International Certification Standards Research Articles

Smartly Packaged

Smartly Packaged

Recent forest and land-use policy changes in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo: Are they truly transformational?

This paper analyses the policy changes occurring in the forest and palm oil sectors of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, through the lens of the transformational change concept. The aim is to first examine whether Sabah is transforming and, if so, to identify the determinants enabling or hindering the change. To determine if Sabah is transforming, we used two criteria: - (i) an ambitious change in the policy framework, that promotes forest conservation and sustainable use, and is moving away from business-as-usual activities; and (ii) the level of implementation of the policies that we identified as supporting transformational change. We found that Sabah very likely did intend to transform. We made this conclusion based on comparing changes in policies occurring in Sabah, and we decided if it is ambitious by primarily comparing Sabah’s policies with other Malaysian states, the federal government, and internationally. We showed that: (i) Sabah decided to use voluntary international certification standards (private market instruments) like FSC and RSPO, while the other Malaysian states did not; (ii) they decided to protect more forest compared to national and international targets; and (iii) Sabah is an early mover as the state is one of the first in the world to adopt the RSPO Jurisdictional Approach. But intention needs to be followed by implementation, and this is where the state falls short. The policies in Sabah were not fully implemented because of the patronage system where the more powerful actors used their power to continue with business-as-usual activities, there is frequent political turnover in Sabah, and the state faced difficulty in meeting international standards. Our research shows that local leadership and a local transformational change coalition (civil society actively working in Sabah) mainly prompted the transformational change, although the promises of economic gains and better reputation also played a role. We conclude by emphasising the change must be made more compelling for political leaders, as part of a broader institutional structure, not only through the narrow focus on reducing deforestation but through the development of a more sustainable and equitable national economy, and that consumer countries should play a role in reducing pressures on forest by providing incentives to a state that manages its natural resources sustainably.

An Investigation On Effects Of Certificates To Corporate Structure Of Enterprises In Civil Aviation Sector

Certification legislation in the aviation sector is determined and carried out by national and international authorities. Civil aviation enterprises have to comply with the standards of these authorities due to their institutional structure. In addition to being affected legally and technically in the process of compliance with the certification legislation; aviation enterprises are also affected by the institutional aspect. The aim of this research is to reveal the effects of certification studies on the institutional structures of enterprises by using a survey method. It is examined whether national and international certification standards which are shaping the civil aviation sector in Turkey affect the corporate structure or not by developing special scale. In the study, a survey was applied to 112 enterprises in the aviation sector and the data were analysed in SPSS statistical program. It has been determined that the requirements of the certification affect the corporate identity of the enterprises, the organizational structure components such as the organizational structure, quality management systems of the organizations, It was determined that corporate social responsibility traditions were not affected by the certification requirements.

COVID-19 and Other Challenges: A Case Study of Certified Organic Green Tea Producers in China

This article explores how the western concept of “organic agriculture” has been applied in the traditional Chinese tea industry and how it has been tested during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using in-depth interviews and observations made during 2017–2020, we analyzed different meanings of organic agriculture and values that were given by Chinese farmers who are certified organic producers. Although organic agriculture, particular certified by international certification standards, is a foreign concept, producers invested efforts that go beyond the commercial pursuit for profit. Most importantly, the combination of the reiterated cultural meaning and health benefits of the certified organic tea with the visionary strategy has allowed these producers to shift in a timely manner from export to domestic markets and adapt to the pandemic’s barriers presented to the global trade.

Examination of Individual Preferences for Green Hotels in Crete

The hospitality sector is experiencing a massive transformation currently. Hotels are currently receiving considerable criticism over their practices concerning energy, environmental, as well as resource management. As a result, managerial practices in the hospitality sector have come under scrutiny. All these developments have given rise to the concept of the ‘smart’ hotel. The smart hotel concept has received considerable attention in the relevant literature in the last few years. However, the majority of this attention has either focused on the technical side (i.e., examining smart hotels from a technological standards perspective), or adopted a rather limited perspective, choosing to focus on specific managerial practices within smart hotels (i.e., environmental management). The current paper aims to address this gap in the literature through the utilization of stated preferences discrete choice modeling methodology. Through this methodology, the paper evaluates tourists’ preferences for a wider range of managerial practices and policies pertaining to smart practices in the hospitality sector. According to the empirical findings, tourists exhibit strong and negative preferences towards the automation of the service delivery process. In addition to that, respondents were very strongly opposed towards hotels without international certification standards for their operations. On the opposite side, tourists expressed very strong and positive preferences towards water management policies (particularly policies aiming to reduce and reuse water resources). Finally, respondents exhibited strong and positive preferences towards different energy-saving technologies within hotels.

Carbon-neutral medical conferences should be the norm

Carbon-neutral medical conferences should be the norm

Online decision aids for primary cardiovascular disease prevention: systematic search, evaluation of quality and suitability for low health literacy patients

ObjectivesRecent guideline changes for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention medication have resulted in calls to implement shared decision-making rather than arbitrary treatment thresholds. Less attention has been paid to existing tools...

Formal methods for transport systems

Formal methods and verification tools have been in use in the engineering of safety-critical transport systems for well over 30 years. In both the railway and the avionics domain, for instance, formal methods are specifically recommended in current international certification standards for ultra-dependable systems and for products at the highest integrity level. In fact, traditionally, the applications of formal methods and tools to such transport systems concern demonstrating, with the highest levels of assurance, the correct functioning of the software systems involved, such as train signalling systems to avoid collisions. More recently, however, formal methods and verification tools have started to be applied also to the scheduling and management of transport systems or networks, for instance to optimise the exploitation of a railway line or to improve the operational efficiency of a bus network. In this introduction to the special issue on “Formal Methods for Transport Systems”, we outline some recent achievements for each of the above-mentioned types of application of formal methods and tools. These achievements are represented by three selected papers: one was selected from the “Formal Methods and Safety Certification: Challenges in the Railways Domain” track at the seventh International Symposium On Leveraging Applications of Formal Methods, Verification and Validation (ISoLA 2016); another one was selected from the 21st International Workshop on Formal Methods for Industrial Critical Systems and the 16th International Workshop on Automated Verification of Critical Systems (FMICS-AVoCS 2016); a final one was selected after an open call for contributions.

Structural Analysis of a Small H-Darrieus Wind Turbine Using Beam Models: Development and Assessment

Abstract In the present wind energy research, Darrieus-type vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are increasingly appreciated, especially in small installations. In particular, H-shaped turbines can provide attractive spaces for novel design solutions, aimed at reducing the visual impact of the rotors and then at improving their degree of integration with several installation contexts (e.g., a built environment); moreover, novel small rotors are thought to be able in the near future to make large use also of new and cheaper materials (e.g., plastic or light alloys) which could notably reduce the final cost of the produced energy. As a consequence, the structural analysis of the rotors becomes more and more important: a continuous check between the design solutions needed to maximize the aerodynamic performance of the blades and the structural constraints must be provided. In addition, the requirements of international standards for certification encourage the development of proper numerical tools, possibly with low computational costs for the manufacturers. In this study, the structural analysis of a novel three-helix-bladed Darrieus turbine is presented; the turbine is a real industrial machine almost entirely produced with plastic with a new complex aesthetic design. In detail, a structural modeling based on beam elements has been developed and assessed in comparison to more complex models, as it was thought to provide a notable reduction of the computational cost of the simulations with an acceptable decrease of the accuracy. Moreover, the 1D structural model was exploited to verify the capabilities of a novel software, able to verify the dynamic response of the wind turbine in real functioning, i.e., with mechanical loads and interactions with the wind flow. Benefits and drawbacks of the proposed modeling approach are finally discussed by analyzing both the calculation time and the accuracy of the simulations.

10.5937/jaes12-6520 = Implementation of new international standards for certification and inspection bodies

The paper provides a general review of accreditation as an effective and efficient means for provision of competence, impartiality, independence and integrity of conformity assessing organizations, which creates confidence of all interested parties into the results of testing, inspection and certification of products processes and services. Implementation of international standards, as the accreditation proceedings brought into accord, provides similar levels of competence of conformity assessing bodies in all states and obtaining comparable results, thus contributing, within different international and regional agreements, to the possibility of creating mutual recognition of conformity documents - i.e. reports and certificates. New requirements are presented brought about by the new standards of SRPS ISO/IEC 17065:2013 and SRPS ISO/IEC 17020:2012, as well as their application in the certification and inspection body Vinca Institute.

Organic Agriculture

ABSTRACT Sustained high rates of growth in sales of certified organic products (OPs) in the U.S. and worldwide, averaging 20–25% yr−1 since 1990, have spurred concomitant growth and activities in production, processing, research, regulation and trade agreements, and exports. The global OP market value in 2001 is estimated to be $20B, and the OP share of total food sales is near 2% in the US and 1–5% in EU countries. Processed OPs have shown particularly rapid growth, often over 100% yr−1. Commercial certified organic agriculture (OA) has spread to over 130 countries worldwide. Demand for OPs is driven by belief that OPs are more healthful, tasty, and environmentally friendly than conventional products (CPs). Evidence for these beliefs is reviewed. While many of the health claims for OPs remain unresolved, there is sufficient evidence to give OPs the edge in healthfulness. Comparative research is needed, particularly bioassays on animals and analyses of the functional components of foods (nutraceuticals). OP/CP taste comparisons are often inconclusive. Evidence for significant environmental amelioration via conversion to OA is very substantial-pesticides are virtually eliminated and nutrient pollution substantially reduced loss of biodiversity, wind and water erosion, and fossil fuel use and greenhouse warming potential are all reduced in OA relative to comparable conventional agriculture (CA) systems. The agroecological characteristics of OA are reviewed-weed, invertebrate, disease, and soil fertility management practices. Yield reductions of OA systems relative to CA average 10–15%, however these are generally compensated for by lower input costs and higher gross margins. Large-scale conversion to OA would not result in food shortages and could be accomplished with a reduction in meat consumption. OA systems consistently outperform CA in drought situations, out-yielding CA by up to 100%. Also reviewed are: methodologies for comparing productivity and sustainability of OA/CA; the core concept that OA is a structurally different system than CA; the characteristics, sociology, and practices of US organic farmers and farms; OA's origins, its pioneers, major institutions; international certification standards and the new (2000) USDA National Organic Program Final Rule; institutional and media support for and biases against OA; OA's increased involvement with social accountability and animal ethics.

Green procurement activities: some environmental indicators and practical actions taken by industry and tourism

New concepts in environmental legislation are now going from the command-and-control rule to the prevention, promotion and extended producer responsibility. In addition to international certification standards such as ISO 14000, other aspects such as competitive strategic issues, new market opportunities, process innovation, products and services, are showing that for the industry sector, protection of the environment can be considered good for business. Several indicators show evidence of this. One such indicator is green procurement activities ongoing at several levels and in several locations. Elaboration of guidelines on how to include green procurement in public policy are under discussion or are definitive established by governments such as Canada, the USA and the EU. These are some very important examples of environmental indicators. To understand this field better, we have conducted an investigation into the green procurement activities of industry and the tourism sector. In some sectors, such as tourism, environmental protection gives additional features and added-value. An analysis of the tourism sector has been performed, taking into account laws, procurement activities, corporate strategies, consumer behaviour, innovations both implemented and planned. Positive signals from industry and sectors such as tourism show that environmental protection is a must for all of us and its adoption is strongly recommended in several fields, such as industry and tourism, investigated in this study.