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Dr. Francisco J. Mesías
Department of Economics, University of Extremadura School of Agricultural Engineering, Avenida Adolfo Suárez, S-N, Badajoz 06007, Spain

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Journal article
Published: 23 July 2021 in Sustainability
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Meat production and consumption have been claimed to have negative impacts on the environment, and even on the consumer’s health. In this sense, alternative sources of protein, mainly meat substitutes and cultured meat, have emerged due to those perceived negative effects. Our paper carries out a choice experiment to analyze the preferences of 444 Spanish consumers and their willingness to pay for plant-based and cultured meats, as compared to conventional meat. Spain was considered of interest for this study due to its significant gastronomic culture, with high-quality meat products that make a great contribution to the economy, meaning that this could be a suitable and also challenging market in which to test alternative sources of protein. The findings show that consumers’ motivations and their interactions with these products are complex. Additionally, a cluster analysis allowed us to identify three types of consumers in terms of preference for these products: price-sensitive millennials, conscious/concerned consumers, and indifferent consumers. Only one group showed some level of acceptance of these alternative products meats.

ACS Style

Alfredo Escribano; Maria Peña; Carlos Díaz-Caro; Ahmed Elghannam; Eva Crespo-Cebada; Francisco Mesías. Stated Preferences for Plant-Based and Cultured Meat: A Choice Experiment Study of Spanish Consumers. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8235 .

AMA Style

Alfredo Escribano, Maria Peña, Carlos Díaz-Caro, Ahmed Elghannam, Eva Crespo-Cebada, Francisco Mesías. Stated Preferences for Plant-Based and Cultured Meat: A Choice Experiment Study of Spanish Consumers. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (15):8235.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alfredo Escribano; Maria Peña; Carlos Díaz-Caro; Ahmed Elghannam; Eva Crespo-Cebada; Francisco Mesías. 2021. "Stated Preferences for Plant-Based and Cultured Meat: A Choice Experiment Study of Spanish Consumers." Sustainability 13, no. 15: 8235.

Journal article
Published: 29 April 2021 in Foods
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“Pimentón de La Vera” smoked paprika is a traditional kind of smoked paprika, the production of which is regulated by a protected designation of origin. The traditional drying/smoking process provides the “Pimentón de La Vera” smoked paprika with a peculiar flavour which has gained acceptance in multiple markets. However, this process also gives rise to non-desirable substances, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This paper attempts to ascertain the consumption levels of smoked paprika per person in Spain in order to establish the intake of PAHs derived from this food spice. With this purpose in mind, a research study was carried out using questionnaires in three different smoked paprika consumption scenarios: food companies, households and restaurants. The results from this research proved that the average consumption of smoked paprika per person per year in Spain is 139 g. Overall, the intake of PAHs derived from smoked paprika was proven to represent a negligible fraction of the total intake, with this ingredient being far behind the PAH contribution represented by other food products. These results could help consolidate the smoked paprika production sector by providing evidence of the scarce contribution of smoked paprika to PAH intake and justifying the traditional production with smoke drying, which is the differentiating quality trait of this spice.

ACS Style

José Coleto; Alberto Martín; Andrés Horrillo; Francisco Mesías; Rocío Velázquez. An Approach to the Consumption of Smoked Paprika in Spain and Its Impact on the Intake of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Foods 2021, 10, 973 .

AMA Style

José Coleto, Alberto Martín, Andrés Horrillo, Francisco Mesías, Rocío Velázquez. An Approach to the Consumption of Smoked Paprika in Spain and Its Impact on the Intake of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Foods. 2021; 10 (5):973.

Chicago/Turabian Style

José Coleto; Alberto Martín; Andrés Horrillo; Francisco Mesías; Rocío Velázquez. 2021. "An Approach to the Consumption of Smoked Paprika in Spain and Its Impact on the Intake of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons." Foods 10, no. 5: 973.

Research article
Published: 20 March 2021 in International Journal of Rural Management
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Inclusive business as a model at the base of the pyramid is a relatively recent unit of study in academic literature. From the institutional perspective, businesses are affected by norms, processes, rules of moral and ethical behaviour, which have not been studied for the base of the pyramid in inclusive businesses, much less in agricultural cooperatives. The objective of this research is to identify institutional factors that can affect agribusiness inclusive models. In this research, agricultural cooperatives of banana production in the province of Magdalena, Colombia, are the unit of analysis to identify institutional factors. The method of review of institutional factors is the multiple cases (six banana cooperatives) with a simple unit using inductive analysis. The results show that institutional factors—both formal (certifications, quality standards, social responsibility policies and economic incentives) and informal (cooperation, improvement of quality of life, generation of social capital)—promote the development of inclusive businesses in cooperatives of the base of the pyramid. The research is a first step to show its potential replication in other agricultural industries and even in other economic sectors.

ACS Style

Marcela Maestre-Matos; Jahir Lombana-Coy; Francisco J. Mesías; Ahmed Elghannam. Institutional Factors That Affect Inclusive Businesses: The Case of Banana Cooperatives in the Magdalena Region (Colombia). International Journal of Rural Management 2021, 17, 69S -96S.

AMA Style

Marcela Maestre-Matos, Jahir Lombana-Coy, Francisco J. Mesías, Ahmed Elghannam. Institutional Factors That Affect Inclusive Businesses: The Case of Banana Cooperatives in the Magdalena Region (Colombia). International Journal of Rural Management. 2021; 17 (1_suppl):69S-96S.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marcela Maestre-Matos; Jahir Lombana-Coy; Francisco J. Mesías; Ahmed Elghannam. 2021. "Institutional Factors That Affect Inclusive Businesses: The Case of Banana Cooperatives in the Magdalena Region (Colombia)." International Journal of Rural Management 17, no. 1_suppl: 69S-96S.

Journal article
Published: 28 October 2020 in Journal of Rural Studies
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In spite of the decreasing differences between rural and urban areas (e.g. in their economic structures) there are still several limitations that the rural world has to deal with. In a constantly changing world, rural development policies are a crucial issue to respond to current and potential future challenges of rural areas. They must therefore be flexible to reinforce or discard objectives as new challenges arise, enabling the necessary adaptations in the territories. All this justifies the call for a set of indicators that allow an accurate evaluation of these policies and programmes. This paper presents a set of demographic, economic, environmental and social welfare indicators that must be taken into account to assess rural development and related policies. Using the qualitative Delphi methodology, a group of experts analysed 88 proposed indicators, after which a set of 25 was selected based on their importance and on the consensus of the panel. The panel also estimated the weight of each of the four dimensions considered (population, social welfare, economy and environment) within an index to measure rural development. It has therefore been found that, in addition to the economy, social welfare is one of the areas that contributes most to the development of rural areas, thus contradicting “traditional” indices based solely on economic and demographic indicators. All this points to the need to evolve towards an index based on the results of this paper.

ACS Style

I. Abreu; F.J. Mesias. The assessment of rural development: Identification of an applicable set of indicators through a Delphi approach. Journal of Rural Studies 2020, 80, 578 -585.

AMA Style

I. Abreu, F.J. Mesias. The assessment of rural development: Identification of an applicable set of indicators through a Delphi approach. Journal of Rural Studies. 2020; 80 ():578-585.

Chicago/Turabian Style

I. Abreu; F.J. Mesias. 2020. "The assessment of rural development: Identification of an applicable set of indicators through a Delphi approach." Journal of Rural Studies 80, no. : 578-585.

Journal article
Published: 17 May 2020 in Sustainability
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Consumers are increasingly concerned about the way their food is produced. This is particularly relevant in the case of meat, due to the impacts that its production methods can have on greenhouse gas emissions and its role in climate change. In relation to this issue, the purpose of our research is to obtain more information on the consumer decision-making process for beef, in order to determine the relative importance of sustainability claims and traditional attributes, and identify consumer profiles with similar perceptions and intentions. A choice experiment was used to assess the influence of these attributes on consumers’ purchasing decisions. The results reveal that the best purchase choice for the consumer would be organic beef, produced in Spain, with an animal welfare label and eco-labelled. Later on, a cluster analysis was carried out using consumer beliefs and attitudes towards meat consumption as inputs, together with purchasing behaviour variables. A solution was obtained with three well-defined consumer segments showing different preference patterns: Cluster 1 (Male millennials indifferent towards environment or sustainability), Cluster 2 (Sustainability-concerned mature women) and Cluster 3 (Middle-aged meat eaters with established families). The results of this study are relevant to develop more appropriate strategies that may be adapted to the behaviour and expectations of eco-friendly food consumers.

ACS Style

Ali Eldesouky; Francisco J. Mesias; Miguel Escribano. Consumer Assessment of Sustainability Traits in Meat Production. A Choice Experiment Study in Spain. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4093 .

AMA Style

Ali Eldesouky, Francisco J. Mesias, Miguel Escribano. Consumer Assessment of Sustainability Traits in Meat Production. A Choice Experiment Study in Spain. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (10):4093.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Eldesouky; Francisco J. Mesias; Miguel Escribano. 2020. "Consumer Assessment of Sustainability Traits in Meat Production. A Choice Experiment Study in Spain." Sustainability 12, no. 10: 4093.

Original article
Published: 27 April 2020 in Journal of Sensory Studies
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Iberian dry‐cured ham is one of the most prominent Spanish traditional meat products with very special nutritional and sensory properties, which make it widely appreciated both in Spain and in foreign markets. The packaging formats used for sliced Iberian ham are vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging, which are more in line with the current trends and consumer habits and have contributed to its popularization. The aim of this article is to study the preferences of Spanish consumers for these two types of packaging of Iberian dry‐cured ham using a dual approach with sensory analysis and choice experiment. Data were collected by means of a survey conducted with 253 Spanish consumers. The choice experiment has shown that the participants proved to have a higher preference for the vacuum packaging. However, sensory test revealed that hams packaged in modified atmosphere received higher scores in terms of odor when making a global comparison. Practical Applications New purchasing habits require the adaptation of traditional products to new formats more in consonance with current consumer lifestyles. Iberian ham is one of these traditional products that until now selling in a whole‐piece format, which does not seem affordable for many consumers. So companies had to offer new sliced packaging format that could adapt with consumers' needs without affecting the organoleptic characteristics of the product. On the other hand, since we are dealing with a gourmet product of high sensory quality, results of this work would help companies in the sector to understand how the packaging format would influence the sensory attributes of the product. Both approaches applied in this article will allow industrials to know how consumer would behave in a pre and post‐purchase situation of different sliced dry‐cured Iberian ham packages that could be part of future marketing strategies within the Iberian sector.

ACS Style

Alberto Ortiz; David Tejerina; Carlos Díaz‐Caro; Ahmed Elghannam; Susana García‐Torres; Francisco J. Mesías; José Trujillo; Eva Crespo‐Cebada. Is packaging affecting consumers' preferences for meat products? A study of modified atmosphere packaging and vacuum packaging in Iberian dry‐cured ham. Journal of Sensory Studies 2020, 35, 1 .

AMA Style

Alberto Ortiz, David Tejerina, Carlos Díaz‐Caro, Ahmed Elghannam, Susana García‐Torres, Francisco J. Mesías, José Trujillo, Eva Crespo‐Cebada. Is packaging affecting consumers' preferences for meat products? A study of modified atmosphere packaging and vacuum packaging in Iberian dry‐cured ham. Journal of Sensory Studies. 2020; 35 (4):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alberto Ortiz; David Tejerina; Carlos Díaz‐Caro; Ahmed Elghannam; Susana García‐Torres; Francisco J. Mesías; José Trujillo; Eva Crespo‐Cebada. 2020. "Is packaging affecting consumers' preferences for meat products? A study of modified atmosphere packaging and vacuum packaging in Iberian dry‐cured ham." Journal of Sensory Studies 35, no. 4: 1.

Journal article
Published: 17 March 2020 in Land Use Policy
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In recent decades there have been significant changes in land use and production orientation in certain marginal agricultural areas in the southwest of Spain. The abandonment of rainfed cereal crops and their change of use as natural pastures grazed by milk sheep, have led to an improvement in the profitability of the farms, greater industrialisation and a positive impact on rural development. This paper calculates the carbon footprint (CF) of farms in the context of life cycle assessment with the objective to identify the system that accounts for the lowest CF while maintaining adequate levels of profitability and revitalising the rural environment. The data were obtained through surveys carried out on dairy sheep farms of different typologies, ranging from the semi-intensive farms with small grazing areas, to the extensive farms with large areas of natural pastures. Findings could help farmers evaluate the environmental impact of their activities, while at the same time provide consumers with valuable evidence to be used in further marketing actions. Greenhouse gas emissions vary from 1.77 to 4.09 Kg CO2eq/kg of milk, where the lowest values correspond to the most intensive farms and the highest values to the most extensive and least productive farms. Enteric fermentation, followed by feeding, are the emissions with the greatest impact. Enteric fermentation reaches its maximum value (52.22 % of the total emissions) in the most extensive farms. On other hand, this study found that carbon sequestration varies between 0.09 and 2.04 kg of CO2eq/kg of milk, a figure that can considerably reduce the carbon footprint calculation and justifies its inclusion in the Life Cycle Assessment.

ACS Style

Miguel Escribano; A. Elghannam; Francisco J. Mesias. Dairy sheep farms in semi-arid rangelands: A carbon footprint dilemma between intensification and land-based grazing. Land Use Policy 2020, 95, 104600 .

AMA Style

Miguel Escribano, A. Elghannam, Francisco J. Mesias. Dairy sheep farms in semi-arid rangelands: A carbon footprint dilemma between intensification and land-based grazing. Land Use Policy. 2020; 95 ():104600.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miguel Escribano; A. Elghannam; Francisco J. Mesias. 2020. "Dairy sheep farms in semi-arid rangelands: A carbon footprint dilemma between intensification and land-based grazing." Land Use Policy 95, no. : 104600.

Journal article
Published: 08 February 2020 in Journal of Rural Studies
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The dehesa is the most widespread agroforestry system within the European Union and provides an important set of provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services. However, these systems have been in decline for a number of years, to a great extent because of their lack of profitability. Among the different options available to add value to agroforestry systems such as the dehesa and make them more profitable, the development of brands that would help consumers identify the products they generate is one of the most promising alternatives. In this way, the value of dehesa products would be enhanced and the revenue obtained from them increased. However, whilst such products are locally appreciated, a challenge exists in so far as neither national nor international consumers are able to identify dehesa products and therefore they are not willing to pay a premium for them. In this context, the creation of an umbrella brand covering the products derived from the dehesa is considered to be useful for boosting revenues in dehesa systems. This piece of research used a qualitative approach combining discussion groups with projective techniques during a series of workshops to identify relevant branding concepts and imagery for dehesa products. The findings showed that the term dehesa is recognised and appreciated by consumers, although it is associated with traditional and expensive products. It was also found that in order to make the brand more attractive to more consumers -especially younger consumers-additional concepts such as “sustainability” and “socially-responsible” production need to be incorporated in the branding. Imagery displaying forests and other environmental motifs were found to be the strongest graphical means of depicting these concepts within the brand design. It is considered that these findings could help enhance the demand and revenues associated with dehesa products and sustain the benefits they provide for the environment and for society.

ACS Style

Miguel Escribano; P. Gaspar; F.J. Mesias. Creating market opportunities in rural areas through the development of a brand that conveys sustainable and environmental values. Journal of Rural Studies 2020, 75, 206 -215.

AMA Style

Miguel Escribano, P. Gaspar, F.J. Mesias. Creating market opportunities in rural areas through the development of a brand that conveys sustainable and environmental values. Journal of Rural Studies. 2020; 75 ():206-215.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miguel Escribano; P. Gaspar; F.J. Mesias. 2020. "Creating market opportunities in rural areas through the development of a brand that conveys sustainable and environmental values." Journal of Rural Studies 75, no. : 206-215.

Journal article
Published: 24 December 2019 in Foods
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Nowadays, an increasing number of consumers are demanding more information and more direct contact with food producers in order to avoid the various intermediaries in the supply chain, thus improving food traceability and price transfer. This has led to the development of more direct (short) food supply chains (SFSCs). Although consumer preferences to use SFSCs rather than traditional (long) supply chains have been widely researched in the literature, this study brings a new approach with the use of social media sites to build online SFSCs. A focus group approach with a total of 32 participants was used in this study with the main objective to understand consumers’ awareness and acceptance of SFSCs. Special attention was given to the use of social media and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) as new approaches to support the creation of such alternative channels.

ACS Style

Ahmed Elghannam; Francisco J. Mesias; Miguel Escribano; Lina Fouad; Andres Horrillo; Alfredo J. Escribano. Consumers’ Perspectives on Alternative Short Food Supply Chains Based on Social Media: A Focus Group Study in Spain. Foods 2019, 9, 22 .

AMA Style

Ahmed Elghannam, Francisco J. Mesias, Miguel Escribano, Lina Fouad, Andres Horrillo, Alfredo J. Escribano. Consumers’ Perspectives on Alternative Short Food Supply Chains Based on Social Media: A Focus Group Study in Spain. Foods. 2019; 9 (1):22.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ahmed Elghannam; Francisco J. Mesias; Miguel Escribano; Lina Fouad; Andres Horrillo; Alfredo J. Escribano. 2019. "Consumers’ Perspectives on Alternative Short Food Supply Chains Based on Social Media: A Focus Group Study in Spain." Foods 9, no. 1: 22.

Original article
Published: 17 October 2019 in International Journal of Consumer Studies
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Food consumption is one of the most important areas to influence environmental sustainability since it is responsible for one third of a household's total environmental impact. However, many consumers are not completely aware of the association between their food consumption and the environmental consequences. Recently, some food companies have developed labelling schemes to help inform their consumers of the impact a specific food product has on the environment during its production. The main objective of this study is to uncover consumers’ perceptions and attitudes towards these environmental labels and their impact on consumers’ purchase decisions. In this paper, five sustainability labels, covering both ethical and environmental aspects, were chosen as examples. A focus group approach has been taken due to its adequacy to explore beliefs, perceptions and experiences. Four focus group sessions took place with 36 participants in total. The data has been analysed using a specific qualitative program (Atlas.ti). Finally, the findings were presented and discussed in four main sections explained throughout the manuscript: Food purchase decision, Social and environmental labels, Information on labels and reasons for purchase, and lastly, Willingness to pay for certified labels. The results of this study show that, although consumers have positive attitudes towards sustainability attributes in food products, constraints still remain that prevent their materialisation in their purchasing behaviour.

ACS Style

Ali Eldesouky; Francisco J. Mesias; Miguel Escribano. Perception of Spanish consumers towards environmentally friendly labelling in food. International Journal of Consumer Studies 2019, 44, 64 -76.

AMA Style

Ali Eldesouky, Francisco J. Mesias, Miguel Escribano. Perception of Spanish consumers towards environmentally friendly labelling in food. International Journal of Consumer Studies. 2019; 44 (1):64-76.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Eldesouky; Francisco J. Mesias; Miguel Escribano. 2019. "Perception of Spanish consumers towards environmentally friendly labelling in food." International Journal of Consumer Studies 44, no. 1: 64-76.

Journal article
Published: 15 October 2019 in Archivos de Zootecnia
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En las últimas décadas se ha producido un notable aumento en la concienciación del consumidor por alimentos de calidad, y producidos de una forma social y ambientalmente responsable. El ámbito agroalimentario presenta uno de los mayores mercados en lo que se refiere a este tipo de producción ética-sostenible, como el Comercio Justo, y abre nuevas oportunidades para los productores a través de otros sistemas como la producción social y ambientalmente responsable. El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en determinar los condicionantes en el consumo de alimentos de Comercio Justo, además de la disposición a comprar alimentos social y ambientalmente responsable para la población de Extremadura (España). Para ello se ha aplicado un cuestionario a una muestra representativa (n=461) de la población extremeña en términos de edad y sexo. El análisis empírico consta de un análisis conjunto para determinar las preferencias hacia ambos tipos de producto y un modelo probit para determinar qué factores inciden sobre la probabilidad de consumo/disposición a consumir. Los resultados muestran que los consumidores prefieren los dos tipos de producción responsable a la convencional. Asimismo, el perfil de individuo que tiene una mayor probabilidad de consumir alimentos de comercio justo es mujer, con conocimiento previo acerca del Comercio Justo y con sensibilidad hacia los problemas laborales y ambientales. Finalmente, las mujeres, las rentas más altas, y los consumidores sensibilizados y que eran consumidores de Comercio Justo, son las principales características que influyen positivamente sobre la disposición a consumir alimentos social y ambientalmente responsables.

ACS Style

C. Sama; E. Crespo-Cebada; C. Díaz-Caro; F.J. Mesías. Análisis de las preferencias de los consumidores españoles hacia la miel de producción social y ambientalmente responsable frente a la de Comercio Justo. Archivos de Zootecnia 2019, 68, 495 -503.

AMA Style

C. Sama, E. Crespo-Cebada, C. Díaz-Caro, F.J. Mesías. Análisis de las preferencias de los consumidores españoles hacia la miel de producción social y ambientalmente responsable frente a la de Comercio Justo. Archivos de Zootecnia. 2019; 68 (264):495-503.

Chicago/Turabian Style

C. Sama; E. Crespo-Cebada; C. Díaz-Caro; F.J. Mesías. 2019. "Análisis de las preferencias de los consumidores españoles hacia la miel de producción social y ambientalmente responsable frente a la de Comercio Justo." Archivos de Zootecnia 68, no. 264: 495-503.

Journal article
Published: 27 September 2019 in Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
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The dehesa agroforestry system is classified as one of the most singular ecosystems in the European Union. In the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, it spreads over an area of approximately 6.7 million hectares, contributing major environmental, cultural, aesthetic and economic value to the region. The main agricultural activity that is developed in this ecosystem is the extensive farming of cattle, sheep and Iberian pigs with low stocking density and few inputs. Sustainable management of these ecosystems' existing production farms is essential in order to secure their continuity, as they face a difficult situation on account of their low profitability. One of the strategies that could be employed to attain a sustainable situation is the proposition of an organic production model. In order to explore this option, a participatory research process has been proposed and developed in the Spanish region called Extremadura (Spain). The aim of this process is to investigate the potential of extensive farming systems in moving toward a sustainable organic production model, identifying the main barriers preventing livestock farmers from converting to the organic model and seeking specific improvement measures that would reduce such barriers. For that purpose, four focus group sessions were run with a total of 33 participating stakeholders. For the analysis of these focus groups, Atlas.ti qualitative software was used to categorize and quantify the main ideas proposed during the sessions. The findings revealed that the main barriers can be classified into three groups: barriers that are inherent to the production processes and the structure of the specific sector, barriers associated with administration and management issues and lastly, barriers relating to education and training of the various actors involved. We consider this paper may contribute to policy makers' decisions to focus on specific actions for improvement that are customized for the socio-economic and environmental conditions of the region.

ACS Style

Andrés Horrillo; Paula Gaspar; Francisco J. Mesías; Ahmed Elghannam; Miguel Escribano. Understanding the barriers and exploring the possibilities of the organic livestock sector in dehesa agroforestry systems: a multi-actor approach for effective diagnosis. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 2019, 35, 663 -677.

AMA Style

Andrés Horrillo, Paula Gaspar, Francisco J. Mesías, Ahmed Elghannam, Miguel Escribano. Understanding the barriers and exploring the possibilities of the organic livestock sector in dehesa agroforestry systems: a multi-actor approach for effective diagnosis. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 2019; 35 (6):663-677.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrés Horrillo; Paula Gaspar; Francisco J. Mesías; Ahmed Elghannam; Miguel Escribano. 2019. "Understanding the barriers and exploring the possibilities of the organic livestock sector in dehesa agroforestry systems: a multi-actor approach for effective diagnosis." Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 35, no. 6: 663-677.

Journal article
Published: 06 September 2019 in REVESCO. Revista de Estudios Cooperativos
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Las cooperativas agrarias son consideradas como un modelo organizacional que permite la mejora de las condiciones de producción y comercialización de sus productos, generando ingresos y cambios sustanciales en sus asociados. Algunas de estas cooperativas desarrollan modelos de negocios de inclusión social con los pequeños productores que la conforman. El presente artículo pretende dar a conocer cuáles son las características de las cooperativas agrarias como generadoras de negocios con inclusión de las personas menos favorecidas (lo que se conoce como la base de la pirámide) en su modelo económico. Para ello, se establecieron unas proposiciones teóricas a partir de la revisión de la literatura que fueron validadas a través del análisis de caso múltiple con una unidad de análisis simple (seis cooperativas bananeras del departamento del Magdalena, Colombia), utilizando el método deductivo. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que una cooperativa agraria desarrolla un negocio inclusivo cuando se cumplen las siguientes condiciones: hay una vinculación de pequeños productores en una cadena de valor; se genera valor económico y social para las personas involucradas; la creación y desarrollo de la cooperativa se genera por iniciativa propia de los pequeños productores, por algún actor de la cadena productiva y/o por una reglamentación establecida; y cuando el modelo cooperativo puede ser replicable y/o escalable a lo largo del tiempo.

ACS Style

Leydis Marcela Maestre Matos; Andrea Paola Páez Cabas; Francisco Javier Mesías; Jahir Lombana Coy. Las cooperativas agrarias como modelo generador de negocios con inclusión social: el caso de las cooperativas bananeras del Magdalena (Colombia). REVESCO. Revista de Estudios Cooperativos 2019, 1 .

AMA Style

Leydis Marcela Maestre Matos, Andrea Paola Páez Cabas, Francisco Javier Mesías, Jahir Lombana Coy. Las cooperativas agrarias como modelo generador de negocios con inclusión social: el caso de las cooperativas bananeras del Magdalena (Colombia). REVESCO. Revista de Estudios Cooperativos. 2019; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Leydis Marcela Maestre Matos; Andrea Paola Páez Cabas; Francisco Javier Mesías; Jahir Lombana Coy. 2019. "Las cooperativas agrarias como modelo generador de negocios con inclusión social: el caso de las cooperativas bananeras del Magdalena (Colombia)." REVESCO. Revista de Estudios Cooperativos , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 06 August 2019 in Meat Science
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Spanish consumers have a strong preference for Iberian meat products, as they perceive them to be of extra sensorial and nutritional quality. The production of these meat products depends on multiple variables, such as genetics, livestock production systems and, above all, the feed provided. The aim of this paper is to study the preferences of Spanish consumers for the various types of Iberian dry-cured ham, analysing whether they are willing to pay the premium required by the highest-quality products. The methodological approach combined a sensory analysis and a choice-based conjoint experiment with obtained through tasting sessions in Extremadura (SW of Spain). Findings of the sensory test have shown that there are significant differences in odour, texture and taste, explained mainly by the type of feed pigs were fed. The main results of the choice experiment have also shown that the type of feed is the most preferred attribute by consumers, in line with the sensory analysis.

ACS Style

C. Díaz-Caro; S. García-Torres; A. Elghannam; D. Tejerina; F.J. Mesias; A. Ortiz. Is production system a relevant attribute in consumers' food preferences? The case of Iberian dry-cured ham in Spain. Meat Science 2019, 158, 107908 .

AMA Style

C. Díaz-Caro, S. García-Torres, A. Elghannam, D. Tejerina, F.J. Mesias, A. Ortiz. Is production system a relevant attribute in consumers' food preferences? The case of Iberian dry-cured ham in Spain. Meat Science. 2019; 158 ():107908.

Chicago/Turabian Style

C. Díaz-Caro; S. García-Torres; A. Elghannam; D. Tejerina; F.J. Mesias; A. Ortiz. 2019. "Is production system a relevant attribute in consumers' food preferences? The case of Iberian dry-cured ham in Spain." Meat Science 158, no. : 107908.

Article
Published: 22 April 2019 in Social Indicators Research
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Starting the discussion about the framework 2021–2027, and regarding the increasing importance given to rural areas by the European Union, multifunctionality of agriculture and its positive externalities can be the leverage factor to a sustainable rural development. It is therefore crucial to identify the success issues in these territories where public investment can more effectively influence the private sector. Despite the existence of many indices of development, none of them is specifically designed for the evaluation of rural areas. This lack of rural development measures hampers the process of assessing the impact of public policies applied in a particular territory, or, in an ex-ante perspective, the identification of the areas where the use of public funds would be more effective. This work hence proposes the design of a Rural Development Index which would cover the defining characteristics of each region’s development. The index has been constructed based on four dimensions: population, social, economic and environmental, with each of them being composed of different indicators. The index is finally applied it to 15 municipalities in a Portuguese NUT III region (North Alentejo) using the most recent data available from the 2011 Portuguese Census. The use of the index has allowed a comparative analysis of values of each territorial unit in different years, producing some conclusions on the effectiveness of the implementation of public policies. It was also possible to identify the dimensions in which the public development policies can improve their results, and how these dimensions contribute to different development levels of the territories.

ACS Style

I. Abreu; J. M. Nunes; F. J. Mesias. Can Rural Development Be Measured? Design and Application of a Synthetic Index to Portuguese Municipalities. Social Indicators Research 2019, 145, 1107 -1123.

AMA Style

I. Abreu, J. M. Nunes, F. J. Mesias. Can Rural Development Be Measured? Design and Application of a Synthetic Index to Portuguese Municipalities. Social Indicators Research. 2019; 145 (3):1107-1123.

Chicago/Turabian Style

I. Abreu; J. M. Nunes; F. J. Mesias. 2019. "Can Rural Development Be Measured? Design and Application of a Synthetic Index to Portuguese Municipalities." Social Indicators Research 145, no. 3: 1107-1123.

Journal article
Published: 15 March 2019 in New Medit
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The increasing use of internet, especially the proliferation of social networks has offered companies of all sectors the opportunity to keep in contact with their consumers; getting their feedbacks and complains on a daily basis and even to create short online chains enabling consumers to buy their products. This trend is found to be rather limited in the case of food products. The main objective of this article is to deal with consumer’s perceptions towards the potential use of social media to create online short supply chains for food. Projective techniques (Sentence completion tasks) have been used in this study. As, they allow researchers to uncover motivations, emotions and beliefs that drive consumer’s perception and behavior which may not be detected by straightforward questioning. The findings of this study have allowed to obtain insight into those aspects that consumers regard as opportunities or barriers of such potential short food chains. The main aspect is to put food enterprises in the picture about what is going on in consumer’s mind. This might open new possibilities for food businesses to develop a new short food chain.

ACS Style

Ahmed Elghannam; Francisco J. Mesias. SHORT FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS FROM A SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PERSPECTIVE: A CONSUMER-ORIENTED STUDY IN SPAIN. New Medit 2019, 18, 79 -90.

AMA Style

Ahmed Elghannam, Francisco J. Mesias. SHORT FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS FROM A SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PERSPECTIVE: A CONSUMER-ORIENTED STUDY IN SPAIN. New Medit. 2019; 18 (1):79-90.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ahmed Elghannam; Francisco J. Mesias. 2019. "SHORT FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS FROM A SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PERSPECTIVE: A CONSUMER-ORIENTED STUDY IN SPAIN." New Medit 18, no. 1: 79-90.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2018 in Science of The Total Environment
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This paper provides a list of specific indicators that will allow the managers of dehesa farms to assess their sustainability in an easy and reliable way. To this end a Delphi analysis has been carried out with a group of experts in agroforestry systems and sustainability. A total of 30 experts from public institutions, farming, research bodies, environmental and rural development associations, agricultural organizations and companies took part in the study which intended to design a set of sustainability indicators adapted to dehesa agroforestry systems. The experts scored 83 original indicators related to the basic pillars of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) through a two-round procedure. Finally, 24 indicators were selected based on their importance and the consensus achieved. From an environmental point of view, and in line with its significance for dehesa ecosystems, it has been observed that “Stocking rate” is the indicator with greater relevance. Within the economic pillar, “Farm profitability” is the most important indicator, while regarding the technical indicators “Percentage of animal diet based on grazing” is the one that got the highest score. Finally, the “Degree of job satisfaction” and the “Generational renewal” were the most relevant labor indicators. It is considered that the Delphi approach used in this research settles some of the flaws of other sustainability models, such as the adaptation to the system to be studied and the involvement of stakeholders in the design.

ACS Style

Miguel Escribano; C. Díaz-Caro; F.J. Mesias. A participative approach to develop sustainability indicators for dehesa agroforestry farms. Science of The Total Environment 2018, 640-641, 89 -97.

AMA Style

Miguel Escribano, C. Díaz-Caro, F.J. Mesias. A participative approach to develop sustainability indicators for dehesa agroforestry farms. Science of The Total Environment. 2018; 640-641 ():89-97.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miguel Escribano; C. Díaz-Caro; F.J. Mesias. 2018. "A participative approach to develop sustainability indicators for dehesa agroforestry farms." Science of The Total Environment 640-641, no. : 89-97.

Journal article
Published: 24 August 2018 in British Food Journal
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to get a consumer’s cross-cultural insight on the potential of using social networking sites as short food supply chains. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach, using free listing tasks and sentence completion techniques, was adopted in this research. The research group decided to apply the study in three countries with different cultural backgrounds, namely, Mexico, Spain and Egypt. The final sample consisted of 424 respondents in total, including 209 Spanish, 111 Mexicans and 104 Egyptians, all of them actual users of social networks. Findings The most significant result that emerges from this study is that a high percentage of consumers within the three countries might be interested in these new short food chains. Also, the study offers food companies the most relevant motivations and barriers of consumers for their engagement to this initiative. Also, the study provides categories of foods that consumers would purchase via these chains in each country. Originality/value The multicultural perspective of this study might open new opportunities for food businesses around the world, especially for SMEs, to develop new short food supply chains enabling them to increase sale levels and, therefore, increase profitability and reduce costs.

ACS Style

Ahmed Elghannam; Julian Arroyo; Ali Eldesouky; Francisco J. Mesias. A cross-cultural consumers’ perspective on social media-based short food supply chains. British Food Journal 2018, 120, 2210 -2221.

AMA Style

Ahmed Elghannam, Julian Arroyo, Ali Eldesouky, Francisco J. Mesias. A cross-cultural consumers’ perspective on social media-based short food supply chains. British Food Journal. 2018; 120 (10):2210-2221.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ahmed Elghannam; Julian Arroyo; Ali Eldesouky; Francisco J. Mesias. 2018. "A cross-cultural consumers’ perspective on social media-based short food supply chains." British Food Journal 120, no. 10: 2210-2221.

Journal article
Published: 30 July 2018 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Dehesa agroforestry systems (rangelands located in Southwest Spain) are characterised by their semi-arid and often marginal conditions. These features are behind the low supply of pastures available for livestock use, which leads to proper management being based on the use of reduced stocking rates which imply minimal animal pressure on the territory. In this sense, the study of the role of carbon footprint in extensive systems is of great interest by analysing, within a case study framework, the various production systems available in dehesa farms and providing the methodological adjustments required to generate results that are comparable with other livestock systems and species. Results have revealed that beef farms with fattening calves are those with the lowest carbon footprint levels (8.62 kg of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq)/kg live weight), followed by meat production sheep farms and farms selling calves at weaning. Enteric fermentation accounts for 64.10%–43.63% of the total emissions, and it is linked to the extensification of these systems and to the grazing diet of the animals. The system's own emissions could reach up to 78% in meat production systems. Undoubtedly, feeding is the input that amounts for the highest percentage of off-farm emissions, as it can reach up to 44.60% of the total emissions in dairy sheep farms and 21.20% in the meat production sheep farms. Soil sequestration has also been observed to range between 270.02 and 334.01 kg CO2eq ha−1 y−1 in the extensive farms under study, which represents considerable carbon compensation. It should be noted that these systems cannot compete in product units with the more intensive ones and, therefore, carbon footprint in dehesa agroforestry systems should be referred to the territory.

ACS Style

A. Eldesouky; F.J. Mesias; A. Elghannam; Miguel Escribano. Can extensification compensate livestock greenhouse gas emissions? A study of the carbon footprint in Spanish agroforestry systems. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 200, 28 -38.

AMA Style

A. Eldesouky, F.J. Mesias, A. Elghannam, Miguel Escribano. Can extensification compensate livestock greenhouse gas emissions? A study of the carbon footprint in Spanish agroforestry systems. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 200 ():28-38.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. Eldesouky; F.J. Mesias; A. Elghannam; Miguel Escribano. 2018. "Can extensification compensate livestock greenhouse gas emissions? A study of the carbon footprint in Spanish agroforestry systems." Journal of Cleaner Production 200, no. : 28-38.

Journal article
Published: 15 May 2018 in Ecological Economics
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In recent years there has been an increase in social awareness about environment, production processes and product origin amongst consumers. Particularly in the agro-food industry, fair and responsible consumption has been proposed as a feasible alternative to conventional product consumption. Fair trade products are usually produced in developing countries and then commercialised in the rest of the world. However, we may compare this concept to that of “ethical-sustainable production” in developed countries, depending on the level of environmental responsibility, the way the production processes are developed and other business practices, which are similar to those used in fair trade. The findings reveal that the origin (local/regional) and the type of production are two attributes that are highly valued by consumers, with the socially and environmentally responsible production system and fair trade products providing a positive utility compared to conventional products. Three consumer groups have been identified with differentiated preferences: the group we call “Fair Trade Consumers”, who allocate more value to the type of production; “Local Consumers”, who allocate more value to the origin of products; and “Price Sensitive Consumers”, who are less inclined to pay for products deriving from socially and environmentally responsible practices and fair trade products.

ACS Style

Celia Sama; Eva Crespo-Cebada; Carlos Díaz-Caro; Miguel Escribano; Francisco J. Mesías. Consumer Preferences for Foodstuffs Produced in a Socio-environmentally Responsible Manner: A Threat to Fair Trade Producers? Ecological Economics 2018, 150, 290 -296.

AMA Style

Celia Sama, Eva Crespo-Cebada, Carlos Díaz-Caro, Miguel Escribano, Francisco J. Mesías. Consumer Preferences for Foodstuffs Produced in a Socio-environmentally Responsible Manner: A Threat to Fair Trade Producers? Ecological Economics. 2018; 150 ():290-296.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Celia Sama; Eva Crespo-Cebada; Carlos Díaz-Caro; Miguel Escribano; Francisco J. Mesías. 2018. "Consumer Preferences for Foodstuffs Produced in a Socio-environmentally Responsible Manner: A Threat to Fair Trade Producers?" Ecological Economics 150, no. : 290-296.