors) were asked to assess the impact of the festival on the development of the rural area. This research was conducted in three main stages using various research tools. In the first stage, an in-depth interview was conducted with the festival’s organizers. In the second stage, a survey, via a questionnaire, was conducted with visitors. In the third stage, semi-structured interviews were held with vendors. Surveys and interviews were carried out using the paper-and-pencil interview (PAPI) method. Our results indicate that interest in the impact of festivals on rural development decreases with distance. That is, the sooner such effects are visible, the more positive they are perceived. Moreover, visitors (on vacation) perceive a festival’s impact more positively than vendors (at work). Full article

A food festival is a type of an environment in which various stakeholders function. The main aim of the research is to indicate the elements and relations of the entrepreneurship ecosystem of food festivals. Empirical data were collected at three food festivals in Poland in the summer of 2020 using the pen-and-paper interview method and semi-structured interviews. During the research, a total of 58 interviews were conducted with vendors. A coding technique was used to process the data. The themes included in the interviews concerned parts of the food festival entrepreneurship model: capital, micro-environment, and macro-environment. The conducted research shows that the core of the entrepreneurship ecosystem model of food festivals is dominated by the family capital. For the vendor, the food festival acts as a platform connecting with the micro-environment and other stakeholders. In the macro-environment of the food festival ecosystem, apart from the conditions of support, there are also factors that limited the activity. The research is an attempt to fill the gaps in the identification of specific features and elements of the entrepreneurial ecosystem of food festivals. The research is an attempt to show how the entrepreneurship ecosystem model of food festivals works. The observations require further in-depth research, e.g., in terms of the evolution of this ecosystem or the dynamics of relationships. Full article

There are an increasing number of initiatives that recognize arable weed species as an important component of agricultural biodiversity. Such initiatives often focus on declining species that were once abundant and are still well known, but the ethnographic relevance of such species receives little recognition. We carried out an extensive literature review on the medicinal, ornamental, and cultural applications of three selected species, Papaver rhoeas, Centaurea cyanus, and Delphinium consolida, in the relevant Hungarian literature published between 1578 and 2021. We found a great diversity of medicinal usages. While P. rhoeas stands out with its sedative influence, D. consolida was mainly employed to stop bleeding, and C. cyanus was most frequently used to cure eye inflammation. The buds of P. rhoeas were sporadically eaten and its petals were used as a food dye. All species fulfilled ornamental purposes, either as garden plants or gathered in the wild for bouquets. They were essential elements of harvest festivals and religious festivities, particularly in Corpus Christi processions. P. rhoeas was also a part of several children’s games. These wildflowers were regularly depicted in traditional Hungarian folk art. In poetry, P. rhoeas was used as a symbol of burning love or impermanence; C. cyanus was frequently associated with tenderness and faithfulness; while D. consolida regularly emerged as a nostalgic remembrance of the disappearing rural lifestyle. These plants were also used as patriotic symbols in illustrations for faithfulness, loyalty, or homesickness. Our results highlight the deep and prevalent embeddedness of the three iconic weed species studied in the folk culture of the Carpathian Basin. The ethnobotanical and cultural embeddedness of arable weed species should also be considered when efforts and instruments for the conservation of arable weed communities are designed. Full article

Ubiquitous exposure to visual food content has been implicated in the development of obesity with both individual and societal costs. The development and increasing adoption of Extended Reality (XR) experiences, which deliver an unprecedented immersion in digital content, would seem to carry the risk of further exacerbating the consequences of visual food exposure on real-world eating behavior. However, some studies have also identified potentially health-promoting effects of exposure to visual food stimuli. One example is repeated imagined consumption, which has been demonstrated to decrease subsequent food consumption. This work contains the first comparison between imagined eating and actual eating, to investigate how the simulated activity fares against its real counterpart in terms of inducing satiation. Three-hundred participants took part in an experiment at a local food festival. The participants were randomized between three experimental conditions: imagined eating, actual eating, and control. Each condition consisted of thirty trials. Before and after the experimental manipulation, the participants recorded their eating desires and enjoyment of a piece of chocolate candy. The resulting data showed generally no difference between the imagined eating and control conditions, which stands in conflict with the prior literature. In contrast, the differences between imagined and actual eating were significant. These results may be explained by differences in the experimental tasks’ dose–response relationships, as well as environmental-contextual disturbances. Overall, the findings do not corroborate the efficacy of imagined eating within a real-life context. Full article