Loading...
3 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
- Local seasonal foods: a revision on how they impact on sustainable consumptionPublication . Vargas, Alexandre Maia; Moura, Ana Pinto de; Deliza, Rosires; Cunha, Luís MiguelThere is an increasing concern for consumer food sustainability issues along the food chain. As a result, there is an increasing demand for local and seasonal food. The aim of this research was to understand the role of local seasonal foods in enhancing sustainability. To this end, a systematic review of the literature was conducted pertaining to the effects of eating local seasonal food on sustainable consumption, using Scopus and Web of Science databases, in line with the recommendations from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Our findings suggest that the concept of local seasonality provides relevant information to the study of sustainable consumption. After screening over 6,500 documents, 116 studies were analyzed in detail. It is not possible to assume that local food will have a smaller impact than global food simply as it was produced close to consumption. On the other hand, it is not possible to ensure that global food is more sustainable than a local one, considering only a smaller carbon footprint. As an alternative to binary thinking, where “local” and “global”, “local seasonality” and “in season” are distinct from each other, we recommend a systemic view of the food system. This may permit a more complex analysis where food actors may be locally oriented and globally connected. Adopting a holistic concept of “local food” or embracing a “local seasonal food” concept can force methodological approaches that address all the pillars of sustainability, allowing more concrete results for sustainable consumption.
- Consumers’ associations with wellbeing in a food-related context : a cross-cultural studyPublication . Ares, Gastón; Saldamando, Luis de; Giménez, Ana; Claret, Anna; Cunha, Luís Miguel; Guerrero, Luis; Moura, Ana Pinto de; Oliveira, Denize C. R.; Symoneaux, Ronan; Deliza, RosiresConsumers’ perception of wellbeing in a food context can affect food choices and might provide a more holistic evaluation of products than overall liking or healthfulness scores. However, considering that wellbeing is a broad concept which lacks of a unique definition, it is necessary to explore how consumers perceive wellbeing in a food-related context. The present work aims at exploring consumers’ associations with wellbeing in a food-related context, taking into account the views of consumers from five countries: Brazil, France, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay. A total of 755 consumers were asked to complete a questionnaire comprising five open-ended questions about foods and wellbeing. The elicited terms were translated into English, coded and grouped into categories. The frequency of mention of the categories was determined and differences among countries were evaluated. In the five countries wellbeing was mainly associated with calmness, health, happiness, food products, positive emotions and satisfaction with specific aspects of life. The effects of foods on wellbeing were strongly related to physical health, pleasure and emotional aspects. Meanwhile, consumers regarded sensory characteristics, manufacturing processes, nutritional composition and context of food consumption as the main factors underlying food-related wellbeing. Vegetables, fruits, fish and seafood, meat products, grains and cereals, and dairy products were the main foods recognized as positive for wellbeing, whereas foods high in fat, salt and sugar, meat products, junk food and fried food were perceived as harmful. Significant differences among countries were identified in the frequency of mention of the categories elicited in the five questions, suggesting that culture affected consumers’ associations with wellbeing.
- The role of local seasonal foods in enhancing sustainable food consumption: a systematic literature reviewPublication . Vargas, Alexandre Maia; Moura, Ana Pinto de; Deliza, Rosires; Cunha, Luís MiguelThis article aims to review the current literature pertaining to the effects of eating local seasonal food on sustainable consumption. To this end, we examined definitions of seasonal and local food, the methodological approaches adopted to study the impact of seasonal consumption on sustainability, and sustainability dimensions investigated in journal articles. Highlighting what seasonal and local means, it is crucial to evaluate the effect of the consumption of these foods on sustainability. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using Scopus and Clarivate’s Web of Science database in line with the recommendations from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Our findings suggest that the concept of local seasonality provides relevant information to the study of sustainable consumption. However, for better use of this concept, it is crucial to define what is local. At this point, regulation of labels based on geographic proximity or political boundaries proves pertinent.