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Sustainable Food Production and Circular Economy in the Agri-Food Sector

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Food".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 2097

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Quality Management, Cracow University of Economics, Kraków, Poland
Interests: food certification; food safety; circular economy; management systems; environmental management systems; food quality; organic farming products; traditional and regional food products; sustainable supply chain management; Industry 4.0

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The circular economy (CE) has become an essential issue within the European Union as Green Deal regulations are rolled out, much as it has for other world regions. A CE would make sustainable development feasible by creating economic value and closing the energy and materials loops. The principles of CE can be supported on the organizational level by standards developed for this purpose, such as the British BS 8001:2017 or French X-PX 30-901:2018. There are other additional standards that refer to a large extent to the CE or support its implementation. Among them, the most popular ones are management systems standards, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, or ISO 45001, as well as sector-specific requirements in food production: organic farming, GlobalGAP, BRC, or IFS requirements. The implementation process, as well as the certification of the requirements mentioned above in organizations, may significantly vary depending on the approach of individual organizations. Moreover, there is a noticeable trend of using solutions from the area of industry 4.0, which can affect the effectiveness and efficiency of the implemented systems. The aim of this Special Issue is to reveal the high potential of normalization, certification, and management systems as well as industry 4.0 to effectively support the circular economy in the context of the agri-food sector. The Special Issue will cover topics such as food certification, food safety, food quality, management systems, environmental management systems, organic farming products, traditional and regional food products, sustainable supply chain management, and industry 4.0 in relation to CE. The possibility of implementing CE requirements at the organization level in isolation from the broader context of an organization's operation is debatable. Therefore, research on CE's macro and meso levels and their relationship with the capabilities of individual organizations in the food industry are also welcome in this Issue.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Piotr Kafel
Guest Editor

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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

  • food certification
  • food safety
  • circular economy
  • sustainable production
  • management systems
  • standardization
  • environmental management systems
  • food quality
  • organic farming products
  • traditional and regional food products

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 696 KiB  
Article
The Importance of the Circular Economy Concept among Organizations within the Food Sector and a Management Systems Perspective
by Piotr Kafel and Krzysztof Rudziński
Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2912; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072912 - 31 Mar 2024
Viewed by 793
Abstract
The concept of the circular economy is becoming an increasingly important issue within the economic and political sphere. The aim of the study is to check the opinions of representatives of organizations on the need to act in accordance with the principles of [...] Read more.
The concept of the circular economy is becoming an increasingly important issue within the economic and political sphere. The aim of the study is to check the opinions of representatives of organizations on the need to act in accordance with the principles of the circular economy concept in organizations and to indicate the differences in these opinions, taking into account the following aspects: the number of implemented management systems and the FSMS implementation. The survey method was used in the study. The surveyed organizations were divided into groups according to two criteria: having implemented food safety management systems and the total number of implemented management systems. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to analyze differences between groups. The conducted research showed that the organizations with more than three MSSs perceive a greater need to act in accordance with the principles of the CE than other companies. There was no sufficient proof to support the hypothesis concerning the higher engagement of food sector organizations in circular economy activities. The size of the organization is a factor that is also irrelevant in this context. Full article
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15 pages, 679 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Environmental Indicators on Consumer Purchase Decisions for Food Products
by Beata Paliwoda, Alina Matuszak-Flejszman and Magdalena Ankiel
Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 1834; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051834 - 23 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 718
Abstract
This research paper analyzes consumer expectations and priorities concerning environmental indicators within the food industry. The study’s overall objective was to understand the importance of various environmental indicators on consumer purchasing decisions. A survey was conducted in Poland, utilizing a representative sample to [...] Read more.
This research paper analyzes consumer expectations and priorities concerning environmental indicators within the food industry. The study’s overall objective was to understand the importance of various environmental indicators on consumer purchasing decisions. A survey was conducted in Poland, utilizing a representative sample to measure participants’ opinions. Respondents were asked to assess the importance of various environmental indicators in influencing their purchasing choices. The findings underscore a high demand among Polish consumers for environmental responsibility from companies operating in the food sector. Key indicators include the effectiveness of environmental management systems, pro-environmental investments, the promotion of environmental awareness, waste management, water conservation, and attention to supply chain and wastewater issues. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of consumer preferences, offering guidance for industry stakeholders and policymakers seeking to enhance sustainability practices and align their efforts with consumer expectations in the dynamic landscape of the food sector. Full article
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