Search Results (118)

Aquaculture has become a crucial component of global food production, yet catfish (10.8% of global finfish production) breeding programs often lack sufficient genetic data to fully utilize their production potential. In the last 15 years, there have been improvements in this field as two high-density (HD) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays (250K and 690K) and low-density panels have been developed for North American channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus). This lack of genomic tools hinders genetic improvement efforts in other commercially relevant catfish species besides them. Therefore, this review investigated the reason behind the lack of SNP chip usage in genetic-based selections in most catfish breeding programs and the cross-species applicability of the already existing high-density SNP arrays for genotyping members of the Clariidae, African catfish (Clarias gariepinu), and Siluridae, European catfish (Silurus glanis), families. This paper systematically reviews the literature of more than 16 SNP arrays, with 66 non-target species, and assesses the possibility of adapting catfish SNP arrays to the catfish families of interest. With lowered filtering (e.g., MAF > 0) thresholds, the Affymetrix Axiom 250K and Axiom Catfish 690K Genotyping Array could potentially be used on important market species like African and European catfishes. In the long term, chip development would be the solution for these species, but, until then, cross-application is a viable alternative. Despite low polymorphic SNPs (~1%) and call rates (~0%), this SNP array could aid researchers and breeders, improving catfish aquaculture and management. Full article

This research aims to assess the current landscape of digital communication practices among PDO and PGI agricultural products in Southern European countries—Italy, Spain, France, Greece, and Portugal—which together account for 75% of Europe’s GI-registered agri-food products. By analyzing the GI View portal and conducting desk research to assess the presence of producer groups and the promotion of their products across digital platforms, this study offers insights into how these products are marketed online. It combines an overview of digital presence across multiple platforms with a content analysis of Facebook posts. The findings reveal that, although digital tools—especially websites and social media—are increasingly used by GI producer groups, their potential remains underexploited. Most groups maintain some digital presence, yet the strategies are inconsistent and e-commerce remains underused. Despite being inherently linked to environmental and social sustainability, these attributes are rarely communicated—particularly on Facebook. This social media channel is the most used platform among GI producer groups; however, its use is poorly optimized with an irregular posting frequency. This study recommends investments in capacity building, integrated branding approaches, and the strategic inclusion of the inherent value of GI products in digital narratives to enhance their visibility, differentiation, and sustainability communication. Full article

Historically, agriculture has been a key driver of rural development. Therefore, outlining strategies that enhance agricultural production for economic sustenance, quality of life, and the durability of natural resources puts us on the right path to ensure sustainability. This is the focus of the green business model proposal, which aims to provide farmers with tools to strengthen their daily activities while preserving the ecosystem, ensuring that future generations can enjoy its benefits. Opening a marketing channel under green business guidelines for iceberg lettuce as a biofortified food crop in the municipality of Chocontá in Cundinamarca, Colombia, is an innovative approach to addressing food security issues. Currently, 24.8% of households in 23 cities consume two meals a day or fewer. This proposal also seeks to influence crop rotation in the municipality, helping to mitigate soil degradation in the area. Full article

Whether and how new infrastructure (NI) can drive the development of rural industries (DRI) is crucial to promoting urban–rural balance and ensuring national food security. Based on panel data from Chinese provincial-level regions (2013–2022), this study constructs a comprehensive DRI evaluation system encompassing production systems, economic benefits, industrial integration, and sustainable development. Using the entropy method to measure NI development levels, we examine its heterogeneous impacts on DRI through multiple analytical dimensions. The results reveal three key findings: First, a robust “inverted U-shaped” relationship exists between NI and DRI. Second, heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that (1) both eastern and western regions show this pattern while central and northeastern regions exhibit infrastructure saturation; (2) intelligent transportation infrastructure critically moderates this relationship—advanced regions achieve greater NI efficiency through digital infrastructure–transportation–industrial synergies, whereas underdeveloped regions face bottlenecks; and (3) provinces with lower population density but higher human capital show enhanced NI absorption capacity. Third, mechanism analysis confirms industrial structure upgrading and market expansion as key transmission channels. These findings suggest that implementing tiered intelligent transportation strategies, differentiated NI policies, human capital investment, and rural market expansion optimize NI’s rural development impacts. Full article

The ever-expanding market has made organic food a popular research topic, with the primary question being what factors facilitate or hinder consumers in making an organic purchase. The most relevant studies have been conducted in an offline context. As selling organic food online has become a common practice and is underresearched, this study aims to (1) explore the drivers and barriers of online organic food shopping and (2) investigate the shopping behavior of organic food from an omnichannel perspective. The results of partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), with 278 valid samples, indicate that trust in organic labels and positive review sentiment significantly contribute to the intention to purchase organic food online, which in turn influences online purchase behaviors. For online shopping behavior, the investigation shows that Taiwanese consumers, on a monthly basis, make an average of 3.22 organic food purchases and spend US$156.44 through offline channels, whereas they make 2.34 purchases of organic food and spend US$114.71 via online channels. Organic vegetables and fruits are the most frequently purchased organic foods. Among online channels, consumers prefer visiting the websites of general grocery stores and specialty stores over social media platforms. Our findings suggest that the determinants of organic food shopping differ between offline and online contexts and reveal interesting behavioral patterns of online organic shopping. Full article

The use of the online channel for the purchase of food products is increasing, which not only creates new opportunities for companies and businesses, but also poses great challenges. This study aimed to identify the factors related to these challenges that influence the use of the online channel for the purchase of food products in Spain. Through a bibliographic review and a Delphi study with experts, 26 factors were identified and grouped into four contexts: technology, marketing strategies, buyer convenience, and security and reliability. This identification of factors can be of great value in improving the sales of companies or businesses in the food sector that already use the online channel for the sale of their products or intend to use it for this purpose in the future; furthermore, it will help these companies or businesses to implement sales strategies that will truly satisfy the needs of potential consumers in Spain. Full article

This study explores how the green marketing mix affects customer green brand trust, customer green buying behavior, and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). A total of 990 fast-food customers participated in this study. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and mediation analysis were applied to validate the research hypotheses. As customer demand for environmentally sustainable products grows, green marketing mix has a positive and significant effect on customer green brand trust. Furthermore, customer green brand trust also significantly influences customer green buying behavior and eWOM as a predictor and mediator. It means that customer green brand trust is a fundamental effect of eWOM, with trust fostering positive online reviews, recommendations, and advocacy from customers. Businesses can also make the most of eWOM by developing feedback-friendly channels, such as product review pages and social media campaigns, and rewarding consumers who post about their satisfying online experiences. The companies should not only concentrate on increasing sales through environmentally sustainable product purchasing practices, but also on giving clients a feeling of community and integrating them into a larger sustainability movement. It will offer useful advice for marketers looking to improve their green marketing tactics and promote sustainable consumption by successfully gaining the trust of their target audience and using eWOM as a tactical instrument for brand advocacy. Full article

This study examined the involvement of foodservice establishments in Slovakia in short food supply chains (SFSCs), focusing on factors influencing supplier selection, perceived benefits and barriers, and the impact of logistical and market conditions. The findings revealed that, while freshness and price–quality ratio are key factors for all establishments, products with local origins are significantly more valued by those engaged in SFSCs. These establishments report strengthened social connections with local producers, enhanced trust, transparency, and support for local agriculture as core benefits of SFSC participation. Key barriers include high product costs, seasonal availability, and logistical challenges, with those engaged in SFSCs facing additional difficulties in meeting volume requirements and accessing suppliers. The study found that logistical capabilities, particularly the ability to manage transport independently, strongly influence SFSC involvement, while market conditions were not shown to be significant. A lack of comprehensive distribution systems and the limited knowledge of regional suppliers further constrain SFSC engagement. These insights highlight the need for improved coordination and information channels to facilitate broader foodservice participation in regional food systems in Slovakia. Full article

The outbreak of Russia-Ukraine conflict casted an impact on the global food market, which was believed to be attributed to that Ukraine has suffered significant production losses due to cropland abandonment. Nevertheless, recent outbreaks of farmer protests against Ukraine’s grain exports demonstrated that the production losses might not be as severe as previous estimates. By utilizing the adaptive threshold segmentation method to extract abandoned cropland from the Sentinel-2 high-resolution imagery and calibrating the spatial production allocation model’s gridded crop production data from Ukraine’s statistical data, this study explicitly evaluated Ukraine’s crop-specific production losses and the spatial heterogeneity. The results demonstrated that the estimated area of abandoned cropland in Ukraine ranges from 2.34 to 2.40 million hectares, constituting 7.14% to 7.30% of the total cropland. In Ukrainian-controlled zones, this area spans 1.44 to 1.48 million hectares, whereas in Russian-occupied areas, it varies from 0.90 to 0.92 million hectares. Additionally, the total production losses for wheat, maize, barley, and sunflower amount to 1.92, 1.67, 0.70, and 0.99 million tons, respectively, with corresponding loss ratios of 9.10%, 7.48%, 9.54%, and 8.67%. Furthermore, production losses of wheat, barley, and sunflower emerged in both the eastern and southern states adjacent to the conflict frontlines, while maize losses were concentrated in the western states. The findings imply that Ukraine ought to streamline the food transportation channels and maintain stable agricultural activities in regions with high crop production. Full article

This study investigates the sustainable operations of a multi-brand restaurant that adopts multiple brands in a store, unlike a typical restaurant that operates only a single brand. We introduce five restaurant operation models, including three traditional single-brand ones (offline, online, and multi-channel) and two recent multi-brand restaurants with a single fixed franchise fee and multiple franchise fees proportional to the number of brands. We then investigate the performance of the models in the changing market and cost environments. Through analytical and numerical analyses, we reveal that adopting a multi-brand restaurant does not always guarantee superior profit performance. Such an adoption is recommended under certain conditions, such as when the potential market base is large, consumers are not very price-sensitive, food and delivery costs are low, an increase in food items does not significantly impact process inefficiency, franchise fees are low, or the relative market power of multiple brands is strong. Otherwise, adopting the traditional single-brand restaurant would guarantee better profit performance. Therefore, for a sustainable multi-brand restaurant adoption, it is important to create a business environment that can lower food prices, and a thorough understanding of the decision dynamics related to the number of brands is required. Full article

The advent of the digital economy has brought new opportunities to food marketing. In China, many food businesses have begun to use interactions under specific social media topics to open up new sales channels. Green food, as a representative of environmentally related topics, is increasingly influencing consumer choices through online interactions. In light of this, this study collected data from a large group of participants engaged in online green interactions to explore the psychological mechanisms behind consumers’ choices of green food in an online context. The findings indicate that online green interactions positively influence the willingness to purchase green food, with environmental self-efficacy and flow experience serving as mediators in this relationship. Information trust and consumer traits act as boundary conditions. This study not only deepens the understanding of food consumer behavior in the digital context, but also provides important references for food companies on how to more effectively utilize online interaction to promote the market expansion of green food. Full article

Food security is the most critical issue to address in The Gambia, and cashew production and its respective value chain provide opportunities to improve the quality of livelihood for many families. This study conducts value chain and SWOT analyses to provide information that could improve development opportunities and strengthen linkages to food security within the cashew industry in The Gambia’s Kombo East district, West Coast region. The results show that the cashew value chain in the study site is characterized by a large number of producers and relatively few intermediaries working through five marketing channels. The results demonstrate that farmers received 66% of the final market value, but there is a lack of farmer organizations, which severely affected farmers’ free and fair access to markets to sell their products. So, there is an immediate need to establish farmers’ cooperatives to reduce intermediaries in the value chain and obtain fair product prices. Moreover, the result of SWOT analysis revealed that the strategic position of the cashew industry is an advantageous ‘holds and maintains’ position, indicating a market penetration, product development, or modifying existing products, and a vertical integration strategy could increase revenue, alleviate poverty, and reduce food insecurity. Adopting the recommended market-based approaches will result in higher producer prices and incomes, thereby reducing poverty and food insecurity. The study contributes to the literature by focusing on the cashew chain value in The Gambia, added value opportunities through transformation, better markets, improved products, and other alternatives to promote global value creation, and the dynamics of the food system, which can promote food security and sustainable rural development. Full article

China is the largest soybean importer and consumer in the world. Soybean oil is the most-consumed vegetable oil in China, while soybean meal is the most important protein feed raw material in China, which affects the costs of animal husbandry. Volatility in the international soybean market would generate risk spillovers to China’s soybean industrial chain. This paper analyzed the channel of risk spillover from the international soybean market to China’s soybean industry chain and the asymmetry of the risk spillover. The degree of risk spillover from the international soybean market to the Chinese soybean industry chain was measured by the Copula–CoVaR model. The moderating role of inventory and demand in asymmetric risk spillovers was analyzed by quantile regression. We draw the following conclusions: First, the international soybean market impacts China’s soybean industry chain through soybeans rather than soybean meal and oil. The price fluctuation of China soybean market is obviously lower than that of the international soybean market. Second, there are apparent asymmetric risk spillovers from the international soybean market to China’s soybean industry chain, especially the soybean meal market. Third, increasing the Chinese soybean inventory and growing demand could effectively prevent the downside risk spillover from international markets to China’s soybean market. This also explains the asymmetry of risk spillovers. The research enriches the research perspective on food security, and the analysis of risk spillover mechanisms provides a scientific basis for relevant companies to develop risk-management strategies. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on food systems. Despite disrupting conventional markets—such as grocery stores—farmers that focused on short supply chains found new market opportunities. As consumers increasingly became concerned with the safety of in-person shopping, some turned to purchasing directly from farmers and markets that carried products marketed as local, organic, and/or sustainable. With these changes in mind, I ask how consumer perceptions of local food systems (LFSs) changed in the two years after COVID-19. If consumers are more aware of local markets, farmers might reorient production to focus on local supply chains and sustainable production methods. To evaluate consumer perceptions, I use survey responses from residents in five communities in the US South in 2019 and 2022. Using a treatment effects model with propensity score matching, I show that residents became more aware of most local market channels, such as specialty retail stores and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Some residents were also more likely to have a positive perception of markets that provide fresh vegetables to low-income residents. Finally, residents wanted more investment into markets that make fresh, local products more available, such as community-owned groceries and CSA. Full article

This paper aimed to understand consumer behaviour based on different constructs of buying behaviour antecedents, which included attitudes towards social aspects, green values, the value placed on digital channels, and green advertisements. Through an online survey of 650 respondents, we investigated the characteristics that affect consumer behaviour in Italy. A structural equation modelling (SEM) method was then used to explore the effects of the identified constructs on people’s buying behaviour, as well as evaluate their relative importance. On the one hand, the findings showed that among the identified constructs, attitudes towards social aspects have a direct effect on eco-friendly consumption, while green values positively impact both buying behaviour and openness to green publicity. On the other hand, green publicity only shows a weak impact on buying behaviours, while peoples’ attitudes towards digital channels have a positive effect on both eco-friendly consumption and on buying behaviour. In other words, the results suggest that people’s digital propensity, paired with environmental sensibility, may affect the online purchase of sustainable food. In light of the above, these results should be important for makers and experts dealing with green products, particularly sellers. In fact, sellers and marketers should consider our results as insights into their segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategies in markets. Full article