Towards integrating production and consumption to reduce consumer food waste in developed countries

Abstract

Literature analysing reasons for Consumer Food Waste (CFW) revealed that it cannot be reduced to consumer behaviour alone. In fact, CFW should not be conceptualised as the problem but as a symptom of a food system that oversupplies and encourages consumerism. This research focuses on preventing CFW in the United Kingdom (UK), as a representative of a developed country, by improving the traditional food provisioning system to better integrate production and consumption. To achieve this, five stages are identified to design a sustainable product service system (PSS) capable of supporting consumers to better manage their food operations: (1) strategic analysis of current food provisioning system, (2) exploring system level innovations leading to minimisation of CFW, (3) refinement and selection of PSS, (4) designing the most promising PSS from an environmental, economic and social perspective, and (5) evaluating designed PSS. This paper considers the first of these stages, reviews reasons for and existing solutions to CFW, and provides a strategic analysis of the current food provisioning system to identify characteristics that could be exploited within a new PSS. Initial investigations reveal applicability of PSS concept to the food provisioning system and potential for reduction of CFW if core causes are addressed.     

基于图论的海洋平台连锁风险评价

为控制海洋平台连锁风险,基于图论(GT),提出一种新型定性风险评价方法,将分析对象的复杂风险分析转化为图形分析运算。该方法综合考虑研究对象的风险,重点考虑事故可能的发展模式,建立并转换可能发生的事故的连锁图,用图论算法进行图形运算,得到造成结果事故发生的关键路径、最短路径和点割集,设置并优化安全屏障,防止初始事故发生。最后,结合墨西哥湾事故,建立事故连锁图,通过图形变换与运算得到2条最短路径、3条关键路径和2个点割集,并提出风险控制措施。     

城市埋地燃气管道危险性SPA-Markov链评价预测模型

为对城市埋地燃气管道系统危险性进行动态评价及预测,为管理者提供更客观的、可靠的管理依据,将集对分析(SPA)理论和马尔科夫链相结合用于城市埋地燃气系统的动态评价中。针对城市埋地燃气管道系统存在不确定性和动态变化的特点,提出集状态评价和预测分析于一体的城市埋地燃气系统动态危险性评价预测方法。该方法利用SPA的多元联系数对系统的危险等级进行划分,运用马尔科夫链的遍历性,并将结果与集对势相结合,预测城市埋地燃气管道系统最终的危险水平。     

欧盟城市饮用水供应链风险管理与评价及其借鉴

结合欧盟2006年起开展的TECHNEAU(Technology Enabled Universal Access to Safe Water)项目,介绍了欧盟城市"从水源到用户的饮用水供应链"风险管理机制,以及"风险识别、评估、减缓和控制"综合风险评价框架;并从水源地、水处理系统、配水系统、历史风险事件、风险评价方法、评价结果6方面比较了捷克、德国、荷兰、挪威、瑞典5个国家典型城市风险评价实践,着重分析了瑞典哥特堡市风险评价中采用的综合概率故障树法和客户损失时间指数方法及其应用价值。总结了欧盟饮用水供应链的风险管理在全过程管理策略、"关口前移"管理方针、多样性的风险评价方法与技术、参与主体多元化、评价结果公开透明5个方面的成功做法和经验,可供国内参考。     

Impacts of urbanization: diversity and the symbiotic relationships of rural,urban, and spaces in-between

This Impacts article proposes strategies for mitigating negative impacts of urbanization in rural locations in the United States. Issues addressed include impacts of population growth and development, loss of agricultural lands, and impacts of climate change on agriculture and rural communities. Conclusions are supported by stakeholder survey data, geographic information systems-based data, and desktop reviews of research journal publications. We propose a sustainable, diversified approach that supports mitigation of issues, including increasing demand on food production and decline of rural communities. A key issue that we address is where we will find suitable landscapes to reduce enough food for 9.6 billion people living in 2050.

Urban and rural development planners are grappling with solutions to escalating impacts global populations, stresses on food production, and effects of climate change. Solutions are identified, including strengthening rural and urban contexts by establishing connected and interdependent links that support diversification of rural and urban contexts as viable solutions to these issues.

Diversified rural-to-urban sustainable agriculture production is a promising approach to addressing climate change impacts. Organic agriculture principles exhibit strong diversity and are accredited by United States Department of Agriculture as the only federally certified sustainable agriculture practice in the United States. Sustainable agriculture practices are evolving into profitable diversified alternative food sources. We offer substantiated alternative solutions for remediating impacts of urbanization on rural agriculture and communities. Collectively, these solutions can strengthen symbiotic relationships between sustainable agriculture and rural communities, addressing our growing population issues and preserving our dwindling farmlands and rural communities.     

我国主要粮食品种供给与消费平衡分析

论文基于城市和农村人口及其人均食物消费、粮食工业产品产量、肉蛋奶水产品产量、单位面积种子用量等估算了2013年我国主要粮食品种实际消费量和合理膳食结构下的理想消费量。研究结果显示：我国稻谷、玉米、小麦和薯类以国内生产为主,大豆主要依赖进口;我国稻谷和小麦以口粮消费为主,玉米和豆类以饲料用粮消费为主,薯类以工业用粮和饲料用粮消费为主;稻谷、小麦、玉米和薯类结余量较大,豆类结余量少;按照现有的饮食结构,只需要71%的稻谷生产量和52%的小麦生产量就能完全满足口粮需求。未来应关注稻谷和小麦口粮生产,实施全过程监管以及资金和技术支持,其他用途或品种的粮食生产应由市场主导。     

1953-2016年中国粮食补贴政策分析

粮食补贴政策是确保粮食增产、农民增收和国家粮食安全的重要举措。论文分3个阶段系统梳理和分析了1953-2016年期间实施的粮食补贴政策特点和演变趋势,分4个环节即粮食生产、加工、存储、销售环节分析了补贴政策的时空变化,总结提炼了目前粮食补贴政策存在的问题,以期为我国粮食补贴政策的制定提供参考。分析表明,我国粮食补贴的形式、对象、范围和目标等在起步阶段（1953-1978年）、探索调整阶段（1979-2003年）和改革发展阶段（2004-2016年）变化明显,补贴资金投入逐年增长且表现出显著的区域差异性;补贴政策逐渐向粮食主产区、经济相对发达的地区倾斜。目前我国粮食补贴政策存在的问题主要体现在补贴效果和目标的差距、补贴对象和范围的核定、补贴结构以及补贴政策的影响力和农户的认知度等方面。研究以期为完善粮食补贴政策制定和提高政策实施效果起到借鉴作用。     

单产提升潜力衰减模型法在河南粮食单产中长期预测中的应用研究

粮食单产水平的提高是河南粮食增产的主要原因,准确预测粮食单产水平,对科学判断河南粮食生产能力、制定粮食生产战略意义重大。论文针对目前直接以单产为变量建立的预测模型未能反映出单产增长的有限性和增速的减缓性之不足,研究提出了一种基于单产提升潜力衰减过程的单产预测方法。该方法利用河南耕地的平均单产潜力和历年实际单产数据,计算得到河南历年单产可提升潜力值;依据单产提升潜力理论上呈逐渐衰减之变化特点,可采用指数衰减函数建立单产提升潜力回归模型,以达到间接预测单产之目的。结果表明：1）单产提升潜力对数值与时间t之间具有高度负线性相关关系,适宜建立指数回归模型;2）回归模型V_q-V_t=e^{-0.009 5t+9.464 7}拟合优度R²=0.973 1,在0.01置信水平上回归显著;3）预测模型反映出了单产提升潜力的有限性和衰减性,即单产潜力对单产水平的限制性,模型理论诠释清晰;4）利用河南1978—2000年的单产数据作为样本建立预测模型,用样本以外2001—2015年的实际单产作为观测值,对预测单产进行模型预测检验,结果表明该模型预测单产绝对误差均值为129.15 kg/hm²,仅为现有方法的0.17~0.82倍,且误差平稳,适宜于单产中长期预测;5）预测得河南2020、2025、2030年的平均单产分别为6 375、6 765、7 155 kg/hm²,年均增幅为85.20~74.55 kg/hm²,增速呈逐渐减缓趋势。     

日光温室蔬菜中百菌清残留状况及不同处理对其的影响

近些年来,食品安全问题逐渐成为人们关注的热点,而农药残留由于其对食品安全和人类健康的影响,引起了广泛的关注.随着越来越多的温室蔬菜出现在人们的生活中,其农药残留势必会对人们的健康产生巨大的影响.本文应用气相色谱法研究两种常见温室蔬菜(黄瓜、番茄)的农药百菌清残留情况及不同处理对其的影响.结果表明,百菌清在这两种温室蔬菜中严重超标,而实验中所采取的类似家庭采用的流水洗净和去皮两种不同处理方式都可以有效降低百菌清的残留量,去皮的效果更为显著.     

Famine intensity and magnitude scales: a proposal for an instrumental definition of famine

Ambiguities in current usage of the term "famine" have had tragic implications for response and accountability in a number of recent food crises. This paper proposes a new approach to defining famine based on the use of intensity and magnitude scales, where "intensity" refers to the severity of the crisis at a given location and point in time, while "magnitude" describes the aggregate impact of a crisis. The scales perform three operations on "famine": first, moving from a binary conception of "famine/no famine" to a graduated, multi-level definition; second, disaggregating the dimensions of intensity and magnitude; and third, assigning harmonised "objective" criteria in place of subjective, case-by-case judgements. If adopted, the famine scales should contribute to more effective and proportionate responses, as well as greater accountability in future food crises.