Economic and Nutritional Importance of Cereals and Cereal Based Products in Romania

This study aims to examine the impact of cereals production and cross-border trade on food security in Nigeria between 1986 and 2017. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) econometric technique was employed to analyze the time series secondary data sourced from World Bank Development Indicators, 2017 in order to explain the relationship between food security and the cereal production and cross-border trade. The findings of this study reveal that both in short-run and long-run estimation of error correction model (ECM), cereal domestic production, cereal exports and cereal imports have significant impact on the food security. Accordingly, cereal domestic production and cereal imports have a positive sign, which implies that an increase in cereal domestic production and cereal imports influence food security. While, cereal exports have a negative sign, which suggest that Nigeria as a nation is experiencing deficit in cereal production and therefore, the little quantity produced and exported posit a treat to food security. Based on the findings of this study, it is therefore recommended that policy formulation such as government subsidies in the agricultural sector and any other intervention programmes that will encourage an increase in domestic cereal production as well as policy formulation that will not totally discourage cereal importation should be implemented since its impact on food security is positive. This can be achieved through trade liberalization. On one hand, in as much as cereal export have significant impact on food security; government should be mindful that policy formulation on cereal exports should take into consideration the level of domestic cereal production and consequently its negative impact on food security.

Introduction. Over the past ten years, there has been a decline in the effectiveness of multilateral cooperation agreements within the WTO, resulting in the growing importance of bilateral trade agreements. The EU countries and the UK are among the most important geographical areas for deepening bilateral cooperation with Ukraine, which has been favourably influenced by trade liberalisation as a result of the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union and the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. Improved terms of trade between Ukraine and Europe, despite the war in Ukraine, ensured positive dynamics of trade turnover, but the commodity structure has undergone significant changes. Recently, a trade embargo was imposed on agricultural products, and the border was closed for the transportation of products through Poland and other countries. In this regard, it is an urgent scientific task to determine the impact of the complication of transport. As well as identifying trends in the further development of foreign trade with partner countries. The purpose of the paper is to іdentificate the changes in export sales routes, as well as trends in Ukraine's foreign economic activity in the context of more complicated international transport. Results. The importance for Ukraine's economy of expanding the scope of foreign economic relations with European countries based on international transport is determined. The author emphasises a number of economic prerequisites and advantages of foreign economic relations between Ukraine and European countries, which determine the trends in the development of foreign trade. The author identifies the important role of continuing institutional and structural reforms in our country, which should be intensified and aimed at strengthening the competitive potential of the national economy. The main stages of integration of foreign economic relations between Ukraine and European countries are highlighted. It is proved that there is a high potential of European integration for the Ukrainian economy. However, in the current conditions of complicated movement of goods and closure of borders by partner countries, this direction of development of the national economy is considered as the main one, with certain difficulties, which will slow down the pace of socio-economic growth and restore the lost. Conclusion. By establishing international economic and trade relations and sales channels, Ukraine's foreign trade can develop and function effectively. National economies of different countries interact through the establishment of diplomatic relations, cooperation agreements, and the creation of intergovernmental associations. After analysing all the factors, it can be argued that establishing economic and political ties with the world's leading countries and increasing the level of foreign trade is possible by stepping up efforts in the most promising sectors of the global economy. Foreign economic and trade relations contribute to the growth of the national economy, acceleration of scientific and technological progress, and improvement of living standards.

In this study, the levels of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisins (FUM) in unprocessed cereals (n=189) and cereal-based products (n=61) were determined using validated ELISA methods. All samples originated from either conventional or organic production corresponded to the 2015 harvest in Croatia. Based on the mean mycotoxin concentrations, the risk for the consumer to exceed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for these toxins by the consumption of both types of cereals and cereal-based products was assessed. Mycotoxin contamination of organic cereals and organic cereal-based products was not significantly different (p>0.05). Given that the exposure assessment resulted in a small fraction of the TDI (maximum: DON, 12% of TDI), the levels of the investigated mycotoxins in both types of cereals and cereal-based products from the 2015 harvest did not pose a human health hazard.

Export Markets for Canada's Foodgrains and Feedgrains

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) is designed to respond promptly to the health risks associated with food, food contact materials or feed by enabling fast exchange of information between bodies and institutions involved in the system. Mycotoxins, secondary metabolites produced by moulds, are common contaminants found in cereals and cereal-based product all over the world that can be harmful to human (and animal) health. The aim of this study was to analyse RASFF notifications on cereals and cereal-based products contaminated with mycotoxins in the period from 01/01/2015 to 31/12/2019. All data were downloaded from the RASFF database (RASFF portal) and processed in MS Excel 2010. The collected data provided information on the: notifying country, country(ies) of origin and distribution of the contaminated product, notification basis, notification type, risk decision, distribution status, action taken, type of mycotoxin and specific cereal or cereal-based product in which the mycotoxin has been determined. Nearly half of the reported food products originated from Italy, Pakistan, India, Serbia and Sri Lanka. More than half notifications were published by Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Belgium. Only in less than one-fifth of the notifications the country of origin of the contaminated product was also the notifying country. Contaminated products in more than two-thirds of cases were maize, rice and rye grains and their products. Aflatoxin B1 was the most frequent mycotoxin, present in more than two-fifths of contaminated cereals and cereal-based products. The majority of the notifications were classified as alert notifications and a large majority of total number of notifications were of serious risk. Regarding the distribution status, over two-fifths of contaminated products were distributed to other member countries and in almost half of the notifications contaminated products were withdrawn or recalled.

The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of the war in Ukraine on the inbound tour operators. The hypothesis that war in Ukraine has a significant impact on Lithuanian inbound tour operators was tested using a quantitative research method. To do so, the data was collected through an online survey, targeting Lithuanian inbound tour operators providing ground services for international tourists in Lithuania. The moment of the survey (2022, April) provided opportunity to examine the effect of war in Ukraine on inbound tourism. The results show that the war has a serious negative impact on tourism arrivals to Lithuania. The study found that the number of bookings has decreased heavily, what also means decrease in tourism revenues. The main cancellation reasons that were mentioned are military conflict in Ukraine and unsafe situation. Biggest number of cancellations arrived from Germany, United States and France. Tourism products with the greatest impact are cultural, business tourism and weekend trips. Our study is, to the best our knowledge, the first to examine the impact of the war in Ukraine on the inbound tour operators. Results from the study hold potential for better understanding how war and political instability influence business performance.

In terms of the formation of the world trade multipolar system, the issues concerning the implementation of a protectionist trade policy appear especially acute and are the primary focus of both theorists and practitioners. This paper primarily aims to explore trade protectionism in the global economy in conditions of multipolarity, to identify the vectors of the war in Ukraine's influence on policy in the sphere of food trade, to determine the origins of the WTO crisis in the system of multilateral regulation of international trade and to assess the prospects of further ensuring free trade doctrines, which is based on combinatorial approach and included the calculation of quantitative indicators of foreign trade restrictiveness and estimation of qualitative parameters of shifts in foreign trade policy. The empirical findings indicate high dynamism of increasing new trade restrictions, in particular export ones, caused at first by the COVID-19 pandemic and later by the war in Ukraine; slow but constant increase in import restrictions, so that at the end of 2022 9% of global import was affected by import restrictions; growth in export restrictive measures on food, feed and fertilizers as a response to food security challenges, caused by the war in Ukraine. The current paper reveals the necessity to take into account import dependence indicators and import capacity of export in formulating vectors of transformation of foreign trade policy towards national production support in the context of economic nationalism ideology. The authors emphasize the importance of the WTO dispute settlement system and the failures in its implementation call into question the possibility of organization functioning in the existing format, particularly as the number and spread of RTAs surged. Prospects for further research in this area are the assessment of macroeconomic effects and threats of the unilateral opening of the Ukrainian economy for imports against the background of the protectionist policy of "main players" of the world economy, determination of the potential of the protectionist policy of selective types of economic activity implementation in the conditions of post-war recovery.

The book, "Environmental Effects of Russian War in Ukraine," offers a thorough exploration of the intricate web of consequences resulting from the conflict. It delves into various themes, providing a comprehensive overview of the environmental impacts. The effects of chemical pollution caused by the war are scrutinized in detail, uncovering both immediate and long-term ecological implications. Similarly, the book examines the far-reaching consequences of air pollution resulting from the conflict, shedding light on its impacts on the environment and public health. The destruction inflicted upon urban and environmental infrastructure is a focal point, outlining the challenges posed by the war's aftermath in rebuilding sustainable structures. The book also explores the impact of warfare on surface water bodies, discussing the ecological disturbances and challenges in restoring water quality. Coastal and marine ecosystems face specific challenges, and the book highlights the long-lasting consequences on biodiversity and the overall health of these vital systems. It also addresses the environmental devastation caused by shelling-generated fires, emphasizing the challenges in mitigating their aftermath. The implications of war on agroecology and agroecosystems are explored, emphasizing the challenges in ensuring food security and sustainable agricultural practices. Additionally, the book delves into the pollution and waste resulting from military equipment and ammunitions, unravelling the environmental hazards posed by war materials. A critical examination of the environmental impact of weapons and missiles is presented, shedding light on the pollutants released and their consequences on ecosystems. The nuclear pollution resulting from Russian attacks is analyzed in detail, emphasizing the gravity of the environmental challenges posed by such incidents. The conflict's profound impact on wildlife, biodiversity, and ecosystems is explored, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation efforts. The interplay between the conflict, human health, and noise pollution is analyzed, highlighting broader public health implications. The book assesses the ramifications of the war on the energy sector, exploring the challenges in maintaining a sustainable and resilient energy infrastructure. It also delves into the role of the conflict in contributing to climate change, emphasizing both local and global implications. The breach of international law and human rights is a significant focus, emphasizing the need for accountability and justice. A comparative analysis is provided, drawing parallels and distinctions with previous military conflicts to offer a nuanced understanding of environmental impacts. Finally, the imperative of international collaboration is explored, considering avenues for collective action in addressing the environmental and energy challenges triggered by the war. The book encompasses additional allied topics, providing a holistic view of the environmental, geopolitical, and societal dimensions intertwined with the conflict. This makes "Environmental Effects of Russian War in Ukraine" an indispensable resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking a deep understanding of the intricate environmental repercussions of the conflict.

Background The Russian invasion of Ukraine has divided the world. While the Western countries have formed a coalition to support Ukraine, those in the Global South have taken more nuanced positions, refraining from explicitly condemning Russia. Within the BRICS group, which includes Russia, as well as China and India, the latter two nations have sought to leverage the situation to advance their own strategic interests. Method This research aims to analyze the dominant narratives in Indian and Chinese media regarding the international situation. Particular focus is placed on their relationships with Russia, as well as in the context of energy resources, perceptions of the West, and the broader impact of the war in Ukraine on the global order. A qualitative research methodology was employed, focusing on the comparative analysis of secondary sources, namely news articles. The hypothesis posited is: “While India and China, both members of the Global South and BRICS, share some geopolitical alignments with Russia, their differing systems of governance – democratic in India and authoritarian in China – result in distinct perspectives on the war in Ukraine and its consequences for the international order.” Results The analysis reveals that, despite both China and India countries' alignment with the Global South and their identification with developing nations' interests, China and India differ fundamentally in most aspects of their approach to the war in Ukraine and its implications. Conclusions Both Chinese and Indian media emphasize the importance of a multipolar world and multilateralism, articulating a clear critique of "Western dominance" and stressing the need for change. At the same time, they differ in their strategies to leverage the current situation for their respective interests.

The war in Ukraine created a humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions and also a serious blow to the world economy. From a macroeconomic point of view, rising food and energy prices will reduce real incomes. CNUCED's express assessment of the impact of the war on trade and development in Ukraine confirms that the outlook for the global economy is rapidly deteriorating due to rising food, fuel and fertilizer prices. This study examines the impact of the crisis in Ukraine on global trade and development, highlights the importance of supplies of food, energy and certain industrial resources from Russia and Ukraine, and examines how the war poses significant risks to food and energy security and exacerbates the difficulties associated with with the supply chain. This study also shows that if a war were to split the world economy into separate blocs, the loss of income would be significant, especially for developing countries. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of a rules-based multilateral trading system, if only because the World Trade Organization provides functions that can help mitigate the effects of the crisis. It is important for international trade to better understand, analyze and monitor the nature, magnitude and implications of war for trade and development. Only with a clear understanding of these impacts can we create reliable supply chains, limit further losses in trade and economic development, and prevent the deepening of inequality between developed and developing countries. The purpose of the study is to analyze the impact of the war in Ukraine on economic development and determine the consequences for world trade. The research used the methods of induction and deduction and comparative analysis. The study shows that among the main threats and risks that arise for the world economy are destabilization, rising inflation, unemployment, the emergence of a food crisis and famine in some countries of the world, and an increase in world prices for raw materials. The consequences of the war in Ukraine will be felt by most countries of the world, and their scale will depend on the course and duration of the war on the territory of Ukraine. The biggest loss and the biggest problem of the war is human loss, but there are also huge economic problems that are felt far beyond the borders of Ukraine.

The article analyzes the peculiarities of coverage of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in the online-versions of leading Spanish print media. While studying the materials published in the “Opinión” section on the websites of such Spanish newspapers as La Razón, 20 minutos, El Periódico, El País, El Diario, El Correo, El Mundo, ABC and La Vanguardia from February to October 2022, the main attention was paid to narratives, which are related to the war in Ukraine and which are shaping public opinion about it in Spanish society. The methods used in the article include content analysys, comparative analysis and generalization. The publications were selected by searching the keywords “Ucrania”, and phrases “La Guerra en Ucrania”, “La Guerra en Europa” in the column “Opinión”. By using the methods of comparative analysys and generalization we outlined the main narratives and general trends of coverage of the full-scale war in Ukraine in Spanish newspapers. Conclusions of the research: almostly in all newspapers there is the presence of double standards when neutral, pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian narratives intersect with each other. We found out that combination of these narratives sometimes can be traced not only in a certain edition, but also in a single journalistic text. The research is relevant because the war in Ukraine is still going on. War, which is not only on the battlefield, but also in the information front still continuing. So, it’s important to know which media are spreading pro-russian narratives and which media conversely are supporting Ukraine. The study could help Ukrainian government to understand the features of these narratives and to form the main principles of international information policy in order to resist the pro-russian ideas in the world press. Keywords: Spanish media, La Razón; 20 minutos; El Periódico; El País; El Diario; El Correo; El Mundo; ABC; La Vanguardia; full-scale invasion, war in Ukraine, Ukrainian question, image of Ukraine.

The outbreak of war in Ukraine raises questions about its impact on the economies and financial systems of countries directly and indirectly involved in the war, but also on the economies of non-participating countries. The article aims to identify the channels through which the war in Ukraine has affected commercial banking in Poland. The original contribution of this paper to the literature dedicated to the impact of the outbreak of war on financial sector consists in the identification of channels of direct and indirect effects of war on commercial bank performance, adoption of unique empirical strategy to point out features of banks determining their sensitivity to the materialisation of geopolitical risk as well as groups of banks whose shares move along similar trajectories during the war. The conclusions emphasize that the long-term negative indirect effects of the war outweigh the short-term indirect ones. The policy implications consist in the benefits of introduction of new reporting standards for banks that focus on the exposure of their clients to the geopolitical risk, augmentation of scope of risks to be covered by regulatory capital by geopolitical risk as well as creation scenarios of stress tests that would include geopolitical risk. Facing war, the implications for commercial banks’ managers come down to the necessity to prioritize cyber risk management and implement a new paradigm of credit and market risk assessment, taking into account the impact of geopolitical factors.

Introduction. In the conditions of war in Ukraine, the assistance of European states is invaluable. The sponsorship, being a synthetic marketing communication, becomes a key means of ensuring the image of states and positioning in the global marketing environment. Problem. The methodology of the functioning of sponsorship marketing and sponsorship me­chanisms in all spheres of social life has been studied by many scientists. However, there are no scientific researches that reveal the specifics of the implementation of sponsorship marketing by European states in wartime and justify spon­sorship as a marketing communication capable of creating a positive image of states and ensu­ring their strategic positioning in the global marketing environment. The aim of the article is to substantiate the peculiarities of the sponsorship marketing implementation by European countries in the conditions of war in Ukraine, to prove a sig­nificant role in the formation of the state's image and brand in the global marketing environment. Methods. Methods of analysis and synthesis, system and structural analysis, comparison, logical generalization, hypothetical and deductive method are applied. Results. Sponsorship marketing trends in the global marketing environment are identified and innovative ways of encouraging people to change their behavior under the influence of social fac­tors are identified. It has been proven that in the conditions of war, sponsorship, being a synthetic marketing communication, becomes the main tool for meeting public needs. A hypothesis was put forward that the level of preservation of social values correlates with the toolkit of spon­sorship marketing. Conclusions. In the conditions of war in Ukraine, which has had a significant impact on the economy of European countries, sponsor­ship marketing and sponsorship are becoming the main tools for forming the image of the state, strengthening brand loyalty and positio­ning in the global marketing environment. European states that form a socially respon­sible image and brand based on the use of effective sponsorship marke­ting tools have sig­nificant opportunities for reco­gnition by the world community, stren­gthening the loyalty of citizens of various states, which is important for effective social and eco­nomic development and preservation of public values.

The article envisages revealing the peculiarities of tourism development in the EU countries in the context of the impact on this process of the Russian-Ukrainian war, taking into account the practical aspect of this issue. It was revealed that the full-scale invasion of the aggressor country on the territory of Ukraine affects the EU tourism industry in four ways: the loss of Ukrainian tourists; restriction of airlines and use of airspace; higher food and fuel costs; a decrease in the confidence of travelers and a reduction in their income level. It has been determined that due to the upheaval from COVID-19 and the war of the aggressor country in Ukraine, EU tourism needs support in the development and implementation of comprehensive risk management plans in order to better prepare for future crises. It has been established that today there is a slower recovery of tourism in Eastern Europe due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. In a show of extraordinary solidarity, local tourism businesses are taking in Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war and helping them with accommodation, transport and food. As a result of such actions, there is a sharp rise in energy prices, which will directly affect the costs of transportation and tourism services, as well as create risks for broad consumer demand in Europe. It was found that despite the war, the EU tourism industry continues to function. Research has shown that tourism has been hit hard by the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, proving its importance as an engine of economic prosperity, jobs, income and well-being. As the sector begins to recover, the economic and social fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine is another blow to recovery prospects. The war in Ukraine, caused by Russia, has the greatest impact on the tourism of those EU countries that share a common border with Ukraine. Yes, the tourism sector faces these challenges in the uncertain future, so sustainable and transformative actions are needed to promote recovery and put tourism on a path to more sustainable and inclusive development.

The local community in the Polish-Russian border area has been experiencing constant closures and openings since the delimitation of the border. Despite that, the residents used the border as a resource until the outbreak of war in Ukraine. All actions of the central authorities restricting cross-border mobility in the Polish-Russian borderland were treated by the residents as a temporary impediment, to which they were, to some extent, accustomed as they lived in a region with strong exposure to geopolitical risks. With the outbreak of war, the Polish-Russian border area became an isolated border region. Residents of the Polish-Russian borderland face the challenge of reorganizing their daily lives and counteracting the negative effects of permanent isolation. This article seeks to investigate how the Russian-Ukrainian conflict affects the daily lives of these residents through a series of expert interviews.