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Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Coffee is one of the most important agricultural commodities in the world, enjoyed by millions of people daily and serving as a key economic driver for many producing countries. Globally, coffee production and trade influence the livelihoods of millions of farmers and contribute significantly to national economies. In Ecuador, arabica and robusta coffees are cultivated. Coffee production has been gradually declining over the past 15 years, leading to a production crisis, as the sector is unable to meet the demand from the industrial sector and grain exporters. It is recognized that Ecuador cannot compete with other coffee-producing countries in terms of export volume; however, there is a real possibility of competing in differentiated markets with high-quality organoleptic coffees. This study aimed to assess the organoleptic potential of 22 promising robusta clones based on their productive performance, processed by the dry method. The cupping was conducted in the quality laboratory of the Pichilingue Tropical Experimental Station of INIAP, following the standards of the specialty coffee association, by a panel of three SCA-certified cuppers who evaluated 10 sensory attributes. The five superior clones (NP-4024 A4, NP-3018 A19, LE-A7, Nestlé 2, and LE-A1) stood out with sensory scores above 80 points SCA, excelling particularly in attributes such as acidity, aroma, and body. These characteristics indicate their potential for specialty coffee production. These five clones have the potential (p < 0.05) to produce fine robusta coffees, which can be used to reactivate coffee cultivation with a focus on specialty coffees.

ABSTRACTThe applicability of camel hair is still conditioned by a gap in the knowledge about this raw material, which in turn hinders its supply chain, commercial possibilities, and the value that the product reaches in the market. The present research compares the physical-mechanical properties of Canarian camel hair versus Merino sheep wool, the world’s most popular proteinic fabric material, using a discriminant canonical analysis. The attributes that maximized differences between both types of animal-origin fibers were related to average fiber diameter, fineness, length staple, and residual dirt. Although slightly shorter than sheep wool, camel hair can reach a prominent fabric quality and spinning performance given its greater average diameter and its lower variation within small fragments along the snippet, as well as the higher distance from the tip to the finest point in the staple, which is an indicator for the breaking point. Such characteristics are known to increase bending rigidity during the manufacturing process. Residual dirt may be associated with the low-input, extensive exploitation of camels. The present paper provides a reference for maturing pre-process and manufacture techniques for the further valorization of camel hair in the present-day textile industry and, thus, engages income opportunities for this livestock production.

A native chicken population has many desirable characteristics such as hardiness, adaptability to the particular agro-climatic condition, better disease tolerance and a specific flavour of meat and eggs. They have better conversion efficiency in converting agricultural by-products and wastes into high-quality animal protein. Efforts are being made to preserve and genetically improve native fowl for growth performance, to develop improved chicken varieties for backyard poultry farming and to make them more productive in the present scenario. Therefore, the present study was carried out to evaluate registered Indian indigenous chicken breeds to discuss variations in body weight (BW) and growth rate in experimental or field conditions. The BWs of male birds of different Indian indigenous chicken breeds at 12th, 16th, 20th, 40th and 72nd week ranged from 528.80 ± 16.70 g to 842.78 ± 19.30 g, 957.57 ± 5.66 to 1181.83 ± 18.18 g, 1465.93 ± 21.35 g to 1841 ± 20.7 g, 1478.68 ± 8.63 g to 2737 ± 50.8 g and 1620 ± 16 g to 3794 ± 20.8 g, respectively. Their BW variation may be due to their evolution under different agro-climatic conditions. Despite their slow growth rate, they are well known for their suitability in the local environment as well as their usefulness for social and economic purposes. Their productivity can be maximised by utilising these data in the breeding programme along with improving environmental factors to enhance their merit under the niche market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein of the transferrin family that is found in most bodily fluids of mammals and has a variety of biological and beneficial functions, with great importance in health enhancement as a supplement for humans and other animals. More than 300 t of lactoferrin were produced in 2021, and this number is expected to grow yearly by 10% to 12%, to over 580 t in 2030. With new and important functions of lactoferrin being revealed and studied, focus on its industrial production and application is increasing accordingly. However, lactoferrin is mainly sourced from cheese whey or skim milk by cation-exchange column chromatography, which is a costly and low-quality method. A potential solution for lactoferrin global supply chain construction is proposed in this article as a complement to traditional routes of purification from whey or skim milk. The large-scale production of lactoferrin, mainly by recombinant yeast, mammal, and grain systems, as well as the market niche and product design, are discussed.

Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein of the transferrin family that is found in most bodily fluids of mammals and has a variety of biological and beneficial functions, with great importance in health enhancement as a supplement for humans and other animals. More than 300 t of lactoferrin were produced in 2021, and this number is expected to grow yearly by 10% to 12%, to over 580 t in 2030. With new and important functions of lactoferrin being revealed and studied, focus on its industrial production and application is increasing accordingly. However, lactoferrin is mainly sourced from cheese whey or skim milk by cation-exchange column chromatography, which is a costly and low-quality method. A potential solution for lactoferrin global supply chain construction is proposed in this article as a complement to traditional routes of purification from whey or skim milk. The large-scale production of lactoferrin, mainly by recombinant yeast, mammal, and grain systems, as well as the market niche and product design, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algae-based foods have been gaining increasing popularity in recent years and hold tremendous potential, provided that there is greater awareness and knowledge about microalgae-based foods within both the general population and the food industry. These products not only offer health benefits for the human body but are also cost-effective and environmentally sustainable to produce. Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE), we assessed consumer perception and willingness to pay (WTP) of Austrian consumers for innovative food items made from microalgae, using algae crackers as an illustrative example. To approximate the weighting of the product attributes of origin, price, flavor, production method a nd packaging, we employed Choice Based Conjoint Analysis (CBCA) through an online survey (n = 301 participants). Subsequently, we approximated WTP for each product attribute based on the outcomes of the CBCA. The study reveals that, on the whole, microalgae-based food products are favorably perceived by consumers. The findings generally align with prior research in the literature, albeit with some noteworthy distinctions. For instance, there is a higher WTP for organic microalgae -based food compared to similar studies where regional production was evaluated to be of higher importance. Consequently, innovative microalgae foods seem to have significant potential in consumer food markets. Food producers should consider the expectations and perceptions of consumers in order to be able to successfully introduce novel microalgae food products in this, currently, niche market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Itobiad: Journal of the Human & Social Science Researches / İnsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Itobiad: Journal of the Human & Social Science Researches and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

When an established incumbent already exists in the market, new entrants may consider special entrance strategies for entering that market. Disruptive innovation theory suggests that new entrants may start from a low-end market and then expand into mainstream markets. A recent debate on the theory has questioned its generalizability, but such controversy originates from the attempt to apply it to any business success by a new entrant. However, different innovations require the application of different theories. Therefore, this article identifies a profitable niche market for startups and small- and medium-sized companies based on consumer preferences and determines whether disruptive innovation is likely to emerge in a particular market context. Specifically, this article investigates whether the low-end market is the profitable niche market for market entrance. It uses a choice experiment and a hierarchical Bayesian normal mixture model capable of capturing preference heterogeneity at both the individual and the segment levels to predict market entry implications in an ex-ante fashion for the wearable device market in South Korea. The characteristics of the identified niche market segment and entry product design imply that startups and small and medium-sized companies should be cautious when applying disruptive innovation theory in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the market for the selling of petroleum products has reached a stage of development where it is almost impossible to satisfy all consumers with a single oil product, each category of consumers having their own expectations from the purchased product. Consequently, oil companies must consider the differences between consumer requirements and expectations when developing both their marketing mix and their marketing strategy. To achieve such a goal, they can adopt the strategy of dividing the market for petroleum products into specific groups, each including consumers with common characteristics and similar needs for certain goods and services. The action of finding the above-mentioned groups is called market segmentation. The segmentation of the market for petroleum products is the most important marketing tool, its role being that of helping the company find its place on the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow tourism is one of the new trending concepts that bring the concept of slowness into tourism practices in the way that tourists appreciate local food, culture, heritage, and sustainability. Destinations adopting principles of slow tourism tau reduce the financial leakage of the suppliers and generate more income and employment to the locals. Thus, the case of "Moonlight farm and Resort at Barouk" area, is the core topic for this study to understand the relation between slow tourism, sustainable development and ecology, which has the roots in interest for locality, community, and green travel. The main research question is ,,How can slow tourism be a tool of sustainable development?". In order to answer this, a mixed-method approach was conducted through the use of two questionnaires addressed to tourists visiting "Moonlight farm " and residents in Barouk area. Additionally, an interview with the owner provided significant insight into the topic. The analysis of the results was beneficial in understanding the perceptions and motivations of tourists and helping promote slow tourism in this area.

The purpose of this study is to understand innovation of startups operating in a niche market. Through a review of previous research works, a conceptual model and propositions are developed, where illustration of a company case is used to exemplify this model. It reveals that a research gap exists regarding startups in a niche market with dynamic capabilities and breakthrough innovations as a source of success. This study reflects on the potential relationship between dynamic capabilities and breakthrough innovation of a startup and its subsequent effect on the performance of the startup in a niche market. It has proposed that dynamic capabilities work as a foundation for startup to develop a breakthrough innovation. It also proposed that in a niche market, both core competency and industrial network are crucial for a startup to scaleup, where breakthrough innovation works as a pathway to acquire consumer acceptance.

Islamic insurance in Indonesia is potentially expected to grow along with the increase in Islamic financial market. Hence, this paper aims to develop strategy and policy recommendations for stakeholders of Islamic insurance industry in Indonesia. This article applied ANP approach by classifying it into three aspects, namely problem, solution, and strategy. Problem and solution aspects consist of four clusters including internal, customer, competition, as well as regulation. Also, strategy offered is the strategy to improve the quality of service, strategy to develop the relationship and synergy between the authorities and the Islamic Financial Institutions. DOI: 10.15408/aiq.v10i1.5330

Conceptual ideas and methodical approaches to the creation of fastplant-technologies for a rapid development and production of niche cultures are formulated in the article for the first time, specifics of their adaptation to the market conditions, adaptation to the conditions of implementation in the system of artificial modular productions placed on the scientific and production basis of cluster unions of the production of competitive niche products. The principles of selecting the components of the fastplant-system, the designation of elements of the modular design of co-production of niche cultures are given. The features of fastplant-technologies, their structure, methodical recommendations for scientific institutions, in relation to the formation of the commercial type technological proposals for introduction into innovative and investment-active segments of the niche market are determined. In this paper the terminology regarding to the concepts definitions of niche cultures, niche products, niche market, results of testing and analysis methods development and forecasting a niche cultures (products) market, creation of a production self-regulation that depends on commercial conditions, social needs state and society based on a market private partnership market system. The seasonal fluctuations of demand for niche crops are analyzed, in this connection the principles of creation a market-oriented technologies and mobile production complexes, which provide conditions for a rapid response to the market demand fluctuations and the deployment of production in the required volumes and quality in the short windows of the off-season, are proposed. It is proved that the main problem of the fastplant-technology creation is that the outgoing scientific developments, which are transforming into selection-technological and industrial innovations, have a low coefficient of a commercial ability. Scientific institutions mostly do not possess market-oriented process methods of creation and promotion competitive scientific and innovative products to consumers. Innovations developed by consulting companies are more adapted to the harsh market conditions, and therefore more understandable to agribusiness. The research presents methodical approaches and regulatory and organizational tools for the preparation of commercial proposals by scientific institutions, on the basis of which the fastplant-technology is created and projects of their use in the science-intensive niche business.

High numbers of HEI in Indonesia, make competition between HEIs is high. Primarily middle up segments. Those HEIs also compete with overseas HEIs which establish in domestic. While in middle low segment (niche market) the competition seems in medium situation. This research aims at finding the HEIs sustainable competitive advantage in serving niche market. The methodology used in this study was qualitative descriptive analysis. Using 3 HEIs as research objects. The findings show that Financial management capability, fixed asset, geographical location, human resources, networking and partnership, technology, organization capability and consumer loyalty becomes sustainable competitive advantages of HEIs in serving and competing in niche market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the market potential for floating solar panel technologies and identifies an underutilized niche. Installations on medium-sized bodies of water such as reservoirs, small lakes and ponds are just beginning to be exploited. This study conducted qualitative interviews with regional water authorities that expressed interest in the emerging technology being applied to their reservoirs and lakes. Results indicate major public utility companies have interest tempered by the initial costs, lack of environmental impact data and implementation time. This paper explores the feasibility of a small venture focusing on a socially responsible strategic alliance to bridge this gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to empirically identify the pattern of tourists' emotional responses to profile tourists and investigate their relationships with destination image and behavioral intentions in yoga tourism. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 395 tourists visiting Rishikesh, India. Cluster analysis uncovers three distinct clusters based on the pattern of tourists' emotions: ecstatic, passionate, and unemotional. Multiple discriminant analysis confirms the validity of three clusters solution. The three yoga tourist clusters differ by their perception of destination image and behavioral intentions. Findings offer important implications for scholars and marketers to better serve this niche market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common bean fresh pod is a niche market product consumed worldwide including in Eastern Africa region. It is more preferred to dry bean due to the fresh taste and ease to cook. A lot of research has been done on production and disposition of dry bean product; however, little information is available on production and marketing of fresh bean pod in Uganda. The general observation indicates wide consumption of fresh bean pods however, there is limited information on its entire value chain, yet, its value cannot be undermined. Based on this background, a reconnaissance study was undertaken in Mpigi district, a major fresh bean growing area and eight retailing markets within Uganda’s capital, Kampala, to understand the economic feasibility of fresh bean pod market. Using qualitative approaches, farmer and market analysis was conducted to explore and understand fresh bean market dynamics. The results show that there are over 10 varieties being sold for fresh pod, unstandardized weight measures are being used, and price variation of over 50%. Additionally, unsatisfied demand for fresh pod beans is 45%. The results indicate existence of a lucrative fresh pod market valued at more than USD 2.0 million within Kampala and suburbs. It was also revealed that production faces significant gaps in seed availability to ensure consistent quality supply to the market while at selling points, bronzing effect was a major challenge leading to product deterioration. Thus, interventions are needed to eliminate the existing production and marketing challenges for a sustainable fresh bean pod business.