Developing a conceptual model is vital for small-scale organic farmer’s credit access to sustain the livelihoods. However, smallholders continually face severe problems in getting finance that lead to reduce investment and in turn, challenges the livelihoods. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to establish and empirically test a theoretical model to explore how agility and innovativeness in organic food value chain finance are achieved through ITI, TRST, CG, ICT, and IS, and how these, in turn, can accelerate financial flow in the value chain and enhance competitiveness. The present study used a survey method and collected data from small-scale farmers, traders, and financial institutions. The model and hypothesis are tested using data obtained from 331 respondents through partial least square structure equation modeling techniques. We argue that development of theoretical model show potential to increase creditworthiness of smallholders and overcome uncertainties that impede traditional value chain credit arrangement. Thus, the present study could provide new ways to integrate the value chain partners, through information and communication technology and governance arrangements in the organic food value chain financing. This study demonstrates that the mediations of innovativeness and agility significantly affect the development of new financial products to make agile the financial flow, which in turn positively influences value chain competitiveness. Significant judgments are required for trustworthy relations among the value chain partners to positively harness innovative product development for swifter value chain finance. Therefore, this theoretical model should not be regarded as a quick solution, but a process of testing, error, and learning by doing so.
The COVID‐19 pandemic has put unprecedented stress on agricultural food. Therefore, the goal of this study is to analyze the effect of the COVID‐19 outbreak on agricultural food and provide policy recommendations based on SWOT analysis to minimize risks. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics were used for this study with a thorough literature review containing policy documents and scientific magazines in the related sector. There is enough evidence to demonstrate that the COVID‐19 pandemic has had a massive influence on agricultural food supply, largely impacting food demand as well as food insecurity. The study uses SWOT analysis to identify the highest‐priority policies that may remediate the current issues. Key strategies include developing new online resources such as digitized trade and providing a digital platform to strengthen the buyer–supplier collaboration and lower the risk of food wastage and insecurity. The government should invest in technology that contributes to the sustainable flow of agricultural products along the supply chain to prevent food crises during the pandemic.
With the steady growth of the global population and the accelerated urbanization process, the carbon footprint resulting from food waste has a significant impact on the environment and sustainable development. Considering Shanghai’s significance as a major urban center in China and a global hub for economic and cultural activities, this study primarily aims to accurately estimate household food waste generation and calculate the carbon footprint related to edible food waste. It analyzes the factors influencing household food waste generation and reviews the anti-food waste-related policies at both the national and Shanghai regional levels. The study reveals that although the Shanghai municipal government attaches great importance to the issue of food waste, the current policies mainly focus on the catering industry, and there is still a need for further strengthening measures to address food waste at the household level. In Shanghai, the per capita daily food waste generation is 0.57 kg, with 43.42% being edible food waste, contributing to a per capita daily carbon footprint of 1.17 kgCO2eq. Employing the logistic regression analysis to scrutinize the characteristics of the respondents, it is ascertained that education level and annual household income significantly influence food waste generation. In addition, excessive food quantities and expiration dates lead to high-frequency food waste. The culmination of this study is the formulation of a series of pragmatic and impactful policy recommendations aimed at curbing the carbon footprint that stems from food waste.
Agricultural informatization and agricultural green development are important components of modern agricultural development, and coordination between the two is an important foundation for achieving sustainable agricultural development. This paper uses data from the 13 major grain producing areas in China from 2009 to 2018 to analyze the coordination of the Internet development level and the agricultural ecological-efficiency, and it further investigates the degree of coupling and coordination between the two. The results of theis study are as follows.(1) The Internet development level of China’s 13 main grain production areas has been continuously improving. The average Internet penetration rate increased from 0.25 in 2008 to 0.54 in 2018. (2) The agricultural ecological efficiency of China’s main grain production areas has gradually improved. The average value of agricultural ecological efficiency increased from 0.45 in 2009 to 0.79 in 2018. (3) The Internet development level in China’s main grain production areas and the continuous improvement of coordination and degree of coupling of the agricultural ecological efficiency show that the interaction between them has led to continuous improvements in the agricultural informatization development and agricultural green development. However, the coordination between the two still has significant room for growth, and there is a certain gap between the different regions.
Food waste has become a pressing global issue in recent years. In China, the issue of food waste has become increasingly severe. As a provincial capital city, Harbin is also a major agricultural city in China with distinct urban and rural features. This paper uses Harbin as a case study to evaluate different strategies for preventing and reducing food waste based on these urban–rural differences. This research is based on official data on household food waste in urban and rural areas of Harbin, as well as data collected from 333 telephone surveys through stratified random sampling. Independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the survey data, followed by a review of existing food waste policies and strategies. Our findings show that Harbin has had a positive response in adhering to national anti-food waste policies. However, its implementation has not been effective. There is a continuous increase in food waste generation. Moreover, gender, level of education, and household annual income have a significant impact on residents’ food waste habits and there are significant differences between urban and rural areas in terms of “eating out” and “ordering food ingredients”. The average daily amount of food waste generated by urban households is 3216.31 g, which is 2.4 times that of rural households. There are also differences in the causes of food waste between urban and rural residents due to different diets and eating habits. As a result, feasible and effective policy recommendations have been proposed to reduce food waste in response to these urban–rural differences.