Characterisation framework of key policy, regulatory and governance dynamics and impacts upon European food value chains: Fairer trading practices, food integrity, and sustainability collaborations. : VALUMICS project “Understanding Food Value Chains and Network Dynamics” funded by EU Horizon 2020 G.A. No 727243. Deliverable D3.3

The report provides a framework that categorises the different European Union (EU) policies, laws and governance actions identified as impacting upon food value chains in the defined areas of: fairer trading practices, food integrity (food safety and authenticity), and sustainability collaborations along food value chains. A four-stage framework is presented and illustrated with examples. The evidence shows that European Union policy activity impacting upon food value chain dynamics is increasing, both in terms of the impacts of policies upon the chains, and, in terms of addressing some of the more contentious outcomes of these dynamics. A number of policy priorities are at play in addressing the outcomes of food value chain dynamics. unevenness of the distribution of profit within food value chains, notably to farmers. Regulation of food safety and aspects of authenticity has been a key focus for two decades to ensure a functioning single market while ensuring consumer health and wellbeing. A food chain length perspective has been attempted, notably through regulations such as the General Food Law, and the rationalisation of the Official Controls on food and feed safety. However, there are still gaps in the effective monitoring and transparency of food safety and of food integrity along value chains, as exemplified by misleading claims and criminal fraud. This has led to renewed policy actions over food fraud, in particular. EU regulations, policies and related governance initiatives provide an important framework for national-level actions for EU member states and for EEA members. The more tightly EU-regulated areas, such as food safety, see fewer extra initiatives, but where there is a more general strategic policy and governance push, such as food waste reduction or food fraud, there is greater independent state-level activity. Likewise, there is much more variation in the application of both national and European (Competition) law to govern unfair trading practices impacting upon food value chains. This report presents the findings of a survey of members from the VALUMICS stakeholder platform, that were policy facing food value chain stakeholders across selected European countries, including both EU and EEA Member States. The survey was conducted to check the significance of the main policies identified in the mapping exercise at EU and national levels and so to incorporate the views of stakeholders in the research. The responses suggest the policy concerns identified in EU and national-level research resonate with food value chain stakeholders in participating nations. The report concludes by exploring in more detail how the themes of fairness and of transparency are being handled in the policy activities presented. Highlighted are the ways that both fairness and transparency can be extended within the existing frameworks of EU policy activity. The findings in this report provide an important context for further and detailed research analysis of the workings and dynamics of European food value chains under the VALUMICS project

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ROMANIA

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main opportunities and limitations of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The survey was defined with the aim to involve the highest possible number of relevant CSR topics and give the issue a more wholesome perspective. It provides a basis for further comprehension and deeper analyses of specific CSR areas. The conditions determining the success of CSR in Romania have been defined in the paper on the basis of the previously cumulative knowledge as well as the results of various researches. This paper provides knowledge which may be useful in the programs promoting CSR.Corporate social responsibility, Supportive policies, Romania

Attitudes Towards Conversion To Organic Production Systems: A Study Of Farmers In England

This report describes the attitudes of converting and conventional producers in England to organic production. In 2000, a telephone survey was conducted of farmers in three groups: those who were converting, those who had contacted OCIS but decided not to convert, and a random sample of conventional farmers. The majority of converting farmers gave concerns about agrochemicals and fears about the future profitability of conventional farming as their main reasons for going organic. Marketing was not seen as an obstacle to conversion. Conventional farmers thought that advice and information on organic production were easily obtained, but converting farmers did not agree, suggesting that there was a shortage of more advanced knowledge. Non-converters gave financial viability, environmental aspects and the Organic Farming Scheme as important factors in any future decision to convert

Fashion Industry

Fashion is a lot more than providing an answer to primary needs. It is a way of communication, of distinction, of proclaiming a unique taste and expressing the belonging to a group. Sometimes to an exclusive group. Currently, the fashion industry is moving towards hyperspace, to a multidimensional world that is springing from the integration of smart textiles and wearable technologies. It is far beyond aesthetics. New properties of smart textiles let designers experiment with astonishing forms and expressions. There are also surprising contrasts and challenges: a new life for natural fibers, sustainable fabrics and dyeing techniques, rediscovered by eco-fashion, and "artificial apparel," made of wearable electronic components. How is this revolution affecting the strategies of the fashion industry

Consumers’ perceptions and experiences of food quality in purchasing fresh food from retail outlets in Malaysia

Malaysia, like many other developing countries, is experiencing major change within its retail food industry. A number of pull factors including an increase in personal disposable income, greater urbanisation, changes in lifestyle and an increasing interest in food safety have contributed to the emergence of modern supermarkets and hypermarkets in Malaysia. Previous studies into the impact of modern food retailing suggest that many consumers will shift their food purchasing behaviour from the traditional retail outlets to modern retail formats which offer better quality products, lower prices, a more comfortable environment and the convenience of one-stop shopping.A shopping-mall intercept survey of more than 500 food shoppers in the Klang Valley revealed that despite the expansion of modern retail formats in Kuala Lumpur, most consumers still purchase the majority of their fresh/chilled meat and fresh fruit and vegetables from traditional retail outlets. Although modern retail outlets and traditional markets share many of the same variables which influence respondents’ choices of retail stores, the traditional markets for fresh/chilled meat are anticipated to remain strong as many consumers perceive that the food available from these markets is guaranteed Halal and safe to eat. Furthermore, consumers still appreciate the personalised service offered by trusted and knowledgeable vendors, which is seldom offered when purchasing fresh food from a modern retail outlet. Among the main drivers for consumers to purchase their fresh fruit and vegetables from a traditional market were the ability to bargain on price, the lower price offered and the wider range of fresh produce available.In the attempt to identify the relationship between the perceived quality cues and quality attributes in respondents’ decisions to purchase fresh food, the findings from this study reveal that a number of variables were utilised by respondents to evaluate a multiple number of desired values. The freshness of both fresh/chilled meat and fresh fruit and vegetables signifies that the food will have a good taste, a good texture/mouth feel, be healthy and nutritious and represent good value for money. Fresh/chilled meat that is free from growth promotants and fresh produce that is free from chemical residues indicates that the food is safe to eat, healthy and nutritious and has been produced in a manner that was not harmful for the environment or worker welfare. The findings of the study have practical implications for producers, food marketers and the government

The distinct evaluation of information in a new managerial function of information – decision

The function defined as information-decision can be considered today the central function of management; we believe that the option for a compromise of the type: prognosis of product or service, organization, information - decision, stimulation and control better responds to the new managerial conditions. Any decision primarily means correct information, in order to be able to choose. Surprisingly, from the old Greek term entropis to the actual managerial information it is not such a long way and stages of the new function of information-decision emphasise the continuous interdependences between information and decision, as well as a large number of characteristic features as a result of a necessary compromise in contemporary management.information-decision, entropy, redundancy, managerial information and decision

Corporate COVID-19 Safety Response, Twitter Sentiment Exposure Influence on Customer-Based Brand Equity, Consumer Attitudes, and Intentions: An Experimental Approach

Qualitative insights drawn from Twitter discourse about or directed to United Airlines and Costco Wholesale pertaining to their coronavirus-related responses, procedures, or operations are used to develop materials and questions used in an experiment. In the experiment reported in this paper, electronic word of mouth (eWOM) communication published by users on Twitter is shown to influence participants' attitudes toward the companies. The authors were interested if a significant difference would be observed in variables measured before and after exposure to Twitter discourse. Measures included brand awareness, brand associations, brand image, brand attitude, perceived quality, trust, loyalty, purchase intention, and customer-based brand equity. Twitter discourse was presented to participants in blocks of material, in random order and counterbalanced, containing either favorable or unfavorable sentiment about the companies. To assess changes in attitude, a measure of brand attitude followed each block of material. Data related to information about participants such as personal Twitter usage, perceived information characteristics of Twitter messages (related to quantity, reliability, quality, and persuasiveness), attitudes about COVID-19 precautionary measures and associated comfort, and perception of greed and blame attribution related to companies of concern was also collected. Statistical analyses of responses by 305 undergraduate students indicated that eWOM significantly affected attitudes about the organizations. These attitudes were positive for Costco, and negative and of greater magnitude for United Airlines. We also find that comfort in public settings given others wearing mask was our most significant predictor for degree of change in post- and pre-measure scores. Furthermore, we found that the more loyal consumers were before exposure to the messages, the less the Twitter exposure swayed different aspects of their attitudes about the companies. Conclusions from this study have potential significant implications as no research encountered to date shares a similar objective of analyzing changes in consumer sentiment given exposure to eWOM on Twitter using a before and after research design, while also focusing on company actions in the context of a global pandemic.No embargoAcademic Major: Financ

Agrifood market regulation and contractual relationships in the light of directive (eu) 633/2019

Il volume collettaneo analizza le tematiche connesse alla disciplina dei rapporti tra i diversi attori della filiera agroalimentare alla luce della Direttiva UE 2019/633 “in materia di pratiche commerciali sleali nei rapporti tra imprese nella filiera agricola e alimentare” e della sua attuazione negli Stati membri, nell’ottica della più ampia problematica della disciplina del mercato agroalimentare. In tale prospettiva, nella prima parte del volume la disciplina dei rapporti contrattuali della filiera agroalimentare viene inquadrata nell’ambito della PAC e della disciplina della concorrenza, evidenziandosi altresì le connessioni con altri profili di rilievo; nella seconda parte, l’analisi si concentra sull’attuazione della Direttiva UE 2019/633 nei diversi Stati membri, al fine di evidenziare i punti di forza e le debolezze del mutato quadro normativo europeo.The collective volume analyzes the issues related to the regulation of relations between the various parties operating within the agri-food chain in the light of EU Directive 2019/633 "on unfair commercial practices in relations between companies in the agricultural and food chain" and to its implementation in the Member States, with a view to the broader problem of agri-food market regulation. In this perspective, in the first part of the volume the discipline of contractual relations in the agri-food chain is framed in the context of the CAP and of the discipline of competition, also highlighting the connections with other relevant profiles; in the second part, the analysis focuses on the implementation of EU Directive 2019/633 in the various Member States, in order to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the changed European regulatory framework

Expert Consultation on Market Information Systems and Agricultural Commodity: Exchanges: Strengthening Market Signals and Institutions. Proceedings of an expert meeting held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 28–30 November 2005

The Expert Consultation on Market Information Systems and Agricultural Commodity Exchanges: Strengthening Market Signals and Institutions was convened to review CTA’s investments in MIS and ACEs within a broad perspective to determine which are the more successful systems, what conditions have enabled them to function well, and how they are being used by farmers’ organisations, traders and other development partners..