Food Safety Concerns in Tokushima

Author(s):  
Catherine Burns ◽  
Anne Cullen ◽  
Kumiko Katayama

This chapter offers a qualitative examination of the perceptions of food safety and purchasing practices of members from two consumer co-operatives in contemporary rural Japan. Few studies have focused on the impact of the Fukushima nuclear accident on consumers residing far from contaminated areas. A common view is that geographical proximity and the elapse of time determine the degree of consumer concern about radioactivity: fears diminish with distance and time. However, some scholars argue that distance from Fukushima is exacerbating unfounded fears about radioactive contamination of foods and therefore consumers continue to avoid purchasing Fukushima produce. These 'avoiders' tend to be portrayed in unflattering terms. This study explores a sample of consumer responses to Fukushima produce, sources of trust, and the role of the co-operative.

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 519-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenting Bu ◽  
Youyi Ni ◽  
Georg Steinhauser ◽  
Wang Zheng ◽  
Jian Zheng ◽  
...  

The Fukushima nuclear accident caused the release of large amounts of radionuclides into the environment.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Evrard ◽  
Roxanne Durand ◽  
Atsushi Nakao ◽  
J. Patrick Laceby ◽  
Irène Lefèvre ◽  
...  

<p>The Fukushima nuclear accident released large quantities of radionuclides into the environment in March 2011 and generated a 3000-km² plume of soils heavily contaminated with Cs-137. Soil erosion in the region mainly takes place during typhoons generally occurring between July and October (Laceby et al., 2016). During these events, rivers draining the main plume may transport large quantities of sediment and radiocesium. Typhoon Hagibis that occurred in October 2019 was the most intense rainfall event affecting the Fukushima region (rainfall range: 77–558 mm) since the nuclear accident in 2011. It led to extensive landsliding and river overflow.</p><p>The impact of this event on sediment sources and Cs-137 contamination was quantified through the implementation of sediment fingerprinting using geochemistry and spectrocolorimetry as potential input properties. The signature of potential source material (including cropland prepared for recultivation after decontamination, forests and subsurface material originating from landslides and channel bank collapse; n=57) was compared with that of sediment deposits collected in the Mano and Niida River catchments late in October 2019. Results show that cropland supplied the main source of sediment (average: 54%) along with forests (41%). In contrast, the contribution of subsurface material (5%) was much lower, likely because landslides and channel bank erosion mainly took place after the flood peak (Evrard et al., 2020). However, this material that deposited at the foot of hillslopes after the typhoon may be mobilized and delivered to the river network by subsequent rainfall events.</p><p>Overall, this flood did not modify the decreasing trend observed in terms of Cs-137 contamination in sediment transiting these rivers between 2011 and 2019. Concentrations in Cs-137 observed in sediment collected in 2019 were on average 84–93% lower than those measured after the accident in 2011. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of decontamination conducted on agricultural and residential soils in the region (Evrard et al., 2019), although the role of forests – that have not been remediated – as a perennial source of sediment and radiocesium in the region remains to be investigated over the longer term.</p><p>References</p><p>Evrard, O., Durand, R., Nakao, A., Patrick Laceby, J., Lefèvre, I., Wakiyama, Y., Hayashi, S., Asanuma-Brice, C. and Cerdan, O., 2020. Impact of the 2019 typhoons on sediment source contributions and radiocesium concentrations in rivers draining the Fukushima radioactive plume, Japan. Comptes Rendus Géoscience, 352(3): 199-211.</p><p>Evrard, O., Laceby, J.P. and Nakao, A., 2019. Effectiveness of landscape decontamination following the Fukushima nuclear accident: a review. SOIL, 5(2): 333-350.</p><p>Laceby, J.P., Chartin, C., Evrard, O., Onda, Y., Garcia-Sanchez, L. and Cerdan, O., 2016. Rainfall erosivity in catchments contaminated with fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 20(6): 2467-2482.</p><p> </p>


Author(s):  
Shuyang Wang ◽  
Yun Liu ◽  
Yingying Du ◽  
Xingyuan Wang

Based on event systems theory, this study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers’ impulse buying, as well as the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions from the perspective of individual consumers. Results of three experiments (N = 437) show that, first, the COVID-19 pandemic enhanced consumers’ impulse buying behavior. Second, two key elements, loss of control and anxiety, mediated the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and impulse buying; and third, moderate thinking (also known as Zhong-Yong thinking) moderated the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and impulse buying. The findings indicate that in consumers with low moderate thinking, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a stronger effect on impulse buying and has mediated more between the loss of control and anxiety. Conversely, in consumers with high moderate thinking, COVID-19 has had a weaker effect on impulse buying and has mediated less between loss of control and anxiety. This study extends the application of event systems theory and enriches the literature on how the COVID-19 pandemic affects consumer behavior. Furthermore, it provides strategic recommendations for government and consumer responses to COVID-19 pandemic shocks.


Food Control ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tae Jin Cho ◽  
Nam Hee Kim ◽  
Yoon Ji Hong ◽  
ByoungIl Park ◽  
Hee Sung Kim ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 284-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung Hyun Lee ◽  
Billy Bai

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the impact of hotel discount strategies on consumers’ emotional and behavioral responses in the presence of differential levels of involvement in discount acquisition. Design/methodology/approach – Discount strategies and the high- and low-involvement variables were fully cross-examined, yielding a 2 × 2 factorial quasi experimental design. In all, 120 surveys were collected, and multivariate analysis of variance was used for data analysis. Findings – The results suggest that fenced discounts that require consumers to accept restrictions to receive a discount generated more positive emotion and stronger behavioral intention. Moreover, an interaction effect was found between consumer’s involvement and discounts on emotional and behavioral responses toward discount-acquiring experience. Highly involved consumers resulted in more positive emotional and stronger behavioral responses (e.g. pride, gratitude, word-of-mouth and retention) from obtaining a fenced discount that requires consumers’ efforts or sacrifices. On contrary, consumers with low involvement tend to appreciate more of a fixed discount given to anyone without restrictions. Practical implications – Hotels should implement a fenced discount when they design discounts targeting at high-involvement consumers. For low-involvement consumers, a fixed discount appears to generate more positive emotion and stronger behavioral intention. Originality/value – The study enhances the theoretical understanding of consumers’ emotional and behavioral responses toward discount-acquiring experience with different levels of involvement.


Leonardo ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rama C. Hoetzlein

This paper follows the development of visual communication through information visualization in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan. While information aesthetics are often applied to large data sets retrospectively, the author developed new works concurrently with an ongoing crisis to examine the impact and social aspects of visual communication while events continued to unfold. The resulting work, Fukushima Nuclear Accident—Radiation Comparison Map, is a reflection of rapidly acquired data, collaborative on-line analysis and reflective criticism of contemporary news media, resolved into a coherent picture through the participation of an on-line community.


2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuhiro Shiba ◽  
Yoji Kitamura ◽  
Takashi Kozaka ◽  
Izumi Uno ◽  
Kikuo Shimizu ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adamantios Diamantopoulos ◽  
Ilona Szőcs ◽  
Arnd Florack ◽  
Živa Kolbl ◽  
Martin Egger

PurposeDrawing on the stereotype content model (SCM), the authors investigate the stereotype content transfer (in terms of warmth and competence) from country to brand and the simultaneous impact of these two stereotypes on consumer responses toward brands.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test a structural equation model conceptualizing brand stereotypes as full mediators between country stereotypes and consumer outcomes. In addition, in a moderated mediation analysis, the authors investigate the role of brand typicality and utilitarianism/hedonism in potentially moderating the country to brand stereotype content transfer.FindingsCountry warmth and competence, respectively, impact brand warmth and competence, thus confirming the hypothesized stereotype content transfer. This transfer is found to be robust and not contingent on brands' perceived typicality of their country of origin. However, brands' utilitarian nature amplifies the positive impact of country competence on brand competence. Finally, brand stereotypes fully mediate the impact of country stereotypes on consumers' brand attitudes and behavioral intentions.Originality/valueThe authors provide the first empirical attempt that (1) explicitly differentiates between consumers' stereotypical perceptions of countries and stereotypical perceptions of brands from these countries, (2) empirically examines the transfer of stereotypical dimensions of different targets (i.e. country to brand), (3) explores boundary conditions for such transfer and (4) simultaneously considers the impact of both kinds of stereotypes on managerially relevant consumer outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faruk Anıl Konuk

PurposeThe main purpose of the study is to examine the moderating influence of motherhood on the linkage between feeling guilty and willingness to buy organic food.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected using a questionnaire from female consumers and analyzed with structural equation modeling.FindingsThe structural equation model results revealed that food safety concern and environmental concern influence feeling guilty about buying conventional food products. The empirical findings also supported the positive effect of feeling guilty on willingness to buy organic food. Additionally, for mother consumers, the impact of food safety concern and environmental concern on feeling guilty was greater than non-mother consumers. Similarly, moderator analyses revealed that the influence of feeling guilty on willingness to buy organic food is significantly higher for mothers.Originality/valueReferring to the attitude-behavior-context (ABC) theory, the current research aimed at filling the knowledge void by examining how motherhood moderates the relationship between feeling guilty and willingness to buy organic food. Hence, understanding the moderation role of motherhood provides newer insights into consumer behavior and marketing literature. The results of the research can help both organic food producers and retailers to develop successful marketing strategies.


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