Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability

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Publications

Eco-labelling food products as an integral part of the transition to a sustainable food system

Publication . Borges, Eduardo; Campos, Susana; Teixeira, Mário Sérgio; Lucas, Maria Raquel; Correia, Ricardo Jorge

Purpose | The eco-labelling of food products is an integral part of the transition to a sustainable food system, as it allows consumers to make informed, healthier and more sustainable choices. It reinforces the reputation of companies, showing that they are socially responsible and concerned about environmental issues. The aim of this study is to identify the determinants of the purchase of eco-labelled food products in the Portuguese context. Methodology/Approach | An online questionnaire was carried out among the Portuguese population over 18 years old. Data analysis techniques including descriptive analyses, parametric and non-parametric tests, linear correlation and regression analysis were applied. Expected Results | We expect to identify a positive correlation between consumers' attention to companies' Green Marketing communication and green purchasing behaviour, as well to obtain a positive correlation between the Communicated Socio-environmental Use (CSU) of the producer's declared commitment and green purchasing behaviour. These results are valuable for companies’ managers to develop and evaluate specific communication and marketing actions to the markets, taking into account current consumer preferences.

2024Conference object

Open access

Impact of Kiwifruit Waste Compost on Soil Bacteriome and Lettuce Growth

Publication . Fernandes, Paulo; Pinto, Rui; Correia, Cláudia; Mourão, Isabel; Moura, Luísa; Brito, Luís Miguel

Composts produced with kiwifruit waste from the calibration process (KW), mixed with 5%, 10%, and 20% wheat straw (WS), were evaluated as crop fertilizers through a pot experiment with lettuce, arranged as a randomized block design. Highest lettuce yields were achieved with 20 and 40 t·ha−1 5%WS compost and 40 t·ha−1 10%WS compost, suggesting that the physical characteristics of the composts increased soil water holding capacity and root growth, whereas chemical characteristics such as pH, organic matter, and nutrient contents contributed to improving soil reaction and nutrient availability. The type of soil amendment used influenced the development of different bacterial consortia in the bulk soil and rhizosphere, leading to increased levels of potentially beneficial bacteria and enhanced levels of relevant functions for plant growth, such as nitrogen fixation. Composted KW as an organic amendment can be used to improve soil quality and the circular economy.

2024Journal article

Open access

Institutional trust as a driver of product boycotts in Europe

Publication . Baptista, Nuno; Dos-Santos, Maria; Mata, Fernando; Silva, Natacha Jesus

Despite the significant growth in consumer boycotts, research has devoted insufficient attention to the institutional factors that may motivate consumers to engage in such behaviour. This article aims to address this research gap. The main objective is to analyse the factors that affect consumer boycotts from an institutional sustainability perspective, by focusing on a specific dimension of institutional sustainability: institutional trust. Information and data came from the 2023 round of the European Social Survey, a cross-national survey covering 25 Countries. The article applies a binomial univariable logit model to test the influence of institutional trust and other potential drivers on boycott decisions and a multivariable binomial logistic regression to explore possible interrelationship between independent variables. The results confirm that boycotts are affected by institutional trust and other factors including demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the consumers, consumers’ perception of ICT, satisfaction with public institutions, and consumers’ evaluation of personal well-being. This article contributes to political consumerism literature by focusing on the impact of institutional trust in boycotting behaviour. This relationship is underexplored in existing literature, since most literature researches consumer boycotts from a triple-bottom perspective and neglects the effects of the institutional dimension of sustainability in consumer behaviour. The article brings new insights into the motivations of consumers at the political and institutional levels and opens new directions for future research to explore institutional sustainability related to the good practices of governance.

2024Journal article

Open access

Pulmonary and Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infections in Small Ruminant Autochthonous Breeds from Centre Region of Portugal—A Cross Sectional Study

Publication . Pereira, Maria; Vila-Viçosa, Maria João M.; Coelho, Catarina; Santos, Carla; Esteves, Fernando; Cruz, Rita; Gomes, Liliana; Henriques, Diogo; Vala, Helena; Nóbrega, Carmen; Mega, Ana; Melo, Carolina de; Malva, Madalena; Braguez, Joana; Mateus, Teresa

The production of small ruminant autochthonous breeds in the Centre region of Portugal is practiced in a semi-extensive husbandry system, exposing animals to parasitic infections. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lungworm infection and identify risk factors. Fecal samples of 203 goats and 208 sheep from 30 herds were collected per rectum and subjected to the modified Baermann test. The overall prevalence of infection was 57.7%, significantly higher in goats (95.6%) than in sheep (20.7%) (p < 0.001). According to the binary logistic regression model, sheep dewormed with albendazole, mebendazole plus closantel, or ivermectin plus clorsulon presented a risk of Protostrongylidae infection 29.702, 7.426, or 8.720 times higher, respectively, than those dewormed with eprinomectin. Additionally, the presence of gastrointestinal parasites was investigated in 307 fecal samples using Mini-FLOTAC (R). The overall prevalence of infection was 86.3%, also significantly higher in goats (93.2%) than in sheep (79.9%) (p < 0.001). Strongyle-type eggs were the most frequently identified, both in sheep (69.8%) and goats (87.8%), followed by Eimeria oocysts (40.3% in sheep and 68.9% in goats). Considering the high prevalence and the burden of lungworm parasitic infection, it is urgent to determine its economic impact and the repercussions in animal health in the Centre region of Portugal to establish appropriate therapeutic guidelines.

2024Journal article

Open access

Valorization of kiwi waste through composting

Publication . Fernandes, Paulo; Pinto, Rui; Correia, Cláudia; Mourão, Isabel; Moura, Luísa; Brito, Luís Miguel

Kiwi waste from the calibration process is a major environmental problem of kiwi production due to landfill deposition. This work aims to contribute to the agronomic use of recycled kiwi waste through composting. With this objective, a composting experiment was carried out with kiwi fruit waste mixed with 5%, 10% and 20% (fresh weight) of wheat straw from bundles used to protect kiwifruit trunks from frost, as abulking agent to increase aeration, in the piles 5S, 10S and 20S, respectively. The highest temperatures for piles 5S and 10S were above 60 degrees C, whereas the temperature did not reach 40 degrees C in the pile with the highest straw content (20S) because the aeration increased heat loss in addition to increased C/N ratio of this pile. Also, the amount of organic matter mineralized decreased with increasing amount of straw because of the high C/N ratio of the straw. The highest total N (29.7 g kg(-1)) and the lowest C/N ratio (13) of the compost with 5% of straw is important from the agricultural point of view to promote N availability. In contrast, the high electrical conductivity (4.6 dS m(-1)) of this compost increases the risk of salt accumulation in the soil. Our results show that the compost with 10% straw, with high degree of maturation, absence of poor hygiene indicators as coliforms and pathogens as Salmonella sp., high organic matter content and rich in nutrients, together with the adequate compost pH and low electrical conductivity improves compost quality.

2024Journal article

Restricted access