CSR codes and the principal-agent problem in supply chains: four case studies

The benefits of corporate social responsibility (CSR) affect the entire supply chains a firm participates in. However, not every firm is in a position to force the implementation of CSR in its supply chains as some, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), lack the necessary power. Chain directors can implement it acting as a principal, whereas the other chain members can act as agents.In the principal-agent framework, two main problems occur due to information asymmetry: adverse selection and moral hazard. This paper examines how a code of conduct (i.e. Social Accountability 8000) can help address the principal-agent problem, for SMEs, between chain directors and partners. The research method involves four case studies on CSR practices as implemented by Italian and Dutch SMEs within their supply chains.     

Protective shade, tree diversity and soil properties in coffee agroforestry systems in the Atlantic Rainforest biome

Sustainable production and biodiversity conservation can be mutually supportive in providing multiple ecosystem services to farmers and society. This study aimed to determine the contribution of agroforestry systems, as tested by family farmers in the Brazilian Rainforest region since 1993, to tree biodiversity and evaluated farmers’ criteria for tree species selection. In addition, long-term effects on microclimatic temperature conditions for coffee production and chemical and biological soil characteristics at the field scale were compared to full-sun coffee systems. A floristic inventory of 8 agroforests and 4 reference forest sites identified 231 tree species in total. Seventy-eight percent of the tree species found in agroforests were native. The variation in species composition among agroforests contributed to a greater γ-diversity than α-diversity. Monthly average maximum temperatures were approximately 6 °C higher in full-sun coffee than in agroforests and forests. Total soil organic C, N mineralization and soil microbial activity were higher in forests than in coffee systems, whereas the chemical and biological soil quality in agroforests did not differ significantly from full-sun coffee after 13 years. Given its contribution to the conservation of biodiversity and its capacity to adapt coffee production to future climate change, coffee agroforestry offers a promising strategy for the area.     

Indicators of deforestation in the Southern Brazilian Pre-Amazon

In recent years, Amazonian deforestation has become a question of global concern. Deforestation in Amazon is a complex phenomenon in nature and has been related to traditional agriculture expansion. In this work, land use, socioeconomic and conservation indicators, combined with statistical analysis, were used to understand forces associated with patterns of deforestation. This approach was applied in Southern Brazilian Pre-Amazon in Mato Grosso State, which represents an extensive rain forest-savanna ecotone, located in the south border of Amazon biome. Based on data from the last two agricultural censuses (1995/1996–2006), we compared agricultural expansion in this area and Mato Grosso state. Results have shown that 85 % of state deforestation was concentrated in Southern Pre-Amazon and was closely related to increase in number of cattle and pasture area. PCA results pointed that population (92 %), number of cattle (86.5 %), pastures (84.2 %) and tractors (78.4 %) were variables with highest positive correlation to deforestation. It showed that GDP contributes to an individual axis and has a low correlation to deforestation (37.8 %). Conservation units and indigenous reserves also contribute to a single axis and were negatively correlated to temporary crops area. Results revealed a significant reduction in production and commercialization of extractive products in the region, revealing that the main, almost only conservation policy in Mato Grosso remains the creation of Special Areas. We suggest that further studies are necessary to screen development alternatives to simple cutting trees down. It is important to diversify strategies for deforestation control, and development aspects must be more seriously considered to reach a sustainable deforestation control policy.     

The effects of anaerobic reactor post-treatments by rapid filtration systems and conventional techniques

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Although anaerobic reactors are an excellent alternative in the treatment of domestic effluents, they have the disadvantage of requiring...     

Electrochemical degradation of amoxicillin in acidic aqueous medium using TiO2-based electrodes modified by oxides of transition metals

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - One of the most widely used antibiotics is amoxicillin (AMX), which is the most widely used in humans and animals, but it is discharged metabolically...     

The time of concentration application in studies around the world: a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The time of concentration (Tc) is the main hydrological parameter used to characterize the response of a given Hydrological Response Unit (HRU) to a...     

Morphological responses and tolerance of a tree native to the Brazilian Cerrado Astronium fraxinifolium Schott to boron toxicity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The indiscriminate use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides can lead to boron contamination of the soil. Decontamination in general is expensive and...     

Modeling oil price uncertainty effects on economic growth in Mexico: a sector-level analysis

This paper analyzes the impact of international oil price uncertainty on the different economic sectors (primary, secondary, and tertiary) in Mexico in the period 1993:1–2020:4 through a bivariate structural vector autoregressive (VAR) model with a generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) in mean to capture the impact of oil volatility on economic growth at the sectoral level of economic activity. The results show that the uncertainty of the international price of oil has a differentiated effect on the different sectors of economic activity in Mexico since it does not influence the primary sector; it negatively impacts the secondary sector, and there is mixed evidence in the tertiary sector. Additionally, evidence is provided that both positive and negative shocks to the international oil price have asymmetric effects at the sectoral level in Mexico. The results highlight the need to implement public policies, at the country level, that help mitigate the effect of uncertainty in the oil market and promote economic stability at the sector level.

     

Lithium bioaccumulation in Lentinus crinitus mycelia grown in media with different lithium sources and pH values

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Lentinus crinitus bioaccumulates lithium in mycelia, but bioaccumulation may be affected by pH of the culture medium. Lithium is used in clinical...     

Kinetic Modeling of the Post-consumer Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Hydrolysis Catalyzed by Cutinase from Humicola insolens

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The search for a straightforward technology for post-consumer poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PC-PET) degradation is essential to develop a circular economy....