Healthy-Canteen Displays: A Tactic to Encourage Community Sport Canteens to Provide Healthier Food and Beverage Options

(1) Background: Community sport settings present a range of conflicting health behaviours, including the tension between being physically active and consuming discretionary foods. Therefore, community sport settings are considered a promising location for health promotion. The aim of this project was to evaluate perceptions, knowledge and the impact (e.g., barriers and outcomes) of a healthy-canteen (cafeteria) display, based on traffic light labeling (TLL), which was set up at an Australian Basketball Association Managers’ Convention and Trade Show. (2) Methods: We set up a healthy ‘canteen display and surveyed Basketball managers on their perceptions of the display before (Survey 1) and after (Survey 2) visiting the display. Three months later they were surveyed (Survey 3) on changes made to their community sport canteens. (3) Results: Eighty-eight, 76 and 22 participants completed Surveys 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Participants believed stocking healthy foods and beverages was important (mean 8.5/10). Food waste, lack of consumer interest and price were identified barriers to stocking healthy foods. After visiting the display, 75% were inspired to make changes and 50% were surprised by the differences between their perceptions of the healthfulness of foods and the TLL ratings. Post-convention, 41% and 70% made or had planned healthy changes to their community sport canteen. (4) Conclusions: A healthy-canteen display is a low-cost, easy-to-implement strategy that may be able to direct self-driven improvement in the healthfulness of foods stocked at community canteens and lead to improved nutritional intakes at these venues.

Canada as a Case Study for Balanced Presentation to Address Controversy on Emission Reduction Policies

Controversy is common on environmental issues, with carbon taxation in Canada a current example. This paper uses Canada as a case study for analysis based around balanced presentation, a technique developed some time ago, yet largely forgotten. Using the method, analysis is shifted away from the point of controversy to a broader quantitative question, with comparative data employed from official government sources. Simple quantitative analysis is applied to evaluate emission trends of individual Canadian provinces, with quantitative metrics to identify and confirm the application of relevant emission reduction policies by individual jurisdictions. From 2005 through 2019, three provinces show consistent downward emission trends, two show consistent upward trends, and the remaining five have no trends, showing relatively “flat” profiles. The results clarify, in terms of diverse emission reduction policies, where successes have occurred, and where deficiencies or ambiguities have existed. Neither carbon taxation nor related cap-and-trade show any association with long-term reductions in overall emissions. One policy does stand out as being associated with long-term reductions, namely grid decarbonization. The results suggest a possible need within Canada to rethink emission reduction policies. The method may be relevant as a model for other countries to consider as well.

European Expert Buyers’ Perceptions of New Zealand Agri-food Products and Businesses: An Explanation of the Theory of Buyer-Seller Relationships and Country of Origin Theory

With agrifood export earnings so pivotal to New Zealand (NZ)’s economy, understanding how expert buyers perceive the country’s agrifood products and businesses is imperative. This holds particularly true for the European Union (EU), being one of NZ’s main trading partners. This research draws on the key theories centering on buyer-seller relationships and Country of Origin (CoO) theory, investigating specifically the perceptions of NZ agrifood products and businesses held by European expert buyers who have different levels of knowledge and experience. A quantitative survey was conducted which investigated these perceptions held by the European expert buyers accessed in-person at a trade show in 2015 in Germany. Bipolar adjective scales were used to test product and business attributes. One-way ANOVA’s were adopted to test for perceptual differences between European buyers with high/medium/low experience with New Zealand’s agrifood products and/or businesses. Overall, New Zealand agrifood products and businesses were viewed positively from the perspective of European expert buyers, with the degree of positivity increasing as the level of experience increased. This study also highlighted the need for future research on how CoO affects buyer-seller relationships, especially via the concept of the “halo effect”.

RATINGS AND PROJECTIONS OF U.S . ECONOMIC RECOVERY

The forecasts of the economic development for the next years vary among countries and projections depend greatly on how long the pandemic and social distancing will take place and on the measures that are taken place for increasing social and economic activities, commerce. Meanwhile ratings of US leadership are declining, with the worst results in Europe. The rapid spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 made US leading country in confirmed cases and created a new reality for the national economy. As to the US the fall of real gross domestic product in 2020 is expected around the average of OECD countries, more than in Japan; less than in in Great Britain, Italy, France. Unemployment rate is projected going down in 2021 (comparing with 2020) but remaining still high. Experts are examining possible outcomes of coronavirus spreading and its consequences for the dynamics of GDP, unemployment, international trade and world investment. The projections seem not very bright for the next year; and it will take time for returning to pre pandemic indicators. While forecasts of declining international trade show the fall in world merchandise exports would be large, the estimates show beginning growth in exports next year.

Strategizing of the Tourism and Trade Show Industries in Kuzbass Region

The collective monograph "Strategizing of the Tourism and Trade Show Industries in Kuzbass Region" of the Library "Kuzbass Region Strategy" is a tourism and trade show industries comprehensive study that is of strategic importance in the Kuzbass Region economy. Kuzbass Region strategic branding, the development of which is based on rich cultural, historical, recreational, industrial potential and extensive experience of economic relations with adjacent regions, is considered as an effective tool of positioning and promotion of the region on the Russia and the world tourist map.