Vietnamese farmed pangasius products have experienced major price fluctuations over numerous crop cycles exposing this important export commodity to risk and uncertainty. This study focuses on two distinct areas of risk. First, this study seeks to measures the farm-gate price volatility, explores farmers’ perceptions about the price volatility risk related to the input sourcing and output selling activities, and quantifies the effectiveness of price volatility risk management strategies. Second, the relationships between farm and farmer socioeconomic characteristics, perceptions about the price volatility risk and management strategies are also examined. To respond to these research questions, a focus group workshop was conducted with 29 stakeholders and a structured survey with 92 farmers located in the provinces of An Giang, Can Tho, and Dong Thap of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Results illustrated that the pangasius farm-gate price fluctuates significantly over time. Vietnamese pangasius farmers are mainly concerned about the volatilities of input and output prices, additionally with the instability of the volume input supply, instability in demand volume, and weak legislation on sale contracts. Results further indicate that price volatility risk management strategies are less effective in practically protecting farmers against price volatility risks. Farmers with higher education knowledge opt for fully integrated farms and are less concerned about the output price volatility risk. Promoting risk-sharing schemes such as contract farms or insurance for farmers with higher educational levels and being accessible to credit could support Vietnamese pangasius farmers toward increasing the sustainability of pangasius production.
Côte d’Ivoire produces about 42 percent of the world’s total Cocoa but processes only a very few amount of the production. A big part of the country depends on the commercial benefits of the Cocoa production and supply chain of it. For that reason, the World Bank asked the simulation group of the Amsterdam U. of Applied Sciences in collaboration with the Port of Amsterdam to develop a simulation model that allows the politicians assess the performance of the supply chain of the Cocoa in that region of the world. The simulation model gave light to the potential of improvement in the supply chain by identifying inefficiencies, bottlenecks and blockers that hinder the efficient transport of Cocoa in the chain with the consequence of low productivity. The most important results are presented in the article together with suggestions for improvement in order to increase the wellbeing of the farmers in that region of Africa.
The production, use, disposal and recovery of packaging not only generates massive volumes of waste, it also consumes raw materials, water and energy (Fitzpatrick et al. 2012). Simultaneously, consumers have shown an increasing interest in products incorporating sustainable and social attributes (Kletzan et al., 2006). As a result, environmentally friendly packaging, also called ecofriendly or sustainable packaging, has become mainstream. In this context, packaging is more than just ensuring the product's protection and easing transportation, it is also a communicative tool (Palmer, 2000) and it becomes associated with multiple drivers of the purchasing process. Consequently, companies face pressure to innovate responding to consumer demands, and focusing on sustainable solutions that reduce harmful materials and favour green alternatives for both, the product and the packaging. Although the above has triggered research on consumer choice for sustainable products and alternatives on sustainable packaging, the relation between sustainable packaging and consumer behaviour remains underexplored. This research unpacks this relationship, i.e., empirically verifies which dimensions (recyclability, biodegradability, reusability) of sustainable packaging are perceived and valued by consumers. Put differently, this research investigates consumer behaviour towards the functions of sustainable packaging in terms of product protection, convenience, reliability of information and promotion, and scrutinises the perceived credibility of the associated ethical responsibility claims. It aims to identify those packaging materials and/or sustainability characteristics perceived as more sustainable by consumers as well as the factors influencing actual consumer choice towards sustainable packaged products. We aim to gain more insights in the perceptual frame that different types of consumers apply when exposed to sustainable packaging. To this end, we will make use of revealed preference methods to measure consumer valuations of sustainable packaged products. This game-theoretic approach should provide a more complete depiction of consumers' perceptions and preferences.
One of the major challenges for microsystem-based (MEMS -based) devices producing companies in general, and Bronkhorst High-Tech in particular, is to determine as early as possible in the production process which devices perform within specifications and if so by how much. Being able to separate the devices that do not comply as early as possible in the assembly flow would prevent spending time, money and materials on unsellable products. Being able to further separate good devices in multiple “performance bins” would bring even more cost and waste reduction by enabling Bronkhorst to pre-select finished products for different customer requirements. In this project we specifically focus on a micromachined flow sensor which is considered for a scale-up in production volumes in the near future. The ability to separate out badly performing devices translates to the challenge of finding a suitable test method, yielding the following research question: what are the success factors that would allow our MEMS partners to correlate product performance with measurements (tests) performed early in the production cycle? An answer makes it possible to implement the planned production scale-up of this MEMS device but also to reduce costs and waste typically associated with production failures. The device selected in this project is taken as an example for a broad range of chip-based MEMS devices with similar challenges. Therefore, we plan to use an applied research approach, looking at theoretical models of both device and production process, performing correlation measurements and delivering our recommendations on how to best tackle these production issues. It is our intention to thus generate expertise (knowledge & data) as well as a network on which we build a consortium around a future PPS (public-private partnership) where these challenges form a common theme.
The expanding world’s population challenges the way we produce and supply food. The ever-increasing production of food and its subsequent generated biomass forms immense risks to the environment and, eventually, public health. Aside from developing innovative food production methods (hydroponics, non-toxic pesticides, resistant species), the generation of waste biomass remains a challenge. Large volumes of food waste are processed in animal food, biofuel or used as a composting source, while these by-products are valuable sources of bioactive compounds (BACs). The processing of fruits and vegetables generates a variety of biomass such as peels, seeds and pulp that contain high-value compounds such as polyphenols. These BACs are implemented in pharmaceutical products or food supplements for their beneficial influence on human health, such as antioxidant or anti-inflammatory properties. The valorization and extraction of these compounds originating from agricultural waste streams is a key strategy for recycling and reusing food waste and, subsequently, reducing the environmental impact caused by waste streams. Additionally, the ability to further process food waste into valuable compounds can provide an extra source of income for the agricultural sector, supporting local economies. Local pharmaceutical companies are interested in developing methods to extract BACs from local sources since the current market is strongly dependent on the Asian market. Phytopharma finds the production of local food supplements crucial for the local circular economy and their sustainable business. During this project, the consortium partners will investigate sustainable extraction methods of BACs from local waste streams (duurzame chemie: bronnen en grondstoffen). More specifically Zuyd, CHILL and Phytopharma will pursue the “green” extraction of quercetin (BACs) from locally sourced onion waste. The partners will explore various extraction and purification methods needed to evaluate a potentially sustainable business model. Furthermore, the bioavailability of quercetin will be enhanced by encapsulation.
