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A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Economics, Policies and Rural Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 29080

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Dr. Giuseppe Timpanaro

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Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
Interests: economic and environmental sustainability; environmental impact assessment; agri-food economics; efficiency analysis; food supply chain management; strategic marketing planning; consumer economics (theory and empirical applications); agri-food supply chain management; food chain logistics and ICT; economics of technological innovation in the agri-food industry
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Dear Colleagues,

As is well known, there have long been calls for agriculture and food production to become more sustainable in a global context of increasing population and living standards, climate change, and environmental degradation. According to the existing literature, this can be achieved through the development of innovative methods and tools to reduce resource use, material consumption, and waste generation while reversing the trend of biodiversity loss and ensuring sufficient, nutritious, sustainable, and affordable food for society. This general need, shared at the international political level, has now become overwhelmingly urgent as we recover from the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict around Europe, which have exacerbated the effects of degrowth. For the Global North and South, a new economic model is needed that is more oriented toward equity, restructuring of production and consumption patterns, sobriety combined with full employment and social security, as well as food security and local agriculture. This is perfectly in line with the importance of food and agriculture in achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, all of which are directly or indirectly related to food, and in accelerating the transition to the 2030 Agenda.

In this general context, contributions of research and reflection, developed in different territorial contexts, are welcome.

Dr. Giuseppe Timpanaro
Guest Editor

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Keywords

agri-food policies at different levels of decision-making
economics of agri-food production
agri-food supply chain and its orientation toward sustainability, according to a holistic view
agri-food marketing
agribusiness and food trade
recovery and resilience of local production systems
price volatility and agri-food production shocks
economic and market aspects of carbon farming
global resilience and actions addressing climate change
analysis of consumption (theory and empirical applications)

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1166 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Economic Competitiveness of Dairy Farms from the Top Milk-Producing Countries in the EU: Assessment in 2014–2021

by Andrzej Parzonko, Anna Justyna Parzonko and Piotr Bórawski

Agriculture 2024, 14(1), 123; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010123 - 14 Jan 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2009

Abstract

This study aims to present changes in the competitive positions of the dairy farms from EU countries with the highest milk production in 2020. The assessment was based on data from the FADN system for the years 2014–2021 and covered average and large dairy farms from five EU countries: Germany, France, The Netherlands, Italy, and Poland. To assess the competitive positions of dairy farms from the selected EU countries, we developed the Synthetic Measure of Competitive Position based on the resource-based theory of enterprises. The conducted research showed that: (1) average dairy farms in Poland had the lowest production potential resulting from their possessed resources. (2) The highest value of the Synthetic Measure of Competitive Position for 2014–2021 was achieved by average dairy farms from Germany and their position in the ranking strengthened throughout the analyzed period. (3) The same analysis conducted on the group of large dairy farms showed that the competitive position, measured with the Synthetic Measure of Competitive Position, was the highest in the case of Polish dairy farms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food System: Marketing, Economics and Policies)

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19 pages, 1874 KiB

Open AccessArticle

End of the Cage Age? A Study on the Impacts of the Transition from Cages on the EU Laying Hen Sector

by Edward Majewski, Norbert Potori, Piotr Sulewski, Adam Wąs, Martyna Mórawska, Monika Gębska, Agata Malak-Rawlikowska, Anna Grontkowska, Viktor Szili and Adél Erdős

Agriculture 2024, 14(1), 111; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010111 - 10 Jan 2024

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2462

Abstract

This paper’s main objective is to assess the impacts of the ban on cages for housing laying hens, planned by the European Commission to raise animal welfare standards beyond the level set in the current legislation. The farm-level economic assessments of the ban were carried out in three stages: farm surveys and expert consultations, farm-level analyses, and aggregation to the EU-27 egg production sector. Four scenarios were constructed. All financial estimates were conducted with fixed prices from the year 2021 for which the reference scenario was built. Alternative hen-housing systems were barn (Voliera), free range, and organic. Until now, more than 50% of laying hens in the EU have already been transferred to alternative systems. The remaining part is subject to the transition. The basic assumptions included a reduction in yields due to the required lower densities and specifics of the production systems. A factor strongly differentiating the scenarios is likelihood of exists form the sector, as declared in the survey by many farmers, mainly those reaching retirement age without successors and keeping relatively small flocks of hens. The introduction of the ban will cause a decrease in egg production, varying between the scenarios. Substantial investments will be required within the range of 2–3.2 billion EUR, depending on the scenario. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food System: Marketing, Economics and Policies)

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14 pages, 1526 KiB

Open AccessArticle

National Labelling System of Organic Agriculture and Food Products—How Familiar Are Czech Consumers with the National Organic Agri-Food Brand?

by Martina Zámková, Stanislav Rojík, Martin Prokop, Simona Činčalová and Radek Stolín

Agriculture 2024, 14(1), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010100 - 4 Jan 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1916

Abstract

The organic market in the Czech Republic has been growing dynamically, mainly in the last two decades. It is increasing the number of organic farms and producers of organic food. It was also identified as growing in popularity with Czech customers in the period before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Czech Republic, organic products are labelled with a national brand called “bio zebra” under direct control of the Czech Ministry of Agriculture. The dependence of the recognition of this brand on selected socio-demographic indicators (gender, age, education, net monthly household income, number of household members, number of children in the family, size of the municipality) was evaluated in a sample of 1197 respondents in total using logistic regression, and the course of partial dependence on individual sociodemographic indicators was monitored in more detail using contingency table analysis. Significant relationships were found between the recognition of this agri-food brand and gender, education, net monthly household income, number of members and children in the family, and size of the municipality where the consumers live. The proportion of respondents who know the label was higher among women and increased with education level, net monthly household income, number of household members and municipality size. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food System: Marketing, Economics and Policies)

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18 pages, 3412 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food Consumption Habits of Hungarian Organic Food Consumers and Their Policy Implications

by Kinga Nagyné Pércsi, Apolka Ujj, Wifek Essoussi, Gyöngyi Györéné Kis and Paulina Jancsovszka

Agriculture 2024, 14(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010091 - 2 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1978

Abstract

Food production and consumption have a major impact on the environment and human health. Therefore, it is important to achieve transformations towards greater sustainability in the food sector. As in other countries around the world, Hungarian organic food consumers are characterised by the fact that they consume organic food primarily for health reasons. Direct forms, including online purchase, are preferred in the choice of channels since direct contact with producers is very important due to mistrust, which is one of the barriers to the further growth of consumption. Empirical tests of well-known and frequently applied theories also shed light on the connections above. First, an examination was conducted through logistic regression to determine if there exists a correlation between organic food consumption and environmentally and socially conscious consumption traits (such as supporting small-scale producers) within the broader sample (1148), encompassing not just organic food consumers. Subsequently, concentrating solely on organic food consumers (944), factor analysis was employed to reveal connections among the analysed variables and to group Hungarian organic food consumers into clusters based on their consumption and purchasing habits. In conclusion, it is reasonable to assume that organic food consumers are more likely to be environmentally conscious, as they are more aware of the environmental impact of their food choices. Three clearly distinguishable groups were obtained using cluster analysis. These groups can be targeted with different means in order to develop the sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food System: Marketing, Economics and Policies)

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19 pages, 2271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Environmental Attitudes and Risk for Adoption with Respect to Farmers’ Participation in the Agri-Environmental Practices

by Jelena Vapa Tankosić, Svetlana Ignjatijević, Nemanja Lekić, Nataša Kljajić, Miloš Ivaniš, Slobodan Andžić and Dejan Ristić

Agriculture 2023, 13(12), 2248; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13122248 - 6 Dec 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1717

Abstract

This research represents an attempt to systematically introduce the concepts of sustainable agriculture that shall address environmental attitudes and the risks for adoption related to agri-environmental practices. The substantial risks posed by climate change, loss of biodiversity, and other forms of pollution within the 21st century regarding global eco-systems, food production, and human health have emphasized the need to investigate this phenomenon. The agri-environmental practices are aimed at mitigating the environmental impacts of intensive agriculture; however, the adoption of these practices calls for a change in the farmers’ behaviors. As farmers are indispensable stakeholders in rural ecological systems, the factors that determine the adoption of agri-environmental practices have been taken into analysis. The research has been carried out on a sample of 246 farmers in the rural areas of the Republic of Serbia. The data has been elaborated on by the SPSS statistical package and PLS SMART software. The findings, in the framework of a farm as a business, point out that the farmers believe that environmental protection is an important segment of production and that good agriculture is a prerequisite for producers’ survival, maximum yields, and profits. The farmers, in the framework of stewardship, agree that good agriculture implies responsible management of the farms’ agricultural and natural areas, as part of the country’s heritage, for the benefit of future generations. The findings also show that the environmental attitudes of farmers in the stewardship frame and factors of risk adoption influence attitudes toward agri-environmental practices. The findings of this paper reveal up-to-date attitudes toward the adoption of further agri-environmental measures, directly contributing to raising awareness of the introduction of new AEM among practitioners in the agricultural sector, decision-makers, and policymakers. The proposed research is significant in the process of transposition of the CAP acquis communautaire in agriculture policy and the implementation of measures under IPARD III. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food System: Marketing, Economics and Policies)

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14 pages, 1296 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Vertical Price Transmission in Pork Meat Production in the Czech Republic

by Jitka Sirohi, Zuzana Hloušková, Klára Bartoňová, Karel Malec, Mansoor Maitah and Robert Koželský

Agriculture 2023, 13(6), 1274; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061274 - 20 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2066

Abstract

The paper aims at vertical price transmission of the agri-food market in the Czech Republic. It is focused on the analysis of price transmission in pork meat by investigating the short-run and long-run relationships within the product and the speed of establishing the equilibrium relationship. For this purpose, there is employed specially VECM (Vector Error Correction Model), impulse-response analysis, and decomposition of variance of VECM, which show the system’s reaction. The applied approach considers five alternatives in the Johansen approach. The results suggest that there is an existence of the equilibrium relationship in vertical markets and this relationship is simultaneous and demand-driven. The impulse-response analyses show the response of the processing price to one standard deviation shock to the agriculture price from approximately 15–20 periods reaching long-run equilibrium. The response of the agriculture price to one standard deviation shock to the processing price reaching long-run equilibrium is also from approximately 15–20 periods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food System: Marketing, Economics and Policies)

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12 pages, 253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Critical Issues Facing the Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Industries in the State of Georgia

by Kevan W. Lamm, Lauren Pike, Lauren Griffeth, Jiyea Park and Andrews Idun

Agriculture 2023, 13(6), 1194; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061194 - 3 Jun 2023

Viewed by 2097

Abstract

Throughout the United States, the agricultural, forestry, and natural resource industries are facing a multitude of challenges. While each industry is facing unique challenges on a national level, these challenges vary in scope and topic, and they are not necessarily generalizable to smaller geographic regions. Based on the socio-economic importance of agriculture in the state, along with five distinct geographic regions ranging from coastal to mountainous, this study compiled a comprehensive list of critical issues facing the agricultural, forestry, and natural resource industries in the state of Georgia. The study used the Delphi methodology with an expert panel composed of agricultural, forestry, and natural resource opinion leaders. Using a three-round consensus-building process, a total of 40 critical issues were identified with eight items receiving 100% agreement amongst the panelists. The final list of items were then analyzed using the constant comparative method to identify themes within the retained items. Six themes emerged based on the analysis, including (alphabetically) economic considerations, operations and infrastructure, policy, public perceptions, regulations, and workforce. The proposed themes, and subsumed critical issues, represent a heuristic framework within which to facilitate dialogue amongst agricultural, forestry, and natural-resource-related industries, as well as inform future research and praxis oriented efforts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food System: Marketing, Economics and Policies)

15 pages, 469 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Examine the Sustainable Extension of Rural Food Preparation Techniques

by Ching-Sung Lee, Yen-Cheng Chen, Pei-Ling Tsui and Ming-Chen Chiang

Agriculture 2023, 13(5), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13051012 - 4 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2805

Abstract

Social transformation has caused traditional rural food preparation techniques and cultural heritage to disappear gradually. Traditional rural women are in charge of rural traditional food preparation techniques, which they inherit through the family. Therefore, this study primarily aimed to employ the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to analyze the effects of attitudes toward rural food preparation techniques, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on behavioral intention to ultimately understand the behavioral intention of rural women in the sustainable extension of rural food preparation techniques. The TPB was utilized as a basis for conducting a quantitative study using questionnaire surveys. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling were employed, and 800 questionnaires were distributed. In total, 649 valid questionnaires were collected, and the recovery rate was 81.1%. The study tools used included the attitude scale, subjective norms scale, perceived behavioral control scale, and behavioral intention scale. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson product difference correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that attitudes toward rural food preparation techniques, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in rural women significantly affected the behavioral intention of sustainable extension. These results can provide agricultural organizations and relevant units with a reference for the sustainable extension of traditional food preparation techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food System: Marketing, Economics and Policies)

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22 pages, 945 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Determination of the Factors Affecting Business Performance in Beekeeping Production

by Miroslav Čavlin, Nedeljko Prdić, Svetlana Ignjatijević, Jelena Vapa Tankosić, Nemanja Lekić and Sara Kostić

Agriculture 2023, 13(3), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13030686 - 15 Mar 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4030

Abstract

A competitive business environment pushes beekeepers to the creation of value at a higher level than the competition in a way that is difficult to imitate. In order to survive in a competitive business environment, beekeeping producers must direct their resources towards innovative solutions, which can include honey quality assurance programmes and further product development, as well as creation of value-added honey products that is translated in good business performance. As the potential of the Republic of Serbia’s beekeeping production can be strengthened and its products exported beyond the national market, there is a need to examine the influence of a set of factors that can impact the beekeeper’s business performance. Therefore, this paper will examine the direct and indirect influence of the competitive environment (the business environment opportunities, threats and the relationships with the consumers) and innovative performance (in the field of marketing, product design, product quality, distribution, manufacturing and time to market) on the business performance of Serbian beekeepers. This research uses the SEM method with the SmartPLS tool. The findings of the model have confirmed that a competitive environment and innovative performance have a direct positive, statistically significant impact on the business performance of Serbian beekeeping production. A weak indirect influence of a competitive environment on the business performance of beekeepers has been confirmed. The model has proven to be significant, and a high percentage of variations in beekeepers’ business performance has been explained by the influence of two independent variables (competitive environment and innovative performance). As there is no previous research on the nexus of the competitive environment, innovative performance and business performance of Serbian beekeepers, these findings may be of special interest to authors and researchers, beekeeping organizations and representatives of agricultural advisory services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food System: Marketing, Economics and Policies)

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35 pages, 3816 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Using Augmented Reality Technology in Takeaway Food Packaging to Improve Young Consumers’ Negative Evaluations

by Chao Gu, Tingting Huang, Wei Wei, Chun Yang, Jiangjie Chen, Wei Miao, Shuyuan Lin, Hanchu Sun and Jie Sun

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 335; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020335 - 30 Jan 2023

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6363

Abstract

This paper examines the use of augmented reality technology in the design of packaging for takeaway food to assist in marketing. The research is divided into three studies for progressive investigation and analysis. Study 1 collected 375,859 negative evaluations of food delivery from the Internet and explored the main reasons that may have impacted the user’s evaluation by Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling. Study 2 evaluated the effectiveness of augmented reality packaging by surveying 165 subjects and comparing it with traditional packaging. We conducted a survey of 1603 subjects in Study 3 and used the technology incentive model (TIM) to analyze how augmented reality technology positively impacts food delivery marketing. It has been established that packaging will influence the negative perception of consumers about buying and eating takeout food. Specifically, augmented reality technology can improve negative evaluations by providing a more conducive user experience than traditional packaging. According to our findings, augmented reality technology has improved the consumers’ perception of interaction, perceived vividness, and novelty experience, and achieved the aim of promoting takeaway food retail by improving negative evaluations posted by users. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food System: Marketing, Economics and Policies)

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