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Blockchain for Organic Food Traceability

From the article: "This article evaluates the application of blockchain technology to improve organic or fair-trade food traceability from “Farm to Fork” in light of European regulations. This study aims to shed light on the challenges in the organic food chain to overcome, the drivers for blockchain technology, and the challenges in current projects."

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Blockchain for Organic Food Traceability

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Well packaged: Tradeoffs in sustainable food packaging design

Making food packaging more sustainable is a complex process. Research has shown that specific knowledge is needed to support packaging developers to holistically improve the sustainability of packaging. Within this study we aim to provide insights in the various tradeoffs designers face with the aim to provide insights for future sustainable food packaging (re)design endeavors. The study consists of analyzing and coding 19 reports in which bachelor students worked on assignments ranging from (1) analyzing the supply chain of a food product-packaging combination to (2) redesigning a specific food packaging. We identified 6 tradeoffs: (1) Perceived Sustainability vs. Achieved Sustainability, (2) Food Waste vs. Sustainability, (3) Branding vs. Sustainability, (4) Product Visibility vs. Sustainability, (5) Costs vs. Sustainability, and (6) Use Convenience vs Sustainability. We compared the six tradeoffs with literature. Two tradeoffs can be seen as additional to topics mentioned within literature, namely product visibility and use convenience. In addition, while preventing food waste is mentioned as an important functionality of food packaging, this functionality seems to be underexposed within practice.

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Well packaged: Tradeoffs in sustainable food packaging design

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Flying Money 2018

Being a hub and a hotspot for many people from all over the world means that new dynamics have entered Amsterdam and other cities in the last few years. Money flows pass through the city, and we often do not know anymore whose money this is, where it comes from or where it goes. At the same time, the development of cryptocurrencies and parallel money cultures all contribute to the opaqueness of the future of the financial world.To better understand the current dynamics that will affect our financial future, the City of Amsterdam has taken the initiative to organize an international conference in collaboration with the Institute of Network Cultures from the Amsterdam University of Applied Science: Flying Money – Investigating illicit Financial Flows in the City.This publication contains the results of the conference, along with relevant academic and other articles ensuing from the conference.

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How new food networks change the urban environment

More and more people worldwide live in urban areas, and these areas face many problems, of which a sustainable food provision is one. In this paper we aim to show that a transition towards more sustainable, regionally organized food systems strongly contributes to green, livable cities. The article describes a case study in the Dutch region of Arnhem–Nijmegen. Partners of a network on sustainable food in this region were interviewed on how they expect the food system to develop, and in design studies possible futures are explored. Both the interviews and the designs give support to the idea that indeed sustainable food systems can be developed to contribute to green livable cities. They show that the quality and meaning of existing green areas can be raised; new areas can be added to a public green system, and connections with green surroundings are enforced. They also show that inhabitants or consumers can be stimulated to become so called food citizens, highlighting that the relation of food systems and livable cities is a very close one.

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How new food networks change the urban environment

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A consumer behavioural approach to food waste.

Purpose: Food waste occurs in every stage of the supply chain, but the value-added lost to waste is the highest when consumers waste food. The purpose of this paper is to understand the food waste behaviour of consumers to support policies for minimising food waste. Design/methodology/approach: Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as a theoretical lens, the authors design a questionnaire that incorporates contextual factors to explain food waste behaviour. The authors test two models: base (four constructs of TPB) and extended (four constructs of TPB plus six contextual factors). The authors build partial least squares structural equation models to test the hypotheses. Findings: The data confirm significant relationships between food waste and contextual factors such as motives, financial attitudes, planning routines, food surplus, social relationships and Ramadan. Research limitations/implications: The data comes from an agriculturally resource-constrained country: Qatar. Practical implications: Food waste originating from various causes means more food should flow through the supply chains to reach consumers’ homes. Contextual factors identified in this work increase the explanatory power of the base model by 75 per cent. Social implications: Changing eating habits during certain periods of the year and food surplus have a strong impact on food waste behaviour. Originality/value: A country is considered to be food secure if it can provide its citizens with stable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. The findings and conclusions inform and impact upon the development of food waste and food security policies.

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Advancing the evidence base for sustainable city-region food systems [Meeting the growing appetite of cities - delivering an evidence base for urban food policy]

The growing appetite of cities is one of the greatest future challenges. There is no set menu for meeting this appetite, but a trend is observed in which city authorities focus on region-based food provision. Regionalism is motivated by the importance of increased self-reliance. Besides, regional food systems, are associated with more sustainable production and reduced carbon footprints, the reconnection of consumers with production, and the increased uptake of whole foods in urban diets. However, the question remains to what extend region based food systems may become self-reliant? How may they contribute to improved sustainability and healthy lifestyles? With the Dutch city of Almere as a case in point this paper provides a food flow data-based analysis of the opportunities and limitations of regional based food system approaches. The paper sets off with defining the concepts of sustainable self-reliance and regionalism. Next, it describes the methodology of measuring and mapping the actual food flows. We combined secondary, publicly available, with primary quantitative and qualitative datasets, involving regional businesses, urban policymakers, and residents. Our study uncovers the coinciding disconnect and interconnectedness of local, regional and global food systems. The regional scale offers opportunities for tackling many food related challenges, however, sustainable urban food security demands connections beyond the regional sphere and beyond the food domain. To assess the effects of the policy options available at the local and regional level, a solid evidence base is essential. This paper advances the development of evidence-based methodologies to monitor and inform food system policies.

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Advancing the evidence base for sustainable city-region food systems [Meeting the growing appetite of cities - delivering an evidence base for urban food policy]

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City of Flows: The Need for Design-Led Research to Urban Metabolism

The design of cities has long ignored the flows that shape the city. Water has been the most visible one, but energy and materials were invisible and/or taken for granted. A little over 50 years ago, Abel Wolman was the first to illuminate the role of water flows in the urban fabric. It has long been a search for quantitative data while the flows were mostly seen as separated entities. The fact they invisibly formed the way the city appears has been neglected for many years. In this thematic issue the “city of flows” is seen as a design task. It aims to bring to the fore the role flows can play to be consciously used to make spatial decisions in how and where certain uses and infrastructure is located. Efficient and sustainable

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The potential of light electric vehicles for specific freight flows

The number of light commercial vehicles in cities is growing, which puts increasing pressure on the liveability of cities. Light electric freight vehicles (LEFV) and cargo bikes can offer a solution, as they occupy less space, can be manoeuvred easily and does not emit tailpipe pollutants. This paper presents the results of the first half-year of the LEVV-LOGIC project (2016-2018), aimed at exploring the potential of LEFVs for various urban freight flows. Delivery characteristics, trends, practical examples and the judgement of experts are combined to assess the potential of LEFVs for seven major urban freight flows. The preliminary analysis concludes that every urban freight flow has a certain level of potential for using LEFV. In particular parcel and food deliveries have high potential; however, deliveries related to services and the last phase of construction work can also be switched to LEFV. In comparison, non-food deliveries to retail establishments and the collection of waste collection have less potential. Though the latter can change when recycling standards become higher.

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The potential of light electric vehicles for specific freight flows

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Evidence-based Food System Design (EFSD)

Final report of the Evidence-based Food System Design project (EFSD). This research project aimed at building a data-driven mapping of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Food System, as an evidence base for vision and scenario development, policymaking and other initiatives aimed at transitioning to a more sustainable regional food system.

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Products 591

Blockchain for Organic Food Traceability

Well packaged: Tradeoffs in sustainable food packaging design

Flying Money 2018

How new food networks change the urban environment

A consumer behavioural approach to food waste.

Advancing the evidence base for sustainable city-region food systems [Meeting the growing appetite of cities - delivering an evidence base for urban food policy]

City of Flows: The Need for Design-Led Research to Urban Metabolism

The potential of light electric vehicles for specific freight flows

Evidence-based Food System Design (EFSD)

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Products 591

Blockchain for Organic Food Traceability

Well packaged: Tradeoffs in sustainable food packaging design

Flying Money 2018

How new food networks change the urban environment

A consumer behavioural approach to food waste.

Advancing the evidence base for sustainable city-region food systems [Meeting the growing appetite of cities - delivering an evidence base for urban food policy]

City of Flows: The Need for Design-Led Research to Urban Metabolism

The potential of light electric vehicles for specific freight flows

Evidence-based Food System Design (EFSD)