Food Value Chain Research Articles

Prosumers and Sharing Economy in the Organic Food Value Chain

Purpose This paper explores the contextual relevance of prosumers and sharing economy in organic food market in an emerging economy. Design/methodology/approach Case study approach was used to collect empirical data from different types of organic food value chains. Findings Farmer’s Organic food markets compared to online and health food stores tends to facilitate sharing economy more since it helps them to build value, scale and trust. By sharing resources, skills and spaces, farmers organic food markets have increased organic food availability, reduced its cost of certification & operation and managed consumer trust. Subjective influence through social media, prosumers and offline interaction reduces information asymmetry and irresponsible marketing opportunities. Originality/value The research offers a fresh perspective to the organic food sector, particularly with respect to the process of prosumption and sharing economy.

Interconnectable 3D-printed sample processing modules for portable mycotoxin screening of intact wheat

BackgroundThe increasing demand for food and feed products is stretching the capacity of the food value chain to its limits. A key step for ensuring food safety is checking for mycotoxin contamination of wheat. However, this analysis is typically performed by rather complex and expensive chromatographic methods, such as liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). These costly methods require extensive sample preparation that is not easily carried out at different points along the food supply chain. To overcome such challenges in sample processing, an inexpensive and portable sample preparation device was needed, that required low skill, for rapid sample-to-result mycotoxin screening. ResultsWe describe 3D-printed and interconnectable modules for simple, integrated and on-site sample preparation, including grinding of wheat kernels, and solvent-based extraction. We characterized these 3D-printed modules for mycotoxin screening and benchmarked them against a laboratory mill using commercial lateral flow device(s) (LFD) and in-house validated LC-MS/MS analysis. Different integrated sieve configurations were compared based on grinding efficiency, and we selected a sieve size of 2 mm allowing grinding of 10 g of wheat within 5 min. Moreover, 10 first time-users were able to operate the grinder module with minimal instructions. Screening for deoxynivalenol (DON) in naturally contaminated samples at the regulatory/legal limit (1.25 mg kg−1) was demonstrated using the developed 3D-printed prototype. The whole process only takes 15 min, from sample preparation to screening result. The results showed a clear correlation (R2 = 0.96) between the LFD and LC-MS/MS. SignificanceOur findings demonstrate the potential of 3D-printed sample handling equipment as a valuable extension of existing analytical procedures, facilitating the on-site implementation of rapid methods for the determination of mycotoxins in grains. The presented prototype is inexpensive with material costs of 2.5€, relies on biodegradable 3D printing filament and can be produced with consumer-grade printers, making the prototype readily available. As a future perspective, the modular character of our developed tool kit will allow for adaptation to other hard food commodities beyond the determination of DON in wheat.

Smallholder farmer resilience to extreme weather events in a global food value chain

Extreme weather events have severe impacts on food systems, especially for smallholders in global food value chains (GFVCs). There is an urgent need to understand (a) how climate shocks manifest in food systems, and (b) what strategies can enhance food system resilience. Integrating satellite, household and trade data, we investigate the cascading impacts after two consecutive hurricanes on smallholder banana farmers in Dominican Republic, and determinants of their recovery. We found that farmers experienced an ‘all-or-nothing’ pattern of damage, where 75% of flooded farmers lost > 90% of production. Recovery of regional production indicators took ca. 450 days. However, farm-level recovery times were highly variable, with both topographic and human capital factors determining recovery. Utilising this case study, we show that engaging in a GFVC impeded recovery via ‘double exposure’ of production loss and losing market access. Our results suggest that strategies to enhance resilience, with a particular focus on recovery, in GFVCs should promote trader loyalty, facilitate basin-scale collaboration and expand risk-targeted training.

Foodborne hazards in food in Burkina Faso, 1990–2019: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundFoodborne diseases impose substantial public health burden and jeopardize socio-economic development worldwide. While accurate information on foodborne hazards is needed for informed decision in food safety interventions, such information is scarce in developing countries such as Burkina Faso. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting foodborne hazards in foods in Burkina Faso to describe the present knowledge of the situation.MethodsPreferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was used to conduct this review. Abstracts were searched in PubMed and CAB direct between 1 January 1990 to 30 September 2019. We used random-effects models to estimate pooled prevalence and I2 values to measure heterogeneity between studies.Results188 articles were identified, of which 14 are included in this review: 12 were on bacterial hazards (Salmonella, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus, E. coli, Shigella), three on fungal hazards and one on parasitic hazards (Toxoplasma gondii). The overall pooled prevalence of Salmonella spp. was 13% (95% CI: 8–21), the highest in lettuce: 50% (95% CI: 30–70) and the lowest in milk: 1.2% (95% CI: 0–5), demonstrating substantial variation among the studies (I2 = 85, 95% CI: 79–90%, p < 0.01). Campylobacter spp. was reported in chicken carcass, with 50% of the samples being positive. The overall pooled microbial load of Staphylococcus in the studied food samples was 3.2 log (95% CI: 2.8–3.6) CFU per g or ml of food, the highest in poultry samples: 4.5 log (95% CI: 2.8–6.2) CFU per g or ml of food. The overall pooled prevalence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) was 40% (95% CI: 29–51), the highest in beef intestines: 62% (95% CI: 22–91) and the lowest in dairy products: 31% (95% CI: 17–50), showing substantial variation across the studies (I2 = 86, 95% CI: 80–90%, p < 0.01).ConclusionOur results showed widespread contamination of foods with foodborne hazards across various food value chains indicating poor hygienic handling of foods, raising consumers’ health risk due to foodborne illnesses from the foods. We recommend promotion of awareness creation in food safety and improved monitoring of hazards in food.

Forecasting disruptions in global food value chains to tackle food insecurity: The role of AI and big data analytics – A bibliometric and scientometric analysis

Globalization and interconnected supply chains have led to complex disruptions in global value chains, caused by various factors such as natural disasters, climate events, geopolitical conflicts, and economic crises. Recent breakthroughs in AI, machine learning, blockchain, and big data analytics offer new possibilities for forecasting and managing these disruptions effectively. This study examines the role of AI in forecasting and managing disruptions within global value chain to tackle food insecurity. We conducted a bibliometric and scientometric analysis using comprehensive data from Scopus and Web of Science to explore emerging research trends, influential publications, leading institutions, collaborations, themes, policy implications, and future research avenues. The research revealed an average yearly growth rate of 13.78 % in publications from 1973 to 2022. China, the United Kingdom, and the United States lead in AI applications to address supply chain disruptions, particularly concerning food insecurity. Frequently used keywords include "food security," "supply chain management," "agriculture," "modelling," "climate change," and "COVID-19." Themes identified focus on the impact of COVID-19 on food supply chains, achieving food security amidst climate change, leveraging predictive models in agriculture, and assessing the impact of disruptions on food price volatility and global supply chain risk assessment approaches. The insights gained from this research offer valuable guidance for policymakers and researchers to enhance food security. The identified themes provide direction for future research efforts in advancing food security amidst uncertainties and disruptions in global value chains.

Systematic mapping study of literature in organic food value chain (1990–2021)

PurposeThe aim of the study is to systematically map the articles published in the area of organic food value chain. Many articles have been published in various domains of organic food value chain, but no significant study has been found related to the systematic mapping of literature.Design/methodology/approachThis study relies on secondary data. Articles from Scopus and Google Scholar databases between January 1, 1990, and July 10, 2021, have been considered. On the basis of inclusion criteria, 56 articles have been analysed in this systematic mapping study.FindingsThis study describes the geographical coverage, the methodologies used, sector/industry-specific context of the articles and scope the for future research. Five clusters were identified through co-occurrence analysis: (1) “organic agriculture and sustainable value chain” (2) “organic farming and food value chain,” (3) “organic value chain and sustainable development,” (4) “organic value chain and environmental impact” and (5) organic value chain and profitability.Research limitations/implicationsThe study considers only articles published in Scopus and Google Scholar with some specific keywords related to the value chain and organic food industry. Future studies are encouraged by considering a wide range of keywords with a larger data set.Originality/valueTo the best of the author's knowledge, this study is the first to have a systematic mapping of literature on the organic food value chain.

Introducing the Food Value Framework (FVF) to empower transdisciplinary research and unite stakeholders in their efforts of building a sustainable global food system

The global food system provides numerous benefits to humanity but also faces critical sustainability challenges with respective costs often burdened by society. As these costs are not sufficiently represented in market prices, increasing monetization efforts of externalities aim to reveal such hidden costs. However, monetary evaluation approaches have limitations such as conformity or including arguably unmonetizable impacts. Given that food production and consumption have been deeply embedded in human culture and behavior throughout millennia, systemic change is generally slow and precarious to enforce externally, especially given its existential role for daily survival. Rather than imposing relatively recent sustainability challenges, such as climate change, onto food systems, we hence suggest incorporating them into a core natural driver of human behavior: values. The objective of this research is to create a framework that can holistically address values associated with food in order to guide and unite stakeholders along the food value chain. Based on this human-centered bottom-up approach, empirical relevance of a respective framework to successfully translate into and guide sustainability efforts should be increased. We therefore combined established approaches of monetary accounting with a psychosocial perspective on basic human values and ethics to derive the Food Value Framework (FVF). We conclude that the FVF could address shortcomings of current evaluation methods and serve as a common foundation to empower transdisciplinary research, value-based policy-making, transparent production, and responsible consumption across the food value chain.

Factors Determining Indonesian Muslim Behaviour in Purchasing Halal Food: A Preliminary Study

Halal food and consumer behaviour are hot issues in scholarly publications. However, research exploring the factors determining consumer decisions by the exploratory study is still rare. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the factors that determine Indonesian Muslims' purchasing of halal food. We focused on halal food Muslim consumers and 140 questionnaires were distributed. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used for data analysis. The findings showed that three main factors determine Muslim purchase decisions for halal food: halal awareness, religiosity, and the safety & quality of halal food. A novel model of halal food consumer behaviour that implies the application of Halalan-tayyibah in Islamic teachings, namely the integration of halalness with product safety and quality. The study also implies that business players must pay attention to halal aspects in all business processes, from manufacturing to marketing, for the halal food value chain to be fully fulfilled.JEL Classification: M21, M31, Z12

Levels of total aflatoxins in maize and groundnuts across food value chains, gender and Agro-ecological zones of Uganda

Maize and groundnuts are traditional nutrient-rich and high economic value foods grown in Uganda. However, these crops are susceptible to aflatoxin contamination which may result into aflatoxicosis related illnesses. Occurrence of flatoxins in the foods varies across food value chains, gender and agro-ecological zones of Uganda. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study in 80 maize and groundnut foodstuff from Masindi and Soroti agro-ecological districts respectively. We determined levels of total aflatoxins in maize and groundnut samples across food value chains, gender and agro-ecological zones. This was aimed at assessing safety and quality status of the foods in Uganda. Questionnaires were administered to obtain information on food handling practices. 500g of each food sample were obtained and analyzed for total aflatoxin levels using ELISA assay. Data was analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics. In overall, 45% of maize and 30% of groundnut foods were contaminated with aflatoxins. Mean aflatoxin levels in foods from Eastern and Western agro-ecological zones were 0.052±0.036ppb and 0.045±0.033ppb respectively (p=0.124). Mean aflatoxin levels in groundnuts from both male and female respondents were coincidentally 0.052ppb. Whereas, the mean aflatoxin levels in maize from male and female respondents were 0.056±0.037ppb and 0.039±0.029ppb respectively. Across the food value chain, wholesaler groundnut foods contained the highest mean aflatoxin levels of 0.088ppb (p= 0.27). Growing high polyamine containing crops, routine testing of aflatoxin prone foods and sensitizing food value chain players are important aflatoxin control strategies.

On increasing the contribution of locally produced fresh foods to school meals in the Caribbean

The rising prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity within the Caribbean is a major public health and policy concern because obese children are at risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) later in life. Throughout the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), children are consuming unhealthy diets, characterized by energy-dense, processed and ultra-processed foods, sugar sweetened beverages, and limited quantities of fruits and vegetables. Community-based school meal programmes (SMPs) have been identified as useful vehicles to address unhealthy eating among children, and “farm-to-school” approaches have the potential to increase the availability of locally grown nutritious produce, while supporting local agriculture and reducing the region’s reliance on food imports. This paper seeks to better understand the barriers to enhancing community-based school feeding value-chains in the CARICOM, by focusing on the Eastern Caribbean Island of Nevis where there is an interest in developing farm-to-school value chains. Using key informant interviews combined with focus groups with actors along the local food value chain, we identify the following barriers to an effective community-based SMP: a lack of communication and an absence of contractual agreements between local farmers and the SMP administration; generally low levels of child acceptance of school meals containing fresh vegetables; and limited intersectoral coordination and collaboration among SMP stakeholders and local farmers. Using social network analysis, we further discuss limitations in group organization and coordination among local farmers and opportunities for SMP improvement. The results point to the need for more integrative public policy development and greater community engagement to coordinate and strengthen the farm-to school approach to school feeding.

Local actors’ perspectives on sustainable food value chains: evidence from a Q-methodology study in Kenya

Local actors’ perspectives on sustainable food value chains: evidence from a Q-methodology study in Kenya

Molds and Mycotoxins in Food Value Chain: A Challenge to Food and Nutrition Security

Due to postharvest losses on fresh produce, most farmers apply simple and affordable open sun-drying in-between harvest and the final consumers but this method causes the growth of mold and fungi in processed food. Hence, the objective of this study was to isolate and characterize molds associated with the drying of plantain chips, and post-drying handling of catfish and cassava peels using standard laboratory procedures. One gram (1gm) of respective samples of plantain chips, dried fish, and cassava peel was taken and crushed in a mortar, 1g of each was serially diluted up 10-6 fold, and 0.1mL of each was pour-plated in potato dextrose agar modified with chloramphenicol and incubated for 72 hours at 280C. Thereafter, discrete colonies were counted and characterized using standard laboratory procedures. A total of eight fungal isolates were identified which were Aspergillus flavus, Rhizopus sp., Aspergillus niger, Fusarium sp., Penicillium digitatum, Aspergillus fumigatus, Mucor sp., Neurospora sp. The mean fungal counts of cassava peels revealed that the samples recorded the highest mean fungal counts which were by Mucor sp. (24.1x106 Cfu/g) while Catfish had the lowest overall mean counts (3.2x106 Cfu/g). But Aspergillus niger had the lowest counts of (2.7x106 Cfu/g) in plantain chips. The total mean fungal count at ratio: catfish (31.4), plantain chips (37.6), and cassava peel (111). In conclusion, several findings from this work showed that samples dried under the sun in the studied area were contaminated with mycotoxin-producing microbes that could lead to their early decay, deterioration and loss of nutrients.

Achieving the circular economy through environmental policies: Packaging strategies for more sustainable business models in the wine industry

AbstractThe environmental and economic benefits of adopting a circular economy (CE) approach could be significant for firms. The CE and packaging constitute a fundamental binomial for our economy, yet there are still few studies of the advantages for food value chains, especially in the wine sector. Therefore, in this paper, we address this research gap by measuring the environmental and economic performance of a circular business model (CBM) adopting the wine industry as a reference. We apply a combination of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methods to a small Italian winemaking firm, which implements a circular strategy through the take‐back and refurbishment of wine packaging components. Results show that by implementing this sustainable and CBM, a firm can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 8 to 90% and save from 6 to 63% of its economic costs.

Performance of the food value chain network in turbulent scenarios: covid-19 and food scandals

The work analyzes the Network of Food Chains (NFC) subjected to turbulence that forces to design strategies to meet the objectives of supplying humanity with affordable food, in quantity, quality, place and adequate times. The methodology raises the impacts on the NFC through its flows production and services, financing and information, according to the paradigm of Industrial Organization structure-conduct-performance. The main impacts on structure and behavior and the consequences on their functioning are described. Strength and resilience are significant strategies to follow, including the special role of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), in coordination with the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) and other public and private institutions. The results include health and economic effects. Through the SOWT matrix, the effects of paradigm shift, risks and challenges faced are exposed. In the case of Spain, the effects of African Swine Fever, rapeseed oil scandals, mad cow disease (BSE) and COVID-19 are reported. Finally, the conclusions show the basic principles that the NFC analysis models must follow, as well as the strategies to be applied in the strengthening and resilience to diminish the impacts received.

Identifying key factors that encourage vegetable intake by young adults: using the health belief model

PurposeAdequate vegetable consumption is fundamental to a healthy balanced diet; however, global compliance with recommendations is poor which is particularly important for young adults as they form food consumption habits. There is a growing interest in the circular economy of hospitality and sustainability of current dietary patterns in light of climate change and an expanding global population. The food value chain needs to be considered both vertically and horizontally where the research and development (R&D) investment is optimised by being “joined up” and not fragmentary; in addition, consumer trade-offs of health vs for example sensory appeal are taken into consideration. The purpose of this study was to identify factors predicting acceptance of vegetable dishes by young adults and present a roadmap that can be used for dish development and healthful marketing.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the health belief model (HBM) as framework to investigate key factors that encourage vegetable intake by young adults using an online questionnaire sample of 444 enrolled in undergraduate programs at universities in Brazil.FindingsStructural modelling showed that vegetable consumption frequency was positively influenced by Health concerns, Naturalness and Self-efficacy (including cooking skills), whereas Sensory factors and Familiarity demonstrated a negative loading that might be related to unpleasantness.Originality/valueGlobally, there is a strong need to promote the consumption of vegetables as a public health policy priority but also to ameliorate barriers to action that could be facilitated by availability, dish development and healthful marketing in hospitality operations.

Food price inflation and policy responses in Latin America: an assessment of the causes and impacts on local food value chain

Food price inflation and policy responses in Latin America: an assessment of the causes and impacts on local food value chain

Advances, limitations, and considerations on the use of vibrational spectroscopy towards the development of management decision tools in food safety.

Food safety and food security are two of the main concerns for the modern food manufacturing industry. Disruptions in the food supply and value chains have created the need to develop agile screening tools that will allow the detection of food pathogens, spoilage microorganisms, microbial contaminants, toxins, herbicides, and pesticides in agricultural commodities, natural products, and food ingredients. Most of the current routine analytical methods used to detect and identify microorganisms, herbicides, and pesticides in food ingredients and products are based on the use of reliable and robust immunological, microbiological, and biochemical techniques (e.g. antigen-antibody interactions, extraction and analysis of DNA) and chemical methods (e.g. chromatography). However, the food manufacturing industries are demanding agile and affordable analytical methods. The objective of this review is to highlight the advantages and limitations of the use of vibrational spectroscopy combined with chemometrics as proxy to evaluate and quantify herbicides, pesticides, and toxins in foods.

Exploring Food Consumption Trends on Twitter with Social Media Analytics: The Example of #Veganuary

SummaryUsing the example of the hashtag #veganuary, a neologism of vegan and January, on Twitter with over 52,000 tweets from 2022, this article shows how Social Media Analytics can provide valuable insights into timing, volume and sentiment within any emerging (consumer) trend. Social Media Analytics is increasingly being used for the analysis of Social Media data. Whether consumers, politicians or entrepreneurs, all stakeholders in the food value chain are present on Social Media and talk about various trends in food and agriculture. In the form of an overview article, this contribution uses the example of the Vegan Challenge to demonstrate how a combination of the manifold methods of Social Media Analytics can provide extensive insights into the public discourse on food topics. It shows that #veganuary communication on Twitter has a predominantly positive connotation in the discussion of all stakeholders involved. The Vegan Challenge can also be categorised as a strong marketing campaign with a competitive character. #veganuary is commonly discussed on Twitter in tweets related to topics, such as veganism and the climate crisis. We argue that Social Media Analytics usefully extends classical analytical tools of consumer research on emerging and spreading food trends, and offers opportunities for many research studies.

Fractionation stream components of wood-based biorefinery: New agents in active or intelligent primary food packaging?

Active and intelligent packaging production helps to improve the food value chain, granting reliability to consumers. According to these two premises, these packaging concepts were born. Sustainability and food protection criteria are two fundamental aspects that can be achieved with wood components.

Matters of the desert: A perspective on achieving food and nutrition security through plants of the (semi) arid regions

The semi- and arid agro-climatic zones of India harbor numerous plants, many occurring as wild and neglected inhabitants of the desert landscape, that bear edible fruits. They are capable of growing in extreme temperatures, on marginal lands and water-scarce conditions. These also represent sustainable food sources for the future. The benefits that they confer to the ecosystems and communities can be manifold: (a) as influencers of agricultural productivity for other crops (like cereals) in agroforestry systems; (b) as balanced functional foods by way of providing high quality protein, macro- and micronutrients to target protein-calorie malnutrition; (c) as sources of antioxidants, nutraceuticals and bioactive leads to target the ever-increasing burden of non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. A few representative examples of the promising desert plants include: Prosopis cineraria, Acacia senegal, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (cluster bean), Capparis decidua, Ziziphus mauritiana (Indian jujube), Cordia dichotoma, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Calligonum polygonoides, and millets. Even though the potential of such plants has been recognized by food and agricultural scientists, research gaps like low yield, disease vulnerability, presence of anti-nutrients, unavailable genomic sequence information, exclusion from the formal food value chain, and poor marketing strategies, prevent the realization of their full potential. The current perspective looks at the promise afforded by underutilized plants of the Indian desert regions in ensuring food and nutrition security as well as the possibility of developing value-added agri-food products from them. The complementary role that food processing technologies can play in achieving the desired goals would also be highlighted so as to transform the desert plants from traditional to ‘climate-smart’ future foods.