Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities. (Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities.)

This special issue consists of seven articles examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the markets of selected commodities, including: seafood, lumber, crawfish, cattle/beef, fruits and vegetables in the USA, cotton and garments in Bangladesh, and fuel oil globally.

Vegetable production and the COVID-19 lockdown

Due to various policies measures to curtail the virus, one of which was lockdown, the occurrence of COVID-19 had a negative impact on the nation's economy, especially the rural smallholder farmers. The study looked into how Covid-19 lockdowns affected Nigerian vegetable production. Descriptive statistics, budgetary approaches, multiple regression analysis, and a Likert scale were all used for the analysis. The findings show that most of vegetable growers in the research region were married women (88.33%). About 70% of respondents have completed at least their primary education. The multiple regression analysis results disclosed that number of extensions contact, farm size, market access and transportation cost were significantly affected the level of vegetable production with positive sign while household size had a negative effect on the vegetable production. The findings also showed that after the COVID-19 lockdown, vegetable production was extremely profitable in the study area, with an average gross margin of 82,836.04 that was statistically higher than the 60,709.97 gross margin generated from vegetable production during COVID-19 and the 71,234.91 gross margin generated prior to COVID-19. The constraints faced by vegetable farmers during the covid - 19 restrictions include: high cost of transportation, price fluctuation, and high cost of input, perishability of the produce and lack of improved seeds. It was concluded that Covid 19 pandemic has greater effect on vegetable production in the study areas.

The role of healthy eating and functional foods in the protection of the immune system, especially the consumption of vegetables and fruits: lifestyle survey among adult population

Our manuscript focuses on vegetables and fruits as functional foods. Our questionnaire survey was conducted at the end of the third wave of the pandemic, however, we also paid increased attention to lifestyle, mostly dietary, changes in the active stages of the coronavirus pandemic, especially vegetable and fruit consumption patterns. Our quantitative analysis was carried out with the help of 9 questionnaires, including 4 cumulative closed-ended questionnaires, which were divided into four main groups of statistical activities. We first analysed demographic data and then focused on health status, knowledge of concepts, and assessment of consumer needs. For the statistical evaluation of our survey, we performed a descriptive statistical analysis, including a distribution analysis of demography and related issues. Next, we calculated the appropriate type of correlation between the questions, which was evaluated in Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS Statistics 26. The number of respondents was n = 109, of which 37% were male and 63% female. Before evaluating our results, we also asked a research question: To what extent did the attitudes related to regular exercise, healthy eating and the importance of health change during the active stages of the pandemic? Based on our empirical analyses, an increase in extremes can be observed with regular exercise. In terms of general health, there was an increase in the "extremely important" category. In the active phase of the pandemic, the number of vegetable consumers was lower, and among the proponents of a healthy diet, the consumption of fruit foods was not significantly higher. Based on our conclusions, this is due on the one hand to the restrictions during the pandemic and on the other hand to the endowment of fruit-containing foods with negative properties (e.g. made with the addition of sugar).

An integrated IoT architecture to monitor food quality along the supply chain

Drop in nutrition value during food logistics impacts the health of consumers. Vegetables, fruits, fish, milk lose nutrients during logistics if it is not properly monitored. Real-time tracking and monitoring, large data handling and secure business transactions are key to the effective operation of supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the need for handling unforeseen situations in various sectors. Limitations to logistic operations, inaccessible warehouses, shutdown of consumer outlets for an unexpected duration, have affected the supply chain drastically. This has laid emphasis on the need for technology-based solutions that can monitor, control and make quick decisions, that can reduce losses. With this scenario as a background, a system architecture has been proposed to detect the nutrient value of food by periodically monitoring temperature and humidity in real-time and alerting the cold chain entities in cold chain environments. This architecture is proposed as an integration of Internet of Things (IoT) with cloud-based storage, to provide real-time data collection at the end-user, seamless storage and computation in the cloud and secure transactions at the business layer. An experimental setup of the system architecture has been configured and the implementation has been tested at a preliminary level. The performance of the application is analyzed and the proposed web application is efficient for large scale supply chain applications, provided scaling of hardware resources.

Analysis of changes in shopping habits and causes of food waste among consumers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland

Food waste is a worldwide phenomenon that needs to be reduced. The causes of this problem vary widely. The study used the Computer-Assisted Web Interview method. There were 500 respondents from all over the country and among them 60% women and 40% men. The sample selection was purposeful. Before the pandemic began, the highest percentage of consumers shopped two to three times a week. As of March 2020, the frequency of this activity has decreased for every fourth respondent. Also during this period, an increase in the frequency of shopping alone was observed, as well as an increase in the number of people who outsource their shopping list to others. Nowadays, the vast majority of respondents usually create a shopping list before doing it and follow it. Before the pandemic, this was the case for only 46% of respondents, while during the pandemic it was the case for 81%. Exceeding the expiration date was the most common reason for throwing products in the trash before as well as during the pandemic. Over-shopping as a cause of food waste increased almost fourfold during the pandemic. A positive aspect is noticeable for the 'I don't throw food away' response. The percentage of respondents increased from 16% to 21%. During both survey periods, respondents most often indicated that they throw away fruits, vegetables, bread, and dairy products. During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers' shopping behaviour changed. They attended grocery stores far less frequently, mostly on their own, and purchased larger quantities of products. Nonetheless, consumers planned their purchases and checked expiration dates before putting food in their shopping carts. Households were thus forced to respond quickly, adjusting their shopping behaviour. These behaviours have implications for the subsequent activities of retail merchants.

Sanitization of fruits and vegetables: a review

Recently, with the coronavirus pandemic, the eating habits of the population have been modified, observing the search for healthy diet. In this sense, the consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, and the hygiene is a fundamental step in quality control, since fruits and vegetables can be consumed in natura. The objective of the work was to elaborate a review about the main chemical sanitizers used in the sanitization of fruits and vegetables. The study is a review based on scientific publications, using the combination of the following descriptors: hygiene, fruits and vegetables, sanitizers and sanitizing. It was possible to verify that the most used sanitizer in the sanitization of fruits and vegetables is chlorine and its derivatives, in concentrations from 100 to 200 ppm, normally for 15 minutes. Ozone could destroy numerous microorganisms and for its sanitizing effect it is necessary to have a longer exposure time, on average up to 30 minutes. When using organic acids (acetic, citric, lactic and peracetic acid), the concentrations vary up to 2% and the average exposure time is a few minutes, which can be used in combination or not. However, its use is not always effective. It is concluded that the application of each type of sanitizer varies according to its concentrations, pH, exposure time to the treatment and the type of fruit or vegetable to be sanitized.

Pathways for advancing good work in food systems: reflecting on the international good work for good food forum

The crucial roles that workers, especially seasonal and migrant workers, play in our food systems have come under renewed attention in recent years. The coronavirus pandemic resulted in food workers being recognized as critical or essential workers in many countries. In 2021, this coincided with the UN International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (IYFV), highlighting the importance of horticultural crops to healthy lives globally. Yet, workers' quality of life in this most labor-intensive form of food production is often disregarded, or in the case of the UN IYFV, misconstrued. The agriculture-migration nexus-on which food systems depend-remains recognized as a challenge, yet there is limited debate about how it could be ameliorated and a lack of articulation of desirable alternatives. While alternative food and peasant movements propose food system transformation and alternative labor futures based on agroecology, labor lawyers and other advocates propose regulation and formalization of workplace regimes to ensure fair working conditions. Most recently, a third possibility has emerged from agri-tech innovators: a techno-centric future with far fewer agricultural workers. These three archetypes of agricultural labor futures (agroecological, formally regulated, and techno-centric) have the potential to leave food scholars and activists without a unified, coherent vision to advance. Addressing this gap, this paper reports and builds on insights harvested from the international Good Work for Good Food Forum, organized by the authors with the aim of shaping consensus on positive visions for work in food systems. About 40 scholar-activists across three continents discussed the current challenges facing food workers and crafted a collective vision for good food work. This vision is documented in the form of nine principles supported by a framework of seven enabling pathways. We conclude by emphasizing the need for a people-centered incorporation of technology and a re-valuation of food workers' contributions to global food systems. We offer the vision as a collective platform for action to advocate for and organize with workers in food systems.

Horticultural activities with lasting impact on urban communities, in the context of COVID 19 lockdown

Horticultural activities in urban areas and suburbs describe economically viable ways of production (North and Patterson, 2018), and are a continuous growing segment of production in developing countries as well as in Romania countries and are expected to have positive impacts on nutrition quality first and implicit on people's health. This comes as a necessity as the population is continuously growing as the land has a limited use. In a wide sense, urban horticulture includes everything from small home and community gardens to city park management, rooftop greening, as well as complex vertical way of production. This sector assures increased availability of fresh products (vegetables and fruits) in big cities, healthier diets, improved food safety, low transportation costs, efficient resource use, and the mitigation of environmental impacts of horticultural production such as the emission of greenhouse gases.

Food purchasing, food hygiene, and nutritional behaviors of consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic

An online questionnaire, consisting of 24 questions was applied to determine individuals' food purchasing, food hygiene, and nutritional behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of 658 re-spondents, 67% were female, 33% were male, 60% were 18-24 years old, and 25% were 25-31 years old. Supermarket shopping (73.9%) was the most preferred way to supply food, while the primary stocked up food was dried legumes (59.1%). The nutritional values and contents of foods were more paid attention to than before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the packaged foods (79.3%) were primarily preferred. The most preferred methods for cleaning fresh fruits and vegetables were washing under running water (59.7%) and soaking in water with vinegar (43.2%). The participants intended to eat healthy foods during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the daily meal counts increased slightly. Food supplements, mainly vitamin C (73%) and vitamin D (40.5%) were consumed to strengthen the immune system. Additionally, social media (31.9%) and TV programs (20.3%) were very effective after medical doctor recommendations (32%) for orienting the nutritional behaviors of participants.

Patients' diets in Latvian psycho-neurological hospitals

The role of nutrition in the treatment of diseases is known, and it can be a contributing and hindering factor which can shorten or prolong the time of treatment. Studies on mental health have shown that the inclusion of certain nutrient in increased amounts in patients' diet can have a positive effect on the treatment of depression, anxiety etc. The COVID-19 pandemic increases the risk of depression in general population, which means an increased number of patients in need of professional help. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the patients' diets in Latvian psycho-neurological hospitals, emphasizing the provision of certain nutrients which are essential for mental health. There were analyzed a one-week menu at three Latvian psycho-neurological hospitals. Provision of nutrients (minerals, vitamins, fatty acids) in patients' diets was calculated using Finish food composition database. Basic conditions for provision of patients' diet are determined by the regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers, indicating the daily variety of energy value, minimum and maximum amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The obtained results regarding patients' diets were processed using MS Excel and SPSS Statistics 22. The required amount of nutrients per day can be achieved with a variety of foods which in turn can significantly affect the concentration of minerals and vitamins and profile of fatty acids in the diet. In general, the provision of minerals and vitamins in hospitals' diets was close to the recommendations of a healthy person, but it was not sufficient for psycho-neurological hospital patients. It would be desirable to raise their concentration by increasing the amount of vegetables and fruits in the diet. Analysis of fatty acid profile in patients' diets showed significant differences depending on whether fish or meat products were included. It would be advisable to increase the concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. In general, the nutrition provision for patients of psycho-neurological hospitals could be assessed as sufficient, but several aspects need to be improved. Vitamin D intake should be significantly increased as it didn't reach the generally recommended dose. Fruit should be included and the amount of vegetables should be increased to provide a recommendation of at least 400 g per day, which in turn will increase the intake of vitamins and minerals.

Shifts in vegetable supply and demand from 2010-2019 to the 2020-2021 COVID-19 period at the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market

The COVID epidemic affected Japan in 2020 and 2021. Here, I analyzed how vegetable supply and demand in this period differed from that in the previous 10 years to 2019. Of the vegetables shipped to the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, 144 vegetables are analyzed monthly, and the shifts in demand, supply, and prices of 1657 items are confirmed. The results showed that the patterns of shift in supply and demand of vegetables differed by item and month and were very diverse. However, the overall trend was that demand and supply were declining, and that tendency became even stronger during the COVID epidemic in the last 2 years of the analysis. Demand for major vegetables, the supply of which the government is trying to stabilize, increased slightly during the epidemic, because these vegetables were likely to have remained in high demand in people's homes. In contrast, the demand for items with a large import ratio and savory herbs and garnishes declined, because these items were likely to have been in high demand for processing or by restaurants, and these industries declined during COVID-19. Seasonally, there were many items for which the demand declined from spring to summer. Despite this decline in demand, for many items the prices did not decrease markedly. This price maintenance was due to reduced supply, which likely led to a degree of economic damage to suppliers.

Analysis of the diet of obese elementary school students using various dietary intake survey methods

Purpose: Childhood obesity has become a social problem due to the social distancing necessitated by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This study aimed to identify the dietary problems of obese children through various dietary assessment methods and to confirm the usefulness of each method. Methods: The subjects were 88 students in the 4th to 6th grade of elementary school who participated in the nutrition camp organised by the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, 2020. To evaluate dietary problems and assess diet quality, 24-hour meal records, monthly food intake frequency, and Dietary Screening Test (DST) data were analyzed. Results: Of the subjects, 15.7%, 30.3%, and 53.9% were normal weight, overweight, and obese, respectively. The average age was 11.77 +or- 0.77 years and the average body mass index was 23.96 +or- 3.01 kg/m2. It was observed from the 24-hour meal record method that the overweight and obese subject groups consumed fewer green vegetables (p < 0.001) and white vegetables (p < 0.01) than the normal weight group. In the monthly food intake frequency method, the consumption of ramen (p < 0.01), snacks (p < 0.05), and sausages (p < 0.05) were high in the obese group, and that of anchovies, broccoli, and sweet pumpkin was high in the normal group (p < 0.05). The comparative data from the DST revealed that the overweight and obese groups had less vegetable intake than the normal weight group (p < 0.01) and had higher intakes of dairy products, fast food, and sweet snacks (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The usefulness of each method in the dietary evaluation of obese children was confirmed. To address the problem of obesity, it is necessary to evaluate the dietary problem and approach it with a customized solution tailor-made for the individual subject.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on agri-food production and farmers

The Covid-19 pandemic significantly affected agriculture and various industries. This study was conducted to determine the effects of Covid-19 pandemic on agri-food production. The data for this descriptive study were collected from those working in agriculture industry in Konya province of Turkey in between 15/12/2020 and 30/12/2020. These data were collected by a survey form prepared by the researches in line with the existing literature. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test was used to analyze the data. In the research area, it was also found out that median educational status was secondary school graduation and generally the incomes exceeded the expenses. 1.3% of the participants were diagnosed with Covid-19. Increase in production costs, price instability and difficulties in working and recruiting workers and shrinkage in markets were frequently mentioned by those dealing with dry farming, irrigated farming and vegetable and fruit growing respectively. As income level increased, the level of those worrying about the harvest and sales, experiencing difficulties in agricultural products and food and having problems for supply of production materials also increased. Governments should take measures to take the sting out of the pandemic and they should develop policies/strategies supporting sustainability of agricultural production.

Bibliometrics and visual analysis of international food safety research

Since the 1990s, food safety has caused widespread concern from all walks of life. According to the theory of bibliometrics and scientific knowledge map and knowledge mining method, this paper quantitatively analyzed and visualized 3024 food safety papers and 31032 references in the core collection of Web of Science (WoS) to explore their research status, topic evolution and development trend. The number of academic papers in the field of international food safety increased by 11 times during the past 31 years;the knowledge structure of this field consists of foodborne pathogenic bacteria, food safety cognition, public health and food safety management;its research topics showed an evolution from consumer behavior and food-borne diseases to food safety risk management, food safety governance, food traceability system, food testing, to food global value chain, heavy metal excess, pesticide residues, food safety culture, to blockchain technology, Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, food fraud;food safety knowledge and willingness to pay premium, food contamination, aquatic seafood safety, vegetable safety, blockchain, COVID-19 represent the frontier trends, so as to provide references for academic research and government supervision in this field.

Relationship between decision-making factors and income for vegetable purchases at the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil

The consumption of vegetables is essential for the population's quality of life, especially in a period of sanitary crisis caused by the new coronavirus. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the initial impact of the pandemic on vegetable consumption habits in Brazil, evaluating the relationship between monthly income and the main factors that guided consumers when purchasing vegetables in Brazil. With this purpose, at the beginning of the pandemic, a questionnaire was applied through GoogleR Forms, which was disseminated online through applications and social networks in the form of an opinion poll. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test in order to verify the association of income with decision-making factors in the consumption of vegetables in Brazil. The results indicated that income shapes consumer behavior and exerts different impacts for certain vegetable crops. In addition, quality stood out as a more important factor than nutritional benefits when consumers were purchasing vegetables, even during the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil.

Food behavior of the Algerian population at the time of the COVID-19: the first survey carried out in the western Algerian region

The world has been dealing with a coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic since January 2020, which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. To avoid the spread of the disease, drastic measures were implemented. These measures, however, can have a negative impact on people's health because they influence their behavior. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on people's lifestyles, including food consumption, when combined with quarantine measures. In order to shed light on the Algerian population's food habits during the pandemic, an observational and descriptive epidemiological study on 640 people, whether or not they were infected with COVID-19, was conducted in the western region of Algeria. The study used an online and face-to-face interview questionnaire focused on the pandemic's elapsed period between February and September 2020. Our findings showed that half of our participants had influenza during the study period, but only 37.53% of them had COVID-19. As a result, almost all of our test-positive respondents (95%) followed a medical protocol automatically. Furthermore, 31.57% of them stated that they were following a specific diet to avoid COVID-19 contamination. This resulted in a clear shift in Algerian cuisine (70.31%), with processed foods (3.47%) and modern dishes (5%) made outside the home consumed at low levels, while consumption of vegetables (22.39%), fruits (15.87%), and traditional dishes (11.95%) increased. Vulnerable people, such as breastfeeding mothers, were faced with the double burden of nourishing their babies while being Covid-positive, causing 35/40 cases to discontinue breastfeeding completely. Overall, 83.09% of our participants were malnourished. This study is the first draft in the understanding of Algerians' dietary behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it could be used effectively in the delineation of strategies for correction and support of citizens in underdeveloped countries.

Balanced nutrition practiced with limitations during the COVID-19 pandemic: the experience of teachers in Subang District, West Java, Indonesia

The purpose of the study is to assess the knowledge on Balanced Nutrition and its practices among pre-school teachers in Subang district, West Java, Indonesia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (before March 2020 vs. October 2021) and to seek differences in the knowledge and practices of teachers who attended nutrition training and those who did not attend any nutrition training. We evaluated the knowledge and practice of 142 teachers based on 10 messages of the 2014 Indonesian Balanced Nutrition Guidelines, using google online survey platform. The top three messages mostly selected by the teachers were consuming a variety of staple foods (87%), drinking adequate and safe water (87%), and eating plenty of vegetables and fruits (86%), while the least selected were enjoying a variety of foods (41%) and reading food labels (28%). A slight increase was found in teachers who consumed fruits daily, while the practice of washing hands before and during the pandemic was statistically and significantly increased (58% to 72%;p < 0.05). A slight decrease was found in teachers who consumed vegetables and animal protein, as well as performed physical exercise daily. Majority of teachers (80%) participated in some kinds of nutrition training in the last four years. The top three gaps of knowledge between trained and non-trained teachers were on physical activity and maintaining ideal body weight (64% vs. 33%;statistically significant at p < 0.05);limit intake of sweet, salty, and fatty food;and consuming high protein food, with the range between 20 to 35 percentage points. We concluded that teachers acquired knowledge on nutrition to some degree, but its application faced limitations during the pandemic. Dissemination of Balanced Nutrition should continue.

Pandemic tilts local agriculture and communities to behavior changes

Typical agricultural distribution systems and venues temporarily ceased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Commodities were turned under in fields, dumped, or left behind for wildlife to pilfer while food banks ran out of produce. Residents did not know where to get fresh produce and wholesale producers lacked the ability to instantly shift their business model and distribution methods to meet local needs. Advisory board networks helped connect components of the food system: wholesale producers;retail outlets;and consumers to locations where produce was available. I connected volunteer gleaners with wholesale producers to gather produce for distribution to food banks around Manatee County. The Bradenton Downtown Farmer's Market started a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) venue to accommodate wholesale producers with a retail venue. The county (Geographic Information System) (GIS) team and I created an interactive map of local agriculture commodities such as vegetables, fruit and vegetable crops, aquaculture, beef and dairy products, and nursery plants. The volunteer group organized over 60 gleaning events and harvested over 72,000 pounds of produce for food insecure residents. Based on the farmer's market model, two producers created CSA markets, in addition to their restaurant venue. As a result of the pandemic, four wholesale producers expanded distribution to local retail venues. The GIS map included over 100 Manatee County agriculture producers, searchable by location and commodity for markets, nurseries, aquaculture, beef and dairy, fruits, and vegetables. Key players in the food system who initially connected during the pandemic lockdown were able to provide beneficial opportunities for everyone. The GIS map has increased awareness of local agricultural production in Manatee County. Some wholesale producers adopted alternative marketing venues to rebound from pandemic deficits and prepare for future market changes. Gleaning events continue to provide local fruits and vegetables to food insecure residents, allowing them to enjoy healthy, accessible produce. Socially, many new connections and relationships have been fostered between the farming and residential communities.

Food products placement during COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has entirely changed the patterns of behavior in the market. Physical distance, quarantine measures, safety and security protocols, and shortages along the entire supply chain, have particularly affected the placement of food products. In this regard, the paper aims to define the impact of various indicators on the placement of food products during the COVID-19 pandemic. An empirical study was conducted on a sample of 248 final consumers. The survey was conducted during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the territory of the Republic of Serbia (February - April 2021). An online questionnaire was created and forwarded to consumers to e-mail addresses from the collected databases of trade companies covering the domestic market. The analysis was performed specifically for four groups of essential food products in a pandemic: meat and meat products, fruit and vegetables, milk and dairy products, cereals, and cereal products. The method of structural modeling (SEM) or path analysis was applied to test the first group of research hypotheses on the impact of indicators on the placement of food products. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the correlation between subcategories of food products. The results showed a statistically significant impact of indicators such as safety and security standards, hygiene, product freshness, nutritional composition, and product quality. The impact of these indicators differs significantly depending on the analyzed product group. The obtained results indicate to the supply chain management which negative impacts need to be minimized to ensure timely placement of food products and more efficiently meet the needs of final consumers in a pandemic. Guidelines for future research are listed in the paper.

Food inflation in Brazil in the COVID-19 pandemic period, continuity and change

Since 2007, food prices have risen more sharply than the set of consumer prices in Brazil. The objective of the work is to compare food inflation in the first half of 2020 with that of 2007 and 2019, checking if there have been changes in its characteristics and reasons. Information from the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) is used to analyze the Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) at different levels of aggregation. Between 2007 and 2019, prices of food outside the home expanded more than that of food at home. Among the components of this, the prices of the least processed increased more than those of the most processed, indicating that the origin of food inflation was agricultural, with meat having a great contribution to the fact. In turn, in the first half of 2020, non-tradable products, beans, rice and fruits, vegetables and greens, were the ones that put the most pressure on inflation. Throughout the period, conditions of foreign trade, international price and exchange rate, had a strong influence on food inflation. In the first half of 2020, among the causes, increased demand for food in supermarkets gained relevance, apparently not accompanied by the expansion of supply.