Sustainability: Who is Driving it?

Sustainability is a multifaceted concept which is presently ubiquitous in modern society. As a result, it is difficult for a more definite definition of what sustainability is as it relies on the fact that such a concept has been socially constructed throughout the twentieth century. A brief description of the milestones around the debate on sustainability until the 2000s attempts to highlight the fact that sustainability, as a social construct, has been evolved in response to social, economic and environmental pressures. Following that, the role of consumers and business will be analysed. The first is analysed from a behavioural consumption perspective where a short literature review has attempted to put into perspective the theoretical elements explaining reasons consumers behave, or not, in a more pro-environmental manner. The latter is analysed from the perspective of businesses actively seeking to improve their sustainability positions in the UK market. It is proposed that businesses, rather than consumers, are the principal stakeholders which act as spearheads enabling transformations in business practices that would enable them to attain higher levels of sustainability gains. Businesses do so in order to satisfy some customers, pressure groups and the government, but in so doing reap advantages such as increased efficiency, reduced cost and consequently higher profits. Cases of large food manufacturers in the UK are described regarding the awareness of such businesses to take their sustainability agenda further. The motivation of such businesses is mainly profit-making, to improve their competitive position in a mature market where growth is marginal through differentiation. However, in operating in such an environment, great demand is put on suppliers which have to comply with the industry’s strict standards. Finally, recommendations are made for businesses in emerging markets with an interest in entering the export sector. For businesses in emerging markets, it is of great relevance to understand the food supply chains abroad since the transmission of knowledge, the adhering to standards and the consumers impose challenges that need to be addressed

Sustainability: Who is Driving it?

Sustainability is a multifaceted concept which is presently ubiquitous in modern society. As a result, it is difficult for a more definite definition of what sustainability is as it relies on the fact that such a concept has been socially constructed throughout the twentieth century. A brief description of the milestones around the debate on sustainability until the 2000s attempts to highlight the fact that sustainability, as a social construct, has been evolved in response to social, economic and environmental pressures. Following that, the role of consumers and business will be analysed. The first is analysed from a behavioural consumption perspective where a short literature review has attempted to put into perspective the theoretical elements explaining reasons consumers behave, or not, in a more pro-environmental manner. The latter is analysed from the perspective of businesses actively seeking to improve their sustainability positions in the UK market. It is proposed that businesses, rather than consumers, are the principal stakeholders which act as spearheads enabling transformations in business practices that would enable them to attain higher levels of sustainability gains. Businesses do so in order to satisfy some customers, pressure groups and the government, but in so doing reap advantages such as increased efficiency, reduced cost and consequently higher profits. Cases of large food manufacturers in the UK are described regarding the awareness of such businesses to take their sustainability agenda further. The motivation of such businesses is mainly profit-making, to improve their competitive position in a mature market where growth is marginal through differentiation. However, in operating in such an environment, great demand is put on suppliers which have to comply with the industry’s strict standards. Finally, recommendations are made for businesses in emerging markets with an interest in entering the export sector. For businesses in emerging markets, it is of great relevance to understand the food supply chains abroad since the transmission of knowledge, the adhering to standards and the consumers impose challenges that need to be addressed

Willingness to Try Innovative Food Products: a Comparison between British and Brazilian Consumers

In this study we investigate the consumer’s willingness to try innovative food products in the context of the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre in Brazil and Cirencester in England, UK. Innovation in the food industry is an important source of differentiation and a value-adding opportunity for managers to develop new products. Therefore, the adoption or rejection of innovative food products becomes strategic from a market point-of-view. Using the Domain Specific Innovativeness [DSI] scale and the Food Neophobia Scale [FNS], two surveys were carried out in Brazilian and British universities with 279 and 101 respondents, respectively. Consumers were not the most inclined to adopt innovations, but they were not afraid of new foods either, especially in the UK. Managers in the food industry could be missing out on opportunities to innovate more. The results provide strategic and unique information about consumers for the food industry, aiming at supporting the development of innovative food products

Key factors influencing the sale of bulls in livestock auctions

This research determines which factors most influence the purchase price of bulls in livestock auctions in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. Hence, 760 beef bulls sold in eleven different auctions between August and November 2013 were analysed. The data consists of: breed, muscularity (MUSC), frame (FRAME), body condition score (BCS), scrotal circumference (SC) and body weight (BW). Other data such as the animal entry order and the purchase price of the bulls was collected during the auction. A linear generalized model was used to evaluate the interaction of each variable with the purchase price of the bulls. An ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc was used to compare the differences between the categories that influenced the purchase price of bulls and were realized in the software SPSS 20.0. All breeds presented declining prices from the first to the second entry order and increasing purchase prices from the order third to forth. Bulls with large frame received higher purchase prices independent of the auction order, except for the second order of entry, in which medium and small animals were more valued. Angus bulls obtained the highest prices in relation to the breeds Brangus and Hereford. The frame and breed constituted the main phenotypic characteristics that influence in price. In addition, the order of entry of bulls in the ring influence the purchase price