Environment-friendly Agricultural Products Research Articles

Improving crop health by synthetic microbial communities: Progress and prospects.

Crop health directly affects yields and food security. At present, agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides are mainly used in agricultural production to promote crop health. However, long-term excessive utilization of agrochemicals will damage the ecological environment of farmlands and increase the safety risk of agricultural products. It is urgent to explore efficient and environment-friendly agricultural products. Rhizosphere microbiome are considered as the second genome of plants, which are closely related to crop health. Understanding the key functional microbes, microbe-microbe interactions, and plant-microbe interactions are fundamental for exploring the potential of beneficial microbes in promoting crop health. However, due to the heterogeneity and complexity of the natural environment, stimulating the function of indigenous microorganisms remains uncertain. Synthetic microbial community (SynCom) is an artificial combination of two or more different strain isolates of microorganisms, with different taxonomic, genetic, or functional characteristic. Because of the advantages of maintaining species diversity and community stability, SynCom has been widely applied in the fields of human health, environmental governance and industrial production, and may also have great potential in promoting crop health. We summarized the concept and research status of SynCom, expounded the principles and methods of constructing SynCom, and analyzed the research on the promotion of crop health by exploring the mechanism of plant-microbe interactions, promoting plant growth and development, and improving stress resistance. Finally, we envisaged the future prospects to guide the using SynCom to improve crop health.

Understanding Consumer Resistance to the Consumption of Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Products: A Case of Bio-Concentrated Liquid Fertilizer Product

Methane fermentation digested sludge is a sustainable resource that is used as a liquid fertilizer. An innovative liquid fertilizer called Bio-Concentrated Liquid Fertilizer (Bio-CLF) was developed to solve the problems such as high transportation cost associated with current liquid fertilizer. As an innovation product, Bio-CLF inevitably creates remarkable resistance from consumers. Hence, we used the Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT) to determine the reasons for consumer resistance to Bio-CLF products. A total of 2,000 samples from three major cities, including Tokyo, were extracted via the Internet, and 703 samples were finally selected for analysis. Perceived risk, complexity, and attitude toward existing products were found to have a positive and direct impact on consumer resistance to Bio-CLF products, while motivation and purchase intention were found to have a negative and direct impact on consumer resistance to Bio-CLF products. Notably, Relative Advantage and Compatibility had a positive impact on motivation and indirectly influenced consumer resistance to Bio-CLF products, the results of which are inconsistent with IRT, as those characteristics could have a direct influence on resistance. Additionally, we opted to provide some advice that for market managers: (1) allocate a specialized corner for the Bio-CLF product and (2) place the Bio-CLF product alongside other green products. For producers: (1) disclosure of production information; (2) design of an attractive and clear label sheet; (3) proving the advantage of Bio-CLF and that the Bio-CLF product is a green product.

Use, Perception and Satisfaction of Dietitians with Environment-Friendly Agricultural Products in School Food Service in Chungbuk Area

Use, Perception and Satisfaction of Dietitians with Environment-Friendly Agricultural Products in School Food Service in Chungbuk Area

Identification of antifungal constituents of essential oils extracted from Boesenbergia pulcherrima against Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum)

With the aim of developing environment-friendly agricultural products with antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, a causative agent of Fusarium wilt, active substances from Boesenbergia pulcherrima roots were isolated. The hexane fraction from B. pulcherrima root extract was analyzed by GC/MS. The main peaks were estimated and identified to be methyl eugenol, methyl isoeugenol, elemicin, α-asarone, and 1,2-dimethoxy-4-(2-methoxyethenyl)benzene based on the Wiley library and by comparing retention times and mass spectra with their corresponding standards using GC/MS. For the identification of the compound in peak D that was estimated to be 1,2,4-trimethoxy-5-vinylbenzene, for which no reference standard was available, the hexane fraction was processed by column chromatography before NMR analysis. The result confirmed the compound to be 1,2,4-trimethoxy-5-vinylbenzene. Almost all compounds showed antifungal activity against F. oxysporum based on bioassays, and α-asarone had the highest activity. Therefore, B. pulcherrima root extract can be a potential source of environment-friendly agricultural products with antifungal activity against F. oxysporum.

A Study on the Effects of Quality Characteristics of Online Environment-Friendly Agricultural Products Shopping Malls affecting Customer Trust and Purchase Intention

Purpose - This study is to classify quality characteristics of online environment-friendly agricultural products shopping malls into 6 categories and to empirically test their relationship with customer trust, perceived manageability, perceived utility and purchase intention. Research design, data, and methodology - This study targeted adults who have purchased ecofriendly agricultural production online malls for 4 weeks from September 3 to September 30, 2019. The survey type used was a structuralized self-report survey questionnaire made to meet the research purpose in 2019 as the time range. Out of 800 questionnaires, 500 copies are used after excluding surveys with insincere responses. Results - First, results to hypothesis 1, which was about independent variables and customer trust. Analysis showed that health, familiarity, platform reputation, reviews and product quality were found to have significant effect on customer trust; the hypothesis was adopted. On the other hand, system security did not affect customer trust significantly; it was rejected. Second, customer trust was shown to have significant effect on perceived manageability and perceived utility, so the hypothesis was adopted. Third, the hypothesis that perceived manageability moves onto perceived utility was adopted. Moreover, the hypothesis that perceived manageability moves onto purchase intention and the hypothesis that perceived utility moves onto purchase intention were adopted as well. Conclusions - Furthermore, the results of the study imply that it's imperative for online environment-friendly agricultural products shopping malls to consider their characteristics as the means to increase purchase intention of customers.

A Study on the Effect of the Purchase Decision-Making Factors upon the Intention of Recommendation and the Intention of Use for Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Products

A Study on the Effect of the Purchase Decision-Making Factors upon the Intention of Recommendation and the Intention of Use for Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Products

Expansion Factors in the Distribution of Environment-friendly Agricultural Products in South Korea

Expansion Factors in the Distribution of Environment-friendly Agricultural Products in South Korea

Analysis of Management Efficiency of Check-off Board in Korea Using DEA

In 2002, Korean government introduced the check-off system and now Korea has 16 check-off boards including Korean beef, beef, pork, milk, chicken, duck, Korean ginseng, paprika, mandarin, and environment-friendly agricultural products. Basically, the check-off is one of the excellent ways to support farmer and thus Korean government have kept promoting the check-off boards. Even though many researchers studied about the Korean check-off, no study focuses on the management efficiency of check-off boards. The objective of this study is to measure the management efficiency of Korean check-off boards and to provide the benchmarking information that can improve the management efficiency of check-off board. DEA was used to analyze the management efficiency of 10 check-off boards in Korea. The results present the several findings as follows: The check-off boards of Korean beef, chicken, duck, and paprika show the inefficient management efficiency. Therefore, these check-off boards need to increase the management efficiency or the rate of check-off. Especially, these check-off boards might spend more check-off fund to manage the stability of supply-demand and to operate the other programs of check-off board, instead of advertisement and promotion which are the main programs of check-off board.

Consumers’ Recognition of Multifunctionality in Agriculture and Price Premiums for Environmentally Friendly Agricultural Products: Evidence from a Survey Experiment

We conduct an online survey experiment to determine the influence of multifunctionality recognition in agriculture on the price premiums of environmental-friendly agricultural products. We use the case of fish-friendly rice produced in Shiga prefecture, Japan, which contributes to the conservation of the water and ecosystem in rural areas around Lake Biwa by setting up fish ways and reducing the use of herbicides. We assume two conditions for consumers to pay premiums on environmental-friendly agricultural products. The first is that consumers recognize multifunctionality in agriculture. The second condition is that consumers have a correct understanding of environment-friendly agricultural products. We thus examine the effects of respondents’ attributes on their responses to two types of visual stimuli: one associated with the multifunctionality of agriculture and information about environment-friendly agricultural products. In the analysis of the respondents; willingness to pay, the price premium of the group with both the stimulus and information is significantly higher than the price premium of the control group with no interventions. However, the price premium of the group with only the stimulus is not statistically different for the control group. The policy implication of this research is that consumers are more likely to support agri-environmental policies if they recognize both the multifunctionality of agriculture and the properties of environmental-friendly agricultural products. The two types of stimuli have complimentary effects on increasing price premiums. Promoting the recognition of multifunctionality is especially important for those who do not usually access information on agriculture.

Recognition of Environmentally-friendly Agricultural Products for School Foodservice of Nutrition Teachers and Parents in 2018 at Seongnam in Gyeonggi province

Recognition of Environmentally-friendly Agricultural Products for School Foodservice of Nutrition Teachers and Parents in 2018 at Seongnam in Gyeonggi province

A Study on Satisfaction of School Food Service Using Environment-friendly Agricultural Products

A Study on Satisfaction of School Food Service Using Environment-friendly Agricultural Products

친환경농산물에 대한 건강관심도와 환경관심도가 소비자태도 및구매의도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구: 가족 형태의 조절효과

This study used SPSS 21.0 statistical program on 260 women living in Busan area to investigate the consumer attitudes and purchase intentions of environmentally-friendly agricultural products as concerns on health and environment are on the rise among women. Causal relations between interest in environmentally-friendly agricultural products, health concerns, consumer attitude and purchase intentions were identified through hierarchical analysis. The summary of this study is as follows. First, it is analyzed that the affect of environmental concern on consumer attitude is stronger than the affect of health concerns. This shows that consumers are more conscious about protecting the environment, not just on health benefits of environmentally-friendly products. Second, the significance of moderating effects of family structure in the influencing relationship of health concerns and environment concerns on consumer attitude were analyzed. This shows that family structure thus, number of family member moderates the influencing relationship of health concerns and environment concerns on consumer attitudes. Third, it has been verified that consumer attitude affects the purchase intention. Thus, positive attitude of consumers towards environmentally-friendly products shows that intention to purchase environmentally-friendly products are stronger. Fourth, it has been analyzed that family structure has moderating effects in the influencing relationship of consumer attitude on purchase intentions. Furthermore, the number of family member and structure are identified to moderate the purchase intention on environmentally-friendly products.

초등학생 자녀를 둔 어머니의 친환경농산물 구매의도

초등학생 자녀를 둔 어머니의 친환경농산물 구매의도

Perception of Use of Environment-friendly Agricultural Products during School Foodservice of Mothers of Elementary School Students in Gyeonggi

Perception of Use of Environment-friendly Agricultural Products during School Foodservice of Mothers of Elementary School Students in Gyeonggi

GAP 인증 제도를 통한 차품질관리 활성화 방안 연구

The tea producers are proud of the best quality by producing and selling products in small scale by setting each tea manufacture law and quality control standard. However, it has a difference with the quality recognized by consumers who have distrust for the quality due to cases of residual pesticide and so on.
 Local governments in tea growing areas are actively introducing logistics quality certification system, geographical indication system, international organic certification system and environment-friendly agricultural products certification system for the quality control.
 However, for securing the safety of agricultural products, there is little use of GAP certification system that manages hazardous substances such as pesticides, heavy metals or harmful organisms that may remain in the agricultural environment such as soil·water quality and agricultural products, from the production stage to the post-harvest packaging stage. Among 1,088,542 farms currently got GAP certifications, only four farms are certified as GAP certified tea leaves.
 In order to secure the safety of agricultural products and secure our competitiveness, it is necessary to activate GAP certification system not only in tea farms but also in local governments.

A study on the purchase behavior of Chinese consumers about environment-friendly agricultural products

In Korea, the market size for environment-friendly agricultural products has reached a plateau, even though many Korean consumers still show a high level of preference for environmentfriendly agricultural products. In order to solve this problem, some Korean farmers and marketers are starting to try to export their products to many countries, including China. China, in particular, is becoming one of the fastest rising market for Korean environment-friendly agricultural products, after the signing of the Free Trade Agreement with China. However, little research has been done or reported about the purchase behaviors of Chinese consumers. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the environment-friendly agricultural product purchase behavior (especially, mandarin orange and muskmelon) of consumers in the Chinese market and to present some useful implications for Korean farmers and marketers. Through survey in China (especially, Beijing and Shanghai) and frequency analysis, this study made the following findings: first, Chinese consumers show a very strong concern for environment-friendly agricultural products. Second, many Chinese consumers usually buy environment-friendly agricultural products more than two times per month. Third, Chinese consumers give more value to freshness and food-safety than taste when they make decisions on buying environment-friendly mandarin orange and muskmelon. These can have some implications for the exportation of environmentfriendly agricultural products.

The Effect of Purchasing Factors of Environment-Friendly Agricultural Products on Consumer Attitude and Purchasing Intention

The Effect of Purchasing Factors of Environment-Friendly Agricultural Products on Consumer Attitude and Purchasing Intention

The Effect of Purchasing Factors of Environment-Friendly Agricultural Products on Consumer Attitude and Purchasing Intention

The Effect of Purchasing Factors of Environment-Friendly Agricultural Products on Consumer Attitude and Purchasing Intention

친환경 과일의 구입 행위 분석: 포도와 감귤을 대상으로

Even though many Korean consumers have bought environment-friendly fruits, including grapes and mandarins, farmers and suppliers still have little information about how they make a decision for the actual purchase in the real markets. Without the suitable information of purchase behavior of environment-friendly fruits, farmers and suppliers cannot set up the efficient marketing strategy which can create the better agricultural products for Korean consumers. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the consumers’ purchase behavior of environment-friendly fruits in Korea. Especially, this study was focused on the grapes and mandarins, through the survey research and the frequency analysis. The results of study in this paper present a few findings useful as follows: First, Korean consumers have the strong concern of environment-friendly agricultural products, including fruits. Second, consumers usually buy environment-friendly fruits by two times per month. Third, consumers generally concern taste, freshness, and food-safety, when they buy environment-friendly grape or mandarin.

Effects of Perceived Value and Risk on Satisfaction and Purchase for Environmental-friendly Agricultural Products

Effects of Perceived Value and Risk on Satisfaction and Purchase for Environmental-friendly Agricultural Products