Local Food Production Research Articles

Unravelling consumer acceptance of local food: Physical versus social distance and the important role of social identification

Including more locally grown products in our diet is a way to reduce our diets' environmental impact. Therefore, it is important to investigate how this can be effectively communicated on food products to increase consumer acceptance. We propose that product communication that focuses on decreasing the physical and social distance between the food producer and the consumer can result in consumers identifying more with the food producer, which, in turn, can increase the buying intention of food products. The current research comprises an online survey that includes an experimental design and a real-life assessment among 825 Dutch participants. Results of the experiment show that decreasing physical distance, but not social distance, increases consumers’ intention to buy a food product. This effect can be explained by increased feelings of identification with a food producer. Moreover, the real-life assessment provides a first indication that both having a food producer living close by (physical distance) and personally knowing a food producer (social distance) might increase acceptance of the producer and the product, and highlights the relevance of perceived connection. These findings give insights into how food producers can market local food products to increase acceptance; communication on a decreased distance between consumers and the food producer is only effective when it results in more identification with the food producer. Perceived connection seems to be an essential part of the acceptance of local products.

A systematic review of the role of integrated farming and the participation of universities in ensuring food security: Malaysia’s effort

Food security is critical for promoting health and well-being and achieving sustainable development, especially in developing countries. Despite the recent efforts to improve it, food security is still a concern due to the rapid increase in populations, conflicts, and natural disasters worldwide. Universities, particularly agricultural universities, play an essential role in addressing food security issues by researching, developing new technologies, and providing education and training to farmers and other stakeholders. The main objective of this review is to discuss the role of universities and integrated farming in ensuring food security. Specifically, this paper reviews the importance of universities and focuses on their role in ensuring and promoting food security in Malaysia. It includes a brief overview of the different types of integrated farming methods that can be used to improve food security and finally discusses the Student Farmer Entrepreneur program, which can be crucial in promoting food security by increasing agricultural productivity, promoting local food production, encouraging sustainable agriculture practices, and supporting rural development. This review also considers the significant impact of the Malaysian government and universities on food security. With integrated farming and the Student Farmer Entrepreneur program, food security can be further improved.

The role of summer markets in promoting authenticity and social sustainability of the regions: The case of La Santa market (Catalonia, Spain)

The greatest challenge for tourist destinations is to make themselves unique, to bet on cultural identity, with ethical values and sustainability, and to be successful over time. This is of particular interest in sun and beach tourism areas. Otherwise, in recent years, seasonal food and leisure markets have undergone significant growth as a strategy to promote regional authenticity and participation in local communities. The management of this ephemeral food markets tend to be associated to social sustainability, with a focus on issues such as the welfare of the local population; the conservation of cultural heritage; community participation in the development and planning of tourism; and health, hygiene and safety. This paper analyzes the relevance of these social sustainability matters to La Santa Market, a summer food and leisure event located in a beach and sun town in La Costa Brava (Catalonia). Using non-probability purposive sampling, the qualitative methodology is based on semi-structured interviews with 20 different stakeholders in this event. Secondary data on the economic situation and “grey” literature on this market are also used. The results reveal constant, positive involvement of the local community and private organizations in enhancing the La Santa Market experience, which is now an essential item on their summer agendas. This paper contributes to the literature acknowledging the potential of summer food markets to boost the economic and social sustainability of a coastal community. The results are useful for helping public and private sectors in the region to identify the strengths and the weaknesses of the role of local food products at summer markets to thus reinforce their authenticity and sociocultural value.

Different Food Color Used in Food Samples: A Chemical Analysis Study in Kishoreganj District, Bangladesh

Background: One of the most important organoleptic characteristics that influences consumers' acceptance and choice of food is color. However, food coloring pigments are typically unstable and change during processing, so food products all over the world contain colorants to preserve or restore product’s color uniformity. This research study was conducted to find out the percentage of consumption of adulterated or substandard food color by general public particularly young school children. Methods: Qualitatively using a UV-visible Spectrophotometer (PharmaSpec UV-1700 Series, Shimadzu Corporation) utilizing Pearson's Composition & Analysis of Foods (1989) and the AOAC (2000) method. By making a neutral dye solution at a concentration appropriate for spectrophotometric analysis (0.001-0.01%), the colors' purity was tested. In total 68 food samples and 11 beverage samples of various foods and drinks were gathered from several educational institutions, the neighborhood market, and stores situated in various parts of Kishoreganj district, Bangladesh. This study was carried out from 12 August to 21 October 2023. Results: The majority of branded food items contained permitted colors however most of the foods manufactured locally, contained non-permitted colors. The use of prohibited food coloring was more common among local food producers. Conclusion: To make sure that the local manufacturers are adhering to the laws governing food colors, both with regard to the prohibited and restricted food colors, constant monitoring is required. Furthermore, educating the public about the harmful effects of food coloring can help reduce the consumption of colored food items.

Dependency on imported agricultural inputs—global trade patterns and recent trends

Abstract Industrial food production systems depend on inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides, and commercial animal feeds that are highly traded commodities in global markets. Disturbances in international trade can threaten the local food production if the imports of the key agricultural inputs were drastically reduced. However, despite the importance of the topic, a comprehensive analysis focusing on the import dependency of multiple agricultural inputs at the global level and thus revealing the vulnerability of regions and individual countries does not exist. Here, we analyse the temporal trends of agricultural input trade globally at the national scale from 1991 to 2020 by applying statistics of the use and trade of synthetic fertilisers (N, P, and K), pesticides and livestock and aquaculture feeds (grouped into oilseed feeds and other feed crops). The results show that the import dependency of agricultural inputs has increased over the past 30 years, but there is high variation between countries. Countries with high import dependency combined with high use of these inputs, such as many industrial agricultural producers in South America, Asia as well as Europe, show high vulnerability to trade shocks. Also, our findings highlight that potential agricultural intensification in Sub-Saharan African countries—currently with low use of the inputs per cropland area but high import dependency—can lead to higher dependency on imported agricultural inputs. Therefore, understanding of the past trends and current risks associated with the dependency on imported agricultural inputs should be highlighted to mitigate the risks and build more resilient and sustainable food systems.

The Role of Promoting Agricultural and Food Products Certified with European Union Quality Schemes.

This study delves into the effectiveness of digital marketing strategies in promoting local agricultural and food products in Romania, certified with European Union quality schemes. By examining consumer profiles, preferences, and their awareness of EU quality labels, the research uncovers the motivations driving purchasing decisions and the influence of digital marketing on these choices. Utilizing quantitative methods, including a comprehensive survey across 903 respondents, the study identifies four distinct consumer segments: Eco-Advocates, Les Connaisseurs, Price-Sensitives, and Traditionalists. These segments exhibit unique behaviors and attitudes toward certified products. The research highlights the potential of digital marketing to significantly alter consumer behavior toward EU-certified products, underscoring the importance of tailored communication strategies. It contributes to the understanding of consumer segmentation in the context of European Union quality schemes, providing valuable insights for policymakers, marketers, and producers. The findings advocate for enhanced digital marketing efforts to increase awareness and appreciation of these certified products, thereby supporting the broader objectives of quality and certification in the European agricultural and food product sector.

British Allotment to American Park: An Atlantic Crossing of the Garden Suburb Movement 1910–1930

Endorsement of open spaces internalized within residential blocks was an iconic concept promoted by the British garden city movement in the early twentieth century. Advancing various social goals, they were associated within a gendered ideology of domesticity, child safety, local food production, and community-centeredness. This article examines American responses through theoretical reformulation, endorsement, opposition, and uneven practical experiments situated against the maturing science of planned suburban development. Raymond Unwin included these spaces in a seminal morphological exposition, developing the concept of the quadrangle with a variety of uses including agricultural allotments, tennis courts, and playgrounds. Views of leading American community planners are canvassed, split between those promoting agricultural commons, landscaped gardens and playgrounds, and opponents citing upkeep and security concerns. Evolution of the interior park arguably peaked with Radburn which established a new iconic form and narrative of interior parks at a larger scale.

Регионы-лидеры сыроделия: создание собственных сырных брендов и их трансформация в бренды территорий

The article describes the relevant issues of cheese production and the current cheese consumption patterns in the Russian Federation. The authors identified the cheese varieties preferred by the global consumer and analyzed their demand on the domestic market. Under the current economic sanctions, Russia can satisfy its needs for foreign cheeses by importing them from Belarus. However, some Russian regions produce analogues of popular foreign cheeses. The article introduces domestic cheese-making leaders with their general and per capita production, assortment policies, etc. The authors identified local cheese brands with excellent prospects for shaping the regional image and promoting local food products. For instance, the Altai Region and the Republic of Adygea produce high-quality cheeses with good domestic and global competitive potential.

Sharing or sparing? The trade-offs among urban services, food production and ecosystem services

As urbanization continues to spread rapidly, the competition for space among urban, agricultural, and natural land uses is becoming increasingly fierce. The urgent question is how to harness the advantages of urbanization while mitigating its potentially harmful consequences. This research extends analytical framework of land sharing and sparing to urban land use and provides a comparable quantification approach to determine the comprehensive impact of urban services, food production, and ecosystem services. The results show that the overall value loss of the land sparing scenario is 23.6% lower than that of the sharing scenario on average, and the Eco-sparing scenario exhibits the smallest loss, which is only 55.4% of that under the Urb-sharing scenario. While land-sparing strategies mitigate the loss of local food production and ecosystem services, fostering a potentially mutually beneficial outcome, they also elevate the cost of accessing urban services. This creates a delicate trade-off between urban services and food production/ecosystem services, ultimately posing challenges in achieving an optimal win-win situation. The key contribution of this paper lies in extending the land sharing and sparing framework to urban areas, agricultural land, and ecosystems. It also introduces methods to quantitatively assess trade-offs among these land uses. This extended framework for land use offers insights into spatial competition due to urbanization and provides decision-making analysis tools for land use and planning.

Multilevel food ethnocentrism: Cross-national scale development

In this paper, we develop the Multilevel Food Ethnocentrism (MFE) construct, broadening the ethnocentrism concept to include different group levels while at the same time concentrating on ethnocentrism with regard to food choices. This approach is grounded in Social Identity and Self-categorization theories. We develop a scale measuring multilevel food ethnocentrism, following the steps outlined previously in the marketing and consumer psychology literature.. In the first stage, we generated items and analyzed them by an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with data from Denmark and Mexico. In the second phase of our study, we refined the scale and validated it through various tests The scale exhibits strong internal consistency and measurement invariance, indicating its stability and applicability across diverse cultural contexts. Furthermore, the study explores the nomological validity of MFE, revealing its associations with constructs such as Consumer Ethnocentrism, collectivism, local and global identity, locavorism, ethnic identity, and patriotism. The findings provide insights into the relationships between food ethnocentrism and related constructs, shedding light on the factors influencing consumers' preferences for local foods. Our findings exhibited consistency between the two countries examined. Particularly noteworthy was the impact of our city/local dimension on preferences for local food products. The MFE instrument provides a precise means of gauging consumer ethnocentric attitudes toward food products and their origins.

Consumer trust in local food system – An empirical research in Hungary

AbstractConsumer trust is essential to any market but particularly relevant to the food sector. Sustainable food systems require integration of small-scale food producers, for them consumer trust is pivotal. However, comprehensive measurement of consumer trust regarding local food is a less explored area. Based on the adjusted version of Benson's trust toolkit, local food trust was measured on four levels. This approach, connecting locality/proximity to food-related trust, was tested with a representative quantitative consumer survey (n = 1,001) in Hungary. Interpersonal trust, general organisation trust, local food chain trust, and local food product trust were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Correlation and boxplot analysis conducted revealed that trust levels correlate significantly but remain independent from demographic characteristics, indicating that trust in local food is not region-, education-, or income-specific amongst Hungarian consumers. A relatively high level of consumer trust was measured for local food products and producers compared to other stakeholders, strengthening the assumption for the proximity-trust relationship regarding food. This is a key factor for small-scale food producers: only shared values with the local community and earned trust can attract customers despite less flexibility with pricing and limited capacity for advertising.

A multifaceted approach to global health

World Health Day underscores the scientific community's commitment to achieving health equity for all. It is paramount to eliminate bias in research that has traditionally focused on men, neglecting the specific needs of diverse populations. Innovative clinical trial designs are being developed with more inclusive enrollment. Ensuring equitable access to essential antibiotics, coupled with robust infection prevention and control measures, is vital to safeguarding public health. The pursuit of health equity extends beyond the realm of medicine. Investments in local food production and robust social safety nets are critical for mitigating the effects of climate change on access to healthy diets. Additionally, in times of polycrisis, prioritizing the unique needs of children and empowering community-led healthcare initiatives in conflict zones are essential steps. By taking these actions, we can move closer to realizing everyone's fundamental right to health.

The contribution of the Gaza envelope region to Israel's food security.

Abstract Armed conflicts can have severe implications on food security by displacing farmers, destroying farms and agricultural infrastructure, disrupting supply chains, and limiting the ability of governance to control the highly volatile food markets. Here, we aim to understand the impact of the current Israel-Hamas War on local food production in Israel. Our analysis focused on challenges in food production in the Gaza Envelope region, the region in Israel that borders the Gaza Strip that has been significantly affected by the conflict. Our goals were to understand the agricultural significance of the region- both regarding crop diversity and the risks posed to individual crops due to the conflict, and to assess the nutritional contribution of the region's agricultural output. We found that the Gaza Envelope region is crucial for the propagation of several key crops, notably cherry tomatoes, radishes, and sweet potatoes. Furthermore, we identified 16 crops whose local production is particularly vulnerable due to their proximity to conflict, including radishes and potatoes. The nutritional output of the edible crops of the Gaza Envelope region is extensive and produces over 50% of the annual energetic requirements of the Israeli population. Beyond the caloric contribution, the produce of the region is nutrient-dense, exceeding 100% of the annual Dietary Reference Intakes for the Israeli population of 12 vital nutrients. These 12 nutrients include dietary fiber, six vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K, and five minerals including Potassium and Iron. Based on these findings, we suggest that the Israel-Hamas War also has detrimental ramifications on local food production in Israel.

Utilization of e-commerce to increase culinary business opportunities for rural communities

Serdang Wetan Village is one of the villages in Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia which will focus on improving welfare through science and technology, MSMEs and human resource potential. Serdang Wetan village still has several problems, where the level of education is still low, as well as the type of business of the village community which is focused only on the culinary business. The human capital has very limited skills besides local food and beverage production. Thus, it is shown the importance of encouraging job creation in the village through e-commerce media. In this digital world, people are more likely to shop using online media. E-commerce can open up even greater business opportunities, both for culinary businesses and other MSMEs. The training provided is in the form of an introduction to online business (e-commerce) with a focus on social commerce or selling using social media, to tips and tricks for selling using e-commerce. In this training, a technopreneur in the culinary field will also be invited who share her experiences in doing business using the e-commerce platform. Apart from that, following the SDGs, this activity can help village communities to expand business opportunities, so it is hoped that it can help eradicate poverty and hunger, reduce inequality, sustainable consumption, and production as well as partnerships to achieve goals.

Assistance process blood cockle (Anadara granosa) based meatballs as local food to prevent anemia in adolescent girls

Assistance in processing local food based on blood cockle (Anadara granosa) can support the anemia prevention program for young women towards a stunting-free Gorontalo. The number of participants included was 20, it's made up of two craft teachers and two school managers. The participants came from SMAN 1 Tilango, SMAN 1 Batudaa Pantai, SMAN 1 Biluhu, SMAN 1 Dungaliyo, and SMAN 1 Pulubala. It involves 5 students from Gorontalo State University who participated in the MBKM research program. The purpose of this activity is for teachers and school canteen operators to gain knowledge about the processing of blood cockle meatballs and use them as potential for the development of local food products to prevent anemia in young women. The importance of innovation in local food processing, such as introducing new technology and developing healthier and more sustainable products. Activities are carried out using five methods, namely lecture, question-and-answer, discussion, practice, and evaluation methods. The result of this service activity was that the participants received the training material and received a positive response. Most participants stated that this activity helped them to innovate and develop their businesses in terms of diversifying local food processing.

Sub-Optimal Dryland Management: Potential for Local Food Cultivation of Dioscorea sp. (Gembili) to Mitigate Food Security in Sukoharjo Regency, Central Java

Land in Tawangsari District, Sukoharjo Regency, had a limiting factor in water availability. One of the local commodities cultivated for generations on Dryland in this region is gembili (Dioscorea sp.). However, the gembili cultivation process has not produced optimal productivity and was threatened with extinction. Therefore, gembili cultivation and dryland use need to be optimized by carrying out integrated land management. Using dryland increases local food production and sustainability as alternative food and maintains national food security. This research used data on productivity, quantity, and type of fertilizer obtained through interviews with gembili farmers and secondary data on soil types obtained from BPP Tawangsari District, Sukoharjo Regency. The results showed that grumusol and lithosol had no significant effect (p >0.05) on gembili productivity. The results of average productivity were sequentially from grumusol and lithosol (6.1 tons.ha-1 and 7.1 tons.ha-1). Meanwhile, the use of organic fertilizer is 8.06% higher than organic fertilizer + inorganic fertilizer. The results of the multiple regression test for organic fertilizer had a significant effect (p< 0.05) on the productivity of Dioscorea sp..

Local Wild Food Plants and Food Products in a Multi-Cultural Region: An Exploratory Study among Diverse Ethnic Groups in Bessarabia, Southern Moldova

A growing number of studies have acknowledged that food and ethnobotanical heritage have traditionally played a crucial role in the resilience of local communities, and their potentially crucial role in addressing future challenges posed by the turbulent changes affecting food systems worldwide. However, the issue of how and why food heritage changes across cultures within the same or similar foodscapes is still largely under-investigated. To partially contribute to this debate, we conducted exploratory fieldwork research in 15 villages in the Bessarabia region in the southern part of Moldova. We aim to record this multiethnic region’s contemporary food and ethnobotanical heritage, focusing on the culinary uses and knowledge of plants, dishes, and artisanal food products. A total of 91 persons (37 men and 54 women) belonging to some of the most representative ethnic groups of the area (i.e., Moldovans, Gagauz, Bulgarians, and Ukrainians) were involved in this study. Among these groups, we recorded 66 plant and fungal taxa, as well as 42 traditional artisanal home-produced local food products and dishes. Overall, Moldovans showed a more vigorous food and ethnobotanical diversity in terms of the mentioned items than the other groups. Based on our exploratory field study, we identified possible factors that could be investigated to better explain the less biodiverse food heritage among the other three considered groups.

Urban Farms for Neighborhood Improvement and Social Well-being of Urban Areas in Kandy


 
 
 In the latter half of the 20th century, as urban populations increased in the majority of emerging nations, the reliability of urban food production and delivery networks decreased. Urban hunger increased concurrently with the urban population, speeding up by in response, urban farms spread over a growing worldwide. However, later other purposes were added to it and urban farms were nurtured. Globally, urban farms are changing as a result of political, economic, environmental, and technical advancements. With time, urban farming activities are becoming a reason to improve the value and quality of life in terms of economic, social, and other elements. In this research, it was investigated how urban farming affects the social well-being and neighborhood improvements of urban areas. Furthermore, it focuses on urban farms' relative attachment to the neighborhood and confidence, their impact on agriculture literacy and youth development, and the economic and food crises in the urban areas. It was sought to understand community perceptions of how urban farms can benefit cities through a qualitative study conducted in two urban farms in Kandy. Interviews with visitors, laborers, and professionals related to urban farming revealed the pathways by which community members view farms as improving neighborhoods and social well-being. According to this study, six characteristics are highlighted and evaluated: neighborhood attachment, neighborhood confidence, youth development, food access, agricultural literacy, and economic development. Benefits stemmed from a primary changes urban farms made to neighborhood improvement: the creation of public project involvement, the physical improvement of degraded space, the production of local food, and the creation of new businesses. These changes led to multiple perceived benefits, including increased social connectedness, a transformed physical landscape, an improved neighborhood reputation, and employment opportunities. But there were some points that should be developed. especially in cases of food access and youth development. Urban farms with strong social aims may appear to contribute little to economic development if measured using traditional indicators of success such as job creation or fiscal impacts, but they provide numerous other benefits for community development.
 Keywords: Urban farms, Social connectedness, Physical improvement, Food access, Youth engagement, Economic development
 
 

CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS LOCAL PRODUCTS: THE CASE OF KOSOVO

Kosovo's agricultural development is influenced by favorable policies and attributes relevant to consumer demand. The more we know about the important attributes of the local consumer towards agricultural products, the better policies are designed to support farmers and value chains to adapt to changes in consumer preferences. Empirical insights gleaned from research on consumer preferences for both agricultural products and locally sourced goods offer invaluable evidence. This empirical foundation equips policymakers with the knowledge required to strategize improvements within the national and local food and agricultural systems. It also lays the groundwork for the conceptualization of a forward-thinking, consumer-centric agricultural model that is characterized by innovation, productivity, and responsiveness to consumer expectations. These expectations encompass various facets, such as food availability, ease of access, safety, high quality, taste, and other locally pertinent consumer attributes. The primary aim of this study lies in the comprehensive analysis of consumer preferences concerning local food products. It seeks to delineate the pivotal attributes that guide consumers in their decision-making processes. Additionally, the study aims to identify the informational and institutional gaps that must be addressed to bolster consumer confidence in locally produced food items. In doing so, it aims to provide policymakers with a robust foundation upon which they can construct a visionary concept for a consumer-driven agriculture framework. This framework should stand as an essence of innovation, productivity, and adaptability, aligning closely with consumer expectations regarding food accessibility and simultaneously addressing the unique consumer attributes that hold national relevance. Kosovo's agricultural development is involvedly tied to the interplay of conducive policies and attributes resonating with consumer demands. The study comprehensively explores these essential attributes, and its findings set the stage for crafting policies that offer substantial support to farmers and value chains. This support is vital for their ability to navigate evolving consumer preferences. By conducting research into consumer preferences, we offer empirical evidence that serves as a guiding compass for policymakers in their mission to enhance national and local food and agricultural systems. Furthermore, it ignites the spark of innovation, productivity, and responsiveness in the realm of consumer-driven agriculture. Ultimately, this pursuit aligns the agricultural sector with consumer expectations, ensuring that it thrives in an environment defined by accessibility, safety, quality, taste, and other locally relevant attributes. Keywords: agricultural products, consumer perceptions, rural development, Kosovo JEL Code: Q10, Q13

Personalized bundle recommendation using preference elicitation and the Choquet integral.

Bundle recommendation aims to generate bundles of associated products that users tend to consume as a whole under certain circumstances. Modeling the bundle utility for users is a non-trivial task, as it requires to account for the potential interdependencies between bundle attributes. To address this challenge, we introduce a new preference-based approach for bundle recommendation exploiting the Choquet integral. This allows us to formalize preferences for coalitions of environmental-related attributes, thus recommending product bundles accounting for synergies among product attributes. An experimental evaluation of a dataset of local food products in Northern Italy shows how the Choquet integral allows the natural formalization of a sensible notion of environmental friendliness and that standard approaches based on weighted sums of attributes end up recommending bundles with lower environmental friendliness even if weights are explicitly learned to maximize it. We further show how preference elicitation strategies can be leveraged to acquire weights of the Choquet integral from user feedback in terms of preferences over candidate bundles, and show how a handful of queries allow to recommend optimal bundles for a diverse set of user prototypes.