The trade of algae for human consumption: The common market competitiveness and impacts of the European Union legislation

Abstract

The food chain has been confronting diverse limits and challenges. Indeed, the increase in level of environmental pollution, in resource scarcity, in biodiversity loss represents some limits, while guaranteeing the food security of a growing population and develop more sustainable production and consumption systems represents some challenges. In this context, including new foods within the European diet can be a sustainable strategy. With respect to the introduction of foods into the market that do not boast a history of safe consumption within the European Union has prompted regulatory interventions that have aimed to control the level of risk assessment of new products before granting permission for their marketing. This paper aimed in glimpsing the potential effect of this legislation on the trade flow of algae as a novel food, and in assessing the level of self-sufficiency and the comparative advantage of European Union countries. For this purpose, the calculation of specific indices allowed the track of the evolutionary trend of algae for human consumption trade flows, referred to the intra and extra European Union countries. Conclusively, the paper presents an interpretation of the relative trade structure, trade pattern and agri-food competitiveness referred to algae for human consumption while underling the limitation but also the benefit of the legislation intervention in this sector.