scholarly journals Carbon Footprint Calculator Customized for Rice Products: Concept and Characterization of Rice Value Chains in Southeast Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 315
Author(s):  
Reiner Wassmann ◽  
Nguyen Van-Hung ◽  
Bui Tan Yen ◽  
Martin Gummert ◽  
Katherine M. Nelson ◽  
...  

In this study, we developed user-friendly software (CF-Rice) for calculating the carbon footprints (CF) of rice products. The approach follows the principles of Life Cycle Assessment while incorporating more flexibility for activities specific to rice production. The graphical user interface provides empirical emission and conversion factors obtained from the literature and from primary research studies of rice value chains. CF-Rice also allows the entering of new values for specific processes or practices. Data outputs distinguish among the contributions of individual stages of the value chain as well as different greenhouse gases (GHG), namely, CH4, N2O and CO2. The new tool was then applied to a scenario assessment of rice production in the regional context of Southeast Asia. The CF baseline of a typical rice value chain in the region accounted for a value of around 2300 g CO2e/kgProd. The CF can be reduced by about 27.4% through water-saving practices alone and can further be reduced up to 37.3% through interventions that increase product recovery rates and, thus, reduce food losses. In contrast, straw incorporation into the soil increased the CF by 26.0%. The tool is well suited for impact assessments of advanced practices and technologies of rice value chains.

Aquaculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 524 ◽  
pp. 735149
Author(s):  
Abu Hayat Md. Saiful Islam ◽  
Mohammad R. Hasan

2020 ◽  
Vol 252 ◽  
pp. R19-R32
Author(s):  
Robert Marschinski ◽  
David Martínez-Turégano

The EU´s falling share in global manufacturing has fuelled concerns about an overall loss of EU competitiveness, in particular vis-à-vis China. We analyse the empirical evidence underlying these concerns by applying a newly developed decomposition technique to global input-output data spanning the years 2000 to 2014. Our results confirm the diminishing role of the EU in manufacturing value chains, but also show that this is mostly, by nearly 75 per cent, a consequence of the geographical and sectoral reallocation of global demand, reflecting the lower economic growth in the EU relative to the rest of the world. Still, the other almost 25 per cent of the EU’s loss of global share is explained by its lower participation in manufacturing value chains, which confirms a downturn in EU competitiveness. By extending the analysis to individual manufacturing activities we show that this general trend is more pronounced for low-tech (e.g. textiles) than high-tech sectors, with pharmaceuticals emerging as the most resilient EU industry. Policy concerns appear to be most warranted for electronics, a key sector for which the EU´s global share fell even more than for overall manufacturing, without evidence that EU value added from upstream service inputs could significantly mitigate this trend.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6551
Author(s):  
Gaëlle Petit ◽  
Gwenola Yannou-Le Bris ◽  
Claudia Eckert ◽  
Yan Liu

The transition of existing food value chains towards greater sustainability is a societal imperative and a potential competitive factor. To succeed, some actors in the chains define new practices to establish common sustainability goals. To date, there is little evidence that the visions and values of the various actors in the chains have been leading to common solutions. This work explores the impact of collaboration on the value chain actors’ ability to jointly decide strategies for redesigning their activities. It reports on an empirical approach, which elicits the values and priorities of different stakeholders. The case takes place in the context of a value chain of the production/processing/sale of pork products. This value chain involves two French production-processing and redistribution cooperatives. Stakeholders were questioned about their prioritization of sustainability issues and these weights were applied to evaluate 12 animal feed solutions that vary in terms of the composition and geographical origin of rations, and the means and locations of their production. The results show that despite several years of cooperation, the objectives of the upstream and downstream actors remain different. The objectives of the upstream actors are driven by the economic difficulties of production and those of the downstream actors by the multiplicity of consumer demands and cost control objectives. In a reversal of the current practice marked by the economic difficulties of the actors upstream of the chain, an integrated culture could be led by bottom-up approaches to create a shared vision. Public policy would be then essential in regulating the sharing of value among actors; and in promoting chain models that help the required investments.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1566
Author(s):  
Cosette Khawaja ◽  
Rainer Janssen ◽  
Rita Mergner ◽  
Dominik Rutz ◽  
Marco Colangeli ◽  
...  

Bioenergy represents the highest share of renewable energies consumed in the European Union and is still expected to grow. This could be possible by exploring bioenergy production on Marginal, Underutilised, and Contaminated lands (MUC) that are not used for agricultural purposes and therefore, present no competition with food/feed production. In this paper, the viability and sustainability of bioenergy value chains on these lands is investigated and measures for market uptake were developed. Using three case study areas in Italy, Ukraine, and Germany, a screening of MUC lands was conducted, then an agronomic assessment was performed to determine the most promising crops. Then, techno-economic assessments followed by sustainability assessments were performed on selected value chains. This concept was then automated and expanded through the development of a webGIS tool. The tool is an online platform that allows users to locate MUC lands in Europe, to define a value chain through the selection of bioenergy crops and pathways, and to conduct sustainability assessments measuring a set of environmental, social, and economic sustainability indicators. The findings showed positive results in terms of profitability and greenhouse gas emissions for bioethanol production from willow in Ukraine, heat and power production from miscanthus, and biogas and chemicals production from grass in Germany. The webGIS tool is considered an important decision-making tool for stakeholders, which gives first insights on the viability and sustainability of bioenergy value chains.


2021 ◽  
pp. 395-418
Author(s):  
Reena das Nair

Despite the changing face of global trade towards greater ‘south-south’ trade, the development of regional value chains (RVCs) and the record of intra-regional trade and integration in Southern Africa has been poor. This chapter unpacks the nuances that affect participation, investment, and upgrading in RVCs in Southern Africa, drawing lessons from selected agro-processing and food retail value chains. The lack of a clear regional development vision is evident in how these value chains have developed in practice, with limited value-addition outside South Africa, even where there is potential for it. Regional integration in Southern Africa has been fairly weak against stated targets, and the development of RVCs can push forward the regional integration agenda. This requires tailored and coordinated investments across public and private sectors, and targeted policy interventions at a value chain level, with an appreciation of political economy dynamics and the role that South African firms with market power play in shaping value-chain outcomes in the region.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Maaß ◽  
Nicola Consmüller ◽  
Hella Kehlenbeck

Genome editing (GE) is gaining increasing importance in plant breeding, since it provides opportunities to develop improved crops with high precision and speed. However, little is known about the socioeconomic impact of genome editing on agricultural value chains. This qualitative study analyzes how genome-edited crops could affect agriculture value chains. Based on the hypothetical case of producing and processing fungal-resistant and coeliac-safe wheat in Germany, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with associations and companies operating in the value chains of wheat. A value chain analysis and qualitative content analysis were combined to assess the costs and benefits of the crops studied along the value chains of wheat. The results show that the use of fungal-resistant and coeliac-safe wheat can provide benefits at each step of the value chains. Fungal-resistant wheat benefits actors by reducing the problems and costs resulting from fungal-diseases and mycotoxins. Coeliac-safe wheat benefits actors by producing high value-added products, which can be safely consumed by patients suffering from coeliac disease. However, the results also show that low acceptance of GE by society and food retailers poses a significant barrier for the use of genome-edited crops in agricultural value chains.


2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Preckel ◽  
Allan Gray ◽  
Michael Boehlje ◽  
Sounghun Kim

Much discussion, analysis and experimentation with various forms of value chain coordination has occurred, but often, these business arrangements have not been sustainable. We address the important role that risk/reward sharing plays in developing sustainable value chains. The discussion will: 1) describe an analytical framework for determining the optimal risk/reward sharing between partners in a value chain, and 2) illustrate the application of the framework to contractual arrangements between producers and processors in the pork industry. We find that contract structures must balance the risk/reward preferences of both producers and processors in order to be sustainable.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 521-533
Author(s):  
Truong Quang Dung ◽  
Lawrence Bryan Bonney ◽  
Rajendra P. Adhikari ◽  
Morgan P. Miles

Purpose This study aims to take a whole-of-chain perspective to explore how entrepreneurial orientation (EO) influences collaborative performance in agri-food value-chains through enhancing the acquisition of knowledge. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a survey of 233 actors, including farmers, intermediaries and retailers in one beef cattle value-chain in the Central Highlands, Vietnam. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses. Findings The actors’ level of EO within a value-chain is positively associated with collaborative performance within the beef value-chain. Additionally, knowledge acquisition partially mediates the relationship between EO and collaborative performance. Research limitations/implications Generalizability is limited because of sampling constraints. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of EO from a whole-of-chain perspective in agri-food value-chains in an emerging economy and has implications for policymakers and agri-food marketers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (S2) ◽  
pp. 41-72
Author(s):  
Katalin Antalóczy ◽  
Tamás Gáspár ◽  
Magdolna Sass

The length, the composition, the quality and the characteristics of value chains essentially determine the corporate as well as the macroeconomic performance of the economic sectors and industries. Hungary has a strong tradition in the pharmaceutical industry but its dynamising impact seems to be limited on the economy. The aim of this paper is to detect and reveal the specialties of the Hungarian pharmaceutical industry both in space and time by a value chain analysis. Our method is partly quantitative, we use an input-output analysis; and partly qualitative, relying on interviews with the representatives of pharmaceutical companies. We found that the Hungarian pharma value chain is really special, having relatively short backward and forward linkages with mainly indirect value-added contribution as well as high import content of exports. However, our company interviews revealed the fundamental differences between original and generic value chains – i.e. again a pharma industry-specific distinction. Having relatively little original and more substantial generic production in Hungary explains much of the value chain specialties, which leaves its mark on the limited impact of the industry on the national economy.


Author(s):  
Marion Drut ◽  
Federico Antonioli ◽  
Michael Böhm ◽  
Ruzica Brečić ◽  
Liesbeth Dries ◽  
...  

AbstractThis paper estimates the foodmiles (embedded distances) and transport-related carbon emissions of 27 Food Quality Scheme (FQS) products – Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) and organic – and their reference products. It goes further than the existing literature by adopting a value chain perspective, instead of the traditional consumer perspective, and focusing on FQS products. The same methodology is applied across all the case studies. The article specifically investigates the determinants of differences between FQS and their references. FQS products travel significantly shorter distances (−30%) and generate significantly lower transport-related emissions (−23%) than conventional food products. The differences are even greater for vegetal and organic products. The relationship between distance and transport-related emissions is not exactly proportional and highlights the importance of transport modes and logistics, in particular for exports and imports. Finally, we stress the importance of the spatial distribution of the different stages in the value chains (e.g. production, processing). PDO technical specifications delimit a geographical area for production and processing, thereby limiting distances and transport-related emissions compared to conventional food products, but also compared to other types of FQS.


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