This paper addresses Green Growth and Agriculture in Brazil, analysing the National Plan for Low Carbon Emission in Agriculture (ABC Plan). The main focus is to detail the structure and actions proposed and implemented by the ABC Plan, and also to identify its economic, environmental and social effects. Using a qualitative research approach, desk research was conducted through reports, newspaper articles, and official documents from the Brazilian government and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA). The outcomes indicated that the ABC Plan did not address the main components of the literature on green growth policies, such as proper training of human resources in sustainable agricultural techniques, and access to financial support for promoting the implementation of sustainable agriculture systems. The lack of participation of local institutions in the creation and implementation of the ABC Plan is also pointed out.

This cross-cultural study aimed to determine the main factors behind potential changes in eating habits by analyzing changes in the patterns of beef consumption currently observed in Brazil, Spain, and Turkey. To achieve this aim, 412 regular beef consumers from Brazil, 407 from Spain, and 424 from Turkey answered a self-administered questionnaire. The study surveyed the effects of economic factors, switching from beef to other sources of protein, aspects of credence, health-related concerns, the influence of lifestyle on beef consumption patterns, and purchasing decision factors. The most important factors that changed consumer behavior and resulted in a decrease in consumption, mostly among Brazilian and Turkish consumers, were the economics and accessibility of the products. Beef was replaced by other alternative sources of protein that were likewise derived from animals. The consumers whose purchasing intentions were most significantly influenced by credence factors (e.g., indiscriminate use of agricultural products, substandard animal welfare requirements, among others) were Brazilian and Turkish and, to a lesser degree, Spanish consumers. Lifestyle factors (e.g., consumption of out-of-home meals, available time to cook, among others) were demonstrated to alter consumption patterns and therefore must be carefully considered by the industry, taking into account cultural differences and consumer needs. The population under investigation considered that eating beef had no impact on their health.

Yogurt is known as a healthy food, but some synthetic additives that are commonly added to it can be one of the factors that restricts yogurt’s consumption. The aims of this study were to prepare and evaluate yogurts with the addition of spray-dried, anthocyanin-rich colorant extracted from jabuticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora Mart.) skin. The concentrated extract was spray-dried using maltodextrin (20 g/100 g w/w) as a carrier and added to yogurts in the concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g/100 g w/w. The yogurts were stored for up to 28 days under refrigeration and periodically evaluated. Except for the yogurts to which 1.5 g of extract was added, all samples had a slight pH reduction in the first 7 days of storage. Throughout the yogurts’ storage period, the anthocyanin and a* values were slightly reduced (p < 0.05), indicating some anthocyanin instability. The rheological behavior was typical for yogurts, but the casein gel network was probably disrupted by the jabuticaba extract incorporation, reducing the yogurt’s apparent viscosity. Panelists showed good acceptance for the attributes of taste, color, aroma, appearance, texture, and overall impression, indicating that this natural pigment has the potential to be a substitute synthetic color additive for the production of mixed berry yogurts, contributing to the reduction of waste.

Coffee is a global value chain that has been going through many transformations, seeking to transition to sustainability. In this paper, a technological innovation system from multi-level perspective institutional dimensions (macro, meso and micro) was adopted to analyze the coffee value chain in Brazil and in Colombia. Our conceptual contribution lies on the connection across institutional levels, to understand sustainability transition. Thirty interviews with stakeholders from both countries were conducted. Results indicate that macro-institutions have a relevant effect on coffee-producing properties (micro-level), and meso-institutions play a central role in differentiating the way in which agents adopted voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in each country. Results also pointed out the importance of meso-institutions in the implementation of VSS at micro-level, in both countries, although in Colombia organizations at meso-level seem to be less supportive of adopting VSS than they are in Brazil.