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Margarita Brugarolas, PhD, is a senior lecturer at Miguel Hernández University in Elche (Spain). She holds a doctorate degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (1999). Her research is focused on agri-food marketing and consumer behaviour, organic food market strategies, wine marketing, and sensory marketing. She has been involved in different national and international research projects on agri-food products and the agricultural economy. She had a research stay at the University of Copenhagen in 2016 (3 months). Moreover, she has been an advisor for five PhD theses and she is the author of more than 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Currently, she is the head of the Agri-Environmental Department in Miguel Hernández University, president of the Spanish Association of Agri-Food Economy, and a member of the European Association of Agricultural Economists.
The Vega Baja region lays on the lower course of the Segura River (southeastern Spain). It is one of the six traditional “huerta” European landscapes and has an ancient, extensive, and complex network of irrigation and drainage channels. The accumulation of floating waste causes numerous economic, environmental, and landscape problems in its irrigation infrastructures, hindering farmers’ water management practices. This work classifies and estimates the total volume of floating waste at various points along the Segura River and its irrigation channels as a first systematic approach to define and quantify the problem of floating waste accumulation. Aerial images taken by a drone were analyzed over time and a manual count of residues was performed on selected points. The results obtained show that reeds and residues of riparian vegetation represent more than 95% of the floating debris volume measured on the riverbed. Anthropogenic waste, which represents less than 5% of debris volume, was characterized, finding that plastics of domestic sources are the most abundant by count (14.9%) and only a reduced part of the floating waste can be attributed to agricultural activities (3.8%). Assessing the type and origin of the floating waste is essential to inform the actions required in order to avoid the floating waste reaching the Mediterranean Sea.
Carmen Rocamora; Herminia Puerto; Ricardo Abadía; Margarita Brugarolas; Laura Martínez-Carrasco; José Cordero. Floating Debris in the Low Segura River Basin (Spain): Avoiding Litter through the Irrigation Network. Water 2021, 13, 1074 .
AMA StyleCarmen Rocamora, Herminia Puerto, Ricardo Abadía, Margarita Brugarolas, Laura Martínez-Carrasco, José Cordero. Floating Debris in the Low Segura River Basin (Spain): Avoiding Litter through the Irrigation Network. Water. 2021; 13 (8):1074.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarmen Rocamora; Herminia Puerto; Ricardo Abadía; Margarita Brugarolas; Laura Martínez-Carrasco; José Cordero. 2021. "Floating Debris in the Low Segura River Basin (Spain): Avoiding Litter through the Irrigation Network." Water 13, no. 8: 1074.
BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to evaluate the importance attributed by consumers in Denmark (DK), Germany (DE) and Spain (ES) and across dietary lifestyles to the characteristics of different types of foods based on alternative proteins. Data were collected through a web‐based survey (15 November to 16 December 2019). A total of 872 completed questionnaires from DK (n = 258), DE (n = 296) and ES (n = 318) were obtained. RESULTS Four segments according to frequency of animal‐ and plant‐based food consumption were identified: (i) no animal, high plant; (ii) low animal, high plant; (iii) moderate animal and plant; and (iv) high animal, moderate plant. Across all segments, foods based on legumes/pulses as well as plant‐based spreads and products that do not resemble meat in taste and texture were of interest. Segment 4 was more in favour of ‘health’ as an important factor in new food products, whereas segment 1 was more likely to consider ‘animal friendly’, ‘minimally processed’, ‘environmentally friendly’ and ‘produced with minimum CO2 emissions’ as key aspects. Furthermore, familiarity was of minor importance across the segments. This could indicate an opening for new, innovative plant‐based alternatives that have their own identity. CONCLUSION An overall interest exists towards innovative food products based on plant protein, specifically legumes/pulses, among consumers in the three countries and across different dietary lifestyles. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Ilona Faber; Katharina Henn; Margarita Molla‐Bauza Brugarolas; Federico Ja Perez‐Cueto. Relevant characteristics of food products based on alternative proteins according to European consumers. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleIlona Faber, Katharina Henn, Margarita Molla‐Bauza Brugarolas, Federico Ja Perez‐Cueto. Relevant characteristics of food products based on alternative proteins according to European consumers. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIlona Faber; Katharina Henn; Margarita Molla‐Bauza Brugarolas; Federico Ja Perez‐Cueto. 2021. "Relevant characteristics of food products based on alternative proteins according to European consumers." Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture , no. : 1.
Health, financial, and social crises cause variations in the buying behaviour of food consumers as well as in the value they assign to food attributes and the place of purchase, leading to consumers with profiles that are more susceptible to these changes than others. Thus, it was observed that 61.4% of consumers modified their buying behaviour at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with those who modified it the most being the people who stockpiled the most food and went panic buying more often. This has made it possible to establish the profile of different significant consumer segments, and as a response, food production/distribution companies can implement different innovative strategies aimed at decreasing the impact of stockpiling and, therefore, the shortage of food. The possible strategies that companies can put into effect are creating a stock of non-perishable foods, increasing production capabilities in a sustainable way and, especially in light of the results obtained, boost the online sale and distribution of foods, with the goal of decreasing the amount of people in shops (which decreases the spreading of the pandemic and favours health) and preventing consumers from observing possible circumstantial shortages that would only encourage stockpiling and panic buying, even among consumers who have not changed their buying behaviour.
Margarita Brugarolas; Laura Martínez-Carrasco; Adrián Rabadán; Rodolfo Bernabéu. Innovation Strategies of the Spanish Agri-Food Sector in Response to the Black Swan COVID-19 Pandemic. Foods 2020, 9, 1821 .
AMA StyleMargarita Brugarolas, Laura Martínez-Carrasco, Adrián Rabadán, Rodolfo Bernabéu. Innovation Strategies of the Spanish Agri-Food Sector in Response to the Black Swan COVID-19 Pandemic. Foods. 2020; 9 (12):1821.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMargarita Brugarolas; Laura Martínez-Carrasco; Adrián Rabadán; Rodolfo Bernabéu. 2020. "Innovation Strategies of the Spanish Agri-Food Sector in Response to the Black Swan COVID-19 Pandemic." Foods 9, no. 12: 1821.
Agricultural activity has changed significantly in recent years. There is a clear trend towards monoculture and the replacement of traditional crops for others which are more productive and achieve better economic results. These factors have two fundamental consequences: on the one hand, the abandonment of agricultural activity, with the subsequent loss of rurality; on the other hand, a negative effect on the maintenance of biodiversity, because traditional varieties disappear. In this context, this paper analyses the situation of consumers and farmers of a traditional crop in the southeast of Spain: the tomato. In order to understand the current situation and the forecasted future, a choice experiment was conducted on 217 tomato consumers. Furthermore, 40 tomato farmers of this area underwent an in-depth interview. On the one hand, analysis of the consumer study established a potential segment of the population that prefers traditional varieties due to their high organoleptic properties. Meanwhile, the farmer study revealed a segment of this population that is willing to produce these types of crops. Therefore, the possibility that a certain sector of producers cultivates traditional varieties is suggested, and for these varieties to be aimed at a market niche that values them positively, making the activity of Small and Medium Enterprises (agricultural SMEs) profitable. This would improve the sustainability of the rural territory and would strengthen the preservation of genetic heritage.
Cristian Pérez-Caselles; Margarita Brugarolas; Laura Martínez-Carrasco. Traditional Varieties for Local Markets: A Sustainable Proposal for Agricultural SMEs. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4517 .
AMA StyleCristian Pérez-Caselles, Margarita Brugarolas, Laura Martínez-Carrasco. Traditional Varieties for Local Markets: A Sustainable Proposal for Agricultural SMEs. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (11):4517.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristian Pérez-Caselles; Margarita Brugarolas; Laura Martínez-Carrasco. 2020. "Traditional Varieties for Local Markets: A Sustainable Proposal for Agricultural SMEs." Sustainability 12, no. 11: 4517.
Determining the preferences of food consumers is key for adapting supply and demand. This adaptation of supply is dynamic rather than static, given that it develops over time and is influenced by both social and economic factors. This work presents an analysis of the development of lamb meat consumption at two points in time, 2004 and 2014, before and in the midst of the economic crisis in Spain (2007–2017). Our findings show that together with the external appearance and against the backdrop of an economic recession, price has a greater impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions than origin and quality seals, despite these being attributes that are traditionally used as a guarantee of food safety and traceability. This suggests that in times of economic crisis consumer preferences shift towards attributes that are less related to product quality. Nonetheless, the comparison of the consumer segments for each of the years under study revealed that age and level of education are the socioeconomic factors that most influence the preferences of lamb meat consumers.
Adrián Rabadán; Laura Martínez-Carrasco; Margarita Brugarolas; Casilda Navarro-Rodríguez De Vera; Estrella Sayas-Barberá; Rodolfo Bernabéu. Differences in Consumer Preferences for Lamb Meat before and during the Economic Crisis in Spain. Analysis and Perspectives. Foods 2020, 9, 696 .
AMA StyleAdrián Rabadán, Laura Martínez-Carrasco, Margarita Brugarolas, Casilda Navarro-Rodríguez De Vera, Estrella Sayas-Barberá, Rodolfo Bernabéu. Differences in Consumer Preferences for Lamb Meat before and during the Economic Crisis in Spain. Analysis and Perspectives. Foods. 2020; 9 (6):696.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAdrián Rabadán; Laura Martínez-Carrasco; Margarita Brugarolas; Casilda Navarro-Rodríguez De Vera; Estrella Sayas-Barberá; Rodolfo Bernabéu. 2020. "Differences in Consumer Preferences for Lamb Meat before and during the Economic Crisis in Spain. Analysis and Perspectives." Foods 9, no. 6: 696.