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Aleppo Pine forests provide several ecosystem services for the local population as well as for the society in Tunisia. Knowing the citizens’ preferences is crucial to guide forest management strategies. This study aims to determine the social demand for key benefits provided by forests using the choice experiment modelling. Results show a high social awareness of the benefits derived from forests suggesting that citizens are willing to support forest management activities, especially for promoting the local economy., The research leading to these results has received funding from International Foundation for Science under Grant Agreement No. I-3-S-6234-1., Preprint

This paper aims to analyze the scientific evolution and research trends concerning the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus, as well as its development within scientific databases. To achieve this, a bibliometric analysis has been conducted using publications sourced from Scopus and Web of science databases. This study examined key aspects such as primary journals, prominent authors, affiliated institutions, countries of origin, subject areas, and notable keywords. Furthermore, there is a dedicated section that delves into research and innovation gaps within publications related to the WEF nexus. Results reveal that research on the WEF nexus has experienced exponential growth over the past decade, with the majority of publications emerging between 2017 and 2023. The United States leads in this field, with engineering and environmental science being the predominant research categories, with Spain and Italy being the prominent countries in Europe. The WEF nexus concept in the agriculture sector is notably underdeveloped, particularly in its ties with the Sustainable Development Goals and the science–policy–society interface. The study stresses the importance of integrating health considerations into the WEF Nexus to understand the interconnections and their implications on public health, thereby enriching the Nexus approach with a critical dimension of human well-being. This situation underscores the urgent need to create a nexus community that bridges science and practice, and to incorporate this specialized discipline into university curricula., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

Livestock farming has a detrimental effect on the environment since it generates a lot of gas emissions. In pig farming, the use of feed is among the substantial sources of animal farm emissions among the European Union. Nevertheless, the use of Low Dietary Crude Protein (LCP) may reduce the environmental impacts of pig farming and provide diverse ecosystem services (ESs). Concurrently, these pig diets alternatives may result more expensive than the conventional ones, which may negatively affect farmers' intention to adopt these alternatives. Citizens’ payment for ESs may be a viable strategy to motivate farmers to implement more sustainable pig diets. The primary objective of this study is to assess the extent to which citizens of Catalonia (Spain) are willing to pay for the ESs generated by the implementation of a LCP diet in pig production. In pursuit of this goal, we conducted an online survey among 501 citizens, including a Discrete Choice Experiment. Participants evaluated three feed scenarios, and their choices were scrutinized using conditional logit model. Results revealed that citizens prefer the new pig diets, including both LCP and Very LCP (VLCP) diets, over the conventional pig diet. However, there is a clear preference toward the VLCP diet justified by their willingness to pay (WTP) of €67/year/adult., The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of this study from Metex-Noovistago., Postprint (updated version)

Adopting genome editing with the trait of pest resistance contributes to sustainable development by reducing pesticide use. Developed by Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology, CRISPR rice is resistant to two of its most destructive insect pests. However, there exists a trade-off between pest resistance and lower potential yield. In the presence of uncertainty of pest severity, adopting CRISPR rice demonstrates positive environmental benefits at its optimal planting ratio, estimated based on a microeconomic model extended with environmental externalities of rice cultivation. We estimate the optimal planting ratio to be 37%, with the environmental benefit of co-planting CRISPR rice to be 560 million US dollars annually in China. The environmental benefit accounts for 4–22% of the total value of co-planting CRISPR rice in the Monte Carlo simulations. Regional heterogeneity regarding optimal planting ratio and environmental benefit is studied for 12 major rice-cultivating provinces in China. We conclude with policy implications that policymakers need to consider the vast environmental benefit of CRISPR rice adoption to have a more comprehensive view of its economic and environmental market potential, contributing to the heated debate on regulating CRISPR technology in China and worldwide., Postprint (published version)

Using a two-regime threshold vector autoregressive model, this study investigates the nonlinear price transmission among tuna, salmon and hake during a food safety incident. The tuna fraud in Spain caused a histamine outbreak in 2017, which made 105 people fall ill. To evaluate the degree to which the food safety incident affected price transmission and reflected consumer awareness of the tuna fraud scandal, we have developed a communication index based on the number of Twitter posts and use its first difference to identify the increasing and decreasing regime of the development of the incident, Postprint (published version)

Weighing cultural legacies is crucial to better understand the opportunity costs of lagoon restoration. It may be necessary for local populations whose wellbeing and culture are closely linked to heritage. This paper investigates the preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) of local fishermen for contributing to the restoration of the Bizerte lagoon (Tunisia, North Africa) and the management of the Manzel Abderrahmen harbor through the implementation of the EcoPact project. For this purpose, a discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey was conducted in the port with 50 local fishers. The results of this work represent a particular contribution to the literature as they offer a different perspective on the willingness to pay for the benefits of Cultural Bequest. Manzel Abderrahmen fishermen view “port organization” as an economic, cultural, and recreational attribute that drives their choices. The fishermen showed their willingness to accept all the taxes mentioned in the questionnaire and to increase the actual tax (9%) up to 13% over 5 years to complete the design of their port. This suggests that decision-makers should be aware of the omitted legacy values that could influence subsequent decision-making., This study has been funded by the Centro de Recerca en Economia i Desenvolupament Agroalimentari (CREDA), Parc Mediterrani de la Tecnologia, Barcelona, Spain., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

En el context gastronòmic actual, els establiments de menjar ràpid o "FAST FOOD" han experimentat algunes modificacions degudes a les circumstàncies socials, econòmiques, culturals i tecnològiques. Aquest estudi té com a objectiu principal analitzar els factors determinants del preu que han marcat el comportament dels restaurants de menjar ràpid al canal HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants i Cafeteries) durant els darrers dos anys (2021-2022) a l'Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona. A més, s'ha realitzat una comparació entre les ciutats de Barcelona i Madrid. L'informe resultant té com a objectiu proporcionarinformació valuosa per a les empreses interessades en el sector HORECA, permetent-les prendre decisions informades. Els resultats mostren que l'ocupació d'aquests establiments ha anat recuperant-se, arribant aproximadament al 35% d'ocupació un cop finalitzat el toc de queda. A més, s'ha observat que els preus als restaurants de menjar ràpid es situen per sota de la mitjana espanyola, amb una mitjana de 23,53 euros en el conjunt de restaurants i 16,20 euros en els de menjar ràpid. Específicament, s'ha explorat com factors com l'ocupació, el preu, la reputació i els comentaris en línia influeixen en els preus dels restaurants de menjar ràpid en l'actualitat. En resum, s'ha trobat que a major ocupació del restaurant, menor és el preu mitjà del tiquet, mentre que una major reputació de l'establiment s'associa amb preus més alts. A més, una major quantitat de comentaris es correlaciona amb preus més baixos. La informació clau per a aquest estudi s'ha obtingut a partir d'una font fiable i especialitzada: l'empresa "Delectatech". Aquesta empresa ha desenvolupat un motor premiat en Big Data i Intel·ligència Artificial que recopila dades valuoses sobre els establiments de restauració a l'Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona, Barcelona ciutat i Madrid, incloent detalls sobre ocupació, tipus de menjar, cuina, preus i més., In the current gastronomic context, fast food establishments have undergone certain modifications due to social, economic, cultural, and technological circumstances. The main objective of this study is to analyze the price-determining factors that have influenced the behavior of FAST FOOD restaurants in the HORECA channel (Hotels, Restaurants, and Cafeterias) over the past two years (2021-2022) in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. In addition, Barcelona and Madrid will be compared with each other. The resulting report aims to provide valuable information for businesses interested in the HORECA sector, enabling them to make informed decisions. The results indicate that the occupancy of these establishments has been recovering, reaching approximately 35% occupancy once the curfew was lifted. Furthermore, it has been observed that prices in fast food restaurants are below the Spanish average, with an average of 23.53 euros in the overall restaurant sector and 16.20 euros in fast food establishments. Specifically, the study has explored how factors such as occupancy, price, reputation, and online reviews influence the prices of fast-food restaurants today. In summary, it has been found that higher restaurant occupancy corresponds to a lower average ticket price, while a better reputation of the establishment is associated with higher prices. In addition, a greater quantity of reviews is correlated with lower prices. The key information for this study has been obtained from a reliable and specialized source: the company "Delectatech." This company has developed an award-winning Big Data and Artificial Intelligence engine that collects valuable data about dining establishments in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, Barcelona city, and Madrid, including details about occupancy, food type, cuisine, prices, and more., En el contexto gastronómico actual, los establecimientos de comida rápida o FAST FOOD han experimentado ciertas modificaciones debidas a las circunstancias sociales, económicas, culturales y tecnológicas. Este estudio tiene como objetivo principal analizar los factores determinantes del precio que han marcado el comportamiento de los restaurantes de comida rápida en el canal HORECA (Hoteles, Restaurantes y Cafeterías) durante los últimos dos años (2021-2022) en el Área Metropolitana de Barcelona. Además, se ha llevado a cabo una comparación entre las ciudades de Barcelona y Madrid. El informe resultante tiene como objetivo proporcionar información valiosa para las empresas interesadas en el sector HORECA, permitiéndoles tomar decisiones informadas. Los resultados muestran que la ocupación de estos establecimientos ha ido recuperándose, alcanzando aproximadamente un 35% de ocupación una vez finalizado el toque de queda. Además, se ha observado que los precios en los restaurantes de comida rápida se sitúan por debajo de la media española, donde esta última es de 23,53 euros y 16,20 euros en los establecimientos de comida rápida. Específicamente, se ha explorado cómo factores como la ocupación, el precio, la reputación y los comentarios en línea influyen en los precios de los establecimientos de comida rápida en la actualidad. En resumen, se ha encontrado que a mayor ocupación del restaurante, menor es el precio medio del ticket, mientras que una mayor reputación del establecimiento se asocia con precios más elevados. Además, una mayor cantidad de comentarios se correlaciona con precios más bajos. La información clave para este estudio se ha obtenido a partir de una fuente confiable y especializada: la empresa "Delectatech". Esta empresa ha desarrollado un motor premiado en Big Data e Inteligencia Artificial que recopila datos valiosos sobre los establecimientos de restauración en el Área Metropolitana de Barcelona, Barcelona ciudad y Madrid incluyendo detalles sobre o

This study estimates and analyze the technical efficiency of pork farms from five EU countries. The Generalized True Random-effects (GTRE) model was used to differentiate between persistent and transitory technical efficiency. The results show that elasticities are robust to various specifications. Spanish farms show the highest average efficiency score. In Denmark, Germany, France, and Poland, the most significant opportunities for growth are found in transitional efficiency. The degree of productive specialization in the five countries has a positive impact in the efficiency. In Denmark, Germany, and France, persistent efficiency has a positive association with the fraction of paid labor., Este estudio estima y analiza la eficiencia técnica de explotaciones porcinas de cinco países de la UE. Se utilizó el modelo de Efectos Aleatorios Verdaderos Generalizados (GTRE) para diferenciar entre eficiencia técnica persistente y transitoria. Los resultados muestran que las elasticidades son robustas a varios tipos de especificaciones. Las explotaciones españolas presentan la eficiencia técnica más alta. En Dinamarca, Alemania, Francia y Polonia, las mayores oportunidades de crecimiento se encuentran en eficiencia transitoria. La especialización productiva en los cinco países tiene un impacto positivo en la eficiencia técnica. En Dinamarca, Alemania y Francia, la eficiencia persistente se relaciona positivamente con la fracción de mano de obra asalariada.

This study estimates and analyze the technical efficiency of pork farms from five EU countries. The Generalized True Random-effects (GTRE) model was used to differentiate between persistent and transitory technical efficiency. The results show that elasticities are robust to various specifications. Spanish farms show the highest average efficiency score. In Denmark, Germany, France, and Poland, the most significant opportunities for growth are found in transitional efficiency. The degree of productive specialization in the five countries has a positive impact in the efficiency. In Denmark, Germany, and France, persistent efficiency has a positive association with the fraction of paid labor., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (published version)

Mountain food production contributes to the support of local economies and cultures and it provides quality food products due to the characteristics of the raw materials combined with traditional processing conditions. Consumers perceive those products as environmentally friendly and of high quality. To support this production, the European Union has introduced the optional quality term ‘mountain product label’ (MPL). The objective of this paper is to investigate consumer preferences and willingness to pay for cheese with the MPL. Cheese was chosen because it is one of the specialties of these areas. A survey, including a labelled discrete choice experiment, was conducted with 511 Italian cheese consumers. Data were analysed through a random-parameter logit model. We compared the MPL with the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label. The results show that consumers are not aware of the MPL. However, they like it as much as PDO. A higher willingness to pay for the MPL was found compared to products with no quality labels, indicating a premium price for these products. Based on these results, policy intervention strategies are needed to support quality supply chains in mountain areas and publicise this label to the consumer market., Postprint (published version)

This paper aims at addressing if the increasing globalization in the international sawnwood markets has caused export prices to converge to a single reference price or, alternatively, certain restrictions remain to generate a segmented market where different reference prices for each market segment co-exist. Annual price series for the top-10 exporting countries are considered for that purpose. Results show that the data cannot support the null hypothesis of convergence. Instead, the global sawnwood market appears to be segmented into two convergence clubs (Chile-USA-Latvia-New Zealand and Canada-Germany-Austria-Finland-Sweden), while the Russian Federation exhibits an independent pathway. Causality tests are conducted to analyze the price dynamics in the global sawnwood products indicating that international price relationships are demand-driven. Finally, results suggest that the inclusion of a country in a particular convergence club is mainly determined by the price differential between countries (competition factors), and to a lesser extent, by the countries' combined market share in the global market (catching-up factors). © 2023 The Authors, Postprint (published version)

Lately, economies have been facing an increase in the frequency and magnitude of droughts, which come with potential consequences on food prices. This article aims to analyze how drought disturbances affect price differences in local food markets. Special attention is paid to differences in product quality and marketing channels. To study the mechanism behind price differences, our analysis is framed within the food market integration theory. Our methodology follows a dyadic regression approach, which allows us to exploit the panel data structure of our market price data. We use monthly Asterix potato and long shelf-life tomato market prices from traditional markets and supermarkets in Chile. To measure drought intensity, we use remote sensing data to construct a drought index. Results show that drought shocks reduce market price differentials around harvesting and commercialization periods, which is supported by the existence of market integration. We also find that prices of high-quality products, less perishable products, and those taken from traditional markets respond more intensively to droughts and take more time to be transmitted. A direct link between droughts and crop quality, as well as supermarkets’ larger capacity for buffer stock, may be behind these interpretations. Product differentiation and retail price rigidity arguments are also discussed., Postprint (author's final draft)

The pig meat production plays a significant role in the Spanish agrofood system. The assessment of the efficiency performance with which farmers are operating is necessary to define adequate policy and management strategies. In this context, this study aimed to determine the technical efficiency (TE) performance of pig farms and to examine the key factors that may affect the production system in Spain. To do so, the analysis relies on the quantile stochastic frontier model using a sample of Spanish pig farms. Results show a significant difference between production frontier parameters across the selected quantiles, which support the relevance of using the quantile regression approach. The optimal quantile for the stochastic frontier indicates an average TE level of 75%. In addition, empirical findings suggest that pig farmers in Spain give more importance to the adoption of high technology to improve their economic and technical performance as well as their competitiveness at the European pig market., Postprint (author's final draft)

There has been limited research on the degree to which rational inefficiency arises when environmental factors are considered. Thus, our goal is to contribute to the literature by applying the concept of rational inefficiency to pig farming and investigating the relationship between water use and farm technical efficiency levels. This research aims to provide a better understanding of the complex interactions between pig farming production, the natural environment, and economic performance. The stochastic frontier analysis is applied to a cross-section dataset of 523 Catalan farms specialized in pig production in 2018. The main findings of this study are as follows: First, Catalan pig farming exhibits high levels of technical efficiency with an average score of 0.94, which is consistent with the high intensity and concentration of Spanish pork production. Second, there is no compelling evidence to support the rational inefficiency hypothesis, particularly when comparing the rational efficient and multi-efficient groups. © 2023 The Author(s), Postprint (author's final draft)

Recently, increasing numbers of consumers have embraced higher green consumption values and expressed environmental concern through their shopping behavior. These consumers are a promising target group for sustainable products. However, especially in the food sector, it is challenging for consumers to recognize these products because of a multitude of sustainability indicators. Therefore, it is important to understand how green consumers form their perception of product sustainability based on the information provided. This research draws on means–end chain theory and the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) to explain how green consumers form an overall product sustainability perception by considering environmental and social product sustainability benefits. To provide preliminary evidence, we analyzed the survey data of 1,577 European consumers who assessed three different food products. Using structural equation modeling, we found that consumers with higher green consumption values perceive environmental and social sustainability product benefits to a greater extent than those with lower green values. Increased perceptions of environmental sustainability benefits, in turn, enhance overall product sustainability perceptions, ultimately leading to a higher perceived brand sustainability. By integrating and applying means–end chain theory along with the ELM in a green product consumption context, our study provides insight on the impact of environmental and social product sustainability benefits on consumers’ product sustainability perceptions. As such, the results offer a valuable starting point for further investigation of sustainable marketing strategies and consumers’ product sustainability perceptions. Additionally, our findings provide guidance to food marketers seeking to promote sustainable products., Postprint (published version)

A multi-criteria decision-making system based on stakeholder evaluation is performed to investigate the nexus between research impact and sustainability performance in the agro-food sector, in Spain. This study attempts to go a step further beyond the scientific assessment of research by examining its societal contribution. The empirical application is built upon the ELECTRE III methodology. Combining Evaluation theory and Stakeholder theory, the analysis facilitates the assessment of research impact with the inclusion of stakeholders’ knowledge. Four research programmes are selected from different agro-food industries representing the case studies addressed in this study. Each stakeholder performs an evaluation of the research programmes based on indicators and sub-indicators of sustainability performance. The findings reveal ranking matrices of research impact and demonstrate its implicit contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. This study provides insights to policy-makers and practitioners and sheds light on how research evaluation accentuates the transition to sustainable agro-food sector., The authors gratefully acknowledge the Editor and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions and feedback. We would like to thank the Institute of Agri-food Research and Technology (IRTA) for its support providing key information to carry out this study, Postprint (author's final draft)

La actividad agropastoral constituye un modelo de producción ganadera y una forma de vida que tiene importantes implicaciones para la sostenibilidad de los territorios rurales. Estos sistemas productivos son generalmente extensivos y tienen un rol central en la generación de empleo y en la provisión de ingresos para la población rural, así como también, en el manejo y conservación de áreas de alto valor natural. Pese a la creciente demanda por productos más sostenibles, los consumidores no logran percibir las diferencias entre sistemas productivos de baja o alta intensidad y sus impactos sobre el medio ambiente. Esto afecta la viabilidad económica de las explotaciones tradicionales y la sostenibilidad de una actividad productiva de alto valor ecológico, cultural y patrimonial. El objetivo del estudio fue indagar en las preferencias de los consumidores y en la valoración de los sistemas productivos de carne de cordero. Para ello se diseñó un experimento de elección. Los datos fueron recabados a través de una encuesta anónima, voluntaria y aplicada mediante de una plataforma digital a 400 consumidores. Los datos demuestran un mayor nivel de conocimiento de la ganadería ecológica en comparación con la ganaderia extensiva. Los consumidores demuestran una mayor valoración de las características de producción vinculada a salud, bienestar animal e impacto ambiental que son fácilmente asociados a la producción ecológica pero menos reconocidos para la producción extensiva. Los resultados aportan a la definición de estrategias de comercialización diferenciada para pequeñas explotaciones ganaderas aprovechando el interés de los consumidores por productos de alto valor ambiental., Postprint (published version)

To identify whether EU certified food – here organic and geographical indications – is more sustainable than a conventional reference, we developed indicators covering the three sustainability pillars. Original data was collected on 52 products at farm, processing and retail levels, allowing the estimation of circa 2,000 indicator values. Most strikingly, we show that, in our sample, certified food outperforms its non-certified reference on most economic and social indicators. On major environmental indicators – carbon and water footprint – their performance is similar., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (updated version)

Food waste (FW) prevention is an essential measure to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal target 12.3, achieve more sustainable food systems and tackle the climate crisis. This paper aims at evaluating nudging strategies’ impact on FW prevention in school canteens. To do so, it applies a four-stage methodology in 4 school canteens of the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona as case studies, This study was partially funded by the Catalan Waste Agency [TES/858/2017 n°34, 2017]., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (published version)

Cereal, oilseed, and protein (COP) production is an important sector contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Tunisia. COP farms often diversify their production patterns to stabilize their income sources and spread production risk across crops. However, crop diversity may entail an inefficient use and management of resources to achieve the desired output. In addition, the COP sector still shows a low productivity level, depending on weather conditions in Tunisia. In this context, this study aimed to assess the relationship between the land use pattern and efficiency performance of farms. We used data envelopment analysis (DEA) in the presence of uncertainty based on state-contingent techniques. This approach has not previously been used to examine the links between crop pattern and efficiency. We found that specialized COP farms, on average, exhibited higher technical efficiency levels than those adopted mix cropping systems (83% and 60%, respectively), indicating an important margin to reduce inefficiency. Nevertheless, both diversified and specialized farms could reduce their inefficiency levels through more rational input use to attain the current level of production. Some practical implications were derived to target policy interventions to enhance agricultural productivity and resource use efficiency., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (published version)

Performance-based funding and calls for public-funded science to demonstrate societal impact are encouraging public research organisations to evaluate impact, the so-called impact agenda. This paper explores evaluation methods of four fully or partially public-funded agricultural research organisations and how they are building evaluative capacity to respond to the impact agenda. Drawing on cross- organisational comparison of the readiness of each organisation to implement evaluation, the implications for improving evaluative capacity building (ECB) are discussed. This study extends the current literature on ECB, as very little has focussed on research organisations in general, and particularly agricultural research., Postprint (author's final draft)

The importance of Geographical Indications (GI) has grown considerably in recent years as an opportunity for product differentiation for specific segments of the population. The continuous increase in the number of certified products, as well as their growing economic importance, has determined that the scientific literature has found in this type of products an interesting source of inspiration. Much of the recent literature has focused on analysing the sustainability of these production systems from an economic, social and environmental point of view. However, few studies have addressed the overall sustainability of GIs by adopting a holistic and multidimensional approach. Taking into account the existing limitations in the literature, the main contribution of this thesis has been to develop a methodological approach to assess the sustainability of agri-food production systems linked to GIs, based on three criteria: holistic approach, ability to resolve conflicts between indicators, and ease of monitoring. In addition, the aim is to offer a tool that facilitates the development of strategic plans for GIs to improve their sustainability commitments to society. To achieve this objective, this Thesis has been structured in three chapters. Chapter 2 analyses and prioritizes the main discourses that have been generated in the literature on GIs using the Q-Methodology. The chapter reviews the literature on GIs and concludes that the main discourses surrounding GIs are articulated along three axes: governance, differentiated product quality, and contribution to territorial development. Chapter 3 reviews the existing literature on sustainability indicators and develops a methodological proposal that includes 36 individual indicators and a synthetic indicator. This synthetic indicator is calculated using the Fuzzy Hierarchical Analytical Process based on the opinions of 55 experts related to GIs (Regulatory Councils, heads of Public Administrations and researchers). A tool, La importància de les Indicacions geogràfiques (IG) ha brollat en els darrers anys de forma considerable, com una oportunitat de diferenciació de productes per a segments específics de la població. L’increment continuat del nombre de productes certificats, així com la seva creixent importància econòmica ha determinat que la literatura científica hagi trobat en aquests tipus de productes una interessant font d’inspiració. Una gran part de la literatura recent s’ha centrat en analitzar la sostenibilitat d’aquests sistemes de producció tant des del punt de vista econòmic com el social i l’ambiental. Tot i això, son escassos els treballs que hagin abordat la sostenibilitat global de les IG adoptant un enfocament holístic i multidimensional. Tenint en compte les limitacions existents a la literatura, la principal contribució d’aquesta Tesi ha consistit en desenvolupar un enfocament metodològic que permet avaluar la sostenibilitat de sistemes de producció agroalimentària lligats a les IG, que es basa en tres criteris: enfocament holístic, capacitat de resoldre conflictes entre indicadors i facilitat de monitorització. A més a més, es tracta d’oferir una eina que faciliti a les IIGG l’elaboració de plans estratègics encaminats a millorar els seus compromisos de sostenibilitat amb la societat. Per a arribar a aquest objectiu, aquesta Tesi s’ha estructurat en tres capítols. Al Capítol 2, s’analitzen i prioritzen els principals discursos que s’han generat a la literatura sobre les IG mitjançant la utilització de la metodologia Q. El Capítol realitza una revisió de la literatura sobre les IG i conclou que els principals discursos al voltant de les IG s’articulen en tres eixos: governança, qualitat diferenciada del producte i contribució al desenvolupament del territori. El Capítol 3 revisa la literatura existent sobre els indicadors de sostenibilitat i elabora una proposta metodològica que inclou 36 indicadors individuals i un indicador sintètic. Aquest indicador sintètic es c, La importancia de las Indicaciones geográficas (IG) ha crecido en los últimos años de forma considerable, como una oportunidad de diferenciación de productos para segmentos específicos de la población. El incremento continuado del número de productos certificados, así como su creciente importancia económica ha determinado que la literatura científica haya encontrado en este tipo de productos una interesante fuente de inspiración. Una gran parte de la literatura reciente se ha centrado en analizar la sostenibilidad de estos sistemas de producción tanto desde el punto de vista económico como social y ambiental. Sin embargo, son escasos los trabajos que hayan abordado la sostenibilidad global de las IG adoptando un enfoque holístico y multidimensional. Teniendo en cuenta las limitaciones existentes en la literatura, la principal contribución de esta Tesis ha consistido en desarrollar un enfoque metodológico que permita evaluar la sostenibilidad de sistemas de producción agroalimentaria ligados a las IG, que se basa en tres criterios: enfoque holístico, capacidad de resolver conflictos entre indicadores y facilidad de monitorización. Adicionalmente, se trata de ofrecer una herramienta que facilite a las IIGG la elaboración de planes estratégicos encaminados a mejorar sus compromisos de sostenibilidad con la sociedad. Para alcanzar este objetivo, esta Tesis se ha estructurado en tres capítulos. En el Capítulo 2, se analizan y priorizan los principales discursos que se han generado en la literatura sobre las IG mediante la utilización de la metodología Q. El Capítulo realiza una revisión de la literatura sobre las IG y concluye que los principales discursos alrededor de las IG se articulan en tres ejes: Gobernanza, calidad diferenciada del producto y contribución al desarrollo del territorio. El Capítulo 3 revisa la literatura existente sobre indicadores de sostenibilidad y elabora una propuesta metodológica que incluye 36 indicadores individuales y un indicador sintético, Postprint (published version)

Los mercados del vino en Europa afrontan nuevas exigencias de demanda en materia de medioambiente y de salud. Ante este reto, el sector de la viña y el vino necesita explorar la viabilidad técnica y económica de una disminución importante del uso de pesticidas, así como la reducción de los aditivos enológicos, Postprint (updated version)

Aim of study: To investigate the impact of adopting new feeding precision technology on pig production.Area of study: Four EU countries (Germany, France, Poland and Spain) during the period 2010–2015.Material and methods: The Färe-Primont index was used to estimate total factor productivity change and its components, technological change and efficiency change.Main results: German, French and Spanish farms experienced total factor productivity (TFP) progress, while Polish farms did not for both feeding strategies. Our empirical findings suggest a high impact on the productivity of ad libitum feeding technique compared to the restricted one for all countries.Research highlights: Precision feeding strategies provide another avenue to more sustainable livestock production and further evidence that implementing individual ad libitum feeding systems for pigs could enhance farm’s productivity.

Related data set “Sustainability performance of certified and non-certified food” with doi www.doi.org/10.15454/OP51SJ in repository “Data inrae”, The dataset Sustainability performance of certified and non-certified food (https://www.doi.org/10.15454/OP51SJ) contains 25 indicators of economic, environmental, and social performance, estimated for 27 certified food value chains and their 27 conventional reference products. The indicators are estimated at different levels of the value chain: farm level, processing level, and retail level. It also contains the raw data based on which the indicators are estimated, its source, and the completed spreadsheet calculators for the following indicators: carbon footprint and food miles., Article signat per 14 autors/es Valentin Bellassen, Filippo Arfini, Federico Antonioli, Antonio Bodini, Michael Boehm, Ružica Brečić, Sara Chiussi, Peter Csillag, Michele Donati, Liesbeth Dries, Marion Drut, Matthieu Duboys de Labarre, Hugo Ferrer, Jelena Filipović, Lisa Gauvrit, José M. Gil, Matthew Gorton, Viet Hoàng, Mohamed Hilal, Kamilla Knutsen Steinnes, Apichaya Lilavanichakul, Agata Malak-Rawlikowska, Edward Majewski, Sylvette Monier-Dilhan, Paul Muller, Orachos Napasintuwong, Kalliroi Nikolaou, Mai Nguyen, An Nguyễn Quỳnh, Ioannis Papadopoulos, Jack Peerlings, Aron Török, Thomas Poméon, Bojan Ristic, Burkhard Schaer, Zaklina Stojanovic, Barbara Tocco, Marina Tomic Maksan, Mario Veneziani, and Gunnar Vitterso, Postprint (published version)

The COVID-19 pandemic situation caused several economic and social changes. The Lockdown created new working (e. G. , Teleworking) and students’ situations (e-learning) under unknown and unfamiliar conditions which induced stress and depression. In this study, we analyzed the impact of the covid19 lockdown: on the percentage of non-presented students, on the percentage of passed students, and on the average score of students. Results showed a clear negative impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on students’ performance. The percentage of non-presented students to exams increased and the percentage of passed students decreased. Furthermore, results showed also a decrease in the average score of passed students for the main core subjects. These results were accentuated for students belonging to the food engineering degree and less noticeable for students from biological systems engineering. This divergence between the two analyzed degrees was also related to the students’ results of the university access exams. Results showed that the less prepared students before university studies were more prone to face difficulties with online classes and e-learning. Future studies relating the socio-economic characteristics of students and the impact of Covid19 lockdown on students’ performance are needed., Postprint (published version)

Research value, research relevance, research quality, and research impact have been widely tackled by various disciplines, such as health, engineering, management, and sustainability. How research and innovation are being produced, evaluated, communicated, and disseminated is an interchangeable question among scholars, practitioners, and policy makers. Focusing on the agri-food sector, this doctoral thesis attempts to examine the societal impact of research and innovation, providing a methodological framework and a set of indicators to measure sustainability performance and knowledge transfer. It compromises mixed method techniques both qualitative and quantitative research designs to identify sustainability impact and to discuss its implication to various stakeholders. This thesis fulfills two main research gaps in the literature: first, to shift from “evaluating academic impact” to “evaluating sustainability impact” generated by research and innovation programs; and second, to propose quantifiable proxies of the societal impact of research, while taking into account stakeholders´ perspectives. The structure of this doctoral thesis consists of the following chapters: Chapters 1 and 5 constitute the Introduction and Conclusion of the dissertation; Chapters 2, 3, and 4 represent the three research studies conducted during the doctoral program. Chapter 2 combines two methodological approaches, ASIRPA framework and Impact Oriented Monitoring (IOM) model. The outcome of Chapter 2 is an evaluative tool of research and innovation analyzing its impacts to the society and to the ecosystem. Based on multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) system, Chapter 3 relies on an empirical design, following outranking methodology (ELECTRE III). It provides comprehensive ranking matrices of four research cases studies. The main contribution of this chapter is to triangulate stakeholders´ evaluation in the Spanish agri-food sector based on six standardized pillars of sustainability: econom, El valor, la rellevància, la qualitat i l'impacte de la investigació han estat objecte d'investigació en diverses disciplines com ara la salut, l'enginyeria, la gestió i la sostenibilitat. Com es genera, avalua, comunica i difon la recerca i la innovació és una qüestió que ha estat objectes de nombrosos intercanvis entre acadèmics, professionals i decisors polítics. Centrant-se en el sector agroalimentari, aquesta tesi doctoral intenta examinar l'impacte social que genera la recerca i la innovació, proporcionant un marc metodològic així com un conjunt d'indicadors que permeten traduir els resultats de la recerca en impacte en termes de sostenibilitat i transferència de coneixement . L'enfocament proposat adopta un enfocament mixt combinant eines tant qualitatives com quantitatives, per identificar l'impacte de la investigació, Desenvolupament i innovació (R + D + I) en la societat; en definitiva, fins a quin punt contribueix a una societat més sostenible. Aquesta tesi cobreix dues buits en la literatura existent fins a la data en aquesta temàtica: en primer lloc, ofereix un marc que permet convertir els resultats de la R + D + I en impacte; en segon lloc, proporciona un sistema d'indicadors quantitatius que permet monitoritzar aquest impacte des del punt de vista dels agents de la cadena implicats. L'estructura d'aquesta tesi doctoral consta dels següents capítols. La Tesi s'inicia amb una introducció que justifica la importància del tema i l'emmarca en la literatura existent. S'esmenten els buits trobats en la literatura i es fixen els objectius, cada un dels quals ha donat lloc a un treball independent. Els capítols 2, 3 i 4 representen el nucli central de la mateixa i responen a cada un dels tres objectius esmentats. El Capítol 2 proposa una metodologia d'avaluació de l'impacte que combina dos enfocaments metodològics, el marc ASIRPA i el model de Monitorització Orientat a l'Impacte (IOM). El resultat de el Capítol 2 és una eina d'avaluació dels impactes de la re, El valor, la relevancia, la calidad y el impacto de la investigación han sido objeto de investigación en diversas disciplinas como por ejemplo la salud, la ingeniería, la gestión y la sostenibilidad. Cómo se genera, evalúa, comunica y difunde la investigación y la innovación es una cuestión que ha sido objetos de numerosos intercambios entre académicos, profesionales y decisores políticos. Centrándose en el sector agroalimentario, esta tesis doctoral intenta examinar el impacto social que genera la investigación y la innovación, proporcionando un marco metodológico, así como un conjunto de indicadores que permiten traducir los resultados de la investigación en impacto en términos de sostenibilidad y transferencia de conocimiento. El enfoque propuesto adopta un enfoque mixto combinando herramientas tanto cualitativas como cuantitativas, para identificar el impacto de la investigación, Desarrollo e innovación (I+D+i) en la sociedad; en definitiva, hasta qué punto contribuye a una sociedad más sostenible. Esta tesis cubre dos vacíos en la literatura existente hasta la fecha en esta temática: en primer lugar, ofrece un marco que permite convertir los resultados de la I+D+i en impacto; en segundo lugar, proporciona un sistema de indicadores cuantitativos que permite monitorizar este impacto dese el punto de vista de los agentes de la cadena implicados. La estructura de esta tesis doctoral consta de los siguientes capítulos. La Tesis se inicia con una introducción que justifica la importancia del tema y la enmarca en la literatura existente. Se mencionan los vacíos encontrados en la literatura y se fijan los objetivos, cada uno de los cuales ha dado lugar a un trabajo independiente. Los capítulos 2, 3 y 4 representan el núcleo central de la misma y responden a cada uno de los tres objetivos mencionados. El Capítulo 2 propone una metodología de evaluación del impacto que combina dos enfoques metodológicos, el marco ASIRPA y el modelo de Monitoreo Orientado al Impacto (IOM), Postprint (published version)

This article addresses the issue of the profitability of Food Quality Scheme (FQS) products as compared to reference products, which are defined as analogous products without quality label. We approach this question by taking into account the level of the value chain (upstream, processing, and downstream), the sector (vegetal, animal, seafood) and the type of FQS (PGI, PDO, Organic). We collected original data for several products produced in selected European countries, as well as in Thailand and Vietnam. Comparisons depending on value chain level, sector and FQS are possible by using two comparable indicators: price premium and net price premium (including cost differential). The following principal conclusions were reached: 1) Price is higher for FQS products than for the reference products, regardless of the production level, the type of FQS or the sector; 2) Price premiums generated by FQS do not differ along the value chain, nor between sectors (vegetal, animal or seafood/fish); 3) Price premium for organic products is significantly higher than for PGI products, and this conclusion holds at upstream and processing levels, taking into account the costs directly related to production; 4) All organic products and almost all PDO and PGI products analysed benefit from a positive quality rent; 5) At upstream level and processing level, the relative weight of intermediate consumption in the cost structure is lower for organic products than for reference products., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (published version)

Aim of study: To investigate the impact of adopting new feeding precision technology on pig production.Area of study: Four EU countries (Germany, France, Poland and Spain) during the period 2010–2015.Material and methods: The Färe-Primont index was used to estimate total factor productivity change and its components, technological change and efficiency change.Main results: German, French and Spanish farms experienced total factor productivity (TFP) progress, while Polish farms did not for both feeding strategies. Our empirical findings suggest a high impact on the productivity of ad libitum feeding technique compared to the restricted one for all countries.Research highlights: Precision feeding strategies provide another avenue to more sustainable livestock production and further evidence that implementing individual ad libitum feeding systems for pigs could enhance farm’s productivity, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (updated version)

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a threat to global food security, and it changes consumers’ food buying and consumption behavior. This research not only investigates trends in Spanish consumers’ general food shopping and consumption habits during the lockdown, but also investigates these trends from the perspective of sustainable purchasing. Specifically, total food consumption (C), food expenditure (E), and purchase of food with sustainable attributes (S) were measured. Data were collected from a semi-structured questionnaire which was distributed online among 1203 participants. The logit models showed that gender, age, employment status, and consumers’ experiences were associated with total food consumption and expenditure during the lockdown. In addition, consumers’ risk perceptions, shopping places, trust level in information sources, and risk preference were highly essential factors influencing consumers’ preferences and sustainable behavior. Consumers’ objective knowledge regarding COVID-19 was related to expenditure. Furthermore, family structure only affected expenditure, while income and place of residence influenced food consumption. Mood was associated with expenditure and the purchase of sustainable food. Household size affected purchasing behavior towards food with sustainable attributes. This research provides references for stakeholders that help them to adapt to the new COVID-19 situation., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (published version)

Aquaculture products are commonplace in markets around the world. However, despite efforts to minimize the negative perceptions towards aquaculture, several misbeliefs or myths still persist, and thus globally consumers tend to value wild fish more highly than farmed fish . The lack of information has been shown to be one of the most important causes of this preference, driving buying decisions to be more emotional than rational. The aim of this study was to determine whether scientific-supported information contrasting one myth could contribute to a better perception of farmed products., Postprint (published version)

The COVID-19 pandemic is a big challenge for global food security and it changes consumers’ food purchasing and consumption behaviour. This research not only investigates Spanish consumers’ food purchasing and consumption behaviour during the lockdown but also from a point of sustainability. Data are collected from a semi-structured questionnaire which is distributed online among 1203 participants. The total food consumption (C), food expenditure (E) and purchase food with sustainable attributes (S) as three dependent variables are measured and binary logistic models are estimated. Results show that gender, age, employment status and experience are associated with total food consumption and expenditure during the lockdown. In addition, consumers’ risk perceptions, shopping places, trust level in information source and risk preference are highly important factors in consumers’ preferences and behaviour. Consumers’ objective knowledge regarding COVID-19 influences expenditure. Consumers’ trust level in information from the health professionals and scientists is higher than that from government and News. Furthermore, family structure is only related to expenditure, while the place of residence only influences food consumption. The mood is associated with expenditure and purchase food with sustainable attributes. Household size affects purchasing behaviour towards food with sustainable attributes. This research provides references for stakeholders that helps them to adapt to the new COVID19 situation., Postprint (published version)

Aim of study: To investigate the impact of adopting new feeding precision technology on pig production.Area of study: Four EU countries (Germany, France, Poland and Spain) during the period 2010–2015.Material and methods: The Färe-Primont index was used to estimate total factor productivity change and its components, technological change and efficiency change.Main results: German, French and Spanish farms experienced total factor productivity (TFP) progress, while Polish farms did not for both feeding strategies. Our empirical findings suggest a high impact on the productivity of ad libitum feeding technique compared to the restricted one for all countries.Research highlights: Precision feeding strategies provide another avenue to more sustainable livestock production and further evidence that implementing individual ad libitum feeding systems for pigs could enhance farm’s productivity.

We conducted a labelled Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) to assess consumers’ Willingness to Pay (WTP) and purchase intentions for fresh hens’ eggs under different production systems (caged, barn, free range and organic). Additional descriptors were introduced regarding the potential reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water use (0, 10, 20, and 30%). Data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire completed by a representative sample of 1045 Spanish egg consumers. The results of a Random Parameter Logit (RPL) model showed heterogeneous preferences for the different types of eggs, with higher WTP for the production systems ensuring higher animal welfare. There were positive marginal WTPs for reductions in GHG emissions and water use, but only for significant reductions (20 and 30%) with respect to the current situation. Our findings may guide producers and policy makers in the development of more environmentally sustainable egg production systems and their pricing strategies., Postprint (published version)

Extensive and semi-extensive production based on local swine breeds such as Majorcan Black Pig, Cinta Senese, Gascon, Krškopolje and Turopolje is becoming extremely rare and on the verge of disappearing in Europe. In this context, the main aim of this study was to assess the potential feasibility of marketing strategies to act as guidelines for stakeholders along the supply chain to create and improve added value and match market demands. The sustainability of five production systems was evaluated together with 60 stakeholders representing five local swine breeds, using a World Café (WC) method combined with an Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP). The results showed that the proposed strategies could differ slightly depending on each system, while the product strategy was a common marketing priority for most of the stakeholders and represented all the systems evaluated. Diversifying production toward quality, innovative products, enhanced standardization, and quality labeling or seals of guarantee, such as the protected geographical indication or the protected designation of origin, would contribute to the sustainability of these chains. Advertising the storytelling of the meat products and emphasizing their healthier properties were also considered as positive strategies. To this effect, promotion should involve improving knowledge of the local systems and raising the profile of the meat products via public relations (networks, web pages, food and gastronomic events, workshops and so on) in the Hotels, Restaurants and Catering (HORECA) sector, stores selling top-quality products and local food shops. Better showcasing of these products and keeping the price in the premium segment would indirectly help the primary sector. By way of conclusion, other more developed local swine systems could be strong competitors, hence it is extremely important to effectively identify and trace all autochthonous swine breed products throughout the production chain. Furthermore, the, Postprint (author's final draft)

Food quality schemes (FQS: organic and geographical indication products) are often supposed to be more sustainable by their political advocates. We explore the social sustainability advantage of FQS through the lens of supply chains’ bargaining power (BP) distribution. We propose an indicator synthesizing different sources underlying BP (competition-based, transactional, institutional) and counting two dimensions (fair BP distribution and adaptation capacity), that we apply to 18 FQS supply chains and corresponding reference. FQS perform better than their reference products on both dimensions. This better performance is due to a combination of sources., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (published version)

We study the effect of a set of food quality scheme (FQS) products within the local economy using a local multiplier approach based on LM3 methodology. To evaluate the effective contribution within the local area, we compare each FQS product with its equivalent standard/conventional counterpart. Local multiplier allows us to track the financial flows converging within the local area at the different levels of the supply chain so that we can measure the FQS product role in local economic activation. Overall, the FQS products exhibit a higher positive contribution to the local economy than the standard references. However, there is significant heterogeneity in the impact according to the product categories. In the case of vegetal products, the local economic advantage due to FQS is 7% higher than the reference products, but the statistical tests reject the null hypothesis that the medians are significantly different from zero. On the contrary, animal products exhibit a larger contribution of FQS than the standard counterparts (+24%). The PGI products (+25%) produce the major effect, while PDO products show a median difference lower (+6%). The organic and non-organic products seem to be substantially equivalent in terms of contribution to the local economy, due to the similarity in the downstream processing phase., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (updated version)

La carne de cerdo (CdC) es el segundo tipo de carne producido en el mundo, siendo Europa la segunda región en importancia productiva después de Asia. Dentro del mercado europeo de CdC, Dinamarca y Polonia son dos actores relevantes que presentan algunas diferencias en sus sistemas productivos (SP). El objetivo fue estudiar las variables que explican el comportamiento de la producción de carne porcina y la eficiencia técnica relativa de los SP tomando en cuenta las diferencias en los sistemas. Se utilizó modelos de frontera estocástica de producción del tipo Translog, para muestras de productores porcinos en el periodo 2010-2015. Los resultados indican que las muestras de productores de ambos países presentan niveles de eficiencia altos, con valores de 0,899 y 0,859 para Dinamarca y Polonia, respectivamente. Los factores más importantes que explican la producción de cerdos son los alimentos y el capital. Además, Polonia presenta crecimiento tecnológico significativo en el periodo estudiado sin mostrar cambios en la eficiencia, mientras que, Dinamarca no presenta progreso tecnológico y adicionalmente muestra una baja en la eficiencia técnica relativa en el periodo, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (updated version)

Water Footprint (WF, henceforth) is an indicator of water consumption and has taken ground to assess the impact of agricultural production processes over freshwater. The focus of this study was contrasting non-conventional, certified products with identical products obtained through conventional production schemes (REF, henceforth) using WF as a measure of their pressure on water resources. The aim was to the show whether products that are certified as Food Quality Schemes (FQS, henceforth) could also incorporate the lower impact on water among their quality features. To perform this comparison, we analysed 23 products selected among Organic, PDO and PGI as FQS, and their conventional counterparts. By restricting the domain of analysis to the on-farm phase of the production chain, we obtained that that no significant differences emerged between the FQS and REF products. However, if the impact is measured per unit area rather than per unit product, FQS showed a significant reduction in water demand., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (published version)

The agro-food sector is an essential sector striving to satisfy the increasing demand for agro-food products worldwide. Accordingly, the Food Systems Summit has made a sig- nificant effort to heighten social and political awareness about the future food systems’ role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda by 2030., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (published version)