Alireza Karbasi

Unusual levels of agricultural product waste are becoming one of the issues and dangers that human societies face in their efforts to achieve food security. Therefore, reducing agricultural product waste is one of the main strategies for the optimal use of production resources and support food security. In this study, a multilevel Bayesian technique was used to examine the characteristics of customers and the effects of marketing mix on the waste of selected agricultural products—a subgroup of fruits and vegetables in Mashhad, Iran. Based on this, 368 consumers (at the first level), 53 fruit and vegetable markets (at the second level), and 3 main supply centers of fruit and vegetables in the city (at the third level) were evaluated using the Bayesian multilevel model. The results showed that approximately 56% of food waste variance was caused by differences between consumers, 29% is due to the differences between fruit and vegetable markets, and almost 14% is due to the differences between the main supply centers of Mashhad. Also, the effects of the marketing mix showed that the place of distribution of agricultural products always has an increasing effect on the waste of agricultural products. Moreover, increasing the price of agricultural products reduces waste by consumers and keeps the consumer away from unnecessary purchases. The product factor also has an increasing effect on the waste of agricultural products, and consumers are encouraged to consume more and create more waste. A good way to reduce agricultural product waste is to use solutions that slow down the spoilage process and extend the shelf life of fruit and vegetables. Using an appropriate marketing mix and considering the characteristics of consumers can also control the waste of agricultural products.

Shifting from conventional methods of food production to genetic modification methods benefits sustainable agri-food production and environmental preservation. However, one of the main problems genetically modified food manufacturers have ever had to deal with is the public acceptability of GM foods. This study has two major objectives. First, it intends to apply principles from behavioral economics to investigate how consumers’ willingness to pay for GM corn oil can be affected. For this purpose, two different nudges are tested by providing consumers with positive information regarding GMO and changing the wording of the GMO label. Then, a comparison between the effectiveness of each of them is provided. Second, it investigates the impact of trust in GM food institutions, GMO information, and perceived GMO risk on both WTP for GM edible oil and the effectiveness of each nudge. A between-subjects choice experiment with a sample size of 550 Iranian corn oil consumers was conducted in Mashhad from March to April 2021. The results of mixed logit models indicate that both nudges affected consumer valuation of GM corn oil significantly, while their effectiveness differed according to the consumer level of trust in the GM food institutions and the perceived risk of GMO. Increasing consumer trust and information raises the WTP for GM corn oil; however, perceived risk has no effect. This study introduces effortless tools that GM food manufacturers can consider in their marketing strategies to affect consumers in the desired way.

ISHS V International Symposium on Saffron Biology and Technology: Advances in Biology, Technologies, Uses and Market Developing strategies to protect saffron production and market in Iran