scholarly journals Do Food Quality Schemes and Net Price Premiums Go Together?

Author(s):  
Sylvette Monier-Dilhan ◽  
Thomas Poméon ◽  
Michael Böhm ◽  
Ruzica Brečić ◽  
Peter Csillag ◽  
...  

AbstractThis 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.

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cruz-Pérez Alejandra Lucía ◽  
Barrera-Ramos Jacqueline ◽  
Bernal-Ramírez Luis Alberto ◽  
Bravo-Avilez David ◽  
Rendón-Aguilar Beatriz

Abstract Background Oaxaca is one of the most diverse states in Mexico from biological and cultural points of view. Different ethnic groups living there maintain deep and ancestral traditional knowledge of medicinal plants as well as traditional practices and beliefs about diseases/illnesses and cures. Previous ethnobotanical research in this state has helped document this knowledge, but with the addition of more studies, more records appear. We updated the inventory of medicinal knowledge between the different ethnic groups that inhabit the Oaxacan territory. Methods A database was constructed from two sources: (1) original data from a 3-year project in 84 municipalities of Oaxaca inhabited by eight ethnic groups and (2) different electronic databases. Results Records of 1032 medicinal plants were obtained; 164 families were registered, with Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Rubiaceae being the most commonly used. A total of 770 species were reported in 14 vegetation types; the most important species came from temperate forests. Only 144 species corresponded to introduced species, and 272 were listed in a risk category. Illnesses of the digestive and genitourinary systems as well as culture-bound syndromes were treated with high numbers of medicinal plants. The Mestizo, Mixe, Mixtec, and Zapotec ethnic groups exhibited the greatest number of recorded medicinal plants. The 17 species that were used among almost all ethnic groups in Oaxaca were also used to cure the highest number of diseases. Discussion Inventories of medicinal plants confirm the persistence of traditional knowledge and reflect the need to recognize and respect this cosmovision. Many species are gathered in wild environments. The most important illnesses or diseases recorded in the present inventory are also mentioned in different studies, suggesting that they are common health problems in the rural communities of Mexico. Conclusions Medicinal plants are essential for ethnic groups in Oaxaca. It is necessary to recognize and understand the complex ancestral processes involved in the human-nature interaction and the role of these processes in the conservation of biodiversity and in the survivorship of ethnic groups that have persisted for centuries. Finally, this study serves as a wake-up call to respect those worldviews.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Esther Laryea ◽  
Mawunyo Avetsi ◽  
Herman Duse

Study level/applicability The case is targeted at undergraduate students in international finance, international business, entrepreneurship and strategic marketing classes. Subject area At the broadest level, the case represents an opportunity for students to discuss internationalisation of local firms. It focusses on getting students to analyse the costs and benefits associated with the foreign entry decision as well as the strategies for foreign entry. Case overview The Exploring International Markets: Unique Quality Heads to Kenya case study provides a chronological report of how Unique Quality, a cereal production company, grew locally up until the point when it considers internationalisation. It details the key considerations the firm makes as it considers its foreign entry decision. Unique Quality is a cereal production company in Ghana, which operates within the agriculture industry. The industry operates at almost all the points along the value chain including coordinating the growing of the cereal until it is harvested, packaged and marketed for sale. The company which started operations in 2013 has made great gains in penetrating the Ghanaian market. Salma, who is currently at the helm of affair at the company, together with the board is considering entering into Kenya. This decision is one that must not be taken lightly and has left Salma in a dilemma. Expected learning outcomes The expected learning outcomes of the case are:To enable students:a) identify the reasons why firms go international;b) identify opportunities for cost-cutting benefits or revenue maximisation opportunities for Unique Quality in Kenya;c) understand and identify the various sources of country risk that Unique Quality could face in its attempt to enter the Kenyan market; andd) identify and analyse the various foreign entry strategy options available to Unique Quality. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected]_to_request_teaching_notes Subject code CSS 1: Accounting and finance.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S215-S215
Author(s):  
Nitya Rathi

AimsNervecentre is an application that can be used on mobile devices and desktop computers to record and view physical observations amongst other tools. An audit had been done previously assessing the practice of recording observations using paper documentation. That audit had recommended the use of Nervecentre to improve the recording of observations. This audit was undertaken following the introduction of Nervecentre for documentation of physical observations. The aims were to evaluate if the transition to electronic documentation of NEWS (National Early Warning Score) observations on Nervecentre has improved practice in comparison to paper documentation and to evaluate if our practice could be improved by implementing electronic observations for psychiatric observations in addition.MethodData were collected over a 10-day period looking at all the documented observations from all inpatients on the MHSOP wards that met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected on the recording of psychiatric observations (recorded on paper charts) and physical observations (recorded on Nervecentre). The data were collated and analysed. The new data were compared to the original data from prior to the introduction of NerveCentre and the findings were presented at a local meeting.ResultThis audit has highlighted that the documentation of physical observations on MHSOP wards has greatly improved since Nervecentre was introduced. There was an improvement in recording of physical observations in almost all domains measured. NEWS scores were correctly documented 100% of the time compared to 87% previously. Raised NEWS scores were correctly escalated to a senior and reviewed 80% of the time compared to 0% previously. It has also highlighted that the quality of documentation regarding psychiatric observations could be improved as we are not currently meeting local or national guidance.ConclusionThe most likely cause for the improvement in the recording of the physical observations is the implementation of Nervecentre. Nervecentre prompts users when observations are due, removes the risk of calculation errors and allows for observations to be directly escalated. Implementing Nervecentre for psychiatric observations may similarly improve the quality of these observations therefore improving patient safety.


Author(s):  
Rabirou Kassali ◽  
Abayomi Yusuf Oyewale ◽  
Olufemi Adedotun Yesufu

Analysis of consumer preferences for cowpea varieties in Osun State was carried out with a view to identifying attributes that determine price variation among cowpea varieties and the effect on consumer’s willingness to pay for those varieties. A multistage sampling technique was used to randomly select 240 respondents for the study, comprising 180 cowpea consumers and 60 retailers. Primary data were collected on cowpea varieties, their attributes and the consumer’s willingness to pay for cowpea varieties using well structured questionnaire. Data collected were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that out of thirteen varieties found in the area, only nine varieties of cowpea were common in the market. The quality of each variety differs which explained variation in their price. In terms of preference the Oloyin variety is preferred most by 78% of consumers. Weevil resistance had the highest rank among the cowpea attributes. Oloyin had the highest WTP followed by Milk and Drum with ₦303, ₦237 and ₦213 per kg, respectively. Hedonic pricing methods provide a statistical estimate of premiums and discounts for cowpea attributes. Results indicated that weevil resistance was the most important attribute to consumer. Cowpeas with weevil damage tolerance, brown colour, large grain size and short cooking time commanded price premium for almost all the varieties. The consumer discounted prices for insect damage, small size, white colour, smooth skin and grain colour mixed together. The study concludes on the need for breeders and research institutes to incorporate these cowpea attributes that attracted price premium into their cowpea breeding programmes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 55-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Perzyk ◽  
A. Rodziewicz

Abstract Statistical Process Control (SPC) based on the well known Shewhart control charts, is widely used in contemporary manufacturing industry, including many foundries. However, the classic SPC methods require that the measured quantities, e.g. process or product parameters, are not auto-correlated, i.e. their current values do not depend on the preceding ones. For the processes which do not obey this assumption the Special Cause Control (SCC) charts were proposed, utilizing the residual data obtained from the time-series analysis. In the present paper the results of application of SCC charts to a green sand processing system are presented. The tests, made on real industrial data collected in a big iron foundry, were aimed at the comparison of occurrences of out-of-control signals detected in the original data with those appeared in the residual data. It was found that application of the SCC charts reduces numbers of the signals in almost all cases It is concluded that it can be helpful in avoiding false signals, i.e. resulting from predictable factors.


2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Irshad ◽  
R. G. Grainger ◽  
D. M. Peters ◽  
R. A. McPheat ◽  
K. M. Smith ◽  
...  

Abstract. The extinction spectra of laboratory generated sea salt aerosols have been measured from 1 μm to 20 μm using a Bruker 66v/S FTIR spectrometer. Concomitant measurements include temperature, pressure, relative humidity and the aerosol size distribution. The refractive indices of the sea salt aerosol have been determined using a simple harmonic oscillator band model (Thomas et al., 2004) for aerosol with relative humidities at eight different values between 0.4% to 86%. The resulting refractive index spectra show significant discrepancies when compared to existing sea salt refractive indices calculated using volume mixing rules (Shettle and Fenn, 1979). Specifically, an additional band is found in the refractive indices of dry sea salt aerosol and the new data shows increased values of refractive index at almost all wavelengths. This implies that the volume mixing rules, currently used to calculate the refractive indices of wet sea salt aerosols, are inadequate. Furthermore, the existing data for the real and imaginary parts of the refractive indices of dry sea salt aerosol are found not to display the Kramers-Kronig relationship. This implies that the original data used for the volume mixing calculations is also inaccurate.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 20-27
Author(s):  
Aditya Chidepatil ◽  
Krishnaswamy Sankaran

Distributed ledger technologies are emerging as important tools that can positively impact almost all major industries and activities in our society. They are increasingly used in various supply (value) chain applications including financial, governance, regulations, health, logistics, and other industrial sectors. In this letter, we are presenting various ongoing work related to different distributed ledger technologies and their applications in postal sector. In particular, we will highlight some of the innovations in the inclusive financial services for the underbanked and unbanked populations using distributed ledger technologies.


Author(s):  
Khawla Abu Hammour ◽  
Rana Abu Farha ◽  
Qusai Manaseer ◽  
Tasnim Dawoud ◽  
Walid Abu Hammour

Objectives: In this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate the clinical features, therapeutic options, and outcomes of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and to investigate whether MIS-C is a new variant of Kawasaki disease. Materials and methods: Adhering to PRISMA principles, we searched for eligible studies between December 2019 and June 2020 through the following databases: PubMed, ISI Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Science Direct. Studies including original data of patients aged <21 years with MIS-C and descriptions of clinical signs, laboratory or radiological investigations were selected. Results: A total of 84 studies were identified, for which 48 were eligible for full screening and only 13 studies (n=657) met our inclusion criteria. More than 70% of patients with MIS-C tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The most common symptoms were gastrointestinal (80 to 100%) and most patients presented with fever for >4 days. Mucocutaneous manifestations are similar to Kawasaki disease presented in up to 64% in some studies. Almost all patients had significant elevations in inflammatory markers, and up to 50 to 100% had elevated troponin suggesting myocardial damage. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was administered to 60% of patients in 12 studies and 80 to 100% in five studies. Steroids were administered to 10 to 95% of patients. The overall mortality rate was 0.9%. Conclusion: The temporal association between novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) onset and Kawasaki-like disease and MIS-C suggests a causal link. Both syndromes have similar cascades of symptoms and hyperinflammation, which likely explain their response to the same immunomodulatory agents. However, it is unclear yet why some children appear more susceptible to develop MIS-C.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 9360
Author(s):  
Jorge A. Valenciano-Salazar ◽  
Francisco J. André ◽  
Mario Soliño

This article analyzes the willingness to pay of Costa Rican consumers for three environmental certifications in the coffee market, namely, Carbon Neutral, Fairtrade, and ISO 14001. A face-to-face survey was applied to 1191 Costa Rican inhabitants. The results show that Costa Rican consumers are willing to pay price premiums around 30% for all the considered environmental certifications. In addition, a Cragg’s hurdle model shows that household income, the level of education, and environmental or community activism increase the likelihood of consumers paying price premiums for environmental certifications, while men are less likely to pay than women. It was also found that the size of the price premiums that respondents are willing to pay are positively related to income, gender (female), and education, and negatively related to age. Once the effect of socioeconomic variables has been controlled for, we conclude that consumers are more willing to pay for the CN certification than for the other two. The results can be useful for participants in the coffee value chain; coffee producers can use environmental certifications both to enhance their participation in green markets, particularly in developing countries, and to improve their environmental performance.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document