Agri-food Sector Research Articles

Regulatory “Reliance” in Global Trade Governance

AbstractOne of the most significant recent trends in global trade governance has been the increasing use of regulatory “reliance” arrangements as a significant element of trade alliances. Against this backdrop, an important set of questions are raised about how existing institutions of global trade governance – especially the World Trade Organization and international regulatory standards organisations – should respond. To what extent, and how, should such institutions facilitate reliance arrangements? And what role can they usefully play in overseeing and guiding their use? This paper begins to answer these questions through a focused case study of regulatory reliance in the agrifood sector. Four challenges are identified regarding the implementation of such arrangements: the high costs of establishment and maintenance; the lack of agreed and reliable assessment methodologies; the potential for arbitrary discrimination between trade partners; and the difficulties of dealing with regulatory change over time. In light of these challenges, the paper assesses the work of existing international organisations in governing reliance arrangements in the agrifood sector. The paper concludes with a number of preliminary suggestions as to how this architecture of global governance might be supplemented or harnessed to address some of the challenges posed by reliance arrangements.

Integrating IOTA’s Tangle with the Internet of Things for Sustainable Agriculture: A Proof-of-Concept Study on Rice Cultivation

Addressing the critical challenges of resource inefficiency and environmental impact in the agrifood sector, this study explores the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies with IOTA’s Tangle, a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). This integration aims to enhance sustainable agricultural practices, using rice cultivation as a case study of high relevance and reapplicability given its importance in the food chain and the high irrigation requirement of its cultivation. The approach employs sensor-based intelligent irrigation systems to optimize water efficiency. These systems enable real-time monitoring of agricultural parameters through IoT sensors. Data management is facilitated by IOTA’s Tangle, providing secure and efficient data handling, and integrated with MongoDB, a Database Management System (DBMS), for effective data storage and retrieval. The collaboration between IoT and IOTA led to significant reductions in resource consumption. Implementing sustainable agricultural practices resulted in a 50% reduction in water usage, 25% decrease in nitrogen consumption, and a 50% to 70% reduction in methane emissions. Additionally, the system contributed to lower electricity consumption for irrigation pumps and generated comprehensive historical water depth records, aiding future resource management decisions. This study concludes that the integration of IoT with IOTA’s Tangle presents a highly promising solution for advancing sustainable agriculture. This approach significantly contributes to environmental conservation and food security. Furthermore, it establishes that DLTs like IOTA are not only viable but also effective for real-time monitoring and implementation of sustainable agricultural practices.

Environmental Indicators of Vegan and Vegetarian Diets: A Pilot Study in a Group of Young Adult Female Consumers in Poland

It has been broadly reported that the production of animal-derived foods significantly contributes to the environmental footprint of the agri-food sector, considering, among others, such indicators as land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and the water footprint. However, the environmental sustainability aspects of whole diets (i.e., more plant-based vs. meat-containing) have been studied so far to a limited extent, in many cases not taking into consideration various regional settings, which to a great extent determine meat- and other animal-derived foods’ substitutes consumed by vegetarians and vegans. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the environmental indicators of vegetarian, vegan, and meat-containing diets of a selected group of Polish consumers. Based on three-day food records of 24 respondents and the published data on the environmental footprint of a range of foodstuffs, the three dietary environmental indicators were calculated. In addition, the results were standardized in terms of dietary protein intake and energy value. The study showed the elimination of meat and other animal-derived foods from the respondents’ diet was predominantly motivated by their concerns related to animal welfare issues, which appeared to be a stronger factor than the willingness to reduce the diets’ environmental footprint. Following the results standardization, the studied vegetarian and vegan diets were characterized by 47.0% and 64.4% lower carbon footprint, 32.2% and 60.9% lower land use indicators, and 37.1% and 62.9% lower water footprints, respectively, compared to the meat-containing diet. Animal-derived foods, including milk and dairy, appeared to be the main contributors to all three environmental footprint indicators of both the meat-containing and the vegetarian diets. In the vegan group, the environmental footprint was found to be mainly influenced by the consumption of legumes and legume-based foods, cereal products, potatoes, sugar, products containing cocoa and vegetables, with nuts showing especially significant contribution to the fresh water consumption. The study confirms moving towards more plant-based diet has a potential to significantly reduce the diet’s environmental footprint. It also contributes to creating a ‘roadmap’ for consumers, to encourage them to plan their diets responsibly, taking into consideration both the health and the environmental sustainability aspects.

Estimation of contribution of production factors to an agricultural output change in emerging and developing Europe

Countries of Emerging and Developing Europe (EDE) significantly transformed their agri-food sector in the last decades, and it has specific implications for agricultural tendencies and the economy of these countries. This research focuses on the sources of growth of agricultural production in countries belonging to EDE, as the former communist countries classified by the International Monetary Fund. This group of countries is particularly interesting because there is room for further growth in agricultural production, which can be crucial in times of crisis. This article's main objective is to estimate agriculture's production function and analyze the relationship between agricultural output and used inputs. Based on data for the period 2008 to 2019, results showed that the increase in the use of mineral fertilizers is a key source of production growth among production factors. Due to the economic importance of fertilizer use and its environmental effect, it can be concluded that agricultural policy must be created carefully in these countries to achieve a balance between economic, social, and environmental goals.

Promotional campaigns in the agri-food sector aimed at reducing meat consumption: A promising leverage for action

Promotional campaigns, usually characterized by inter-organizational partnerships focused on food distribution or restaurant services, aim to increase awareness about various benefits of responsible consumption. This is particularly important for the rural population which is frequently involved in the sectors of economy linked to farming and food distribution. In this context, the objective of this study is to identify the promotional campaigns aimed at reducing meat consumption implemented in many Western countries. A scoping review was conducted to document the characteristics, facilitating factors and challenges of such promotional campaigns. The literature search led to the identification of a total of 25 initiatives that were gathered in a typology involving four types of campaigns: “Meatless Days” movements, contests that recognize companies with vegetarian alternatives, industry development-focused programs, and restaurant referral programs for vegetarian options. The study highlighted that the most impactful campaigns are the "Meatless Day" movements and referral programs. The results of this research are useful to develop and implement durable promotional campaigns aimed at reducing meat consumption.

In this Issue

It’s with pleasure that the New Zealand Association of Scientists presents this issue of the New Zealand Science Review in collaboration with the Riddet Institute. The articles arising from the Agri-Food Summit meeting in April this year give insight into the research and educational resources necessary for a successful and sustainable agri-food sector in New Zealand. As mentioned in our guest editorial, the Summit speakers were selected to bring somewhat disparate views together on the topic under discussion. The result graphically illustrates the tranformational changes necessary to fully exploit New Zealand’s potential in agri-foods and the importance of growing our collaborative research and educational networks internationally

Swiss Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment: A method to assess the emissions and environmental impacts of agricultural systems and products

PurposeAgricultural production, which dominates the environmental impacts of the food sector, has specific characteristics that need to be considered in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies. Agricultural systems are open, difficult to manage and control, strongly depend on natural resources and their impacts are highly variable and influenced by soil, climate and farm management. A specific framework, efficient methods and tools are thus needed to adequately assess the environmental impacts of agricultural systems.MethodsWe present the Swiss Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment (SALCA) concept and method, developed for a detailed and specific analysis of agricultural systems. It comprises rules for the definition of system boundaries, functional unit and allocation, emission models, a life cycle inventory (LCI) database, calculation tools, impact assessment methods and concepts for analysis, interpretation and communication. This paper focuses on emission models for gaseous N, nitrate leaching, P emissions to water, soil erosion, pesticides, heavy metals, emissions from animal production and impact assessment methods for soil quality and biodiversity. The models are calculated at the crop, field, animal group and farm levels and are integrated in a consistent and harmonised framework, which is ensured by exchanging intermediate results between models.Results and discussionThe SALCA concept has been applied in numerous LCA studies for crops and crop products, cropping systems, animal husbandry systems and animal products, food and feed products, farms and product groups, the agrifood sector and food systems. The SALCA methodology has also been a backbone of the LCI databases ecoinvent, AGRIBALYSE and the World Food LCA database. The strengths of SALCA lie in its comprehensiveness, specificity to agriculture, harmonisation, broad applicability, consistency, comparability, flexibility and modularity. The extensive data demand and the high complexity, however, limit the application of SALCA to experts. The geographical scope is limited to Central and Western Europe, with a special focus on Switzerland. However, due to the modular and flexible design, an adaptation to other contexts is feasible with reasonable effort.ConclusionsSALCA enables answering a wide range of research questions related to environmental assessment and is applicable to various goals and scopes. A further development would be the inclusion of the social and economic dimensions to perform a full sustainability analysis in the SALCAsustain framework.

Kazakhstani agricultural products: prospects for entering the Chinese market

China, being one of the world's largest food importers, has significant market opportunities for the Kazakhstani agro-industrial complex. In order to use this potential, the Republic of Kazakhstan is actively implementing measures and programs to stimulate and support the export of agricultural products. The goal is to study the features and prospects for the export of agricultural raw materials and food products to the PRC. As part of this study, the International Trade Center provided information to analyze the volumes and range of exported and imported food products and goods that were categorized in accordance with the Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity. Methods - descriptive statistics and index approach, allowing toidentify the main trends, quantitative changes and structural shifts in trade in food products of Kazakhstan with China and other countries. To determine the efficiency of production of various food products in the Republic of Kazakhstan relative to other countries, the Balassa index was used, measuring comparative advantage (RCA) in this area. Results - the authors note the positive impact of development of logistics, economic growth, market size and geographic proximity of Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, on formation of supply chains at different levels. However, to further modernize agri-food sector, a number of obstacles and risks need to be addressed: problems in production processes, processing and logistics, as well as technical and institutional constraints. Conclusions - improving the export strategy is crucial in shaping the national policy in the field of agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan in conditions of a mobilization economy: mitigating threats and risks, identifying internal resources to strengthen trade relations with the People's Republic of China.

Providing food to the population of Kazakhstan: priorities, mechanisms

Goal - the current state and problems of development of agriculture in Kazakhstan are considered - basics of providing food to the population of the republic and development of recommendations for improving agricultural policy. Methods – systematic approach, abstract-logical, monographic, economic-statistical. Results - the authors note that the Republic of Kazakhstan ranks 32nd in the Global Food Security Index for 2022. The country has sufficient natural resources to strengthen agri-food sector, and there is the necessary level of physical availability of food products. At the same time, the share of consumer spending on food products exceeds 50%, which indicates a relatively low degree of economic accessibility of food products. The republic is directly dependent on imports of beef, pork, poultry, fish, seafood, vegetable oils, sugar and chocolate. Dairy products are uncompetitive in comparison with similar Russian and Belarusian products, which leads to significant volumes of imports. Positive results of the functioning of agro-industrial complex of Kazakhstan include exceeding gross grain harvest of the threshold level of food self-sufficiency. Conclusions – recommendations prepared as part of the study are aimed at further spreading agricultural cooperation in livestock and crop production, implementing the import substitution policy in agricultural sector, increasing profitability of small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises, improving domestic technological and resource base, and living conditions in rural areas. Improving food security will be possible if there are effective measures of support from the state for agricultural producers, which implies necessary level of subsidies, reimbursement of capital costs, preferential lending, and provision of targeted financial assistance.

Assessing the digital transformation in agri-food cooperatives and its determinants

The digital transformation (DT) of companies implies the emergence of new business models based on the widespread use of digital technologies. Digital transformation is necessary to improve efficiency, productivity, and market access in a context of increasing competition. In the case of the agri-food sector, DT is also required to address the challenges of food safety, food waste, and sustainability. This research aims to build a theoretical framework and a methodology to assess the global level of DT and its dimensions and factors that influence it in a specific type of agri-food company, namely agri-food cooperatives. These prominent social economy entities follow cooperative principles and play a significant role in rural development, especially in the most backward regions. An empirical analysis has been conducted to validate the methodology and meet the objectives. To this end, a Global Index of DT was built, and data was obtained from a survey of agri-food cooperatives in Andalusia, a southern Spanish region with a long-standing tradition of agri-food cooperatives, which also presents a low per-capita income in the European context. Empirical results effectively reveal that the proposed theoretical framework and methodology expediate the assessment of the global level of DT of agri-food cooperatives and the relevance of certain influential critical factors. In this way, relevant information for cooperatives and policy-makers can be collected to facilitate the implementation of DT.

Evaluating the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on Italian and regional agri-food systems: Case study in the Marche Region, Italy

The study intends to analyze the situation of the agri-food systems in Italy over a one-year period (2020–2021) of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, with a focus on the Marche Region in the North-Center of Italy. The study presents the economic situation prior to the pandemic (2019), with an analysis of quantitative and qualitative data on the most relevant sectors of the agri-food systems. The scope is to investigate, from a socio-economic dimension, the impacts on the agri-food sectors and estimate the alterations occurring in production and consumption during and after the Italian lockdown from March to April 2020. The analysis mainly compares the two-year momentum (2019–2021) of the demography of the agri-food companies and showcases current trends. This analysis of the Italian agri-food system demonstrates that the pandemic and the territorial restrictions severely affected the sectors and altered some of the usual market trends. The pandemic caused disruptions in the distribution of inputs, extension services, and cooperative services, also leading to a shortage of labour. Factors such as market accessibility, postharvest value addition, pricing, and product shortages played a crucial role in shaping the market supply during this period of upheaval. The findings obtained by this preliminary study could be important in supporting decision-makers and producers in shaping new policy strategies for possible future crises.

Model pruning enables localized and efficient federated learning for yield forecasting and data sharing

Federated Learning (FL) presents a decentralized approach to model training in the agri-food sector and offers the potential for improved machine learning performance, while ensuring the safety and privacy of individual farms or data silos. However, the conventional FL approach has two major limitations. First, the heterogeneous data on individual silos can cause the global model to perform well for some clients but not all, as the update direction on some clients may hinder others after they are aggregated. Second, it is lacking with respect to the efficiency perspective concerning communication costs during FL and large model sizes. This paper proposes a new technical solution that utilizes network pruning on client models and aggregates the pruned models. This method enables local models to be tailored to their respective data distribution and mitigate the data heterogeneity present in agri-food data. Moreover, it allows for more compact models that consume less data during transmission. We experiment with a soybean yield forecasting dataset and find that this approach can improve inference performance by 15.5% to 20% compared to FedAvg, while reducing local model sizes by up to 84% and the data volume communicated between the clients and the server by 57.1% to 64.7%. Our method demonstrates the potential to use efficient models that are more environmentally friendly to support the agri-food sector’s transition to net zero. Future enhancements of this method could further optimize distributed learning in agri-food, enhancing sustainability and applicability.

Economic and Environmental Sustainability Trade-Off Analysis in Sheep Farming Using the Farm Accountancy Data Network Database

Agriculture and livestock farming significantly contribute to the success of all United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030 and are pivotal in the sustainability transition of the European agri-food sector. However, those sectors have been criticized for generating negative environmental externalities. In this context, adopting indicators able to evaluate agriculture and sheep farming sustainability is essential for fostering sustainable development in the primary sector and defining appropriate policies to support it. Such indicators are crucial for understanding if European Union policies striving to realize win–win opportunities based on synergy between farms’ environmental and economic dimensions are realistic. This paper focuses on this wave of interest and has two aims. First, it intends to investigate the existence of synergies or trade-offs between those dimensions using a trade-off analysis. To this end, a significant set of economic and environmental farm indicators was selected, and two composite indicators were created. Second, it aims to investigate the relationship between those two indicators and some pivotal structural and socio-demographic variables. This study was carried out on 219 Sardinian sheep farms included in the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network. The findings showed a low synergy between the economic and environmental spheres, a relationship between economic indicators and farmers’ ages and organic production variables, and no relationships between the environmental dimension and the analyzed variables.

Mail: ved-apk@mail.ru Prospects for trade and economic cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation in the agri-food sector: the regional aspect

A comprehensive analysis of export-import flows of agri-food products in mutual trade between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation in a regional aspect is presented. A detailed description of the food basket of the administrative regions of the countries is given, both in value and in physical terms.It has been determined that the formation of new growth points of the export potential of the administrative regions of Belarus should occur within the framework of the development of mutually beneficial cooperation with the regions of Russia in the agri-food sector.

Current trends in investment and innovation activities in the agroindustrial complex of Belarus

In dynamics for 2018–2022 analysed the main indicators of investment of fixed capital in the agriculture of Belarus, as well as the innovative development of the domestic food industry. Proposals are given to intensify investment and innovation activities in the agri-food sector in the context of stimulating start-up projects.

Modelling the In Vitro Growth of Phytopathogenic Filamentous Fungi and Oomycetes: The Gompertz Parameters as Robust Indicators of Propolis Antifungal Action.

Propolis is a resinous mixture produced by honeybees, mainly from plant exudates. With a rich chemical composition including many phenolic compounds, mostly responsible for its biological properties, namely antimicrobial ones, propolis may be a promising alternative to synthetic pesticides. The study of propolis from the south of Portugal and of its potential against phytopathogenic agents are still very recent and different methodological approaches hinder a comparison of efficacies. In this context, we aimed to test the value of a mathematical model for the multiparametric characterization of propolis' antifungal action on solid medium assays. An ethanol extract (EE) of a propolis sample harvested in 2016 from Alves (A16) was characterized in terms of phenolic composition and antimicrobial potential against five phytopathogenic species. A16.EE (500-2000 µg/mL) inhibited the mycelial growth of all the species, with Phytophthora cinnamomi and Biscogniauxia mediterranea being the most susceptible and Colletotrichum acutatum being the least affected. The Gompertz mathematical model proved to be a suitable tool for quantitatively describing the growth profiles of fungi and oomycetes, and its parameters exhibit a high level of discrimination. Our results reveal that propolis extracts may have potential applications beyond traditional uses, particularly within the agri-food sector, allowing beekeepers to make their businesses more profitable and diversified.

Immobilization of different products (enzymes) with chitosan

There is a strong emphasis on environmental preservation, and the agri-food sector is no exception. Nowadays, many food products are stored in plastic packaging, which can pose environmental challenges. That’s why, in this article, we explore a non-toxic, biocompatible, antimicrobial, antifungal alternative derived from natural sources: chitosan. We aim to develop a chitosan-based film, a biopolymer derived from chitin, to safeguard delicate fruits and vegetables from potential damage they may incur from harvest to sale. In this article, we delve into the immobilization of different enzymes using chitosan, the toxic impact of this compound, the immobilization of enzymes from various fruits, and finally, the study of coated fruits

Agri-food crises and news framing of media: an application to the Spanish greenhouse sector

The contemporary media narratives frequently exhibit significant contradictions due to the influence of diverse interests. In this context, the framing of information assumes critical importance in shaping consumer opinions, necessitating a comprehensive examination of its management. This article investigates the portrayal of crises in the agri-food sector within the mass media when not anchored in objective and verifiable facts, thereby exerting a consequential impact on the sector’s reputation and public image. Specifically, a detailed analysis is conducted on the greenhouse horticulture sector in southeast Spain, recognized as the primary European supplier. Examination of these news items uncovers a discernible bias in the disseminated information, resulting in an information asymmetry between farmers and consumers. As a remedy for the affected sector, the current study advocates the implementation of a proactive crisis detection and management model grounded in the development and dissemination of verifiable information.

Export of the Agri-Food Sector in the Conditions of Recent Crises

Abstract Crises come and go, but it is good if, from the perspective of the past, we can point to some positives of the crisis that has just passed. Indeed, in the article we first find a snapshot of the export activity of the Polish economy in recent years, a picture which is positive, despite the very serious crises in the global economy. This picture may not be complete due to the scope of the study, but it shows what is most important in author opinion – our place in the international division of labor over the last 15 years. This place has steadily improved, with particularly spectacular increases in importance observed during the years of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis and after the outbreak of war in Ukraine. The second section of the article presents an analysis of agri-food exports in a broader time frame, dating back to the 2000s. It aims to highlight the rise of agri-food exports as a proportion of GDP and total exports. Equally fascinating is the geographical and commodity structure and the mportance of Polish agri-food imports in the total of those made by selected countries. As a result, an interesting picture of Polish agri-food exports appears to have emerged, allowing positive assessments to be formulated. Quite optimistic prognoses for the future are also noticeable.

A qualitative study on the development of short supply channels in the Spanish agri-food sector: Producers’ perspectives and expectations

This study focuses on gaining insight on the current state of implementation and development of short food supply channels (SFSC), as an alternative or complement to long food supply channels. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the various challenges, barriers and advantages that Spanish agri-food producers face regarding the use of SFSC. To this aim, 22 in-depth interviews were conducted with Spanish agri-food producers who used SFSC in their businesses. Each interview lasted approximately 30 min and covered all aspects associated with the implementation of SFSC, mainly including the drivers and the barriers they had met. The results show that the implementation of SFSC is mainly driven by consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for their products, which means a higher margin for the businesses, whereas the main barrier refers to transport and logistics, due to the potential impact on costs, quality, and consumer satisfaction. Therefore, the implementation of SFSC in the businesses has had a positive impact on their sales, although effective solutions for more sustainable and efficient distribution systems in the SFSC and more marketing activities are needed to boost this type of supply channel.