Do Organic Livestock Farms Differ from Low-Input Conventional Ones? Insights Based on Beef Cattle in Southern Europe

The objective of this study is to determine whether there are clear differences between conventional (but low-input) and organic beef cattle farms located in the Southwest of Spain. Thirty-three conventional and 30 organic farms were compared in terms of structure, technical management, and performance. The results showed that organic farms (‘All Organic’) mainly focus on the production of calves at weaning age, which are fattened in conventional holdings (‘Organic 1’; n = 22). The remaining organic farms (‘Organic 2’; n = 11) showed to participate in almost all stages of the agri-value chain. ‘Conventional’ farms were mainly dedicated to producing calves at weaning age (similarly to Organic 1). Organic 1 had the smallest herd size (80.18 livestock units (LU), p < 0.05). Organic 2 showed greater presence of indigenous breeds (62.08%, p < 0.05). Conventional farms proved to bear higher feed and veterinary costs per area (161.59 and 17.87 €/ha; p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively), but Organic 2 had higher feed costs per LU. Therefore, Conventional and All Organic were quite similar, and differences depended mainly on farm structure. Hence, being either conventional or organic does not seem to be a valid criterion for drawing conclusions regarding the benefits or characteristics of each system

A trans-cultural study about sustainability and sustainable food

Sustainability is a popular concept widely used by many companies in sectors as diverse as food, banking or transport. However, consumers have trouble defining and understanding it, so companies' communication efforts can be ineffective. This is even more relevant in the food production and distribution sector, since for years it has been stressed that the agricultural sector is responsible for issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation or biodiversity loss. For this reason, we considered it interesting to analyze how consumers perceive sustainability, especially in relation to food production and consumption. As the concept is difficult to define, and can be influenced by cultural aspects or lifestyles, it was decided to conduct consumer surveys in three countries with different cultural and development contexts (Spain, Turkey and Colombia), which allowed us to assess the differences in consumer perceptions, as well as to identify groups of consumers with different attitudes towards sustainability

¿Canales cortos o largos? Caracterización de los canales de comercialización de alimentos en España

Food distribution is experiencing changing trends that seek to reduce the number of agents involved, promoting short marketing channels. The objective of this work is to know the perception of consumers towards short food marketing channels compared to the more traditional long channels using a qualitative methodology through discussion groups in different regions of Spain. The results show that consumers value certain items associated with short channels such as the quality of the products, benefits for rural development and the environment, as well as the sustainability of ecosystems.En la distribución de alimentos están apareciendo tendencias que buscan reducir el número de agentes implicados, promoviendo canales cortos de comercialización. El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer la percepción de los consumidores hacia los canales cortos de comercialización de alimentos frente a los canales largos más tradicionales utilizando una metodología cualitativa a través de la realización de grupos de discusión en distintas regiones de España. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto que los consumidores valoran determinados ítems asociados a los canales cortos como son la calidad de los productos, beneficios para el desarrollo rural y el medio ambiente, así como para la sostenibilidad de los ecosistemas

Desarrollo de productos cárnicos innovadores para el consumidor: percepciones hacia las hamburguesas de cordero enriquecidas con aditivos naturales

El consumo de carne de cordero ha disminuido considerablemente en los últimos años (Rabadán et al., 2020), lo que ha provocado importantes pérdidas para el sector. Esto unido a los cambios en el tipo de alimentación de la población (comida rápida, comida preparada…) ha influido para la posible apertura de nuevos nichos de mercado para la carne de cordero. En el presente trabajo se ha llevado a cabo un estudio a través de la metodología de focus group para valorar las percepciones de los consumidores con respecto a la introducción en el mercado de una hamburguesa de cordero con aditivos naturales (cereza y nuez pecana). Los resultados muestran una elevada frecuencia en el consumo de hamburguesas entre los participantes, el lugar de consumo en los hogares y como principal factor de compra el precio. En cuanto a las hamburguesas propuestas (cordero enriquecidas), los participantes expusieron una reticencia a la carne de ovino, prefiriendo las de vacuno. La mayoría de los participantes mostraron indiferencia hacia los aditivos, aunque, si son naturales como la cereza y la nuez pecana y en la etiqueta se especifica con mayor claridad podrían ser beneficiosos para su venta

A qualitative study on the development of short supply channels in the Spanish agri-food sector: Producers’ perspectives and expectations

This study focuses on gaining insight on the current state of implementation and development of short food supply channels (SFSC), as an alternative or complement to long food supply channels. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the various challenges, barriers and advantages that Spanish agri-food producers face regarding the use of SFSC. To this aim, 22 in-depth interviews were conducted with Spanish agri-food producers who used SFSC in their businesses. Each interview lasted approximately 30 min and covered all aspects associated with the implementation of SFSC, mainly including the drivers and the barriers they had met. The results show that the implementation of SFSC is mainly driven by consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for their products, which means a higher margin for the businesses, whereas the main barrier refers to transport and logistics, due to the potential impact on costs, quality, and consumer satisfaction. Therefore, the implementation of SFSC in the businesses has had a positive impact on their sales, although effective solutions for more sustainable and efficient distribution systems in the SFSC and more marketing activities are needed to boost this type of supply channel

¿Cómo entienden los consumidores la producción y consumo sostenibles de alimentos? Un estudio preliminar

La creciente preocupación social por los impactos ambientales causados por la necesidad de producir alimentos y el incremento de la población mundial (Florindo et al. 2017) han hecho que aspectos como la sostenibilidad sean un tema emergente de la sociedad actual (Briggeman and Lusk 2011). Sin embargo, el concepto de sostenibilidad y lo que ésta representa, aún no están muy interiorizados entre la población. Dadas estas limitaciones, este estudio pretende medir el grado de conocimiento que tienen los consumidores sobre el concepto de sostenibilidad relacionada con el consumo y compra alimentos. Para esto, se ha utilizado un cuestionario en el que se incluyeron enunciados relativos a la sostenibilidad que los consumidores debían valorar mediante una escala Likert de 5 puntos, junto con cuestiones acerca del estilo de vida y aspectos sociodemográficos. Se obtuvieron 162 respuestas que muestran grupos significativamente diferenciados por estilos de vida. El grupo 1, dan las mayores puntuaciones al reciclaje y el medio ambiente, el grupo 2 destaca en aquellas cuestiones de salud y la alimentación y el grupo 3 dan mayor importancia al bajo precio de los alimentos

Risk/Benefit Evaluation of Chia Seeds as a New Ingredient in Cereal-Based Foods

Chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) is a food rich in protein, fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. Consequently, its incorporation in food formulations may be desirable from a nutritional and healthy point of view. However, there is concern regarding the formation of process contaminants when they are subjected to thermal processing. The objective of this study was to incorporate different amounts of ground chia seeds in a biscuit model to evaluate the effect on the antioxidant capacity and formation of acrylamide and furfurals. Seven standard &ldquo;Maria-type&rdquo; biscuit formulations were prepared, replacing wheat flour with different amounts of ground chia seeds (defatted and non-defatted), from 0% (control biscuit) to 15% (respect to total solids in the recipe). Samples were baked at 180 &deg;C for 22 min. Compared with the control biscuit, chia formulations increased the content of nutrients, antioxidant capacity (ABTS) and phenolic compounds (Folin&ndash;Ciocalteau method) but also doubled acrylamide levels and even raised more than 10 times furanic compound concentrations. Results indicate that the use of chia seeds as ingredients in new cereal-based formulations would improve the nutritional profile but also increase the occurrence of chemical process contaminants. This paradox should be carefully considered in the context of risk/benefit analysis

Dietary Exposure to Acrylamide in Spanish University Canteens by the Duplicate Diet Method

During the university period, many students adopt new dietary patterns, sometimes including the excessive consumption of highly processed foods, which can expose them to process contaminants such as acrylamide. This research aimed to evaluate the dietary exposure to acrylamide of Spanish university students in their campus canteens using the duplicate diet method, and to estimate the associated health risks based on their food consumption habits. Apart from potato-based foods, the analysed food/meals contained non-detectable or low levels of acrylamide (&lt;63 &micro;g/kg). Two exposure scenarios were considered, depending on whether students selected salad (lowest exposure) or processed potatoes (highest exposure) as side dishes. The frequent consumption of processed potatoes could increase acrylamide intake from 6.5 to 26.4 &micro;g/day. Due to their lower body weight, women had a higher risk of acrylamide exposure in both scenarios. The margin of exposure (MOE) values for neoplastic effects indicated high levels of health concern, even only considering the main meal of the day. Furthermore, the risk of acrylamide exposure could increase by more than four times depending on the side dish selected by the students. This research highlights the need to promote healthy dietary habits among young people, encouraging the selection of safer food options in terms of food processing contaminants

Does Carbon Footprint Play a Relevant Role in Food Consumer Behaviour? A Focus on Spanish Beef

Carbon footprint has become a reference indicator of the environmental impact of food production. Governments are increasingly demanding a trend towards low-carbon-footprint production in order to reduce the impact on climate change. In this sense, the study of consumers’ preferences and assessment of products from the perspective of their carbon footprint is crucial to achieve a green and circular economy. This paper specifically attempted to assess consumer preference and willingness to pay for beef that has been carbon-footprint-labelled as an attribute. In order to attain this objective, a choice experiment was designed and applied to a total of 362 Spanish consumers. The results revealed a positive preference towards beef produced in low-carbon-footprint systems. In addition, the segmentation of these consumers revealed the existence of a group of consumers who prioritise environmental impact over product price

Stated Preferences for Plant-Based and Cultured Meat: A Choice Experiment Study of Spanish Consumers

Meat production and consumption have been claimed to have negative impacts on the environment, and even on the consumer’s health. In this sense, alternative sources of protein, mainly meat substitutes and cultured meat, have emerged due to those perceived negative effects. Our paper carries out a choice experiment to analyze the preferences of 444 Spanish consumers and their willingness to pay for plant-based and cultured meats, as compared to conventional meat. Spain was considered of interest for this study due to its significant gastronomic culture, with high-quality meat products that make a great contribution to the economy, meaning that this could be a suitable and also challenging market in which to test alternative sources of protein. The findings show that consumers’ motivations and their interactions with these products are complex. Additionally, a cluster analysis allowed us to identify three types of consumers in terms of preference for these products: price-sensitive millennials, conscious/concerned consumers, and indifferent consumers. Only one group showed some level of acceptance of these alternative products meats