IoT platform for seafood farmers and consumers

There has been a strong growth in aquatic products supported by the global seafood industry. Consumers demand information transparency to support informed decisions and to verify nutrition, food safety, and sustainable operations. Supporting these needs rests on the existence of interoperable Internet of Things (IoT) platforms for traceability that goes beyond the minimum “one up, one down” scheme required by regulators. Seafood farmers, being the source of both food and food-information, are critical to achieving the needed transparency. Traditionally, seafood farmers carry the costs of providing information, while downstream actors reap the benefits, causing limited provision of information. Now, global standards for labelling, data from IoT devices, and the reciprocity of utility from collecting data while sharing them represent great potential for farmers to generate value from traceability systems. To enable this, farmers need an IoT platform integrated with other IoT platforms in the value network. This paper presents a case study of an enterprise-level IoT platform for seafood farmers that satisfies consumers’ end-to-end traceability needs while extracting data from requests for information from downstream actors. Keywords: IoT platform, seafood traceability, seafood farmer, reciprocity, supply chain, valuepublishedVersio

Eco-labelling in Fisheries along West African Coast: the Potentials and Pitfalls

Eco-labelling is considered with increased interest within the scope of fisheries crisis, as a way to tackle both marine biodiversity conservation and development issues. Along West African Coast, diversity and specificity of seafood issued from localised fishery systems (or fishery territories) are remarkable and recognised from long time. Recently, initiatives to draw more value from fish and fishery while maintaining them for the future are more and more developing. Nevertheless, those innovative dynamics are generally initiated and implemented by foreign operators, targeting specific categories of customers and are unequally reappropriated by the fishermen communities. They still occupy a minor place in local and national economies. Moreover, these devices are binding and thus exclusive. So, they could have unexpected and contradictory effects on biological and cultural diversity. An Interdisciplinary (anthropology, geography, economic, sociology, ethnobiology, ecology and law studies) and comparative approach, conducted in different environmental, political and socio-economical contexts, leads to assess the constraints and opportunities attached to ecolabelling in fisheries (Biodivalloc programme, ANR05 BDIV02). Also, the aim of this contribution is to examine the connection and consistency between the devices and norms that shape those instruments and the local practices and actors strategies all along the fish network. It seeks to determine the conditions of using these tools in ways that ensure the co-viability of coastal (biological and social) systems. This question is adressed through diverse study cases, the Mugil fishery of Mauritania, the Octopus fishery of Senegal, the mollusks exploitation (Arca, Crassostrea, Cymbium, Pugilina, etc.) of the Saloum Delta, Senegal.Keywords: Fisheries Economics, Markets and Labels, Markets and Trad

Life Cycle Assessment of Oyster Farming in the Po Delta, Northern Italy

Oysters represent an important portion of the world’s total aquaculture production. In recent years, in Italy, oyster farming has progressively increased its role in the economic growth of the aquaculture sector and still has great potential for growth. As in any other production, oyster farming generates environmental impacts over an oyster’s life cycle, due to material, energy, fuel, and water use. The aim of this work was to carry out a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of 1 kg of fresh oysters of commercial size produced in the Po delta area, northern Italy. Two scenarios were considered. The current scenario provides for oyster seed purchasing from France and transport to Italy, whereas the alternative scenario includes in situ seed production in order to realize a complete local and traceable supply chain. Eco-indicator® 99-H and ReCiPe® midpoint (H) v.1.12 were used to perform the impact assessments. The overall impacts of the two scenarios were very similar and indicated that the main hotspots were the fattening and prefattening phases of farming, which were common in both scenarios. Focusing the analysis on the first stages, transport from France had a greater impact than did local seed production, emphasizing the importance of a short supply chain in aquaculture production

Oak Foundation Annual Report 2012

The resources of Oak Foundation originated from an interest in the Duty Free Shoppers business which Alan Parker helped to build. Today, the Foundation comprises a group of philanthropic organisations based in various countries around the world.Oak Foundation was formally established in 1983. Early grants were made in Denmark to organisations supporting single mothers and torture victims (1983) and in Zimbabwe to a range of groups supporting vulnerable children and families, primarily at a community level (1984). Grants continued to be made annually in a range of countries until a new phase for Oak Foundation began in the early 1990s, when annual grantmaking began to increase and staff were hired to run substantive programmes. The first two programmes to get underway were Environment and Child Abuse, followed by four other programmes -- Housing and Homelessness, International Human Rights, Issues Affecting Women and Learning Differences. There is also a Special Interest Grants Programme, which funds medical research and a range of other efforts identified by the Trustees that do not fall into the other programme areas, and two national programmes in Denmark and Zimbabwe. Since its establishment, Oak Foundation has made over 2,700 grants to not-for-profit organisations across the globe. Oak Foundation has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and a presence in eight other countries: Belize, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ethiopia, India, the UK, the US and Zimbabwe.Oak Foundation is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees that includes Kristian Parker, Chair; Caroline Turner, Vice Chair; Natalie Shipton, Vice Chair; Jette Parker and Alan Parker. An Advisory Panel also supports the Foundation's work on a range of grant-making issues. Current members are Kathleen Cravero-Kristoffersson (President of Oak Foundation), Gary Goodman (Secretary for Oak Foundation), William Norris and Julie Sandorf. Funding decisions are made by the Board of Trustees, either individually or as a group. While the Board of Trustees meets twice annually, grants are considered on a rolling basis throughout the calendar year

Vegans, Vegetarians, and Omnivores: How Does Dietary Choice Influence Iodine Intake? A Systematic Review

Vegan and vegetarian diets are becoming increasingly popular. Dietary restrictions may increase the risk of iodine deficiency. This systematic review aims to assess iodine intake and status in adults following a vegan or vegetarian diet in industrialised countries. A systematic review and quality assessment were conducted in the period May 2019-April 2020 according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were identified in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and secondary sources. Fifteen articles met inclusion criteria. Participants included 127,094 adults (aged ≥ 18 years). Vegan groups presented the lowest median urinary iodine concentrations, followed by vegetarians, and did not achieve optimal status. The highest iodine intakes were recorded in female vegans (1448.0 ± 3879.0 µg day-1) and the lowest in vegetarians (15.6 ± 21.0 µg day-1). Omnivores recorded the greatest intake in 83% of studies. Seaweed contributed largely to diets of vegans with excessive iodine intake. Vegans appear to have increased risk of low iodine status, deficiency and inadequate intake compared with adults following less restrictive diets. Adults following vegan and vegetarian diets living in countries with a high prevalence of deficiency may be more vulnerable. Therefore, further monitoring of iodine status in industrialised countries and research into improving the iodine intake and status of adults following vegan and vegetarian diets is required

Effects of iodine supplementation in mild-to-moderately iodine-deficient pregnant women on thyroid function, pregnancy outcomes and newborn development in Thailand

Background: Iodine deficiency (ID) during pregnancy has been recognized as a major cause of hypothyroidism and adverse health consequences in both mothers and children. Although urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in school-aged children is recommended as an indicator to assess ID in the general population, it may not be a good surrogate for directly assessing iodine status in pregnant women. Iodine supplementation of mildly iodine-deficient pregnant women has been recommended worldwide; however, long-term benefit and safety of iodine supplementation in this group is uncertain. Finally, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) may negatively affect thyroid function and pregnancy outcomes. Objectives: 1) to measure UIC in pairs of pregnant women and their school-aged children living in the same household; 2) to investigate the effects of iodine supplementation on maternal thyroid function, pregnancy and birth outcomes, and newborn development; 3) to evaluate the association between pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG with thyroid function and pregnancy outcomes. Methods: 1) In a cross-sectional pilot study, UIC was measured in spot urine samples from pairs (n=302) of healthy pregnant mothers and their school-aged children in Bangkok; 2) Arandomized controlled trial was conducted with 200 µg iodine per day or placebo given to mildly ID pregnant Thai women from ndand 3rdtrimester, at delivery and 6-week postpartum. Birth outcomes were collected from hospital records. Neonatal thyroid function, UIC and thyroid volume were measured at delivery and 6 weeks after birth. The Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scales (NBAS) was used to assess newborn development. Results: 1) In the pilot study, median UIC in the pregnant women was 108 (11–558) µg/L and was lower than UIC in their school-aged children [200 (25–835) µg/L] (P500 µg/L. Maternal thyroid function, thyroid volume and the prevalence of all thyroid dysfunction subtypes did not differ significantly between treatment groups during the study (p>0.05). At 6-week postpartum, the prevalence of postpartum thyroiditis (hyperthyroidism) was significantly lower in the iodine group (3%) as compared to the placebo group (9%) (OR: 95%CI, 0.17: 0.04-0.70). There were no significant differences between newborn groups in thyroid function, thyroid volume, birth characteristics, UIC and NBAS score (p>0.05); 3) Pre-pregnancy BMI was a negative predictor of free thyroxine (fT4) (β=-0.20, P Conclusion: 1) UIC in school-aged children should not be used as a surrogate for monitoring iodine status in pregnancy; 2) iodine supplementation (200 µg/d) in mildly iodine-deficient pregnant Thai women was effective in increasing iodine intakes into the adequate range but had no benefit on antenatal maternal thyroid function or newborn outcomes out to 6 weeks; however, it significantly reduced the risk of maternal postpartum thyroid dysfunction; 3) excess maternal body weight both before and during pregnancy may have adverse impacts on maternal thyroid function as well as birth weight. Therefore, maintaining normal body weight before and throughout pregnancy should be recommended.</p

Farming Shrimp for the Future: A Sustainability Analysis of Shrimp Farming in China.

The intensification of the shrimp farming industry has generated much concern over its environmental, social and economic sustainability. The objective of this dissertation was to conduct a comprehensive sustainability analysis for Chinese shrimp farming. My results could be utilized to evaluate and improve shrimp production systems in terms of environmental sustainability, economic profitability, and social acceptability. Life cycle assessment was conducted to evaluate environmental performance of different shrimp farming systems. Intensive systems had higher environmental impacts per unit production than semi-intensive. The grow-out stage contributed on average 95% of the overall impacts, mainly caused by feed production, electricity use and effluents. To produce 1 tonne live-weight of shrimp in China, 38.3±4.3 GJ of energy and 40.4±1.7 tonnes of net primary productivity were required, and 23.1±2.6 kg of SO2 equivalents (eq), 36.9±4.3 kg of PO4 eq, and 3.1±0.4 tonnes of CO2 eq were generated. Changes in feed composition, farm management, electricity generating sources, and effluent treatment may result in future improvement. Mathematical models were developed to study nutrient dynamics and the effects of management strategies on nutrient dynamics and discharge. Management strategies had significant impacts on nutrient dynamics. Nutrient loading increased with farm intensity. On average, approximately 701 kg N ha-1 cycle-1 (100 days/cycle) and 176 kg P ha-1 cycle-1 were unutilized and wasted. Of them, 120 kg N ha-1 cycle-1 in dissolved form and 62 kg P ha-1 cycle-1 were discharged with effluents. Moderate stocking density and reduced water exchange could minimize environmental impacts of pond effluents and achieve high production. A socioeconomic survey of 100 shrimp farms was conducted to evaluate system profitability, disease risk, and changes in quality of life. Production costs per kilogram of shrimp were highest in intensive systems ($2.70), followed by semi-intensive ($2.10) and polyculture ($1.05) systems. Intensive systems had significantly higher profits ($9,500 ha-1 crop-1) than the other two systems (< $7,300 ha-1 crop-1). If disease occurred, an average of 78% and 36% of shrimp would die in the worst and most probable cases, respectively. Disease had highest influence on the intensive systems. Quality of life of farmers was significantly improved by shrimp farming.Ph.D.Natural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91554/1/caoling_1.pd

Dietary intake and nutritional status in Switzerland: a population perspective

Nutrition is a major modifiable determinant of health. National nutrition surveys are essential tools to monitor the population nutritional status and guide nutrition policies. Switzerland conducted its first national survey, menuCH, in 2014-2015. A total of 2 086 Swiss residents aged 18 to 75 years old were interviewed and their diet assessed using two 24-hour dietary recalls. This thesis aimed at 1) describing dietary intake of Swiss adult population using menuCH data, and 2) developing recommendations for the next national nutrition surveys and future nutrition policies. menuCH data indicated that the vast majority of the Swiss adult population poorly adhered to the national dietary guidelines. The population consumed insufficient plant-based products, and excessive ultra-processed and/or animal-based foods. Moreover, food consumption patterns substantially differed between the German, French and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland. Finally, we showed that regularly consuming a breakfast rich in fruit, unsweetened cereal flakes, nuts and yogurt was associated with reduced abdominal obesity. Since menuCH did not survey children nor collect bio-samples, we tested child-specific dietary assessment methods and evaluated acceptability of bio-sample collection in a feasibility study to prepare the next national nutrition survey. We recruited a population-based sample of 53 children aged 3 to 17 years in Lausanne. The developed dietary assessment tools (e.g., 24-hour food diary, food questionnaire) were well accepted by participants and their caregiver(s). Compliance with the collection of spot urine, venous and capillary blood, and toenails was high in the different age groups. As shown above, dietary behaviours in Switzerland are not optimal. Classically, public health can propose two types of interventions to improve the situation: 1) provide information to encourage behavioural modifications (individual level), or 2) change the environment to reduce exposition (population level). I wrote an essay about a novel instrument designed to improve diet, i.e., precision nutrition. I concluded that providing personalized advice at a large scale via smartphones (individual level) might have a limited effect on dietary behaviours and obesity, if environments promoting unhealthy food are not modified in parallel (population level). We have shown that Switzerland needs public health interventions to improve dietary behaviours. We suggest that these interventions target in priority the food environments to facilitate access to healthy foods. Furthermore, the next national nutrition surveys should include children, strengthen dietary assessment methods, and collect bio-samples for relying on objective nutritional biomarkers. We believe that this will improve the assessment of dietary intake and nutritional status at both individual and population levels to further fine-tune national dietary guidelines and guide future nutrition policies

CSR business models and change trajectories in the retail industry; A Dynamic Benchmark Exercise (1995-2007)

Sustainability or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an important societal issue that also gains momentum in the food retail industry. Companies apply different strategies towards sustainability and can alter these over time. This report presents the findings of RSM research on (changes in) business models of CSR strategies within three leading Dutch food retailers as well as three leading European food retailers. The research reveals the level of internal and external alignment as important factors to understand the design and the development of the companies' CSR business model