1
|
El Bilali H, Ben Hassen T. Regional Agriculture and Food Systems Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the Near East and North Africa Region. Foods 2024; 13:297. [PMID: 38254598 PMCID: PMC10815245 DOI: 10.3390/foods13020297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic affected agri-food systems worldwide. However, while the impacts differed from one country/region to another, the scholarly literature seems to focus on developed countries in the Global North. Consequently, this review scrutinizes the literature on the pandemic's impacts in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. A search on the Web of Science in March 2023 generated 334 documents, of which 151 were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. According to the bibliometric analysis, the most active nations are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon. In general, the coverage of studies is better in the Gulf region than in the less developed countries of North Africa and those suffering from wars (cf. Libya, Syria, and Yemen). Studies generally focus on crop production and the downstream food chain (cf. distribution and consumption). While the pandemic influenced every pillar of food security, this research concentrates on access and utilization. Meanwhile, the lion's share of the literature deals with the pandemic's socio-economic effects, especially those linked to food (in)security and health. The pandemic, which laid bare the agri-food system vulnerabilities, should be seized to foster the transition towards more resilient agri-food systems in the NENA region.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hamid El Bilali
- International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM-Bari), Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy;
| | - Tarek Ben Hassen
- Program of Policy, Planning, and Development, Department of International Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vaško Ž, Ostojić A, Ben Hassen T, Berjan S, El Bilali H, Durđić I, Marzban S. Food waste perceptions and reported behaviours during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Waste Manag Res 2023; 41:312-327. [PMID: 36127885 PMCID: PMC9490395 DOI: 10.1177/0734242x221122495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
An increasing corpus of data demonstrated the disruptive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food consumption habits, particularly food waste, but the Balkan area is often overlooked. Accordingly, this study investigates the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer knowledge and reported behaviours linked to food waste in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research was based on an online survey with 2425 participants using the Google forms platform from 10 April to 10 May 2020. This period coincided with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Consumers' behaviours regarding where and how often they buy food, their attitude towards food labels, food provision and particularly the amounts and values of food waste and how they handle it were investigated. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics methods, and the significance of the association between variables was determined using nonparametric and multivariate statistical tests. The study's findings revealed that (i) Bosnia has a low rate of household food waste and a favourable attitude towards food waste prevention, (ii) the majority of the respondents are familiar with the most common expiry labels, notably 'use by' and 'best before' and (iii) consumers adjusted their buying and consumption patterns due to the pandemic. The findings of this research are essential for developing evidence-based policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the post-pandemic recovery period since they are unique to that country. Indeed, the crisis' lessons and insights may be used to help move towards more sustainable consumption habits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Željko Vaško
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of
Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Aleksandar Ostojić
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of
Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Tarek Ben Hassen
- Program of Policy, Planning, and
Development, Department of International Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences,
Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Siniša Berjan
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of
East Sarajevo, East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Hamid El Bilali
- International Centre for Advanced
Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM-Bari), Bari, Italy
| | - Igor Durđić
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of
East Sarajevo, East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Soroush Marzban
- Department of Agricultural Extension
& Education, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Allahyari MS, Marzban S, El Bilali H, Ben Hassen T. Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on household food waste behaviour in Iran. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11337. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
|
4
|
Nicewicz R, Bilska B. The Impact of the Nutritional Knowledge of Polish Students Living Outside the Family Home on Consumer Behavior and Food Waste. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:13058. [PMID: 36293636 PMCID: PMC9602969 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Food waste remains a major problem for the world and food security. Despite the fact that consumers are significant producers of food waste, little research attention has been paid to young people who are in college and living away from the family home. The present study aimed to assess food waste among college students living away from the family home, taking into account the nutritional knowledge acquired during college. In addition, the goal was to compare how nutritional knowledge affects food waste and consumer behavior in the study group. Descriptive statistics were performed on behaviors with food management at home, as well as shopping planning and self-shopping at the store, for the total respondents, students with nutritional knowledge and students without such knowledge. A chi-square test was performed to show whether the field of study influences the frequency of food throwing away and the appropriate management of excess food. Spearman's rank correlations were calculated for the frequency of food discarding, the frequency and amount of shopping and the field of study. The results indicate that the field of study determined food discarding and appropriate food management (p < 0.05), while it was found that fermented dairy beverages, fruits and vegetables and bread were the most frequently discarded foods in both study groups (p < 0.05). Students with nutritional knowledge were less likely to throw away food compared to students without nutritional knowledge and were better at managing excess food.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Nicewicz
- Faculty of Human Nutrition, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW-WULS), Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Bilska
- Department of Food Gastronomy and Food Hygiene, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW-WULS), Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Matsumoto R, Kawano Y, Motomura E, Shiroyama T, Okada M. Analyzing the changing relationship between personal consumption and suicide mortality during COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, using governmental and personal consumption transaction databases. Front Public Health 2022; 10:982341. [PMID: 36159241 PMCID: PMC9489934 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.982341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
During the early stages of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, suicides did not increase in most countries/regions. Japan, however, was an exception to this, reporting increased numbers of female suicides with no changes in male suicide. To explore the trends of increasing suicides, the fluctuations of personal consumption (as an indicator of lifestyle) and standardized suicide death rate (SDR) disaggregated by age, sex, and prefecture, were determined using a linear mixed-effect model. Additionally, fixed effects of personal consumption on SDR during the pandemic were also analyzed using hierarchical linear regression models with robust standard errors. During the first wave of the pandemic, SDR for both sexes decreased slightly but increased during the second half of 2020. SDR of females younger than 70 years old and males younger than 40 years old continued to increase throughout 2021, whereas SDR for other ages of both sexes did not increase. Personal consumption expenditures on out-of-home recreations (travel agencies, pubs, and hotels) and internet/mobile communication expenses decreased, but expenditures on home-based recreations (contents distribution) increased during the pandemic. Increased expenditures on internet/mobile communication were related to increasing SDR of both sexes. Increasing expenditures on content distributions were related to increasing females' SDR without affecting that of males. Decreasing expenditures on pubs were related to increasing SDR of both sexes in the non-metropolitan region. These findings suggest that transformed individual lifestyles, extended time at home with a decreased outing for contact with others, contributed to the progression of isolation as a risk of suicide. Unexpectedly, increasing compensatory contact with others using internet/mobile communication enhanced isolation resulting in increased suicide risk.
Collapse
|
6
|
Wu J, Chen Y, Pan H, Xu A. Influence of Multi-Role Interactions in Community Group-Buying on Consumers' Lock-In Purchasing Intention From a Fixed Leader Based on Role Theory and Trust Transfer Theory. Front Psychol 2022; 13:903221. [PMID: 35783755 PMCID: PMC9240223 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.903221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Community group-buying platforms are increasingly relying on the interaction between the group-buying leader and consumers, thereby achieving the customer lock-in. In view of this, it is crucial to understand how the group-buying leader to establish a long-term transaction relationship with consumers. In this study, we construct a model based on the role theory and trust transfer theory, and identify two types of interactions of the group-buying leader (i.e., role interaction of merchant and role interaction of friend) and two types of consumer trust (i.e., community group-buying trust and interpersonal trust). Then, the mechanism that how different role interactions of the group-buying leader can be transformed into the lock-in purchasing intention of consumers is further clarified. By interviewing 430 consumers with community group-buying experience in the community through offline questionnaire, the research model has been proven to be effective. To be specific, both role interactions of the merchant and friend can impose a positive impact on interpersonal trust, which will also lead to the trust in community group-buying, and thus enhance the lock-in purchasing intension of consumers from a fixed leader. Overall, this study has made certain contributions to the study of customer relationship. In theory, this study further explains the explanation mechanism of the "acquaintance marketing" phenomenon. Moreover, this study adopts the role theory to analyze the differences of different role interactions of the group-buying leader in relationship quality and purchase decision making, and employs the trust transfer theory to expand the trust transfer effect from the interpersonal trust of the group-buying leader to the trust in community group-buying. In practice, this study provides a new perspective and practical reference for community group-buying enterprises and the group-buying leader on how to better manage customers and maintain a long-term and stable customer relationship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anxin Xu
- College of Economics and Management, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Smith NJ, Markowitz SY, Hoffman AN, Fanselow MS. Adaptation of Threat Responses Within the Negative Valence Framework. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:886771. [PMID: 35694043 PMCID: PMC9178277 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.886771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
External threats are a major source of our experience of negatively valanced emotion. As a threat becomes closer and more real, our specific behavior patterns and our experiences of negative affect change in response to the perceived imminence of threat. Recognizing this, the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Negative Valence system is largely based around different levels of threat imminence. This perspective describes the correspondence between the RDoC Negative Valence System and a particular neurobiological/neuroecological model of reactions to threat, the Predatory Imminence Continuum (PIC) Theory. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as an illustration, we describe both adaptive and maladaptive behavior patterns from this perspective to illustrate how behavior in response to a crisis may get shaped. We end with suggestions on how further consideration of the PIC suggests potential modifications of the negative valence systems RDoC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy J. Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Sara Y. Markowitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Ann N. Hoffman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Michael S. Fanselow
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wang L, Yang Y, Wang G. The Clean Your Plate Campaign: Resisting Table Food Waste in an Unstable World. Sustainability 2022; 14:4699. [DOI: 10.3390/su14084699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic threatens global food security and has created an urgent need for food conservation. This article presents a review of clean plate campaigns around the world. It aims to fight food waste and reveal the factors that may influence food waste. The Clean Plate Club in the US developed during wartime and relied heavily on political power for compliance, whereas the Clean Plate movement in South Korea was based on religion. China’s Clean Your Plate Campaign (CYPC) has gone through two stages: CYPC I and CYPC II. The latter occurred during the unstable period of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was large-scale and more strongly enforced than CYPC I. In China, CYPC has relied more on personal virtue than on politics or religion. Culture, policy, COVID-19, and behavior are all important social factors that influence food waste. Specifically, two cultural values are drivers of food waste in China: hospitality and face-saving (mianzi). In terms of policy, China’s food waste law mainly relies on persuasion; it lacks any power of enforcement. Laws in France and Italy, by contrast, focus on re-using food and involve both coercion and incentives. COVID-19 may have led to panic purchasing and stockpiling, but, in general, it has resulted in a reduction in food waste.
Collapse
|
9
|
Ben Hassen T, El Bilali H, Allahyari MS, Kamel IM, Ben Ismail H, Debbabi H, Sassi K. Gendered Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Behaviors in North Africa: Cases of Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph19042192. [PMID: 35206378 PMCID: PMC8872065 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic-related measures in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region have resulted in many lifestyle modifications, including changes in diet and food buying patterns among adults. However, the pandemic has impacted women and men differently and exacerbated existing socio-economic and gender inequalities. Indeed, numerous studies conducted worldwide have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionately negative impact on women compared to males. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the effects of COVID-19 on women’s food behaviors in three countries of the North Africa sub-region, namely, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. The study was based on an online poll conducted by SurveyMonkey from 15 September to 5 November 2020, with 995 participants. The outcomes of the research found that when compared to men, (1) women tend to consume more food out of fear, anxiety, or boredom; (2) women prefer to eat more unhealthy food; (3) women tend to stockpile a greater amount of food; and (4) women tend to modify their shopping habits more often. The findings should inform gender-sensitive strategies and policies to address the negative impacts of the pandemic and foster transition towards healthier diets and resilient food systems during the recovery period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tarek Ben Hassen
- Program of Policy, Planning, and Development, Department of International Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar;
| | - Hamid El Bilali
- International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM-Bari), Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano (Bari), Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Mohammad S. Allahyari
- Department of Agricultural Management, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht 41476-54919, Iran;
- Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X2046, Internal Box 575, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa
| | - Islam Mohamed Kamel
- International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM-Bari), Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano (Bari), Italy;
| | - Hanen Ben Ismail
- Department of Agri-Food Industries, National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia, University of Carthage, Tunis 1082, Tunisia; (H.B.I.); (H.D.)
| | - Hajer Debbabi
- Department of Agri-Food Industries, National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia, University of Carthage, Tunis 1082, Tunisia; (H.B.I.); (H.D.)
| | - Khaled Sassi
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Biotechnology, National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia, University of Carthage, Tunis 1082, Tunisia;
| |
Collapse
|