Right-leaning egalitarians are just as susceptible to social justice-induced product patronage! Evidence from the US and Malaysia.

We investigated the impact of egalitarianism on consumers' inclination to support fair-trade products and examined whether this effect was observed among individuals with different political affiliations. In four experiments featuring a fictional chocolate brand presented in either a social-justice (fair trade) or quality-focused (control) manner, we examined the product purchase intentions of both left- and right-leaning consumers in the United States and Malaysia (Studies 1a, N = 200; 1b, N = 269; & 2, N = 410). Results revealed that participants expressed a greater willingness to support the product when it was framed as contributing to a social justice cause, but this effect was limited to left- and right-leaning consumers who strongly endorsed egalitarian principles. Study 3 (N = 354) employed a mediated-moderation approach and confirmed that an elevated sensitivity to injustice was the underlying mechanism driving increased intentions to support the product among egalitarians exposed to social justice framing. These results demonstrate that right-leaning consumers can be influenced by social justice framing when their commitment to equity is strong.

Addressing Consumer Desires for Sustainable Food Systems: Contentions and Compromises.

Consumers and social movement activists have been the driving force to create alternative, sustainable food systems over the past 100 years. Although larger agribusiness market players and the state were at first reluctant to respond to these concerns, as organic food products (the most prominent example of alternative food) became a viable economic market, these market players embraced them. The international trade of organic food has developed into a major agricultural and retail sector, but with this growth many of the varied original critiques of conventional, industrial farming practices have yet to be adequately addressed. Every major advancement in sustainable agriculture has raised new issues of equity and access for producers, laborers, and consumers. Although consumers often believe that they are contributing to a project of larger social change with every market transaction they make, the continued success of the organic food system has spurred calls for more explicit forms of collective behavior to promote the larger goals of the original sustainable agriculture movements.

Contemporary narratives about asymmetries in responsibility in global agri-food value chains: the case of the Ecuadorian stakeholders in the banana value chain.

Global concerns over environmental and social issues in agrifood value chains have increased and are reflected in a number of voluntary sustainability standards and regulatory initiatives. However, these initiatives are often based on poor knowledge of production realities, creating a disconnect between producing and consuming countries. Through narrative analysis, this paper reveals asymmetries in the responsibilities of the various actors participating in Ecuadorian banana value chains, providing clear problem- and solution-framings. Despite the broad range of actors interviewed, our analysis reveals convergence in two main narratives that reflect asymmetries amongst local actors in terms of their ability to participate, ability to maintain participation, and adaptation strategies in view of changing external factors. One narrative relates to sustainability adaptations, the cost of which is not shared among all value chain actors. This is combined with a downward trend in the price of bananas and the lack of a differentiated price to account for losses and costs arising from increasing sustainability standards. Another narrative reflects a value chain structure that threatens small-farm survival. It highlights the urgency of protecting small-farm activity by enforcing national regulation and developing new market segments/models that understand small-scale producer reality. Study results show that the multitude of standards is not seen as beneficial and that downstream actors rather wish for common minimum standards to reduce business costs. Compatibility between standards and local realities should be a priority for global sustainability standards adoption. Building on the problems and solution-framings of local value chain links, we give voice to local actors, and link their perceptions to existing literature and discursive politics while contributing to social transparency and addressing the democratic deficit in agrifood value chains.

Análisis del Papel de los Intermediarios en el Mercado Agrícola Tradicional. Caso de Estudio Antioquia, Colombia / Analysis of the Role of Intermediaries in the Traditional Agricultural Market. Case Study Antioquia, Colombia / Análise do Papel dos Intermediários no Mercado Agrícola Tradicional. Estudo de Caso Antioquia, Colômbia

Resumen: Introducción: En este trabajo se analiza la participación de los intermediarios en el mercado agrícola tradicional de frutas y hortalizas en fresco en el departamento de Antioquia, Colombia; sus resultados sirven de apoyo para explicar las relaciones entre intermediarios con productores, consumidores y otros intermediarios. Objetivo: es analizar el papel de los intermediarios y su poder de negociación; a fin de explorar las diferentes interacciones, condiciones del sistema y las ventajas y desventajas, se analiza las similitudes que presentan algunos intermediarios de plazas de mercado. Materiales y métodos: para ello se realizó entrevistas y un cuestionario estructurado a 26 intermediarios ubicados en 13 municipios de las 9 subregiones de Antioquia, adicionalmente se realizaron algunos cuestionarios a intermediarios de tiendas de barrio, consumidores y productores para contrastar diferentes puntos de vista; a la información obtenida se le realizó análisis de conglomerados, análisis multivariado, comparación de varias muestras y análisis de componentes principales. Resultados: arrojaron que los intermediarios eliminan fronteras de negociación definiendo criterios de comercio, tienen gran participación tanto en procedencia como en oferta y presentan similitudes entre una zona y otra que no precisamente corresponden a proximidades geográficas. Conclusión: En suma, frente a la alta participación de estos agentes en las cadenas de suministro de alimentos, son ellos quienes aprovechan las fallas y dinámicas del sistema para definir reglas de negociación cuando están en su rol de vendedores a otros intermediarios o cuando están en el rol de compradores a productores.

Abstract Introduction: This paper analyzes the participation of intermediaries in the traditional agricultural market for fresh fruits and vegetables in the department of Antioquia, Colombia; their results serve as support to explain the relationships between intermediaries with producers, consumers, and other intermediaries. Objective: is to analyze the role of intermediaries and their bargaining power; In order to explore the different interactions, system conditions and the advantages and disadvantages, the similarities that some marketplace intermediaries presents are analyzed. Materials and methods: For this purpose, interviews and a structured questionnaire were conducted with 26 intermediaries located in 13 municipalities of the 9 subregions. From Antioquia; additionally, some questionnaires were made to intermediaries of neighborhood stores, consumers and producers to contrast different points of view. The information obtained was subjected to a cluster analysis, multivariate analysis, comparison of several samples and an analysis of main components. Results: showed that intermediaries eliminate negotiation borders by defining trade criteria, they have a large participation both in origin and on offer and show similarities between area and area that do not precisely correspond to geographical proximity. Conclusion: In sum, given the high participation of these agents in the food supply chains, it is they who take advantage of the failures and dynamics of the system to define negotiation rules when they are in their role as sellers to other intermediaries or when they are in the role from buyers to producers.

Resumo Introdução: Este artigo analisa a participação dos intermediários no mercado agrícola tradicional de frutas e verduras frescas no departamento de Antioquia, Colômbia; seus resultados servem de suporte para explicar as relações entre intermediários com produtores, consumidores e outros intermediários. Objetivo: é analisar o papel dos intermediários e seu poder de barganha; A fim de explorar as diferentes interações, condições do sistema e as vantagens e desvantagens, são analisadas as semelhanças que alguns intermediários de mercado apresentam. Materiais e métodos: para o efeito, foram realizadas entrevistas e um questionário estruturado com 26 intermediários localizados em 13 municípios das 9 sub-regiões. de Antioquia, adicionalmente, alguns questionários foram feitos a intermediários de lojas de bairro, consumidores e produtores para contrastar diferentes pontos de vista. Resultados: Sobre as informações obtidas foram realizadas uma análise de conglomerado, uma análise multivariada, uma comparação de várias amostras e uma análise de componentes principais, e os resultados mostraram que os intermediários eliminam as fronteiras da negociação definindo critérios comerciais, eles têm uma grande participação tanto na origem como em oferta e mostram semelhanças entre uma área e outra que não correspondem exatamente à proximidade geográfica. Conclusão: Em suma, dada a alta participação desses agentes nas cadeias de abastecimento de alimentos, são eles que se aproveitam das falhas e da dinâmica do sistema para definir regras de negociação quando estão na função de vendedores para outros intermediários ou quando estão em o papel dos compradores aos produtores.

Fair trade and staple foods: A systematic review.

Sustainability certification schemes such as FAIRTRADE, FLO, WFTO and FT-USA have gained increasing markets. The significant growth of the fair trade (FT) movement in the last decades draws attention to ethical consumption. FT's aim at improving the livelihoods of producers in developing countries and promotion of social change is considered a model that shows the benefits of trade to development. Although conveying a large number of publications, important questions about the movement remain under-explored. The literature is prolific on coffee, cacao, flowers, wine, and gold. In contrast, the engagement with staple foods - a prominent globally traded food category - seems minor. The primary objective of this review was to map the existing literature about FT and staple foods; then, to investigate the role of staple foods in the FT movement. The search strategy was designed to retrieve publications on the intersection of FT and staple foods. To date, there is no review about FT and staple foods nexus. Our systematic review addressed this gap considering FT as an alternative capable of addressing unsustainable food consumption and production impacts. Our research protocol included keywords searching across four databases, screening, and comparative analysis. From 283 documents retrieved, 49 were deemed relevant to reflect the role of staple foods in the FT movement. This systematic review discusses challenges and opportunities for the FT model to further engage with staples and recommends improvement of its environmental credentials. The present study can contribute by informing decision makers, policy makers, businesses, NGOs, producers, and consumers.

Fair trade governance: revisiting a framework to analyse challenges and opportunities for sustainable development towards a green economy.

As a relatively new form of non-state governance, the fair trade movement presents an opportunity to promote sustainable production and consumption and hence social change. Global market demands and consumer engagement denote changes in social practices that have led governments to share decision-making processes with private sector and non-governmental organisations. In this context of change, it is important to consider not only whether new forms of governance weaken or strengthen states' authority within the marketplace but also the extent to which they may allow for "green washing" instead of the green economy proposed by the United Nations Environmental Program. This study considers the fair trade of food production and consumption as a potential innovative model. In doing so it examines the existing general literature on governance, which highlights that decision-making processes tend to reproduce top-down approaches. While such practices may reproduce conventional hierarchies, it is worth questioning the potential of new forms of governance within global markets. This article builds on a sustainability governance analytical framework to deepen understandings of fair trade governance and its possible responses to the dilemmas of food production for ethical consumption and thus sustainable development in transnational relations. This research aims to contribute to the literature on improving compliance with global sustainability standards and through this, inform practices that allow for cooperation towards a green economy.

A scoping review of policies promoting and supporting sustainable food systems in the university setting.

BACKGROUND: Transitioning towards sustainable food systems for the health of the population and planet will require governments and institutions to develop effective governance to support the adoption of sustainable food practices. The aim of the paper is to describe current governance within Australian and New Zealand universities designed to support sustainable food systems. METHODS: A systematic search of governance documents to support sustainable food systems within Australian and New Zealand universities was conducted. Data were obtained from 1) targeted websites 2) internet search engines and 3) expert consultations. Inclusion criteria consisted of university governance documents including by-laws, policies, guidelines, frameworks, and procedures that support sustainable food systems. RESULTS: Twenty-nine governance documents across nineteen Australian and New Zealand universities were included for synthesis, including waste management policies (n = 3), fair-trade/procurement policies (n = 6), catering and or event guidelines (n = 7) and catering policies (n = 2), and environmental management plans (n = 11). The main strategies adopted by universities were sustainable waste management and prevention (e.g. reducing landfill, reducing wasted food, (27%)), ethical procurement practices (i.e. fair-trade (27%)) and environmentally sustainable food consumption (e.g. local, seasonal, organic, vegetarian food supply (14.5%)). Only 12.5% of universities addressed all three of the main strategies identified. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that while sustainable food systems are considered in some university governance documents, efforts are predominantly focused on aspects such as waste management or procurement of fair-trade items which as stand-alone practices are likely to have minimal impact. This review highlights the scope of universities to provide strong leadership in promoting and supporting sustainable food systems through holistic institutional policies and governance mechanisms.

Words-Deeds Gap for the Purchase of Fairtrade Products: A Systematic Literature Review.

Rationale: Nowadays ethical consumerism is part of the agenda of consumers, businesses, and governments for its promise of a brighter future through the consumption of goods with added social or environmental value. Consumption of fair trade goods has been enjoying huge growth in the last few years as people are becoming more conscious of their consumption practices. Objective: In this piece of research we identify existing literature on the words-deeds gap for the purchase of fairly traded products. Moreover, we present and analyze the moderators to the ethical purchasing gap. Method: A collection of research articles was compiled using a key-word search in 3 databases: Scopus, Springerlink, and Sciencedirect. The research was carried out using various groups of keywords and completed using the following three criteria: articles published in English, between 2010 and 2018, in refereed journals. Further to the systematic literature review, all pertinent articles were imported into Atlas.ti for further thematic analysis. Results: Two thousand and seventy eight articles were identified from which 32 met the inclusion criteria. The content analysis resulted in the following themes: Values, Theory of Planned Behavior and Theory of Reasoned Action, Willingness-to-pay, Labels and Certification, Religion, Guilt, Dual Attitudes, Demographics. Conclusion: Despite "moral" products tasting better and self-claims to this direction, there is still a gap between claimed and actual consumption. Research has mostly concentrated on different perspectives, such as willingness to pay, items from the theory of planned behavior or theory of reasoned action. Given the recent developments in the theory of dual attitudes and further to our research this area is currently underrepresented in FT research and could provide useful insights that may increase consumption of FT products.

A new model to predict consumers' willingness to buy fair-trade products.

The study aims to enrich the knowledge on the consumer's decision-making process towards fair-trade products. Starting from Theory of Planned Behaviour and Norm Activation Theory basic assumptions, the systemic effect of awareness of consequences, emotional empathy, attitude and personal norms on purchase intention is considered. The empirical research builds on an online survey with a sample of 215 consumers. The proposed model was tested through structural equation modelling. Results showed a positive effect of attitude towards the product, personal norms and empathy on purchase intention. Personal norms were, in turn, influenced by awareness of consequences of fair practices and emotional empathy and positively impacted on attitude towards the product. The paper offers recommendations to governments, industries and non-profit organisations for better marketing and promoting fair-trade products.

Benchmarking data of the Fair Trade USA Capture Fisheries Standard and the Marine Stewardship Council Fisheries Standard against the Food and Agricultural Organization's Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries.

This paper presents data associated with the benchmarking of the Fair Trade USA (FT USA) Capture Fisheries Standard and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard against the Food and Agriculture Organization's Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradiation (FAO Voluntary Guidelines). Benchmarking was used to determine the extent to which these standards, which promote sustainability in different ways, align with the FAO Voluntary Guidelines. The data represent a comprehensive analysis of these standards and are useful for beginning to understand the appropriateness of these standards for small-scale fisheries in developing regions of the world. For further interpretation and discussion please see "A tale of two standards: A case study of the Fair Trade USA certified Maluku handline yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) fishery" [1].

Consumers' willingness to buy and willingness to pay for fair trade food: The influence of consciousness for fair consumption, environmental concern, trust and innovativeness.

The emerging trend of fair trade (FT) production has gained increasing attention in the food industry due to the growing amount of socially sensitive consumers. In this respect, the purpose of this study is to comprehend how consciousness for fair consumption (CFC), environmental concern (EC), trust in FT label and consumer innovativeness (CI) impact consumers' willingness to buy (WTB) and willingness to pay (WTP) for FT food. For this reason, data were obtained through written survey instrument from consumers. The influence of factors on consumers' behavioral intentions was analyzed with maximum likelihood estimation. The results revealed that CFC, EC, trust in FT Label, CI are positively correlated to WTB and WTP for FT food. In addition, among the antecedents, CFC was found to have the greatest impact on consumers' behavioral intentions. Some contributions were also drawn based on the research findings.

"Please pay $800 to read this article": An open letter to paywall companies / "Por favor pague $800 para leer este artículo": Una carta abierta para las compañías de pago

Abstract Significant amounts of economic resources are spent by poor countries for access to scientific information that is blocked by pay-walls, and when fees are corrected for local economies, they can be the equivalent of hundreds of dollars per article. Pay-walls, is controlled by a small group of companies in rich countries, block knowledge from the societies that need it most. These companies should adjust their fees according to local economies: this would be fairer and would benefit everyone, including the same companies.

Resumen Los países pobres gastan cantidades significativas de recursos económicos en acceso a la información científica bloqueada por los llamados "muros de pago" o paywalls, y si se ajustan los precios según las economías locales, pueden ser equivalentes a cientos de dólares por artículo. Estos paywalls, controlados por un pequeño grupo de empresas de los países ricos, bloquean el conocimiento a las sociedades que más lo necesitan. Estas empresas deberían ajustar sus tarifas de acuerdo con las economías locales: eso sería más justo y beneficiaría a todos, incluidas las mismas empresas.

Sustained service: a community-driven framework for longitudinal service-learning.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. The sustained service four-year longitudinal framework for medical school service-learning is introduced and defined. Framework benefits include: students can engage deeply over time with both the people they serve and their colleagues, they are immersed in the social determinants of health in authentic contexts, and they grow in the expertise required to perform their service over time. The approach starts with a sophisticated community needs assessment that relies on systematic inclusion of community voices, community leader inputs, and systematic and data-saturated inputs. This needs assessment should result in a six to eight item list of the community's priority needs. All student service is then focused on the primary needs identified in the assessment. Goals of the framework are described: to make a difference with the community's priority needs; to grow the identity, skills and paradigms required of a community-responsive physician; and to strengthen student credentials through objective qualifications related to their sustained service. The culminating activity is a Capstone research project that focuses on the served population and gives students an opportunity to synthesize their experience. Initial results describing the community impact of service, the focus of service hours, and candid student reactions to the approach are presented. Discussions of findings and conclusions are offered.

Towards sustainability in the extensive and intensive livestock sectors.

An increase in both human population and economic growth has been accompanied by rising per capita demand for animal products. The livestock industry is under pressure to meet this demand, but its current patterns of production are not environmentally sustainable, causing negative health impacts on humans and raising welfare concerns for animals. With little regulation of the intensive livestock sector in most countries, animal products are available at cheaper prices on consumer markets, undercutting more sustainable production systems, such as those used by pastoralists and organic farmers. Other beneficial aspects of sustainable intensification and sustainable pastoralism should also be taken into account. However, it is unclear whether moving towards sustainable animal husbandry (both intensive and extensive) will meet the projected demand from nine billion people in 2030, unless attention is also paid to fairer and more responsible consumption. This paper proposes a conceptual framework to transform the livestock sector, using principles of sustainable consumption and production, environmental stewardship, inclusive prosperity, and healthy lifestyles. It also highlights several areas where additional research and modelling are required.

La croissance démographique et économique s'est accompagnée d'une augmentation de la demande de produits d'origine animale par habitant. Le secteur de l'élevage est actuellement sous pression pour satisfaire cette demande mais ses structures de production ne sont pas durables au plan environnemental, en plus d'avoir un impact négatif sur la santé humaine et de poser des problèmes croissants de bien-être animal. La faiblesse de la réglementation appliquée à l'élevage intensif dans nombre de pays permet de proposer au consommateur des produits d'origine animale à un prix bien inférieur à celui des produits issus de systèmes plus durables, par exemple l'élevage pastoral ou « bio ¼. Le développement de la production et du pastoralisme durables présente d'autres avantages qui doivent aussi être pris en compte. Il n'est pas certain, néanmoins, que la transition vers un élevage plus durable (systèmes intensifs et extensifs) puisse répondre à la demande d'une population estimée à 9 milliards d'habitants en 2030, à moins que des pratiques de consommation plus justes et plus responsables soient également adoptées. L'auteure propose le cadre conceptuel d'une transformation du secteur de l'élevage reposant sur les principes d'une consommation et d'une production durables, d'une gestion environnementale concertée, d'une prospérité inclusive et de modes de vie sains. Elle souligne également les aspects devant faire l'objet d'études ou d'une modélisation plus poussées.

El aumento de la población humana y el crecimiento económico se han acompañado de un incremento de la demanda per capita de productos animales. La industria ganadera se ve sometida a presión para satisfacer esa demanda, pero sus modos actuales de producción no son ambientalmente sostenibles, además de tener efectos perjudiciales para la salud humana y de plantear problemas de bienestar animal. El hecho de que en la mayoría de los países el sector de la ganadería intensiva esté poco reglamentado hace que en los mercados de consumo estos productos animales se vendan a menor precio que los obtenidos con métodos de producción más sostenibles, como los que rigen en los sistemas pastorales o de agricultura ecológica. También habría que tener en cuenta otros aspectos beneficiosos del uso de procedimientos sostenibles de pastoreo e intensificación productiva. Sin embargo, no está claro si el hecho de avanzar hacia una ganadería (tanto intensiva como extensiva) sostenible bastará para satisfacer la demanda de los nueve mil millones de habitantes que según las proyecciones contará el mundo en 2030, a menos que también se alienten patrones de consumo más justos y responsables. La autora propone un marco teórico para transformar el sector ganadero con arreglo a principios de consumo y producción sostenibles, tutela ambiental, prosperidad inclusiva y modos de vida sanos. Asimismo, destaca varios ámbitos en los que se requieren más investigaciones y nuevos modelos.

A inatingível meta do intangível e as consequências sociais: do the true cost à moda livre / The unattainable goal of intangible assets and the social consequences: from the true cost to free fashion / El objetivo inalcanzable de los activos intangibles y las consecuencias sociales: desde the true cost hasta la moda libre

O presente artigo pretende refletir teoricamente sobre a busca desmedida da elevação de valor de marcas de grandes empresas do segmento fast fashion em contraste com as consequências sociais geradas para a própria sociedade que consome tais marcas. A reflexão se dá a partir do que Max Weber chama de“novo espírito do capitalismo”, com base no conceito de “capital imaterial” de André Gorz e articulada ao documentário sobre a indústria da moda The True Cost. Na contrapartida do cenário da aquisição exacerbada, vale destacar o surgimento e a propagação da publicidade social como uma via alternativa que visa possibilitar o equilíbrio entre os atores da cadeia de produção a exemplo do que vem sendo chamado de comércio justo.

This article aims to reflect theoretically on the unrestrained pursuit of valorization of brands of large companies in the segment fast fashion, in contrast to the social consequences generated for the society it self that consumes products of these same brands.The starting point for analysis is what Max Weber calls the“new spirit of capitalism”, based on the André Gorz’s concept of “intangible capital”, and on the documentar The True Cost about the fashion industry. In contrast with the exacerbated consumerism, it is important tomention the emergence and propagation of social advertising as an alternative route that aims to provide the balance between all the people involved in the production chain, like what has been called fair trade.

Este artículo tiene como objetivo reflexionar teóricamente sobre la busca desenfrena da del valor de elevación de marcas de grandes empresas en el segmento de fast fashion, en contraste con las consecuencias sociales generadas para la misma sociedad que consume ese tipo de marcas. La reflexión parte de lo que Max Weber llama “nuevo espírito del capitalismo”, basado en el concepto de “capital inmaterial” de André Gorz y en el documentario acerca de la industria de la moda The True Cost. En contrapartida a las compras excesivas,vale la pena señalar la aparición y propagación de la publicidad social como una ruta alternativa que tiene como objetivo permitir el equilibrio entre los actores de la cadena de producción como el ejemplo dado porel que se ha llamado comercio justo.

Effects of social sustainability signaling on neural valuation signals and taste-experience of food products.

Value-based decision making occurs when individuals choose between different alternatives and place a value on each alternative and its attributes. Marketing actions frequently manipulate product attributes, by adding, e.g., health claims on the packaging. A previous imaging study found that an emblem for organic products increased willingness to pay (WTP) and activity in the ventral striatum (VS). The current study investigated neural and behavioral processes underlying the influence of Fair Trade (FT) labeling on food valuation and choice. Sustainability is an important product attribute for many consumers, with FT signals being one way to highlight ethically sustainable production. Forty participants valuated products in combination with an FT emblem or no emblem and stated their WTP in a bidding task while in an MRI scanner. After that, participants tasted-objectively identical-chocolates, presented either as "FT" or as "conventionally produced". In the fMRI task, WTP was significantly higher for FT products. FT labeling increased activity in regions important for reward-processing and salience, that is, in the VS, anterior and posterior cingulate, as well as superior frontal gyrus. Subjective value, that is, WTP was correlated with activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). We find that the anterior cingulate, VS and superior frontal gyrus exhibit task-related increases in functional connectivity to the vmPFC when an FT product was evaluated. Effective connectivity analyses revealed a highly probable directed modulation of the vmPFC by those three regions, suggesting a network which alters valuation processes. We also found a significant taste-placebo effect, with higher experienced taste pleasantness and intensity for FT labeled chocolates. Our results reveal a possible neural mechanism underlying valuation processes of certified food products. The results are important in light of understanding current marketing trends as well as designing future interventions that aim at positively influencing food choice.

Fair Trade Metaphor as a Control Privacy Method for Pervasive Environments: Concepts and Evaluation.

This paper presents a proof of concept from which the metaphor of "fair trade" is validated as an alternative to manage the private information of users. Our privacy solution deals with user's privacy as a tradable good for obtaining environmental services. Thus, users gain access to more valuable services as they share more personal information. This strategy, combined with optimistic access control and transaction registry mechanisms, enhances users' confidence in the system while encouraging them to share their information, with the consequent benefit for the community. The study results are promising considering the user responses regarding the usefulness, ease of use, information classification and perception of control with the mechanisms proposed by the metaphor.

Do information, price, or morals influence ethical consumption? A natural field experiment and customer survey on the purchase of Fair Trade coffee.

We address ethical consumption using a natural field experiment on the actual purchase of Fair Trade (FT) coffee in three supermarkets in Germany. Based on a quasi-experimental before-and-after design the effects of three different treatments - information, 20% price reduction, and a moral appeal - are analyzed. Sales data cover actual ethical purchase behavior and avoid problems of social desirability. But they offer only limited insights into the motivations of individual consumers. We therefore complemented the field experiment with a customer survey that allows us to contrast observed (ethical) buying behavior with self-reported FT consumption. Results from the experiment suggest that only the price reduction had the expected positive and statistically significant effect on FT consumption.

Savouring morality. Moral satisfaction renders food of ethical origin subjectively tastier.

Past research has shown that the experience of taste can be influenced by a range of external cues, especially when they concern food's quality. The present research examined whether food's ethicality - a cue typically unrelated to quality - can also influence taste. We hypothesised that moral satisfaction with the consumption of ethical food would positively influence taste expectations, which in turn will enhance the actual taste experience. This enhanced taste experience was further hypothesised to act as a possible reward mechanism reinforcing the purchase of ethical food. The resulting ethical food → moral satisfaction → enhanced taste expectations and experience → stronger intentions to buy/willingness to pay model was validated across four studies: one large scale international survey (Study 1) and three experimental studies involving actual food consumption of different type of ethical origin - organic (Study 2), fair trade (Study 3a) and locally produced (Study 3b). Furthermore, endorsement of values relevant to the food's ethical origin moderated the effect of food's origin on moral satisfaction, suggesting that the model is primarily supported for people who endorse these values.

Multiplex PCR assay for the detection of five meat species forbidden in Islamic foods.

Food falsification has direct impact on public health, religious faith, fair-trades and wildlife. For the first time, here we described a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for the accurate identification of five meat species forbidden in Islamic foods in a single assay platform. Five pairs of species-specific primers were designed targeting mitochondrial ND5, ATPase 6, and cytochrome b genes to amplify 172, 163, 141, 129 and 108 bp DNA fragments from cat, dog, pig, monkey and rat meats, respectively. All PCR products were identified in gel-images and electrochromatograms obtained from Experion Bioanalyzer. Species-specificity checking against 15 important meat and fish and 5 plant species detected no cross-species amplification. Screening of target species in model and commercial meatballs reflected its application to detect target species in process foods. The assay was tested to detect 0.01-0.02 ng DNA under raw states and 1% suspected meats in meatball formulation.