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Agroecology and Food Consumption Patterns in the Current Environmental and...
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Agroecology and Food Consumption Patterns in the Current Environmental and Economic Crisis Scenario

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 6665

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Giorgio Schifani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 13 - Ed. 4, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: agroecology; organic farming; alternative food networks; sustainable food consumption
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giuseppina Migliore

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 13 - Ed. 4, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: consumer studies; consumer behavior; organic food consumption; sustainable food consumption
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giuseppina Rizzo

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: consumer behavior; farmer behavior; innovation; sustainability; agri-food sector

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The path to achieving sustainability has become increasingly difficult due to the ongoing pandemic, a situation exacerbated by the new war scenario in Ukraine. In this context, the feasibility and consequences of the farm to fork strategy, which aims to reduce pesticide use by 50 percent and fertilizer use by 20 percent and convert 25 percent of European farmland to organic farming, has been questioned. In particular, the strategy’s ability to ensure food security, both in the short term and in the coming decades, has been questioned.

However, the farm to fork strategy and agroecology in general is absolutely the most effective way. Indeed, on the one hand, agroecology helps to develop a peaceful system-wide farming approach, working in harmony with natural processes and using local resources. On the other, it brings local farmers closer to their communities, ensuring fresh food for them and also strengthening social capital.

In times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the current war, these systems can show high levels of flexibility, adaptability, and resilience while being less dependent on imported inputs or capital.

In this context, the study of the most appropriate policy strategies, the dynamics involving consumers and producers toward the ecological transition, and the strategies adopted by companies in the agricultural sector will be the main subjects that this Special Issue will seek to better investigate. In addition, further relevant topics are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Giorgio Schifani
Dr. Giuseppina Rizzo
Dr. Giuseppina Migliore
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ecological transition 
  • agroecology 
  • current international scenario 
  • consumer behavior 
  • farmer behavior 
  • agri-food sector

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 762 KiB  
Article
Association of Food Consumption According to the Degree of Processing and Sociodemographic Conditions in Older Adults
by Graziele Maria da Silva, Daniela de Assumpção, Carolina Neves Freiria, Flávia Silva Arbex Borim, Tábatta Renata Pereira de Brito and Ligiana Pires Corona
Foods 2023, 12(22), 4108; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12224108 - 13 Nov 2023
Viewed by 863
Abstract
Several factors can impact food consumption in older adults, including those of sociodemographic, physiological, and chronic non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the association of food consumption according to its degree of processing with sociodemographic conditions in community-dwelling older adults. Food intake [...] Read more.
Several factors can impact food consumption in older adults, including those of sociodemographic, physiological, and chronic non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the association of food consumption according to its degree of processing with sociodemographic conditions in community-dwelling older adults. Food intake was evaluated from 24-h recall data. All food items were classified according to the degree of processing into four groups as follows: in natura or minimally processed, culinary ingredients, processed, and ultra-processed foods. Food groups were considered dependent variables in a quantile regression model, adjusting for sex, age, schooling, ethnicity, and number of residents. Women and individuals with higher levels of education had lower consumption of in natura or minimally processed foods and higher consumption of ultra-processed foods. The yellow or indigenous ethnicity presented the lowest consumption of processed foods; older people who lived with three or more individuals had the highest consumption of culinary ingredients, whereas the older people who lived with one to two people had the highest consumption of processed foods and the lowest consumption of ultra-processed. These groups may be the target of educational and public policies to improve diet quality and contribute to quality of life in older ages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agroecology and Food Consumption Patterns in the Current Environmental and Economic Crisis Scenario)
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18 pages, 1458 KiB  
Article
A Further Step toward Sustainable Development: The Case of the Edible Mushroom Supply Chain
by Rachele De Cianni, Giovanna Cristina Varese and Teresina Mancuso
Foods 2023, 12(18), 3433; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12183433 - 15 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1767
Abstract
This study provides an accurate economic characterization of the supply of edible mushrooms throughout Italy within the European context to fill the relevant research gap and highlight barriers and opportunities that are consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals. Italian companies operating in this [...] Read more.
This study provides an accurate economic characterization of the supply of edible mushrooms throughout Italy within the European context to fill the relevant research gap and highlight barriers and opportunities that are consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals. Italian companies operating in this field were identified and economically characterized using the Chamber of Commerce’s Register of Companies. A qualitative web content analysis was then conducted to extract information about the marketed products, mushroom species, and retail channels, as well as the adopted certifications. The obtained data were quantitatively analyzed through descriptive statistics and multiple correspondence analysis. The Italian market is concentrated in northern areas of the country, and the limited company size indicates fragmentation at the production level, which led to Italy not being competitive enough and, thus, heavily rely on imports. Production is limited to less than 10 species, and innovative mushroom-based products, such as burgers, have shown a limited presence on the market, although they are gaining market share online. The novelty of growing kits highlights the potential to use food production waste to create fungal substrates. Investments in training new mushroom growers and studying new formulations and new fungal species are needed; these investments could allow greater market differentiation and be a good opportunity to promote local economies and create new job opportunities, thus meeting the requirements for sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agroecology and Food Consumption Patterns in the Current Environmental and Economic Crisis Scenario)
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10 pages, 525 KiB  
Communication
Consumer Evaluation of Agricultural Products Produced in Areas Affected by Natural Disasters: A Case Study of Damaged Apples in Japan
by Eriko Miyama and Tamaki Morita
Foods 2023, 12(13), 2498; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12132498 - 27 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 934
Abstract
This study examines how consumers perceive agricultural products affected by natural disasters, using apples in Japan as a case study. Typhoons and other natural disasters frequently damage the surface of apples during the production season, causing significant harm to farmers’ businesses, particularly when [...] Read more.
This study examines how consumers perceive agricultural products affected by natural disasters, using apples in Japan as a case study. Typhoons and other natural disasters frequently damage the surface of apples during the production season, causing significant harm to farmers’ businesses, particularly when a large typhoon hits the production area. To maintain the sustainability of agricultural production, consumers need to purchase damaged crops at a certain price. To assess the effect of product attributes, such as appearance and price, and personal attributes of respondents, we conducted a choice-based conjoint analysis using a mixed logit model. The estimated results using the main effect and cross-section models show that consumers generally devalue apples when they have scratches. However, by using consumer co-operatives on a daily basis and disseminating simple information about the relationship between scratches and natural disasters, we could mitigate this devaluation tendency and thus contribute to sustainable agricultural production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agroecology and Food Consumption Patterns in the Current Environmental and Economic Crisis Scenario)
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21 pages, 1005 KiB  
Article
Effect of Consumption Value on Consumer Willingness to Consume GM Food: A Post-COVID-19 Analysis
by Muhammad Ghufran, Jawaria Ashraf, Sumran Ali, Peng Xiaobao and Luigi Aldieri
Foods 2022, 11(18), 2918; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11182918 - 19 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2164
Abstract
In this research, we debate the critical challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic such as food scarcity, by examining the influence of consumption values on consumers’ willingness to consume genetically modified (GM) food in the presence of consumer food attitudes, animosity, and ethnocentrism, [...] Read more.
In this research, we debate the critical challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic such as food scarcity, by examining the influence of consumption values on consumers’ willingness to consume genetically modified (GM) food in the presence of consumer food attitudes, animosity, and ethnocentrism, which could be the one possible option to deal with the food scarcity problem. The proposed relationship could help to understand the complex societal problem of food scarcity and import dependency in the food sector before and after the crisis. Therefore, based on the theory of consumption values, we investigated government actions, consumer attitudes, and their willingness to consume GM food through 1340 valid USA responses and 1065 Chinese responses. We observed that COVID-19 doubled the number of malnourished people in 2020 relative to 2019, while consumption values, to some extent, changed consumer food attitudes and were inclined toward other food alternatives such as GM food regardless of governmental support for GM food in both USA and China. Moreover, this research enables governments, policymakers, market practitioners, and other stakeholders to use the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to negotiate with other countries to share their food technology along with imports. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agroecology and Food Consumption Patterns in the Current Environmental and Economic Crisis Scenario)
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