scholarly journals Blockchain Technology in Wine Chain for Collecting and Addressing Sustainable Performance: An Exploratory Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12898
Author(s):  
Gloria Luzzani ◽  
Erica Grandis ◽  
Marco Frey ◽  
Ettore Capri
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Sustainable Performance ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Sustainability Standards

Sustainability standards have not yet been commonly adopted by the whole wine chain, and indicator assessments are not widely spread. A deep understanding of how embedding sustainability into business while controlling costs related to the adoption of sustainability certification standards such as data collection and management practices could allow one to overcome most barriers relevant to sustainability compliance. Blockchain technology (BCT) may answer these needs. In order to verify BCT potential to be used as a sustainability management tool in the wine industry, with a qualitative triple bottom line research approach, this article explores the connections among BCT adoption in agri-food, issues posed by wine sustainability certification, and whether wine companies that already own a wine sustainability certification are prepared to adopt it. Results show that (1) the blockchain allows collecting data and information that are relevant for monitoring and improving sustainability: Soil and water features, climate conditions, treatment with pesticides and fertilizers, production process, traceability, transparency, labor and human rights, quality and safety, waste reduction, authenticity, relationship with stakeholders; (2) wine companies that already own a sustainability certification have little familiarity with blockchain applications (57.1%, n.21) and only 14% of the respondents support their intention to invest in BCT in the coming years; (3) the case study shows improvements in traceability and transparency along the supply chain and an increase in consumers’ trust that was reflected in sales growth, and the main costs are linked to complexity in data management.

Predicting bycatch hotspots based on suitable habitat derived from fishery-independent data

2020 ◽  
Vol 641 ◽  
pp. 159-175
Author(s):  
J Runnebaum ◽  
KR Tanaka ◽  
L Guan ◽  
J Cao ◽  
L O’Brien ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
Homarus Americanus ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
American Lobster ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Suitability Index

Bycatch remains a global problem in managing sustainable fisheries. A critical aspect of management is understanding the timing and spatial extent of bycatch. Fisheries management often relies on observed bycatch data, which are not always available due to a lack of reporting or observer coverage. Alternatively, analyzing the overlap in suitable habitat for the target and non-target species can provide a spatial management tool to understand where bycatch interactions are likely to occur. Potential bycatch hotspots based on suitable habitat were predicted for cusk Brosme brosme incidentally caught in the Gulf of Maine American lobster Homarus americanus fishery. Data from multiple fisheries-independent surveys were combined in a delta-generalized linear mixed model to generate spatially explicit density estimates for use in an independent habitat suitability index. The habitat suitability indices for American lobster and cusk were then compared to predict potential bycatch hotspot locations. Suitable habitat for American lobster has increased between 1980 and 2013 while suitable habitat for cusk decreased throughout most of the Gulf of Maine, except for Georges Basin and the Great South Channel. The proportion of overlap in suitable habitat varied interannually but decreased slightly in the spring and remained relatively stable in the fall over the time series. As Gulf of Maine temperatures continue to increase, the interactions between American lobster and cusk are predicted to decline as cusk habitat continues to constrict. This framework can contribute to fisheries managers’ understanding of changes in habitat overlap as climate conditions continue to change and alter where bycatch interactions could occur.

scholarly journals Using Blockchain Technology to Foster Collaboration among Shippers and Carriers in the Trucking Industry: A Design Science Research Approach

Logistics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Serkan Alacam ◽  
Asli Sencer
Keyword(s):  
Private Information ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Trucking Industry ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Storage Solutions ◽  
Sustainability Problems ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Industry Professionals

In the global trucking industry, vertical collaboration between shippers and carriers is attained by intermediaries, called brokers. Brokers organize carriers for a shipper in accordance with its quality and price requirements, and support carriers to collaborate horizontally by sharing a large distribution order from a shipper. Brokers also act as trustees, preventing the passing of private information of any party to the others. Despite these benefits, intermediaries in the trucking industry are involved in several sustainability problems, including high costs, high levels of carbon emissions, high percentages of empty miles, low-capacity utilizations, and driver shortages. Several studies have acknowledged the importance of improving collaboration to address these problems. Obviously, the major concern of brokers is not collaboration, but rather to optimize their own gains. This paper investigates the potential of blockchain technology to improve collaboration in the trucking industry, by eliminating brokers while preserving their responsibilities as organizers and trustees. This paper extends the transportation control tower concept from the logistics literature, and presents a system architecture for its implementation through smart contracts on a blockchain network. In the proposed system, the scalability and privacy of trucking operations are ensured through integration with privacy-preserving off-chain computation and storage solutions (running outside of the blockchain). The potential of this design artifact for fostering collaboration in the trucking industry was evaluated by both blockchain technology experts and trucking industry professionals.

scholarly journals Establishment of Regional Phytoremediation Buffer Systems for Ecological Restoration in the Great Lakes Basin, USA. I. Genotype × Environment Interactions

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald S. Zalesny ◽  
Andrej Pilipović ◽  
Elizabeth R. Rogers ◽  
Joel G. Burken ◽  
Richard A. Hallett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Recurrent Selection ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
Annual Increment ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
The North ◽  
Local Soil

Poplar remediation systems are ideal for reducing runoff, cleaning groundwater, and delivering ecosystem services to the North American Great Lakes and globally. We used phyto-recurrent selection (PRS) to establish sixteen phytoremediation buffer systems (phyto buffers) (buffer groups: 2017 × 6; 2018 × 5; 2019 × 5) throughout the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan watersheds comprised of twelve PRS-selected clones each year. We tested for differences in genotypes, environments, and their interactions for health, height, diameter, and volume from ages one to four years. All trees had optimal health. Mean first-, second-, and third-year volume ranged from 71 ± 26 to 132 ± 39 cm3; 1440 ± 575 to 5765 ± 1132 cm3; and 8826 ± 2646 to 10,530 ± 2110 cm3, respectively. Fourth-year mean annual increment of 2017 buffer group trees ranged from 1.1 ± 0.7 to 7.8 ± 0.5 Mg ha−1 yr−1. We identified generalist varieties with superior establishment across a broad range of buffers (‘DM114’, ‘NC14106’, ‘99038022’, ‘99059016’) and specialist clones uniquely adapted to local soil and climate conditions (‘7300502’, ‘DN5’, ‘DN34’, ‘DN177’, ‘NM2’, ‘NM5’, ‘NM6’). Using generalists and specialists enhances the potential for phytoremediation best management practices that are geographically robust, being regionally designed yet globally relevant.

SmartWoW – constructing a tool for knowledge work performance analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miikka Palvalin ◽  
Maiju Vuolle ◽  
Aki Jääskeläinen ◽  
Harri Laihonen ◽  
Antti Lönnqvist
Keyword(s):  
Work Performance ◽  
Knowledge Work ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Work Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
New Ways Of Working ◽  
Novel Approach

Purpose – New Ways of Working (NewWoW) refers to a novel approach for improving the performance of knowledge work. The purpose of this paper is to seek innovative solutions concerning facilities, information technology tools and work practices in order to be able to “work smarter, not harder.” In order to develop work practices toward the NewWoW mode there is a need for an analytical management tool that would help assess the status of the organization’s current work practices and demonstrate the impacts of development initiatives. This paper introduces such a tool. Design/methodology/approach – Constructive research approach was chosen to guide the development of the Smart ways of working (SmartWoW) tool. The tool was designed on the basis of previous knowledge work performance literature as well as on interviews in two knowledge-intensive organizations. The usefulness of the tool was verified by applying it in four organizations. Findings – SmartWoW is a compact questionnaire tool for analyzing and measuring knowledge work at the individual level. The questionnaire consists of four areas: work environment, personal work practices, well-being at work and productivity. As SmartWoW is a standardized tool its results are comparable between organizations. Research limitations/implications – SmartWoW was designed a pragmatic managerial tool. It is considered possible that it can be valuable as a research instrument as well but the current limited amount of collected data does not yet facilitate determining its usefulness from that perspective. Originality/value – This paper makes a contribution to the existing literature on knowledge work measurement and management by introducing an analytical tool which takes into account the NewWoW perspective.

Soil respiration under different agricultural land use types in Croatia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darija Bilandžija ◽  
Marija Galić ◽  
Željka Zgorelec
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Energy Crop ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Uncertainty Estimates

<p>In order to mitigate climate change and reduce the anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the Kyoto protocol has been adopted in 1997 and the Paris Agreement entered into force in 2016. The Paris Agreement have ratified 190 out of 197 Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Croatia is one of them as well. Each Party has obliged regularly to submit the national inventory report (NIR) providing the information on the national anthropogenic GHG emissions by sources and removals by sinks to the UNFCCC. Reporting under the NIR is divided into six categories / sectors, and one of them is land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector, where an issue of uncertainty estimates on carbon emissions and removals occurs. As soil respiration represents the second-largest terrestrial carbon flux, the national studies on soil respiration can reduce the uncertainty and improve the estimation of country-level carbon fluxes. Due to the omission of national data, the members of the University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Department of General Agronomy have started to study soil respiration rates in 2012, and since then many different studies on soil respiration under different agricultural land uses (i.e. annual crops, energy crop and vineyard), management practices (i.e. tillage and fertilization) and climate conditions (i.e. continental and mediterranean) in Croatia have been conducted. The obtained site specific results on field measurements of soil carbon dioxide concentrations by <em>in situ</em> closed static chamber method will be presented in this paper.</p>

scholarly journals Organizational Factors as Predictors of Knowledge Management Practices in Federal University Libraries in Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyprian Ifeanyi Ugwu
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Management Support ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Internal Reliability ◽  
Knowledge Management Practices ◽  
Positive Correlations

Abstract Objective – University libraries in Nigeria are facing challenges arising from poor funding, increasing user demands, and a competitive information environment. Knowledge management has been accepted by information professionals as a viable management tool, but issues surrounding its application require empirical investigation. The aim of this study is to determine the organizational factors that are correlates and predictors of knowledge management practices in federal university libraries in Nigeria. Methods – The study was based on a correlational research design. Twenty heads of university libraries in Nigeria responded to a structured questionnaire developed by the researcher. The questionnaire was validated by experts and its internal reliability was 0.78 obtained through Cronbach’s alpha procedures. The data collected were analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation, One-Way ANOVA, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, and regression analysis. Results – The study found that management support and collaboration were the most significant predictors of knowledge management practices in federal university libraries in Nigeria.  Even though human resources policy and rewards systems had positive correlations with knowledge management practices, their correlation coefficients were not significant. Conclusion – The success of knowledge management in university libraries in Nigeria depends on some contextual factors such as the support given by the management staff and the extent of collaboration among staff.

Marketing information system and strategies for sustainable and competitive medicinal and aromatic plants trade

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 806-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pramod Chandra ◽  
Vinay Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
North India ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Aromatic Plants ◽  
Primary Producers ◽  
Medicinal And Aromatic Plants ◽  
Sustainable Resources ◽  
Marketing Information ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

Realizing the sustainability and competitiveness in the trade of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) resources of north India is challenging due to lack of participation from the primary producers (growers and harvesters). This is credited to their unawareness of sustainable resources management practices caused by the lack of a marketing information system (MIS) in the trade. The introduction of a MIS can supplement sustainability in the sector, while improving competitiveness. Through a qualitative research approach, this study investigates the need for marketing information among the primary producers of medicinal and aromatic plants of Uttarakhand, and offers a comprehensive framework for a provincial MIS and strategies for the MAP trade. The proposed MIS would be helpful in linking the MAP trade with sustainability and competitiveness.

Factors influencing Midwestern grain farmers’ use of risk management tools

2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-203
Author(s):  
Brian K. Coffey ◽  
Ted C. Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multinomial Logit Regression ◽  
Decision Choices ◽  
Grain Farmers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships between grain farm and farmer profiles and their respective choices to use forward pricing techniques and revenue protection crop insurance to manage risk.Design/methodology/approachAn e-mail survey of Midwestern grain farmers elicited farmer demographic information, farm profile, risk attitudes and farmer use of forward pricing and revenue protection insurance. Responses regarding use of risk management tools were compiled as choices to use possible bundles of tools to account for simultaneous nature of the decision. Choices to use bundles of tools were used as the independent variable categories in a multinomial logit regression. Regressors were relevant data collected from the survey.FindingsFarm size, using a market advisory service, and being a technology adopter are the most important factors in predicting risk management tool use by grain farmers. Farmers tend to use forward pricing and revenue protection insurance in combination. Large farms are more likely to use forward pricing tools.Practical implicationsResults provide researchers, extension professionals and risk management specialists with a current understanding of how farm and farmer characteristics relate to use of risk management tools. The authors also elaborate on findings to provide guidance for future risk management research.Originality/valueThe survey covered 9 Midwestern states and 648 grain farmers. The survey results update understanding of grain farmers’ risk management practices. The empirical approach treats risk management decisions to use available tools as simultaneous, which recent literature suggests is more appropriate than earlier approaches.

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