Exploring the Sustainable Benefits of Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy.

This study aimed to identify adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and its effect on health and environmental and socioeconomic sustainability during the COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of the Italian population. Notably, it intended to assess the effect of adherence to the MedDiet on ecological footprints and food expenditure. A survey was conducted from the 5th to the 24th of April 2020 on Google Forms. The MEDAS questionnaire was used to determine the level of adherence to the MedDiet. The carbon footprint (CO2), water footprint (H2O), and food cost were calculated. In total, 3353 participants completed the questionnaire, ranging from 18 to 86 years old. A statistically significant difference was observed in the CO2 and H2O among BMI groups (p < 0.001). The low- and medium-MEDAS groups showed higher CO2 (p < 0.001). The food cost (EUR/week) resulted in statistically significant differences among the MEDAS groups. The CO2 results were significantly lower in organic-market buyers compared to non-organic-market buyers (p < 0.001). Public health must promote awareness of how adhering to a healthy lifestyle and making appropriate food choices can positively impact our health and social and economic well-being.

COVID-19 Changes Public Awareness about Food Sustainability and Dietary Patterns: A Google Trends Analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected healthcare systems and global economies but also directly impacted food security and purchasing behaviors. The aim of this study is to investigate if COVID-19 has induced changes in public interest regarding Food Sustainability and healthy-sustainable dietary patterns across Europe and in European regions. A Google Trends search was performed using the search terms "Food Sustainability + Sustainable Diet + Sustainable Food" (grouped as "Food Sustainability") and the topics "Sustainability", "Healthy Diet", "Mediterranean Diet", and "Flexitarianism" for the years 2010 to 2022. Data were obtained for 12 countries in Europe. The trends in interest after the COVID-19 outbreak were forecast based on previous data. After the COVID-19 outbreak, an increase in Food Sustainability interest was observed and was higher than forecast based on the previous data. A significant interest increase in Sustainability was observed; nevertheless, this increase was smaller than the forecast increase. Mixed results were obtained for dietary patterns across European regions, yet, considering the mean interest for Europe, it seems that the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak dampened the interest in dietary patterns such as the Healthy Diet and Flexitarianism and promoted an interest in the Mediterranean Diet. Understanding consumers' beliefs and behaviors toward food choices is crucial for the transition towards sustainable diets, and definitions of educational and behavioral interventions are essential to this transition.

Smart and Sustainable Cities Through Short Supply Chains of Food

The world in general and cities in particular face tremendous challenges at the environmental, social, economic and institutional levels. Currently, cities need to be sustainable and smart. As our better knowledge, most of the literature explores the concept of smart cities from the point of view of information and communications technology unless the connection with the social and sustainability aspects remains unsolved. This paper tries to overcome this gap in the literature. The main aim is to analyse the contribution of short supply chains of foods in terms of the sustainability of smart cities. The methods include a scoping revision of the literature. Information and data also come from the preliminary results from the SGDsCONSUM project. The results confirm the positive impacts of short supply chains of food in urban areas towards smart and sustainable cities. The conclusions of this paper will be helpful for scholars and public decisionmakers to implement their policies accordingly.

Sustainability and authenticity: are they food risk relievers during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Purpose: The study jointly investigates sustainability and authenticity concepts in the food context during the COVID-19 outbreak with a fourfold objective: (1) understanding whether sustainability and authenticity are equivalent concepts in consumers' perceptions;(2) advancing knowledge on the role played by them about food frauds' perception;(3) investigating whether these concepts are considered as “risk relievers” by consumers, (4) comparing the concepts to understand which one has a greater weight on the consumer's perception. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a Combination of a Uniform and a shifted Binomial distribution (CUB models) on data gathered in Spain between June and August 2020 through an online questionnaire. Findings: The findings reveal that: (1) consumers perceive sustainability and authenticity as different concepts in the food context and (2) as two important indicators of fraud protection of a product for consumers;(3) besides, authenticity is seen as a “risk reliever” in buying a food product, as well as sustainability, (4) although results underline high uncertainty in the latter case. Originality/value: By considering that the COVID-19 outbreak seriously threatens food safety, security and nutrition, this research elucidates the relevant role of food sustainability and authenticity concepts as “risk relievers” in terms of food frauds and negative issues related to COVID-19. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Food Supply Chain Transformation through Technology and Future Research Directions—A Systematic Review

Background: Digital and smart supply chains are reforming the food chain to help eliminate waste, improve food safety, and reduce the possibility of a global food catastrophe. The globe currently faces numerous food-related issues, ranging from a lack of biodiversity to excessive waste, and from ill health caused by excessive consumption to widespread food insecurity. It is time to look back at how technology has tackled food supply-chain challenges related to quality, safety, and sustainability over the last decade. Moreover, continuous transformations of the food supply chain into a more sustainable business model with utmost resilience is the need of the hour due to COVID-19 disruptions. Method: This study aimed to systematize literature (2010–2021) in the described context and propose a future research direction, with the assistance of a systematic review and bibliometric analysis on the research agenda proposed above. Results: The findings reveal that technological Industry 4.0 (IR 4.0) tools face specific barriers due to the scope and objective of the application. Conclusion: The Internet of Things has received more attention than any other IR 4.0 tool. More integration between the specialized tools is needed to address this issue. Furthermore, the authors have proposed a food supply chain-based operational framework on technological inclusion to facilitate the roadmap for food supply chain 4.0 for more resilience and food supply chain viability.