Changes In Consumption Patterns Research Articles

THE IMPACT OF INCREASING COOKING OIL PRICES ON FOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERNS IN VARIOUS HOUSEHOLD INCOME GROUPS IN ACEH PROVINCE

Consumption of cooking oil from year to year continues to increase, especially in Aceh Province. In general, almost all people in this area consume cooking oil derived from oil palm plants for household needs. As one of the basic needs, the increase in the price of cooking oil has affected changes in household consumption patterns. This study aims to analyze the impact of rising cooking oil prices on changes in people's food consumption patterns in various household income groups in a quantitative descriptive manner. The results of the analysis show that the increase in the price of cooking oil has an impact on changes in food consumption patterns, namely a decrease in consumption of several food needs other than cooking oil. This decline occurred in various household income groups in Aceh Province.

Increasing Nitrogen Losses Due to Changing Food Consumption Patterns in Bayannur City, China.

Increasing urbanization and affluence have led to changes in food consumption patterns. The application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers ensures food security but also leads to environmental pollution due to N losses, through processes such as acidification, eutrophication, and greenhouse gas emissions. To clarify whether changes in food consumption patterns could increase N losses and to explore sustainable food system pathways, this study integrated the Chinese Food System Dashboard and the Nutrient Flows in Food Chains, Environment and Resources Use model to quantify and compare the link between food consumption and N losses in different agricultural regions using a case study of Bayannur City in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2016. During the study period, Bayannur's food consumption pattern changed from a "high carbohydrate and pork pattern" to a "high fiber and herbivore pattern", which represents a shift from low to high N consumption. The per-capita food consumption decreased by 11.55% from 425.41 kg cap-1, whereas the per-capita N losses increased by 12.42% from 35.60 kg N cap-1. The average share of the plant-oriented and animal-oriented food supply in these losses was 53.39% and 46.61%, respectively. There were differences in the food consumption patterns and N losses in Bayannur's farming, farming-pastoral, and pastoral regions. The changes in N losses were most significant in the pastoral region. The N losses to the environment increased sharply by 112.33% from 22.75 g N cap-1 over the past 16 years. The low level of economic development in Bayannur resulted in a shift in the food consumption pattern to a high N consumption. Four measures to protect food security and reduce the food N cost were proposed: (1) increasing the wheat planting area and maintaining the existing corn one; (2) expanding the scale of high-quality alfalfa planting; (3) enhancing the area of oat grass and wheat replanting; and (4) using modern planting technology.

The effects of subsidies on foods in Iran: A narrative review

BackgroundSubsidy payments are used to support low-income groups and may improve income distribution and increase social welfare. The food subsidy programs and their long-term effects have been considered as major developmental issues in many developing countries. This review study aimed to examine the effects of subsidies on the food and nutritional status of Iranian people.MethodsEnglish and Persian language databases were searched using related keywords to discover studies on the effects of subsidies on food and nutritional status in Iran. A manual search was also conducted encompassing national and local research projects in Iran. In total, 12 articles were finally included out of an initial total of 70 studies.ResultsSubsidy payment affects many socio-economic variables. In Iran, subsidies are often paid for the basic goods and commodities that are a main part of the consumption patterns of most Iranian people. So, if the basic needs of the people are not well-understood, changes in economic structures may lead to a change in consumption patterns. In addition, physical payments for food may lead to an increase in the consumption of different groups, but cash payments do not necessarily lead to an increase in food intake.ConclusionThe method of payment should be chosen correctly to improve the protection of vulnerable populations. The distribution of targeted subsidies for food security is inevitable due to limited resources available to support vulnerable populations.

Cultivation of underutilized fruit trees by indigenous people in Urug Village, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Anggraeni A, Yuniati R, Silalahi M, Lestari R, Jumari. 2023. Cultivation of underutilized fruit trees by indigenous people in Urug Village, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 454-466. Underutilized Fruit Trees (UFTs) are a group of fruit trees with high potential but underutilized. Some fruit has been identified in Urug Village, but this village was hit by a natural disaster, i.e., a flood and landslide in early 2020 that damaged the location where UFTs grew, threatening the existence of UFTs genetic resources. Therefore, a systematic and integrated effort is needed to maintain UFTs biodiversity. This study aims to discover how to cultivate UFTs by the indigenous peoples in Urug Village, document the location where UFTs grow, and analyze index vegetation using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Using the combined method of Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with 16 indigenous people, in-depth interviews with 19 indigenous people, and field observations, this study shows that there are 53 individuals of UFTs from 13 species found in several areas in Urug Village. Indigenous people have a unique way of cultivating UFT, starting from tree selection, preparation of planting sites, tree planting, and fruit tree care. However, more than 60% of UFT was found in the moderate vegetation index. The challenges of UFTs cultivation in Urug Village are changes in fruit consumption patterns, degradation of local knowledge, lack of information about the nutritional and vitamin content of UFTs, land use change, climate change, and the low involvement of both central and regional governments in cultivating UFTs. Thus, changes in consumer and government perceptions, and increased research on UFT are needed to address the challenges of cultivating UFT.

Changes in the Current Patterns of Beef Consumption and Consumer Behavior Trends-Cross-Cultural Study Brazil-Spain-Turkey.

This cross-cultural study aimed to determine the main factors behind potential changes in eating habits by analyzing changes in the patterns of beef consumption currently observed in Brazil, Spain, and Turkey. To achieve this aim, 412 regular beef consumers from Brazil, 407 from Spain, and 424 from Turkey answered a self-administered questionnaire. The study surveyed the effects of economic factors, switching from beef to other sources of protein, aspects of credence, health-related concerns, the influence of lifestyle on beef consumption patterns, and purchasing decision factors. The most important factors that changed consumer behavior and resulted in a decrease in consumption, mostly among Brazilian and Turkish consumers, were the economics and accessibility of the products. Beef was replaced by other alternative sources of protein that were likewise derived from animals. The consumers whose purchasing intentions were most significantly influenced by credence factors (e.g., indiscriminate use of agricultural products, substandard animal welfare requirements, among others) were Brazilian and Turkish and, to a lesser degree, Spanish consumers. Lifestyle factors (e.g., consumption of out-of-home meals, available time to cook, among others) were demonstrated to alter consumption patterns and therefore must be carefully considered by the industry, taking into account cultural differences and consumer needs. The population under investigation considered that eating beef had no impact on their health.

Seafood consumption changes and COVID-19 impact index in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

This empirical study examines seafood consumption patterns in the province of West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia at the regency level, and analyzes changes in consumption patterns during the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) virus outbreak. We used a stratified semi-random general population survey administered online through mobile devices from November 24th-December 31st 2020 for rapid assessment and dissemination, which received 1518 respondents. Our findings enabled us to generate a COVID-19 impact index at the regency level, indicating an urban-to-rural gradient in the degree of change in seafood consumption patterns, with rural areas incurring more changes. During COVID-19, 61% of respondents ate less seafood than normal, 66% stated seafood was more expensive, and 37% stated that the seafood they normally buy was not available. Respondents also bought 5% less fresh or raw seafood, and 4.3% more pre-cooked seafood products during the pandemic. Traditional markets, mobile vendors, and food stands remain the most frequent access points for seafood, although access decreased during the pandemic for all, with mini- and supermarket access slightly increasing. Raw and fresh seafood purchases from travelling merchants decreased 12.5% during the pandemic. A larger percentage of women (~10% more than men) eat fish at least once per week, and women eat a larger diversity of seafood products. However, men classified themselves on average in a higher income class than women both before and during the pandemic, and men were significantly more likely to agree that they had enough money to buy the food they wanted during the pandemic. Overall, respondents who indicated eating a higher frequency of fish per week, were significantly more likely to agree that they ate less fish during the pandemic. Respondents on Sumbawa island were significantly more likely to agree that the fisheries products were not available during the pandemic.

Heterogeneous driving effects of middle-class expansion on carbon emissions in various regions of China: A structural path decomposition analysis

Middle-class expansion has played a crucial role in driving the changes in embodied carbon emissions. However, its driving mechanisms still need to be clarified. In this paper, we compiled novel multiregional input-output tables to capture the rise of the middle class in China in terms of its expansion and consumption pattern changes. Structural path analysis was employed to investigate the critical paths of embodied carbon emissions from middle classes of different regions in China during 2012–2015. Structural path decomposition was further used to explore the driving factors along the paths, including changes in population size, consumption patterns, industrial structure, and carbon intensity. Our results show that, from 2012 to 2015, the role of the middle class in driving carbon emissions through the most critical paths was either enhanced or reduced depending on different factorial changes. Generally, the paths with enhanced roles of the middle class stemmed from the urban and rural middle classes in Central China, Southwestern Coastal, and Northern Coastal regions, and the changes in consumption patterns and population of the urban middle class were the main driving factors. The top 30 paths of carbon emissions growth driven by the urban and rural middle classes approximately increase 19.5 Mt and 8 Mt of carbon emissions, respectively. In contrast, most of the paths with the weakened role of the middle class were intraregional paths in the Southern Coastal and Eastern Coastal regions, and carbon intensity was the dominant factor governing the changes. Our analysis systematically revealed, for the first time, the heterogeneous impacts and driving factors of middle-class expansion in different regions of China on carbon emissions. Therefore, it provides new insights for climate mitigation in the context of China's plan to cultivate a majority middle-class society.

The Effect of Interest Rate Changes on Consumption: An Age-Structured Approach

Interest rates have generally trended downward over the past several decades. It has made borrowing cheaper, which has encouraged people to spend more. It has also made saving less attractive, contributing to increased consumption. At the same time, the role of household credit increased significantly. The paper suggests a model for the effect of an interest rate change on household consumption, which relies on income and loans. The model is based on methods of the optimal control theory. The approach is age-structured: households reconsider their consumption patterns at the moment of the interest rate change and the changes in consumption patterns are age dependent. The consumption changes for different age groups contribute to the modification of aggregate consumption. Numerical simulation shows that a decrease in the interest rate leads to a consumption boost (a substantial increase in consumption in the short run), which diminishes as time passes and consumption becomes fully adjusted to the new interest rate value. The consumption boost is achieved by an increase in the debt load.

From Empire-wide integration to regional localization: A synthetic and quantitative study of heterogeneous amphora data in Roman Germania reveals centuries-long change in regional patterns of production and consumption.

We present novel insights into trade in amphorae-borne products over a 550-year period in Germania along the frontier of the Roman Empire, derived through probabilistic aoristic methods to study temporal changes in archaeological materials. Our data analysis reveals highly detailed differential patterns of consumption and production within the German market. We show how connections to far-flung regions such as the Eastern Mediterranean or the Iberian Peninsula wax and wane through time, and how the local German producers start to compete with these imported products. These chronological patterns provide important insight into a regional market within the larger Roman economy and provide an important case study in changing economic connections over a long period, demonstrating in a transparent and reproducible way a geographical and chronological pulsation in market activity that was otherwise unknown and undemonstrated.

Multiple dynamic pricing for demand response with adaptive clustering-based customer segmentation in smart grids

In this paper, we propose a realistic multiple dynamic pricing approach to demand response in the electricity retail market. First, an adaptive clustering-based customer segmentation framework is proposed to categorize customers into different groups to enable the effective identification of usage patterns. Second, customized demand models with important market constraints which capture the price–demand relationship explicitly, are developed for each group of customers to improve the model accuracy and enable meaningful pricing. Third, the multiple pricing based demand response is formulated as a profit maximization problem subject to realistic market constraints. The overall aim of the proposed scalable and practical method aims to achieve ‘right’ prices for ‘right’ customers so as to benefit various stakeholders in the system. The proposed multiple pricing framework is evaluated via simulations based on real-world datasets. We find that: (1) the adaptive clustering based approach can capture the dynamically changing consumption patterns of customers, and enable the dynamic group based demand modelling; and (2) the multiple pricing strategy could achieve better profit gain for the retailer compared with the uniform pricing due to its reduced electricity purchasing cost in the wholesale market.

Indigenous Foods in Decline? A Study on Changing Consumption Patterns Within the Barolong Boo Ratshidi Community, Northwest Province of South Africa

ABSTRACT This study examines changes in food consumption patterns within African communities, with specific reference to the Barolong Boo Ratshidi community in the Northwest Province of South Africa. The study uses a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews conducted with members of this community (or participants) to understand their views of food and consumption patterns. It also sought to understand the participants’ understanding of the factors behind these changes and their effects as well as their understanding of the meanings underlying indigenous African foods. It was found that contrary to the widely held view that only the elderly members of communities are endeared to indigenous foods, this is not so because the youth also express preference for these foods while embracing changes that have effect on their consumption. This is so even though many of the youth are ignorant of the cultural meanings of indigenous African foods served on different occasions. Their enthusiasm for these foods is seen as an optimistic basis for future efforts meant to revitalize them.

The change in household consumption patterns in Jordan: 1997–2017

This study aims to determine the change in consumption patterns of the Jordanian household during 1997–2017, as well as to estimate the income elasticities. The data from the household expenditure and income surveys conducted by the Jordanian Department of Statistics in the years: 1997, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, and 2017 were used. Graphs were prepared and percentages were calculated to measure changes in household consumption patterns. The average household expenditure index was used to measure the impact of income on changing consumption patterns (Selim, 2014). To estimate income elasticity, a pooled data regression model was adopted (Sugiarto & Wibowo, 2020). The estimated model is statistically significant at a level of 0.05. The study found a decrease in the percentage of household spending on the food group and an increase in the percentage of spending on the non-food group during the study period. This change in the family’s consumption pattern coincided with an increase in its income. Value of income elasticity was < 1 for food, clothing, and housing. It was > 1 for transportation and communication, education, and health. Therefore, we conclude that the consumer behavior of the Jordanian family is fully consistent with the theory of consumer behavior and its applications.

Change in consumption pattern and accommodation activity types: the evidence of seizing recovery opportunities and mitigating risk from European countries in crisis time

Change in consumption pattern and accommodation activity types: the evidence of seizing recovery opportunities and mitigating risk from European countries in crisis time

Understanding the Climate–Water–Energy–Food Nexus and the Transition Towards a Circular Economy: The Case of Morocco

The world is currently marked by increasing pressure on natural resources and a big demand for energy, water, and food. Energy, Water, and food are strongly interlinked, and the choices made in one area often have consequences on the others. These interconnections intensify and will be more complex as the demand for resources increases with climate change, population growth, changing consumption patterns, and a linear economy model of ‘take-make-dispose’. however, a circular economy (CE) ensures that economic growth must not necessarily lead to more resource consumption. This paper aims to discuss the circular economy transition with a focus on understanding the interdependencies and complexities of system Climate-Water, Energy, and food security in Morocco. This work first outlines the problem of water resources management in Morocco and determined the areas of intersection between the food-energy-water sectors. It also attempts to explain why water circularity is part of the key factors to accelerate the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, and how circularity can be implemented in the water sector. Finally, it studies two circular alternative solutions (water-saving - drip irrigation, and renewable energy) that Morocco uses to face climate change-induced water scarcity.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. retail pharmacy industry: A case of CVS Health

Since the new coronavirus swept through the United States in 2020, a wide range of industries have been hit to varying degrees. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a number of implications for the retail pharmacy sector: Politically, the enactment of the stay-at-home Orders and the COVID-19 related acts have reduced the foot traffic in pharmacies; Economically, the pandemic led to a major business shutdown, causing unemployment to peak and GDP to fall into negative growth, which led to a reduction in commercial membership in the health insurance business and an increase in Medicaid numbers for government programs; Socially, the epidemic has made people more aware of insurance and has changed consumption patterns and care patterns; Technologically, telemedicine became the main form of care during the pandemic, with pharmacies such as CVS Health increasing their investment in this area. This paper analyzed the financial indicators of CVS Health and found that the company’s profits generally showed an increasing trend during the pandemic period and were not significantly negatively impacted. By analyzing the strategy of CVS Health, this paper suggested that other pharmacies should be sustainable in the post-pandemic era through efforts to actively transform and diversify their businesses, increase investment in telemedicine and actively develop ESG strategies.

Assessing consumption-based carbon footprint of China's food industry in global supply chain

With the acceleration of industrialization and rapid demand growth, carbon emissions increased dramatically in China's food industry during the past two decades. However, the uncertainty of the emission level of China's food industry alongside the global supply chain restricts China from implementing more sustainable food policies. Thus, this paper first estimates the carbon footprint in China's food manufacturing industry domestically and internationally by identifying major trade partners and the corresponding industries using a multi-regional input-output model. Then, this paper further decomposed the determinants of carbon footprint change. The results show that agriculture, food industry, transport, and energy supply are primarily responsible for carbon emission growth. The structural decomposition results further demonstrate that increasing demand and consumption pattern changes are important factors leading to a growth in carbon emission, and energy efficiency improvement helps China's food industry mitigate the emission level. Finally, policy recommendations are provided based on the decomposition results.

The Role of Labour Unions in a Just Transition: Insights From the Workers

Climate change will bring about changes in production and consumption patterns globally. Workers largely understand that a transformation of their industry and organisation is impending, but there is uncertainty about what this transition will look like. However, ensuring meaningful employment amidst mitigation to address climate change within organisations, can be aligned to address workers’ concerns. Enhancing existing livelihoods and income is fundamental to this transition. A strategy for changes that are fair and equitable for all stakeholders, or what is termed as “Just Transition,” is necessary to ensure that the future sustainable economy provides new and meaningful green jobs for workers. This study reports findings from a survey with 1,000 Singaporean and Permanent Resident workers in Singapore investigating their perceptions, attitudes, and priorities in a Just Transition. First, despite the ongoing push for sustainability, workers’ top concerns today and in the coming decade are the cost of living and livelihoods. Climate change is of less concern. Even among workers with strong pro-environmental attitudes, cost of living, livelihoods, and an ageing workforce were greater priorities. Second, workers are seeking certainty of what Just Transition looks like and reassurances that job opportunities will be available. These hint at existing uncertainties among workers about jobs, livelihood, and impending changes that will take place as part of this transition. Third, workers see a role played by unions in Just Transition and this role is multifaceted and builds on existing advocacy, negotiation, and partnership activities.

ВІКІНОМІЧНИЙ ПІДХІД ДО СТАЛОГО РОЗВИТКУ В КОНТЕКСТІ ЄВРОІНТЕГРАЦІЙНИХ ПРОЦЕСІВ

The article examines the wikinomic approach to sustainable development in the context of European integration processes in Ukraine. The authors define integration, innovation, responsible entrepreneurship and circular economy as key components of sustainable development. They discuss how these elements influence changes in consumption and production patterns and create a balanced system where the economy, social sphere and environmental factors interact and are interdependent. The article also examines integration in wikinomic approaches and points to possible difficulties due to participants' different perspectives, ways of thinking, and cultural traditions. Areas of effective management of organizational changes, structural construction and management culture for successful integration are studied. It is noted that the main idea of innovation in wikinomics is to find new solutions to efficiently use resources, reducing the negative impact on the environment and improving people's quality of life. The authors emphasize the need to involve the community, create a climate favourable to collective decision-making, build trust and justify benefits for all parties, and form a technological infrastructure, provide user training and monitor results for the successful implementation of the European integration approach. The article focuses on "responsible entrepreneurship" as a defining component of wikinomics, which creates opportunities for changing how businesses operate, ensuring a balance between profitability, social values and environmental sustainability. Also, directions for developing the circular economy based on the wikinomic approach are explored. Its development requires cooperation, knowledge exchange and resources between interested parties to achieve sustainable development. In general, the article substantiates the effective use of resources, dissemination of knowledge and involvement of the public to find answers to environmental, social and economic challenges by implementing a wiki-economic approach in the context of the European integration of Ukraine.

Кибернетическая концепция глобального управления

The cybernetic model of governance, well-established at the national level, has yet to be applied in transnational and global dimensions for analytical purposes, despite favorable conditions for its implementation. Global governance practices are increasingly resembling classic cybernetic challenges, such as maintaining the planet's average temperature within a 1.5°C increase relative to the pre-industrial era. This task essentially involves the creation of climate control on a planetary scale. Its resolution demands not only an acceleration of the energy transition and changes in social behavior and economic consumption patterns at an individual level but also a consideration of the mechanisms of the planet's climatic and geological evolution. This article traces the genealogy of the cybernetic governance model from its initial description in the works of Norbert Wiener to contemporary studies in political science, identifying key concepts and limitations of this model. Utilizing the Copenhagen School of Security Studies, particularly the concept of "macro-securitization," the article justifies the selection of climate change as a crucial case for the cybernetic model of global governance. The analysis of the practice of implementing global governance in the field of climate change aligns with the main characteristics of the cybernetic model and can be viewed as its practical application. The cybernetic model's primary challenge in a global context lies in its requirement for an overarching, unified approach to complex and diverse global issues. The model's emphasis on measurable indicators poses difficulties in areas where quantifiable metrics are less apparent or where multiple competing interests and values must be balanced. This necessitates a nuanced understanding of the global political and socio-economic landscape and the intricate interplay between various actors and factors influencing global governance. The article suggests that while the cybernetic model offers valuable insights for certain global challenges, particularly in environmental governance, its broader application across diverse global governance domains warrants careful consideration and adaptation to the complex realities of global politics and policy-making.

Opportunities and Challenges of Cross-Border E-Commerce Development Cooperation between China and Southeast Asian Countries—Based on the Perspective of the Entry into Force of RCEP

The development of information technology and changes in people's consumption patterns have led to the rapid growth of the global cross-border e-commerce market. The result of cross-border e-commerce between China and Southeast Asia has been outstanding. With the increasing importance of cross-border e-commerce in the foreign trade of each country, China and Southeast Asian countries have taken cross-border e-commerce as an essential element to promote the high-quality development of bilateral trade. At present, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) has officially entered into force, providing new opportunities for the growth of cross-border e-commerce between China and Southeast Asia, which is not only conducive to unifying the rules and standards of the cross-border e-commerce market between China and Southeast Asia, helping China to improve the level of trade facilitation and optimise the supply chain system, but also providing institutional dividends for Chinese cross-border e-commerce enterprises to realise localised operations. At the same time, the development of cross-border e-commerce between China and Southeast Asian countries also faces a series of challenges, such as poor infrastructure, unified payment systems and a lack of cross-border e-commerce talent in Southeast Asian countries. In the future, it is necessary to strengthen the infrastructure construction in Southeast Asian countries, improve the cross-border payment system, train cross-border e-commerce talents and build cross-border e-commerce platforms to seize the development opportunities brought by the implementation of RCEP and achieve high-quality development of cross-border e-commerce between China and Southeast Asian countries.