An argumentation system for eco-efficient packaging material selection

UMR IATE Axe 5 : Application intégrée de la connaissance, de l’information et des technologies permettant d’accroître la qualité et la sécurité des aliments UMR IATE Axe 3 : Transferts de matière et réactions dans les systèmes aliment/emballageInternational audienceWithin the framework of the European project EcoBioCap (ECOefficient BIOdegradable Composite Advanced Packaging), aiming at conceiving the next generation of food packagings, we have designed an argumentation-based tool for management of conflicting viewpoints between preferences expressed by the involved parties (food and packaging industries, health authorities, consumers, waste management authority, etc.). The requirements and user preferences are modeled by several rules provided by the stakeholders expressing their viewpoints and expertise. Based on these rules, the argumentation tool computes consensual preferences which are used to parameterize a flexible querying process of a packaging database to retrieve the most relevant solution to pack a given food. In this paper, we recall briefly the principles underlying the reasoning process, and we detail the main functionalities and the architecture of the argumentation tool. We cover the overall reasoning steps starting from formal representation of text arguments and ending by extraction of justified preferences which are sent to the database querying process. Finally, we detail its operational functioning through a real life case study to determine the justifiable choices between recyclable, compostable and biodegradable packaging materials based on stakeholders’ arguments

Advances of nanotechnology in agro-environmental studies

With the increase in the world population and the demand for food, new agricultural practices have been developed to improve food production through the use of more effective pesticides and fertilisers. These technologies can lead to an uncontrolled release of undesired substances into the environment, with the potential to contaminate soil and groundwater. Today, nanotechnology represents a promising approach to improve agricultural production and remediate polluted sites. This paper reviews the recent applications of nanotechnologies in agro-environmental studies with particular attention to the fate of nanomaterials once introduced in water and soil, to the advantages of their use and their possible toxicology. Findings show that the use of nanomaterials can improve the quality of the environment and help detect and remediate polluted sites. Only a small number of nanomaterials demonstrated potential toxic effects. These are discussed in detail

Sustainable Packaging of Organic Food: Myth or Reality?

Previous research has argued that packaging has a great potential to contribute to sustainable development, but how to put this potential into practice is not yet fully explored. The theoretical foundation of the research presented is at the intersection of packaging logistics and sustainable development. This foundation was chosen because it offers established models that are well linked to the holistic view of sustainable packaging of this thesis. The thesis has two purposes. The first is to explore and elaborate on the potential contribution of packaging to sustainable development from a packaging logistics perspective. This is done in two theoretical studies. They are based on data collected via literature reviews and analyzed according to a content analysis procedure. The first theoretical study examines how this contribution of packaging is supported in formalized approaches provided by academia and trade associations. The analysis shows that in general, the approaches fall short in their consideration of packaging functions and the indirect effects packaging functions have on sustainable development. The second theoretical study explores in greater depth how the onsideration of packaging functions can contribute to sustainable development. This resulted in extensive lists of how the 19 packaging features of three packaging functions can contribute to sustainable development in 14 different ways. Several practical examples are given. The second purpose of the thesis is to explore and elaborate on the potential contributions that organic standardization organizations, consumers and brand owners can make to the use and development of sustainable packaging in practice in an organic food context. The data were primarily collected in four studies through interviews and a survey. Content and statistical analyses were applied to the data. The studies show that organic standardization organizations, consumers and brand owners face challenges that limit their ability to contribute to the use and development of sustainable packaging. However, the research also points out additional abilities for these stakeholders that are particularly linked to increased consideration of the important functions of packaging in regulations, purchases, and in packaging selection and development processes. Overall, this thesis emphasizes the need to integrate consideration of packaging functions and a holistic approach to sustainable packaging in an effort to enhance the sustainable packaging of organic food

WoodCircus, Underpinning the vital role of the forest-based sector in the Circular Bioeconomy. D2.2 Resource Efficiency, Side Streams and Value Chain Analysis – WP2 Final Report

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Review on environmental models in the food chain - Current status and future perspectives

Diversity of food systems and their interaction with the environment has become a research topic for many years. Scientists use various models to explain environmental issues of food systems. This paper gives an overview of main streams in analyzing this topic. A literature review was performed by analyzing published scientific papers on environmental impacts in the food chain. The selection criteria were focused on different environmental approaches applied in the food chain and on the perspectives of future research. This review shows that on the one side there are generic environmental models developed by environmental scientists and as such applied on food. On the other side, there are models developed by food scientists in order to analyze food-environmental interactions. The environmental research in food industry can be categorized as product, process or system oriented. This study confirmed that the focus of product based approach is mainly performed through life-cycle assessments. The process based approach focuses on food processes such as heat transfer, cleaning and sanitation and various approaches in food waste management. Environmental systems in the food chain were the least investigated stream analyzing levels of environmental practices in place. Future research perspectives are the emerging challenges related to environmental impacts of novel food processing technologies, innovative food packaging and changes in diets and food consumption in connection with climate and environmental changes

The EcoCuva model for sustainable enterprising

Väitöstutkimus kuuluu ympäristötaloustieteellisen tutkimuskenttään. Tutkimus esittää, tarkastelee,argumentoi ja koettelee ehdotettua EcoCuva mallia useiden tapaustutkimusten valossa.Näkökulma mallinnuksen kehitystyössä on ollut lähinnä systeemianalyyttinen hyötyanalyysi,ihreän markkinoinnin uudet tuotekehittämisajatukset ja ympäristötaloustieteen näkökulmien soveltaminen pienten ja keskisuurten yritysten tuotantotaloudellisiin kysymyksiin Toimialat ovat matkailu, rakennusala, maatiloilla tuotettujen elintarvikkeiden osto ja myynti, lihan jalostus ja myynti, kalan kasvatus, jalostus ja myynti, kasvintuotanto ja myynti sekä opetus- ja kuntoutustoiminta, luomuviljely ja myynti, luomutuotteiden toimitus kotiovelle ja kauppaan. Tutkimuksessa väitetään, että ekologisten tuotteiden markkinointi on vaikeaa siksi, että teknologiaperustaisella elinkaarianalyysillä on liian määräävä asema tuotteiden luotettavuuden määrittäjänä. Tässä väitöstutkimuksessa ekologisena tuotteena markkinoitava tuote perustuu sekä yrityksen ja yrityksen edustamien tuotteiden kuvaukseen että yrittäjien haastatteluihin tuotteiden markkinoinnin haasteista ja mahdollisuuksista. Metodologisesti tutkimus on toimintatutkimus, joka sisältää kuusi tapausta. Yhden tapauksen tutkimusaineisto koostuu yhdestä yrityksestä ja sen tuotteesta. Neljä tapausta (A-D) oli maaseutuyrityksiä ja kaksi(E-F) oli luomuyritystä. Aineistoanalyysin lähestymistapa oli narratiivinen. Tutkimuksen tuloksena oli, että teknologiaperustaisella elinkaarianalyysilla on vahva asema määrittää tuotteiden luotettavuutta keskittyen tuotteen teknisiin ominaisuuksiin. Lisäksi elinkaarianalyysin perustana on vahinko ajattelu, joka on vastakohta mielikuvalle ympäristöystävällisestä tuotteesta. Nämä yhdessä eivät palvele pienyrittäjien ekotuotteiden markkinointiponnisteluja.Tutkimuksen tuloksena on markkinoinnin johtamiseen paremmin sopiva positiivinen ajattelu, joka avaa uuden ymmärryksen ja strategisen lähestymistavan tuotteistaa pienten ja keskisuurten yritysten tuotteita. Tutkimuksen tuloksena syntyi ekologisen tuotteiden markkinoinnin malli EcoCuva. Tutkimus toi esille ympäristöpolitiikan toiminnan merkityksen tuotteiden ekologisen statuksen luojana ja markkinoinnin merkityksen ympäristöinformaation välittäjänä. Tulosten mukaan vallitseva käytäntö ei kohtaa pienten ja keskisuurten yritysten tuotteiden markkinoinnin tarpeita. Sääntelyn vahvuus, vahinko ajattelu ja sirpalemaisuus haittaavat pienyritysten ekotuotteiden markkinoiden kehittymistä. Ratkaisuna esitetään uutta työkalua, EcoCuva mallia avuksi ekologisten tuotteiden markkinointiin, tiiviimpää yhteistyötä pienyritysten ja viranomaisten välille sekä lisää tutkimus-, kehitys- ja opetustyötä.This dissertation belongs to the field of study of environmental economics. This research examines, explains and argues the proposed EcoCuva (Ecological Classical Utility Value Analysis) model in light of numerous study cases. The main purpose is to study the challengesnd opportunities SMEs have to face in the economic contexts of sustainable green marketing.The EcoCuva model is proposed and constructed to meet such challenges, and the EcoCuvamodel provides a viable and fresh approach, and a new tool for analysis and implementationf new product developments of SMEs within services, agri-business and tourism. Sectors include tourism, construction, vending and purchasing of foods produced on farms, meat processing and sales, pisciculture, fish processing and sales, plant production and sales including training and rehabilitation measures, organic farming and sales, home delivery of organic products and sales in retail outlets. In this study, a product to be marketed as an ecological product is regarded as difficult because a technologically bases lifecycle analysis holds a too defining position as a definer of reliability. In this dissertation a product marketed as ecological is based on the company and the description of the products the company issues, and the interviews of entrepreneurs on the possibilities and challenges posed by the marketing of ecoproducts. Methodologically, this is action research ntaining six cases. One case consists of one enterprise and its product. Four of the enterprises were Finnish rural area SMEs (cases A-D) and two were organic enterprises (cases E and F). The approach for the analysis of material was narrative. The research results of the technology-based life cycle assessment (LCA) hold a strong position in defining ecoproduct trustworthiness with focus on the technical characteristics of the product. In addition, the philosophy of the LCA is based on damage thinking, which is the opposite of the conceptual picture of an environmentally friendly product. The study resulted in an ecological model of product marketing EcoCuva that opens new understanding and strategic way to commercialize the products of small and medium-sized companies. This study highlighted the significance of the functioning of environmental policy as the creator of the ecological status of products and the importance of marketing as a means of communicating environmental data. According to the findings, the predominant practice does not correspond to the marketing requirements of the products of SMEs. The strength of controls, damage thinking and fragmentation hinder the development of the SME ecoproduct markets. As a solution, the new tool, EcoCuva Model is proposed as assistance, along with further enhanced cooperation between SMEs and authorities, as well as increased research, development and teaching work

Associer argumentation et simulation en aide à la décision : Illustration en agroalimentaire

International audiencePrendre une décision impliquant plusieurs acteurs aux objectifs diver-gents nécessite de considérer des informations tant qualitatives – les préférences des acteurs sur les décisions possibles – que quantitatives – les paramètres servant d'indicateurs pour les acteurs. Dans cet article nous nous intéressons à l'as-sociation de ces deux types d'approches. Le modèle qualitatif considéré est l'ar-gumentation. Le modèle quantitatif simulant les scénarios découlant de chaque décision est la dynamique des systèmes. Cet article s'intéresse aux éléments per-mettant de connecter les deux formalismes. Un exemple en agroalimentaire vient en appui à cette réflexion

Empowering Consumers to Make Environmentally Sustainable Online Shopping Decisions: A Digital Nudging Approach

An ever-increasing share of people is using online shopping to satisfy their consumer needs. This has led to a vivid discussion regarding the environmental sustainability of e-commerce that also emphasized the role that consumer's decisions can play in mitigating its negative impacts. However, while many individuals state that they are willing to act more sustainably, they often struggle to follow through with their `green' intentions. We propose digital nudging as an approach to encourage environmentally sustainable online shopping decisions and empower consumers to act in line with their intentions. In an online experiment with 323 participants, we evaluate the effectiveness of three different nudging interventions (defaults, active choice, and self-nudging) to promote environmentally sustainable shipping options in an online store and assess the consumers' ethics and empowerment perceptions of the nudges. We find that all nudges are effective in changing decisions, but default nudges lead to negative perceptions among consumers