• Title/Summary/Keyword: Consumption Barriers

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Export Strategies Against Decreasing Demand of Fukushima's Agricultural Porducts (후쿠시마산(産) 농산물 수요감소에 대비한 농산물 수출전략)

  • Hong, Gil-Jong
    • Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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    • v.9 no.2
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    • pp.105-121
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    • 2018
  • In 1995, the WTO started to ease the trade barriers. Globalization has accelerated. The opening of the agricultural products market is rapidly gaining momentum with the conclusion of an FTA. The acceleration of this FTA is expected to be a threat to Korea's agriculture, and a new strategy is needed. At the beginning of the nuclear accident, mainly radioactive materials are found in the surface layer of the soil. Over time, the concentration of the plant gradually increases. After 5 years, it becomes noticeable. In March 2016, it will be five years after the nuclear accident. Radioactive contamination is very likely to occur in agricultural products produced in the Fukushima area at this time. In this period, agricultural products produced in the Fukushima region are expected to generate supply disruptions in Japan, and imports to replace them will increase. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a mid- and long-term strategy for exporting to Japan by analyzing the competitiveness of Korean agricultural products. In this study, standardization index was derived by using agricultural price ratio, TSI, export CAC. Based on this, we analyzed the competitiveness of each item in the Japanese market. The analysis shows that garlic is the most competitive product in the Japanese market. Also, strawberry, tomato, and cucumber were found to be competitive. On the other hand, Kiwi, pineapple, soybean, onion, potato, etc. As a result of the analysis, the following strategies were proposed for the export of agricultural products with high competitiveness. First, it is necessary to develop technology to suppress deterioration of export transportation quality. Second, continuous supply of local consumption pattern information is required. Third, it is necessary to expand exports by processing fresh food. Fourth, it suggested the establishment of export base and strengthening of support system.

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Requirements for Meeting Consumer Expectations to Expand the Market for Organic Products (유기식품 시장의 확대를 위한 소비자 기대 충족 요건)

  • Pearson, David;Jung, Man-Chul
    • Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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    • v.20 no.4
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    • pp.491-502
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    • 2012
  • The world's food production systems are becoming an area of great concern for both human and ecological health. Research has identified that one of the greatest threats to sustainability is conventional industrial agricultural systems and the high energy and material cost they require to function. The organic food movement is contributing as promising alternative to the current dominant model. Over the last 50 years it has developed into the most visible brand for a healthier and more environmentally sustainable food system. However, to achieve its full potential there are still a number of hurdles which must be overcome to make organic products a more viable and appealing option for consumers. This paper provides an overview of key research that has been conducted on why consumers are buying organic products, what they are buying and what is preventing them from purchasing more. It concludes that the key challenge is for the organic food movement to convince existing consumers of the superior 'value' of its products. In addition there are a number of methodological issues associated with analysing the market for organic products as well as issues of limited distribution, intermittent availability and high prices that are currently preventing increases in sales. Recognition and management of these barriers could contribute to more effective targeted research into consumer food purchasing motivations and subsequently the development of more sophisticated marketing strategies that assist in maintaining integrity with consumers and fending off challenges from conventional as well as other complementary food systems such as local food movement. And finally to achieve these market growth strategies the organic food movement will need to cope with its diverse constituency - ranging from global corporates through to local production and consumption - and provide attractive opportunities to individuals and business at all stages in supply chain whilst retaining credibility with government to ensure ongoing policy support.

Changes in the Concept of Nutrients and Transition of Plant Breeding (영양소의 변천과 식물육종의 추이)

  • Harn, Chang-Yawl
    • Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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    • v.30 no.4
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    • pp.387-397
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    • 2003
  • During the first half of twentieth century, even though the importance of non-calorie essential micronutrients of 13 vitamins and 17 minerals has been known to alleviate nutritional disorder; the primary objective of agriculture and plant breeding programs has been to increase the productivity and seed yields, and macronutrients of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates made up the bulk of foodstuff which were used primarily as an energy source. In the last decade it has been found that non-essential micronutrients encompass a vast group of phytochemicals including antioxidants that are not strictly required in the diet but when present at sufficient levels work as health-promoting chemicals. Nowadays agricultural crops are grown for health rather than for food or fiber, and modifying the nutritional compositions of plant foods has become an urgent health issue. To ensure an adequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals, and to increase the consumption of health-promoting phytochemicals, the researches on plant secondary metabolism have been made. The attempt to improve nutritional quality of crops has been blocked by a lack of basic knowledge of plant metabolism. The advent of genomics era enabled new approaches to make crossing regardless of species, family, or phylum barriers, and the accumulation in our basic knowledge on plant secondary metabolism during the coming decade would be tremendous. As the major staple crops contain insufficient amount of many micronutrients, fortification strategy will be a necessary practice. Elevated intake of specific vitamins, C, E, and $\beta$-carotene, mineral selenium, antioxidants, and phytochemicals significantly reduces the risk of chronic disease such as cancer, cardiovascular disorder, diabetis, and other degenerative disease associated with aging. As the attempt to improve the nutritional quality of crops requires the basic knowledges on plant metabolism, plant biochemistry, human physiology, and food chemistry, strong interdisplinary collaboration among plant biotechnologists, human nutritionists, and food scientists will be needed. Inhibition of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other degenerative disorder may be the biggest goal facing nutritional plant breeders. But the assumption that simply increasing dietary level of any compound will necessarily improve human health is a dangerous idea because many plant secondary products and dietary contaminants have paradoxical (hermetic) effects. Before biotechnical manipulation is undertaken to elevate or reduce any individual constituent of crops, the contribution of the micronutrient to human health must first be investigated.

Operation Status and Perception for School Gardens According to Program Leader's Dedication in Pocheon City (관리자의 담당의지에 따른 포천시 교육·보육기관 텃밭의 운영실태 및 인식)

  • Park, In;Song, Kyunghee;Lee, Hongmie
    • Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.384-396
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    • 2017
  • School gardens are known to be effective for increasing vegetable consumption in children. This study was carried out to examine the perception of garden program leaders for actual conditions and barriers to promote school gardens according to their sense of dedication. The 49 garden program leaders at schools and child care centers in Pocheon city were surveyed and grouped into two groups: dedicated (57.1%) and less dedicated (42.9%) as program leaders. Compared to dedicated leaders, leaders in the less dedicated group less advocated promotion of school gardens (P<0.001) and were less willing to attend training for school garden (P<0.01), despite less experience as program leaders (P<0.01) and past training (P<0.05). Moreover, leaders in the less dedicated group less acknowledged the educational results of school garden in every aspect (P<0.001, respectively), less perceived support from parents and colleagues (P<0.05, respectively), and less used garden produce in more active activities such as donation and literature (P<0.05, respectively), compared to the dedicated group. The most answered barrier against the promotion of school gardens was work burden, followed by manpower shortage, shortage of technique, knowledge, and information, and time shortage. The results of this study provide evidence that developing strategies is needed to make more teachers and child care providers more dedicated as garden program leaders.

A Study on the Effect of Chinese Marine Pollution on Chinese Fisheries Export (중국 해양오염의 증대가 중국 수산물 수출에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구)

  • Lin, Xuemei;Kim, Ki-Soo
    • The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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    • v.46 no.1
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    • pp.75-91
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    • 2015
  • With the increasing improvement of living standard, people pay more attention to the quality and security of their food. There is an increase in the consumption of aquatic products and a vast prospect of its trade. Fisheries as a major one of the traditional industries in China have significant price advantages and natural resources. However, marine pollution in China is more and more serious and the expecting of aquatic products has been seriously influenced by green barriers in the recent years. This paper tries to examine the effect of Chinese marine pollution on export of aquatic products in China. This paper utilizes cointegration test to estimate long-run equilibrium between marine pollution and fisheries products export. The results indicate that real exchange rate and income variable have positive effects and fish price has negative effect on China's fisheries export to Korea. However, marine pollution variable has no statistically significant effect on dependant variable. And according to the result of China's fisheries export to Japan, exchange rate has positive effect and both fish price and marine pollution variable have negative effects on export. Lastly, marine pollution and income level have effects on dependant variable in the case of Hong Kong, but exchange rate and price variable have no significant effect on aquatic products export from China to Hong Kong. In a word, marine pollution of China is a serious problem and it has negative effect on Chinese export of aquatic products.

Blockchain for Securing Smart Grids

  • Aldabbagh, Ghadah;Bamasag, Omaimah;Almasari, Lola;Alsaidalani, Rabab;Redwan, Afnan;Alsaggaf, Amaal
    • International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.255-263
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    • 2021
  • Smart grid is a fully-automated, bi-directional, power transmission network based on the physical grid system, which combines sensor measurement, computer, information communication, and automatic control technology. Blockchain technology, with its security features, can be integrated with Smart Grids to provide secure and efficient power management and transmission. This paper dicusses the deployment of Blockchain technology in Smart Grid. It presents application areas and protocols in which blockchain can be applied to in securing smart grid. One application of each area is explored in detail, such as efficient peer-to-peer transaction, lower platform costs, faster processes, greater flexibility in power generation to transmission, distribution and power consumption in different energy storage systems, current barriers obstructing the implementation of blockchain applications with some level of maturity in financial services but concepts only in energy and other sectors. Wide range of energy applications suggesting a suitable blockchain architecture in smart grid operations, a sample block structure and the potential blockchain technicalities employed in it. Also, added with efficient data aggregation schemes based on the blockchain technology to overcome the challenges related to privacy and security in the smart grid. Later on, consensus algorithms and protocols are discussed. Monitoring of the usage and statistics of energy distribution systems that can also be used to remotely control energy flow to a particular area. Further, the discussion on the blockchain-based frameworks that helps in the diagnosis and maintenance of smart grid equipment. We have also discussed several commercial implementations of blockchain in the smart grid. Finally, various challenges have been discussed for integrating these technologies. Overall, it can be said at the present point in time that blockchain technology certainly shows a lot of potentials from a customer perspective too and should be further developed by market participants. The approaches seen thus far may have a disruptive effect in the future and might require additional regulatory intervention in an already tightly regulated energy market. If blockchains are to deliver benefits for consumers (whether as consumers or prosumers of energy), a strong focus on consumer issues will be needed.

Genome-wide association studies of meat quality traits in chickens: a review

  • Jean Pierre, Munyaneza;Thisarani Kalhari, Ediriweera;Minjun, Kim;Eunjin, Cho;Aera, Jang;Hyo Jun, Choo;Jun Heon, Lee
    • Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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    • v.49 no.3
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    • pp.407-420
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    • 2022
  • Chicken dominates meat consumption because it is low in fat and high in protein and has less or no religious and cultural barriers. Recently, meat quality traits have become the focus of the poultry industry more than ever. Currently, poultry farming is focusing on meat quality to satisfy meat consumer preferences, which are mostly based on high-quality proteins and a low proportion of saturated fatty acids. Meat quality traits are polygenic traits controlled by many genes. Thus, it is difficult to improve these traits using the conventional selection method because of their low to moderate heritability. These traits include pH, colour, drop loss, tenderness, intramuscular fat (IMF), water-holding capacity, flavour, and many others. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are an efficient genomic tool that identifies the genomic regions and potential candidate genes related to meat quality traits. Due to their impact on the economy, meat quality traits are used as selection criteria in breeding programs. Various genes and markers related to meat quality traits in chickens have been identified. In chickens, GWAS have been successfully done for intramuscular fat (IMF) content, ultimate pH (pHu) and meat and skin colour. Moreover, GWAS have identified 7, 4, 4 and 6 potential candidate genes for IMF, pHu, meat colour and skin colour, respectively. Therefore, the current review summarizes the significant genes identified by genome-wide association studies for meat quality traits in chickens.

Combination of red ginseng and velvet antler extracts prevents skin damage by enhancing the antioxidant defense system and inhibiting MAPK/AP-1/NF-κB and caspase signaling pathways in UVB-irradiated HaCaT keratinocytes and SKH-1 hairless mice

  • Van-Long Truong;Yeon-Ji Bae;Ji-Hong Bang;Woo-Sik Jeong
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.48 no.3
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    • pp.323-332
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    • 2024
  • Background: Studies have reported that the combination of two or more therapeutic compounds at certain ratios has more noticeable pharmaceutical properties than single compounds and requires reduced dosage of each agent. Red ginseng and velvet antler have been extensively used in boosting immunity and physical strength and preventing diseases. Thus, this study was conducted to elucidate the skin-protective potentials of red ginseng extract (RGE) and velvet antler extract (VAE) alone or in combination on ultraviolet (UVB)-irradiated human keratinocytes and SKH-1 hairless mice. Methods: HaCaT cells were preincubated with RGE/VAE alone or in combination for 2 h before UVB (30 mJ/cm2) irradiation. SKH-1 mice were orally given RGE/VAE alone or in combination for 15 days before exposure to single dose of UVB (600 mJ/cm2). Treated cells and treated skin tissues were collected and subjected to subsequent experiments. Results: RGE/VAE pretreatment alone or in combination significantly prevented UVB-induced cell death, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species production, and DNA damage in keratinocytes and SKH-1 mouse skins by downregulating mitogen-activated protein kinases/activator protein 1/nuclear factor kappa B and caspase signaling pathways. These extracts also strengthened the antioxidant defense systems and skin barriers in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells and SKH-1 mouse skins. Furthermore, RGE/VAE co-administration appeared to be more effective in preventing UVB-caused skin injury than these extracts used alone. Conclusion: Overall, these findings suggest that the consumption of RGE/VAE, especially in combination, offers a protective ability against UVB-caused skin injury by preventing inflammation and apoptosis and enhancing antioxidant capacity.

Fast Food Consumption Patterns and Eating Habits of 6th Grade Elementary School Children in Seoul (서울 시내 3개 지역별 초등학교 6학년의 패스트푸드 섭취 실태와 식습관에 관한 연구)

  • Shin, Eun-Kyung;Kim, Sang-Yeon;Lee, Seok-Hwa;Bae, In-Young;Lee, Hyeon-Gyu
    • Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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    • v.18 no.5
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    • pp.662-674
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    • 2008
  • The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns of fast food intake in residential areas and its relation to eating habits among 551 6th grade students (286 male students and 265 female students) from elementary schools located in Gangnam-gu, Dongjak-gu and Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. The results of this study were as follows. 1) There were significant differences in the preference for fast food among districts (p<0.05) and children from Seongbuk-gu showed a greater preference for fast food than those from Gangnam-gu and Dongjak-gu. In terms of preferences for particular types of fast food, children from Seongbuk-gu liked hamburgers more than those from Gangnam-gu and Dongjak-gu so that there were significant differences among districts (p<0.05). With regards to the frequency of intake of the various types of fast food, there were differences in hamburger, pizza and chicken among three districts (p<0.05) and children from Seongbuk-gu ate fast food 1 to significant 2 times more often than those from Gangnam-gu and Dongjak-gu. 2) There were significant differences in the regularity of mealtimes between districts (p<0.05), with children from Seongbuk-gu showing more irregularity in their mealtimes than those from Gangnam-gu and Dongjak-gu. There were significant differences in the frequency of snack intake (p<0.05), and children from Seongbuk-gu tended to take a snack 1 to 2 times more often than those from Gangnam-gu and Dongjak-gu. 3) In the frequency of fast food intake in accordance with obesity, there were significant differences between the obesity index (p<0.05). In particular, children who were underweight had a tendency to eat more fast food. There were significant differences between the frequency of fast food intake depending on children's pocket money (p<0.05), and children who took fast food more than twice a week tended to have more pocket money. According to these results, we report there are partly different trends in the consumption of fast food and food habits among the districts in Seoul. Therefore we suggest that different interventions be implemented within the different districts to reduce reliance on fast food restaurants and to address the perceptions of healthy eating as well as time and convenience barriers.

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Politics of "Imagined Ethnicity" in World Music (월드뮤직에서 "상상된 민족"의 정치학)

  • Kim, Hee-sun
    • (The) Research of the performance art and culture
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    • no.22
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    • pp.223-252
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    • 2011
  • If we remember that modern world history has built systems of meaning through the concepts "difference," "different," and "other-ness" and has constructed new identity based on opposing hierarchy, music anthropology which tried to build "difference" between the west and the non-west was thoroughly west -centered, in the sense that it has perceived the heterogeneous symbolic systems among nations, as well as the barrier between the two cultures. On the other hand, world music, which has emerged as the most attractive field in culture industry and concert-art-market by crossing over global capitals, markets, and barriers, can be considered the most post-modernist and glocal. However, it is interesting to note that world music, which has been described as post-modern and glocal, has "difference" and "different" in its basis, just like the precepts for modern music anthropology (Meintjes 1990; Guilbault 1993; Taylor 1997; Frith 2000; Feld 1988). Furthermore, one can understand that the "different" and "difference," generally termed as being "non-western," are fundamentally based on ethnic or national imagination. In this sense it is interesting and important to examine such ethnic imagination in the "non-western ethnic musics" in music anthropology and in world music. Notwithstanding the attention paid and research made by music anthropologists, they have failed to elevate the "non-western ethnic musics" to become universally communicative, and these ethnic musics were reborn as "global" and "world music," through the process of "acculturation," "derivation," and "hybridization," with the west as major site for production and consumption. Meanwhile, the audience for world music, which did not exist before the birth of world music as a term, was now born as world music emerged. They are global populace who consume the musical "difference" and "imagined ethnicity," who through their consumption are constructing new social meanings including ethnicity, race, nation, and class identity. This study, by examining current discourse, performance, and process for the world music through media and field studies and scholarly debates, attempts to understand the production and consumption of "imagined ethnicity." This will also shed light on how "ethnicity" is created and consumed, and how this is involved in the process of world music.