The study examines the factors shaping inflation in 2022–2023 and explores why inflation in the Hungarian economy has increased more sharply than in neighboring countries with similar structures. The research hypothesis suggests that the inflationary surge, which is notable both globally and within the European Union, is not solely due to market economy mechanisms, but also to specific circumstances in Hungary, including the state’s radical interventions aimed at curbing inflation. The study seeks to highlight these effects and provide recommendations for economic policymakers to develop a more resilient inflation policy. Additionally, it focuses on analyzing inflation in the agricultural sector. The results indicate that, alongside global inflationary pressures, several country-specific factors have driven up the inflation rate in Hungary. Energy prices have risen sharply, and some supply chains from the East have been disrupted. The country under study is less productive, and the impact of the energy price shock on the energy-intensive food industry is higher than in surrounding countries. Consequently, the exchange rate volatility in 2022–2023, combined with short- and medium-term factors, has had a significant impact on food inflation, causing substantial deviations from long-term equilibrium. The research concludes that, in addition to increasing food self-sufficiency, special attention should be given to the domestic development of the agricultural supply chain.
With its inherent characteristics of decentralization, immutability, and transparency, blockchain technology presents a promising opportunity to revolutionize the South African food supply chains. Blockchain technology, with its decentralized, immutable, and secure nature, offers solutions to these challenges by improving traceability and accountability across the supply chain. This study investigates the role of blockchain technology in enhancing transparency in the food supply chain among small and medium enterprises in South Africa. SMEs form a critical part of the country's agri-food sector but face challenges such as food fraud, inefficient inventory management, and lack of transparency, which impact food safety and trust. The research adopts a mixed-method approach, utilizing the Technology-Organization-Environment framework and Institutional Theory to explain blockchain adoption among SMEs. The results demonstrate that blockchain-enabled practices, such as smart contracts, records traceability, production tracking, and distribution monitoring, significantly enhance supply chain transparency. The findings highlight blockchain's potential to increase operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder trust. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners, emphasizing the need for regulatory support and strategic investment in blockchain solutions to promote sustainability and competitiveness in the agri-food sector.
Concerns about public food safety are comparatively common in the Chinese food distribution industry. A dearth of expertise and scarce resources lead to frequent instances of incapacity and inadequate oversight, which negatively affect stakeholders in the circulation industry. The main challenges to food supervision are the need for more alignment between the technical specifications, comprehensiveness, and continuity of the existing food safety supervision legislation and the real circumstances facing the regulatory agencies. Despite the circulation field’s critical position in food safety regulation, its complex and variable characteristics make it challenging to implement and manage. There exist notable concerns over inadequate food safety standards and supervisory frameworks, vagueness in enforcing rules, and insufficient workforce and technical know-how in food safety supervision. The opportunities for regulating the food business with the government’s focus and attention considerably outweigh the obstacles that lie ahead. The growth of the food business needs to be viewed in the larger framework of the country’s economic development. Professional involvement and collaboration with technical departments can help regulatory bodies tackle non-compliant actions in the market circulation process in a timely way, resulting in a more evidence-based and responsive regulatory approach. Establishing a healthy equilibrium and elucidating the relationship between oversight and the food business will be crucial in the future.
Problem statement: An environmentally conscious consumer’s perspective can shift as they look for things that are gentler on the planet. Conversely, businesses engage in greenwashing when they try to cover up their lacklustre environmental initiatives. The current research was used the theory of rational choice behaviour to examine a model that connects corporate green washing and consumers’ green purchase intentions via the mediating roles of perceived risk, green trust and green confusion about food and beverage brands in Saudi Arabia. Research motivation: Sustainable business practices have been developed and adopted by corporations in response to the growing interest in environmentally friendly lifestyles and green products. However, green washing has become increasingly common as a means for businesses to give off the impression that they care about the environment when they really don’t. Research methodology: The online survey was used to obtain data directly from consumers about their views on green washing by corporations. Primary data was analysed using appropriate statistical tools and techniques in SPSS, AMOS and SmartPLS software, such as Correlation, Regression, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), etc. Results: In terms of perceived greenness and confusion, the results showed that green wash mediates the relationship between green purchasing intention and greenness. There is a two-way correlation between consumers’ intentions to buy environmentally friendly products and their levels of green perception, and green confusion. The findings of this study were broadening our understanding of the consequences of green washing. Conclusions: All things considered, the study was encouraging more research on the subject and be a useful tool for academics, corporate managers, and students interested in environmental sustainability, product innovation, and green branding. According to the results, businesses can improve their green purchasing intentions by cutting down on green washing and focusing instead on building a positive reputation for their brand and encouraging customer loyalty. Corporate performance and social environment sustainability can both benefit greatly from this paper’s expansion of knowledge regarding the processes of individual customer psychological effects after perceptions of corporate greenwashing behaviour.
Broccoli has been consumed around the world in various ways; either raw, blanched, frozen, dehydrated or fermented; however, functional foods and nutraceuticals are currently being designed and marketed from broccoli, through the extraction of compounds such as sulforaphane, which according to several studies and depending on its bioavailability has a protective effect on some types of cancer. Likewise, several food technologies are reported to seek to offer innovative foods to increasingly careful and critical consumers, ensuring that they retain their nutritional and sensory attributes even after processing and that they are also safe. In this sense, studies on the effect of processing on compounds of interest to health are of great relevance. Therefore, this article presents an overview on the study of traditionally consumed broccoli and the design of new products from the use of agro-industrial residues that, due to their high content of fiber and fitochemical compounds, can benefit the quality of life of the human population.
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