Merge in the Ethereum Blockchain: Technology development in a new and innovative industry

The food industry has been at the forefront of rapid implementation for several technological innovations. One of the main reasons for this is that food security has been of paramount importance in supplying a growing population, taking into account both quantitative and qualitative requirements. And the necessary development could only be ensured by incorporating the latest developments. Blockchain technology is also a tool to consider in terms of how it can help track food chains. Its widespread application is only a decade old, but in some areas, for example, the operation of cryptocurrencies has already accumulated enough experience to see if it really lives up to the hopes attached to it, and what problems still stand in the way of further spread. With this material, our primary goal is to present a significant technological change that aims to solve one of the main problems of blockchain-based data management. It will be presented how the technology works (with a specific focus on the proof of work mechanism) and the transition to a truly significant platform, the proof of stake mechanism at Ethereum. This gives us an idea of how much a relatively new technology can undergo changes, and at what rate a seemingly significant problem (in this case, e.g. environmental impact) can decrease. This potential for development provides the basis for counting blockchains as a technology that can be applied in other areas, such as the food industry. In addition to scientific treatises, we often rely on Internet sources in the material, since the change occurred so quickly that publications in scientific journals could not yet track it or only in a narrower circle

A terület alapú gazdaságméret és a standard fedezeti hozzájárulás (SFH) összefüggéseinek vizsgálata a nyugat-dunántúli régióban = Investigation Relations of Farm Size Measurement and Comparison on Territorial as well as SGM Basis, in the Region of Western Transdanubia

A hatékony és versenyképes agrártermelés feltétele a modern, piaci alapokon működő, szakmai szempontok szerint kidolgozott birtokpolitika által támogatott mezőgazdasági üzemszerkezet. A kutatás alapvető célja, hogy a jelzett folyamatot támogatva vizsgálatokat végezzen a különböző formában működő gazdaságok körében, összefüggéseket tárjon fel a terület alapú és az ökonómiai (SFH) méreten alapuló felmérések és azok hatékonyságot jelző mutatói között. A program adatgyűjtési területe a Nyugat-Dunántúl. A kutatás elsődleges adatbázisa a régióból reprezentatívan kiválasztott egyéni és társas formában működő gazdaságok kérdőíves módszerrel felmért adatai, másodlagos adatbázisa pedig a KSH gazdaságszerkezeti összeírásainak adatállománya. A program főbb eredményei a következő pontokban foglalhatók össze: 1. Meghatározásra került a régió üzemi struktúrája, az abban bekövetkezett változások, az üzemi koncentráció irányultságai, mértéke, valamint a két gazdaságcsoport működésének jellemző vonásai. 2. Az egyéni gazdaságok vonatkozásában kialakításra került egy új osztályozási rendszer a terület- és ökonómiai méretkategóriákba sorolás alapján. 3. Megállapítást nyert, hogyan vélekednek a gazdaságok vezetői a földbirtok és üzemszerkezetet meghatározó tényezőkről. 4. Feltárásra kerültek azok az összefüggések, amelyek a szakértelem, a gazdaságméret és a támogatási formák elérései között fennállnak. | Efficient and competitive agriculture is based on the structure of farming, which is modern, market oriented, supported by land policy worked out with professional points of view. The basic aim of the research was to carry out investigations among farming units of different legal forms, to reveal connections between the area based and economical size (SGM) based surveys and their efficiency indexes. The program gathered date from West-Transdanubia. The primary database of the research is the questionnaire data of the regions representatively chosen private farms and agricultural organizations; the secondary database is the Farm Structure Survey data of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO). The main results of the program can be summarized in the following points: 1. Besides the farm structure of the region and its changes, the directions and size of the farm concentration and the operation characteristics of the two farm groups were defined. 2. In case of the private farms a new classification system was developed based on the area and SGM based farm size categories. 3. It was defined how the farm leaders think about the factors which determine the land and farm structure. 4. The connections were revealed, which can be found between the expertise, the farm size and the obtaining of subsidy forms

Examining the Evolution of Technological Conditions from the Point of View of the Application of Blockchain-based Data Management in Food Supply Chains

A critical point in making food chains more sustainable is to find different ways to increase efficiency. These can be aimed at shortening the chain, using more sustainable raw materials, etc. Blockchain technology offers the potential for reliable data management and simplified administration and is, therefore, definitely a tool to consider if the aim is to enhance sustainability in food chains. The question arises as to whether food chain operators have the technology and knowledge needed for widespread uptake. The aim of this research was to investigate whether the technical background and knowledge for the use of cryptocurrencies can be compared with the technological background for monitoring the food chain with blockchain-based data management. If so, since data on the uptake of cryptocurrencies is already available, this analysis will provide information on the realistic scope of such an application. The research showed that there is no significant difference in the technology required for the two applications. The data clearly shows that, overall, there are 4.6 billion people who have the tools to use them. In addition, there is evidence that cryptocurrency penetration is weakly correlated with GDP or banking system development. In other words, if other conditions are right (e.g., the interest of producers), the availability of tools and knowledge should not be a barrier to uptake. Neither is the economic performance of a country or the development of its banking system. It is therefore concluded that, based on the aspects examined in this research, blockchain technology can be applied on a large scale worldwide

Merge in the Ethereum Blockchain

The food industry has been at the forefront of rapid implementation for several technological innovations. One of the main reasons for this is that food security has been of paramount importance in supplying a growing population, taking into account both quantitative and qualitative requirements. And the necessary development could only be ensured by incorporating the latest developments. Blockchain technology is also a tool to consider in terms of how it can help track food chains. Its widespread application is only a decade old, but in some areas, for example, the operation of cryptocurrencies has already accumulated enough experience to see if it really lives up to the hopes attached to it, and what problems still stand in the way of further spread. With this material, our primary goal is to present a significant technological change that aims to solve one of the main problems of blockchain-based data management. It will be presented how the technology works (with a specific focus on the proof of work mechanism) and the transition to a truly significant platform, the proof of stake mechanism at Ethereum. This gives us an idea of how much a relatively new technology can undergo changes, and at what rate a seemingly significant problem (in this case, e.g. environmental impact) can decrease. This potential for development provides the basis for counting blockchains as a technology that can be applied in other areas, such as the food industry. In addition to scientific treatises, we often rely on Internet sources in the material, since the change occurred so quickly that publications in scientific journals could not yet track it or only in a narrower circle

A helyi termelői piacok és a termelők helyzete a rövid élelmiszer-ellátási láncokban = Situation of the Local Farmers’ Markets and the Producers in Short Food Supply Chains

Az elmúlt évtizedekben növekvő érdeklődés kíséri a helyi termelői piacokat, mint a rövid élelmiszer-ellátási láncok (RÉL) legjelentősebb színtereit. Tekintettel a jelenlegi vizsgálat céljára és fókuszára, a rövid ellátási láncokat különösen a helyi termékek előállítása és értékesítése szempontjából vizsgáljuk, és ezen belül is a fő hangsúlyt a helyi termelői piacokra, mint a legnagyobb súlyú helyi élelmiszer-rendszerre helyezzük. Kutatásunk során – a rendelkezésre álló adatbázisok mellett – egy nagyobb, átfogó vizsgálat részeként kérdőíves felmérést végeztünk a Győr-Moson-Sopron megyében működő és helyi termelői piacokon értékesítő kistermelők, valamint az ilyen helyszíneken vásárló fogyasztók bevonásával. Jelen tanulmány keretében, a termelői kör vonatkozásában, az elemzés részét képezi a termelők szerepének vizsgálata a helyi termelői piacokon, különös tekintettel saját helyzetük megítélésére, terveikre, illetve a jövőre vonatkozó várakozásaikra. = In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in local farmers’ markets as the major fields for short food supply chains (SFSCs). Being regarded as the aim and focal point of this current scrutiny, SFSCs are studied especially from the aspect of the production and selling of local products, and within this, we place the greatest emphasis on local farmers’ markets, as the most significant local food system. During our research activity, in addition to the available databases, we conducted a questionnaire survey as part of a larger, comprehensive investigation involving small-scale producers operating in Győr-Moson-Sopron County and selling at local farmers’ markets, and with the involvement of consumers who are shopping at such locations. In the context of this study, in relation to the range of producers, part of the analysis is the examination of the role of producers in the local farmers’ markets, with particular regard to their own situation assessment, their plans, and their expectations for the future

Komplex rendszer biológiai anyagokban összetett energiaközlés hatására lejátszódó folyamatok vizsgálatára = Complete system for examinations of processes caused by complex energy transfer in biological materials

A pályázat keretében elsősorban a mikrohullámú besugárzás nem termikus hatását vizsgáltuk különböző biológiai eredetű anyagokban fellelhető enzimek tevékenységére vonatkozóan. A mikrohullám mellett ultrahangos kezeléseket is alkalmaztunk, azonban ebben az esetben nem tapasztaltunk jelentős változásokat. A vizsgálatokat konvektív szárítócsatorna és különböző mikrohullámú kezelőegységekkel végeztük. Kísérleteink alapja egy másik OTKA pályázat keretében megvalósuló kutatási eredmény volt, miszerint a mikrohullámmal kezelt fogyasztó és nyerstej fizikai-kémia paraméterei megváltoznak a hagyományos módon kezelt tejmintákhoz képest. A tapasztalt változások hátterében az állhat, hogy a mikrohullámú besugárzás miatt megváltozik a tejben lévő enzimek aktivitása. Kezdetben a tej lipáz és xantin-oxidáz enzimjeinek aktivitásában bekövetkező változást vizsgáltuk. A mikrohullám nem termikus hatását ebben az esetben bizonyítottuk. Ezek után a kutatások irányvonala a cellulázbontó enzimek vizsgálata felé fordult. Elsőként tiszta enzimpreparátumokat használtunk. Az eredmények alapján a mikrohullámú besugárzás közel 20%-kal növelte meg az enzim aktivitását. A tiszta enzimpreparátumok magas bekerülési költsége miatt a pályázat harmadik évében az élesztőgombákkal (Sacchaomyces cerevisiae) dolgoztunk. Az eredmények alapján kijelenthető, hogy a mikrohullám megnöveli az enzimek illetve a mikroorganizmusok aktivitását, ami megfelelő és kontrolált körülmények között ipari alkalmazást is lehetővé tesz. | During this project the non-thermal effect of microwave radiation was investigated in case of enzyme activities of biological materials. Ultrasonic treatments were also initiated beside microwave, but significant differences were not measured in this case. The investigations were carried out in a convective drying chamber and microwave units. The bases of our experiments were a previous OTKA project resulted that is the physical chemical properties of skimmed and raw milk are changing after microwave treatment. The reason of this is that the microwave influences the activity of enzymes. Initially the activities of lipase and xanthine-oxidase were measured. The non-thermal effect of microwave was proved in these cases. After that the cellulase enzyme activity was studied. The first measurements were carried out by using pure enzyme preparations. In this case the enzyme activity increased by 20%. In the third year of this project yeast (Sacchaomyces cerevisiae) was used instead of pure enzymes because of financial reasons. It was proved that the microwave increased the activities of microorganisms that can be used in industrial applications under special circumstances

A mikrohullám hatása a különböző biológiai (mezőgazdasági) anyagokra = The effect of microwave on different biological (agricultural) materials

Az előző évek laboratóriumi méréseinek eredményeit felhasználva pontosítottuk az általunk kifejlesztett tejzsírvizsgálati módszert. Az eljárás alapja a tejminták mikrohullámú besugárzása illetve konvektív szárító csatornában történő kezelése. A vizsgálatok során nyers tehéntej-, kereskedelmi forgalomban kapható fogyasztói tej- valamint ultramagas hőmérsékleten pasztőrözött tejmintákat vizsgáltunk. Az analitikai módszer pontos és megbízható működéséhez elengedhetetlen a mikrohullámú tér homogenizálása, illetve a kezelt anyagon belüli hőmérséklet különbségek detektálása. A mikrohullámú teret egyedi felépítésű vízcsapdák alkalmazásával homogenizáltuk, ezáltal a besugárzott anyagban megközelítőleg egyenletes hőeloszlást tapasztalhattunk. A kísérletek során scanning elektronmikroszkópos felvételek segítségével vizsgáltuk a minták felszínén kialakult tejbőr szerkezetében történő változásokat, amelyek hátterében a tejben lévő enzimek megváltozott élettevékenység áll. A lipáz és xanthin oxidáz enzimek aktivitásának változását spektrofotométeres, illetve HPLC-s vizsgálatokkal detektáltuk. A kísérletek során megállapítottuk, hogy a besugárzott anyagban hőhatáson kívül a mikrohullám nem termikus hatása érvényesül, ami esetenként kedvezőtlen irányba befolyásolja az enzimek működését. Az elvégzett kísérletek során elegendő adat áll rendelkezésünkre, hogy különböző zsírtartalmú minták zsírtartalmának meghatározását meg tudjuk valósítani a fent említett módszer segítségével. | We specified the milk fat measuring method developed at our laboratory in year 2008 using the results we achieved in years before. The root of the process is that milk samples are treated with microwave irradiation or by convective drying system, so that the measured values show the fat content of the samples. We examined row cow's milk, commercially obtainable consumer's milk and pasteurized milk treated at ultrahigh temperature. The exact and reliable function of analytical method needs homogeneous conditions in the microwave space and the detectation of temperature differences within treated samples. To reach homogeneous conditions we used uniquely constructed cylinders filled with water. So we could reach homogeneous temperature within irradiated samples. In our experiments we examined the changes in the structure of milkskin located at the surface of samples with help of photos taken by Scanning Electron microscopy. The reason for changes is that enzyme function was changing. Lipase and xanthin oxidase enzyme activity changes were detected by spectrophotometer and HPLC examination. The experiments gave us the result, that not only temperature has an effect on the irradiated material, but also the non thermal effect of microwave, which can influence in some cases the enzyme function in an unfavorable way. Using the results of our experiments carried out, we can attain the modification of samples with very different fat content with help of the above mentioned method

Examining the Sustainability Reporting Practices of Agricultural and Forestry Companies Operating in Hungary

To demonstrate that companies are operating in a sustainable way, in line with the European Green Deal and the Taxonomy Regulation, some companies have already produced sustainability reports. Agricultural companies should also be prepared for this reporting obligation, which can cause considerable difficulties for farmers, so it is assumed that this is not yet common practice. In this research, the sustainability reporting practices of agricultural and forestry companies in Hungary were assessed and analysed. The research sought to find out what the current reporting practices of these companies are and how prepared they are for future regulation. In this paper, the information provided by companies on their websites and after personal contact was analysed using content analysis. The qualitative information gathered was quantified using a scoring method. For evaluating the data, descriptive statistics and pairwise correlation coefficients were applied. It is concluded that although forestry companies publish some level of information and pay more attention to the disclosure of this type of information than agricultural companies, there is a slight gap in both sectors. Moreover, almost a fifth of agricultural companies do not have any information on their websites. This is likely to change in the future, as the sustainability reporting legislation will broaden the range of companies that are required to report, so improvements in this field are expected

LOCAL PRODUCTS WITHIN SHORT FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS IN HUNGARY

In recent decades, there has been increasing interest in local products which are a major field of short supply chains. A considerable amount of literature has been published on SFSCs, which mainly deal with the benefits and detriments of this kind of cooperation. Being regarded as the aim and focal point of this current scrutiny, SFSCs are especially studied in the context of producing and selling local products and whether they can be viewed as the most favorable way of distributing locally generated (food) products. Within that category major emphasis should be placed on farmer markets and community supported agriculture systems considering both consumers and producers. It has been put forth that the number of such organizations would indicate an increasing tendency in Hungary in line with their growing role in the trade of local products. Relying on data from multiple databases, both traditional and neo-traditional forms of SFSCs have been shown to be viable in Hungary, although, as in other Central and Eastern European countries in terms of numbers, traditional SFSC types play a decisive role, in particular local farmer markets. As a result of the study, besides these forms, the formation and aid of neo-traditional organizations is considered to be useful for stakeholders in order to exploit the potential of short supply chains