Hans De Steur

Ghent University | UGhent · Department of Agricultural Economics

Over one fourth of today's greenhouse gas emissions are the result of agriculture, with the production of meat representing a large portion of this carbon footprint. As the wealth of low- and middle-income countries continues to increase, the demand for animal-sourced protein, such as dairy and meat products, will escalate. At this point in time, l...

Building upon resource-based view ( RBV ) theory, this cross-sectional study employed binary logistic regression to examine the influence of firm-level factors on the performance of 435 Tanzanian micro and small agri-food processing firms. The results of the study show that intangible resources, age (enterprise, manager), and management practices (...

The adoption of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) with 167 targets by the United Nations member states in 2015 emphasizes the critical role of science, technology and innovation (STI) in addressing sustainability challenges, including poverty, hunger, health, employment, climate change and energy. However, STI plays a limited role in the cont...

Zinc acts as an important cofactor in the body and is essential for normal functions. Several zinc interventions have been implemented worldwide to improve the public's zinc status, but limited studies have assessed their cost‐effectiveness. To help inform decision‐making on zinc interventions to maximize benefits within a fixed budget, we took Chi...

To achieve a more sustainable food system, it is necessary to shift toward more plant-based protein sources. Europe currently imports huge amounts of protein crops each year, mainly soy, which has adverse environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Therefore, there is a need to increase local production. Despite the numerous advantages associated with...

Biofortified foods are smart and strategic nutritious foods which plays critical role in addressing global burden of micronutrients in many emerging economies. While there is more and more consensus about the potential benefits of biofortification, the challenge lies on how to scale up its consumption and market system. This requires understanding...

Background Dietitians play a critical role in the public's relationship with food and are often overlooked as an important stakeholder group in the general debate about sustainable food. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are one type of modern food source that could contribute to a more sustainable food system. This case study is the first to e...

Improvement of crop varieties can be a powerful strategy for addressing food, nutrition, and climate challenges in the Global South if it is guided by market intelligence. We conducted a systematic literature review of stakeholder preference studies that aim at guiding crop improvement in rice, the Global South's most important staple food. We revi...

In response to the increasing global concerns about food waste and its effects on human communities, the present study aims to identify food waste behavior antecedents for households during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. An integrated framework was proposed grounded on the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Protection Motivation Theory. Based on a...

Discussions and images of cultivated meat are increasingly common in popular media, often stressing highly technical aspects. Despite growing research on cultivated meat, the importance of information provision in specific, little is known about the influence of images on consumer attitudes and evaluations. Using a representative sample of 727 pote...

Recently, new agricultural technologies have emerged to increase sustainable food production, often referred to as “Agriculture 4.0.” They consist of more advanced precision agriculture technologies, such as sensors, robotics, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which can lead to environmental and economic benefits for farmers and society. Despite...

This study examined three collaborative scenarios for the implementation of a high‐level aseptic filling machine in small‐scale food processing for improved food safety in short food supply chains. A two‐stage research design was implemented, based on an exploration and evaluation phase. Two workshops were organised to conceptualise the following s...

Weed control is a basic agricultural practice, typically achieved through herbicides and mechanical weeders. Because of the negative environmental impacts of these tools, alternative solutions are being developed and adopted worldwide. Following recent technical developments, an autonomous laser-based weeding system (ALWS) now offers a possible sol...

The managers/owners of the agri-food producing companies located in remote rural areas, with limited knowledge and resources for new technologies cannot benefit from the increased performance and competitiveness that the Agriculture 4.0. offers. Meanwhile, those managers/owners often keep very close relationship with their employees and need social...

This cross-sectional study employs resource-based view and resource dependence theories to examine the determinants of access to external finance at firm-level and the effect of access to external finance on performance of 328 agri-food firms. Applying binary logistic regression, results indicate that firm age, ownership, sources of financing, and...

Growing evidence on medical cannabis has moved its legislation forward in various countries, which has increased research on stakeholder reactions. While various studies looked at experts and users, research on public perceptions is scarce. This study aims to (1) examine the relationships between knowledge, perceptions, and behavioral intention tow...

Due to its nutritional quality and palatability, chocolate milk beverages are gaining popularity globally. Alkalized cocoa powder is mostly used in its production since it provides for more intense color and dispersibility, but it has a negative effect on the phytochemical content of cocoa powder. Studies have suggested that water buffalo milk is s...

Agronomic biofortification, the application of fertilizer to increase micronutrient concentrations in staple food crops, has been increasingly promoted as a valuable approach to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies, but its success inevitably depends on farmers’ acceptance and adoption. By using iodine fertilizers as a case, this study aimed to und...

Novel plant-breeding techniques such as CRISPR are potentially key tools in the transition to a more sustainable food and agricultural system. For such potential to be realized, greater attention is required to outstanding questions related to public and societal acceptance. The current research thus employed a structural model to elucidate the int...

Origin-based identification and awards are used by craft chocolate makers as cues to signify superior quality and more inclusive practices. However, there is a lack of consumer choice and willingness to pay (WTP) literature that explores the impact of sensory and external cues, particularly award and origin labels, of craft chocolates. Thus, this s...

The increasing popularity of gene editing in plants has prompted research on stakeholder views. Gene edited foods are often more accepted than genetically modified foods, though differences occur within target groups, regions, and products. Nevertheless, marketing challenges related to a lack of familiarity with the technology, labeling, and risk p...

Novel plant-breeding techniques (NPBTs) have been hailed for their potential contributions to the global transition towards sustainable agri-food systems but are still surrounded by controversy and debate. This chapter examines the challenges and prospective insights that a decision-focused research agenda can offer for the evaluation of NPBTs. Dra...

Plant-based food (PBF) is on the rise as an alternative for animal-based food. Europe is leading in the market size compared with the global market. However, the high failure rate for new food products is challenging the success of new PBF in the market. This paper aims to unravel the key success factors (KSFs) from existing brands, contributing to...

Adoption and usage of mobile phones enable information and knowledge flows among value chain players, including farmers, and therefore contribute to improved efficiency. To ensure the successful implementation of MPTs in agriculture, farmers should embrace them. We present a systematic review of determinants, constraints, methods, indicators, and m...

Interest in using smartphone-based technologies for farm management is growing. However, existing research does not adequately address the effect of farmer knowledge and awareness in their intention to use such technologies. The aim of the present study is to identify the main factors that influence farmer intention to use a Farm Management Smartph...

Biomass waste and waste-derived feedstocks are important resources for the development of sustainable value-added products. However, the provision and preparation of biomass as well as all possible downstream processing steps need to be thoroughly analyzed to gain environmentally sound and economically viable products. Additionally, its impacts are...

Because of the increasing challenges the global food system is facing on a social, economic and environmental level, and the need to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, agri-food systems are increasingly required to become more sustainable. Life cycle tools, such as a life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost...

A diet shift towards a more plant-based food consumption is advocated for sustainable, health and ethical reasons. Still, a diet change remains a societal challenge. The objective of this paper is to identify how barriers towards plant-based food consumption are experienced according to dietary lifestyle in 10 European countries. A pan-EU consumer...

This study surveyed 669 plant scientists globally to elicit how (which outcomes of gene editing), where (which continent) and what (which crop) are most likely to benefit from CRISPR research and if there is a consensus about specific barriers to commercial adoption in agriculture. Further, we disaggregated public and private plant scientists to se...

An increasing focus on emotion in consumer and sensory research has led to the development of many instruments to capture consumers’ emotions elicited by food, with a growing interest in the use of emoji in recent years. While emoji are considered a suitable tool to assess food-evoked emotions, it is still unclear to what extent consumers’ emotiona...

Despite being one of the first African countries to prioritize food safety, foodborne diseases are of acute concern in Ethiopia. This review aims to understand food safety-related perspectives and practices among consumers and food vendors in Ethiopia to identify motivations, beliefs, and values that shape and/or drive their practices. A well-defin...

In the present competitive environment, organisations must inevitably progress to gain and maintain a long-term competitive advantage. Hence, organisations must embrace organisational readiness for change (ORC), which denotes the level of preparedness of an organisation to adopt a change through deploying new management strategies and new projects....

The food service sector was among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine consumers’ attitudes towards and transparency perceptions of COVID-19-related safety measures and to identify determinants of consumers’ intentions and behaviour regarding visiting restaurants and bars once reopened. By also surveying food service...

Following its approval in the Philippines in July 2021, provitamin A-rich “Golden Rice” is set to become the worlds' first commercialized genetically modified crop with direct consumer benefits. Despite supplementation and fortification programs, the burden of micronutrient deficiencies remains high. For Golden Rice to be successful in reducing vit...

The growing concern for food safety and quality motivates governments and private sectors to improve consumers’ confidence in food systems, such as through adopting certifications and traceability systems. The recent emergence of diverse food labelling schemes and the turbulence in food systems in emerging countries have sparked questions about con...

As innovation has garnered substantial attention on corporate success and sustainability, organizations must evaluate internal contexts to determine potential innovative practices and benefits. Firms need to investigate the determining factors of innovation preparedness as organizational innovation practices are catalyzed through internal elements....

This study aims to assess the public acceptability of interventions to reduce sugary drinks in Vietnam, identify the key determinants, and develop a classification of consumers. A cross-sectional survey with 263 urban consumers evaluated perceptions of four potential interventions: restricting choice, taxation, nudging, and labeling. Thereby, speci...

With cultured meat now available for purchase in Singapore and more countries expected to follow soon, more and more research has explored the impact of particular individual factors and information provision. To this point, no research has looked explicitly at a counter-messaging approach, whereby problems of conventional meat production are lever...

To take advantage of existing opportunities in a market of global competition and rapid changes, firms try to adapt their strategy by introducing new or improved innovation types. While there is a large body of literature investigating the relationship between innovation and performance, there is a need to further analyze the role of innovation typ...

Cost–benefit analysis of (iodine) biofortification at farm level is limited in the literature. This study aimed to analyze the economic feasibility of applying iodine-rich fertilizers (agronomic biofortification) to cabbage and cowpea in Northern Uganda. Data on costs and revenues were obtained from a survey of 100 farmers, and benefits that would...

This study investigates the impact of initial perceived barriers and motives on consumers’ willingness to eat cultured meat as a substitute for conventional meat using data collected in December 2013, shortly after the introduction of the first cultured beef burger to the public. The findings are based on a novel analysis of cross-sectional data fr...

While it is recognised that insect farming as an alternative feed production system can yield substantial benefits for rural communities, farmers will ultimately have to decide whether to adopt these systems or not. This study aims to understand the factors that influence the intention of farmers to adopt insect farming for animal feed in the conte...

Traditionally, sensory research focuses on the measurement of the overall acceptance of product of consumers. However, in the last decade, a shift occurred to the development of new methods to gain additional insights in how consumers perceive food products. On one hand, several rapid sensory profiling methods were developed (e.g., check-all-that-a...

Traditionally, sensory research focuses on the measurement of the overall acceptance of product of consumers. However, in the last decade, a shift occurred to the development of new methods to gain additional insights in how consumers perceive food products. On one hand, several rapid sensory profiling methods were developed (e.g., check-all-that-a...

Purpose This study jointly examines consumer attitudes towards gene-edited (GE) food and their preferences for labelling such products. Thus, it contributes to understanding the role of educational background, objective/subjective knowledge, environmental concern and socio-demographics in the context of GE food. Design/methodology/approach An onli...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01603.].

Ending all forms of hunger by 2030, as set forward in the UN-Sustainable Development Goal 2 (UN-SDG2), is a daunting but essential task, given the limited timeline ahead and the negative global health and socio-economic impact of hunger. Malnutrition or hidden hunger due to micronutrient deficiencies affects about one third of the world population...

While nutrition-sensitive value-chain approaches are strongly advocated, studies on consumer preferences for such interventions are lacking. This study aims to fill this gap by examining a nutrition-sensitive chain labeling scheme, using the Ugandan dairy sector as a case. A survey was conducted among 250 consumers, primarily eliciting perceptions...

Agricultural technologies have a key role to play in advancing international development, including achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are among a wide of range of agricultural technologies that can play a significant role in meeting SDG1 (poverty eradication), SDG2 (zero hunger), SDG13 (c...

The challenge of convincing people to change their eating habits toward more environmentally sustainable food consumption (ESFC) patterns is becoming increasingly pressing. Food preferences, choices and eating habits are notoriously hard to change as they are a central aspect of people’s lifestyles and their socio-cultural environment. Many people...

There are numerous studies on food loss on the demand side examining consumer behavior towards food choice and food waste generation at the household level. In this paper, we target food loss on the supply side, with a focus on the industrial food processing environment. More specifically, we map food loss in each processing stage, that is sustaina...

Consumers’ physiological responses, such as heart rate, electrodermal responses and frontal alpha activity can enhance the understanding of the consumers’ food experience. This study looked at physiological responses of the autonomic nervous system (heart rate, electrodermal responses) as a measure for level of arousal, and to responses of the cent...

First-day processing and the pre-slaughter phase are stressful events for broiler chickens, putting pressure on their welfare, with economic consequences. This qualitative study aimed to document common industry practices and evaluate poultry industry stakeholder perceptions related to broiler welfare during day-of-hatch processing and the pre-slau...

This chapter provides an overview of two case studies that examine stakeholder reactions toward iodine biofortification in Uganda. The first case applies the protection motivation theory and evaluates the intention of school heads and parents of school‐aged children to include iodine‐biofortified legumes in school feeding programs. The second case...

This chapter provides an overview of two case studies that examine stakeholder reactions toward iodine biofortification in Uganda. The first case applies the protection motivation theory and evaluates the intention of school heads and parents of school‐aged children to include iodine‐biofortified legumes in school feeding programs. The second case...

Providing labelling information is one of the strategies used to help consumers make healthier choices. However, although the type of information has the potential to assist consumers, it is important to evaluate their sensory and emotional perceptions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different labelling informa...

Purpose While trends of health and well-being have boosted the development of sports nutrition products, consumer research is limited. The purpose of this paper is to profile sports nutrition users and non-users, and to explain users’ preference and equity of sports nutrition brands. Design/methodology/approach A large online survey ( n =3,165) wa...

Based on a survey with 64 small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in two Italian wine regions, this study aims to (a) identify key drivers and barriers of the adoption of sustainability and (b) compare the adoption and evaluation (use, financial/labor investments, and satisfaction) of sustainability practices in four management domains (marketing...

Iodine (I) is an essential micronutrient, which plays a critical role in human metabolism. However, its concentration is known to be low in most soils, making it deficient in crops. With most I agronomic biofortification studies conducted under controlled environments, limited information currently exists on this approach of enriching I deficient c...

The growing burden of food losses has intensified the need for reliable and comparable data. This study extends the application of lean manufacturing practices and uses Value Stream Mapping (VSM) analysis with the Food Loss and Waste (FLW) Accounting and Reporting Standard to identify hotspots and analyze the magnitude of both food and nutritional...

Unlike most studies that focused on specific innovations, this study systematically analyzed farmers’ adoption of agricultural innovations in general. It reports willingness to pay (WTP; willingness to accept (WTA)) as a proxy for adoption, its determinants, applied methods, and statistical models. After searching and screening, 80 studies qualifie...

Constraint-based innovations, including frugal approaches, have attracted increasing interest across disciplines due to their potential to promote sustainable development while meeting Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) needs. However, the academic literature to date has resulted in overlapping terminology, lacks a robust theoretical basis and includes fe...

Constraint-based innovations, including frugal approaches, have attracted increasing interest across disciplines due to their potential to promote sustainable development while meeting Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) needs. However, the academic literature to date has resulted in overlapping terminology, lacks a robust theoretical basis and includes fe...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of chain governance on chain performance among the chain members. Design/methodology/approach The survey was conducted in a triadic context with 345 chain members (115 dairy farmers, 115 dairy cooperative managers, and 115 processors) of the dairy sector in Uganda. Data collection was p...

The commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops remains highly contested in the European Union (EU). While research has mainly focused on public and consumer opinions, few studies have investigated farmers’ reactions towards such crops. This study aims to determine farmers’ willingness to adopt a late blight-resistant (LBR) GM potato culti...

Though consumer studies have received significant attention in the field of marketing management, research on consumer attitude towards food supply technologies is needed. This paper investigates the relationship between consumer attitude and preference towards the usage of a ‘milk ATM’ as the point of sale. Based on data obtained from 296 consumer...

New food technologies, such as genetic modification, food fortification, and processing technologies, are of growing interest for future food security and safety. For ensuring successful implementation of such technologies, consumers and other food supply chain actors should embrace them. We present a systematic review to identify and compare key f...

Since the introduction of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in clinical laboratories, folate analysis has shifted from microbiological or protein-binding assays to chromatographic methods. Now, it is possible to sensitively and selectively determine several folate species in clinical samples where only a total folate content could be q...

To address the growing global demand for cocoa, sustainable intensification of its production in West Africa is considered crucial. This paper analyzes the determinants of cocoa productivity and profitability by smallholder farmers in Ghana to provide insights into challenges for future cocoa farming, which will guide the formulation and prioritiza...

Consumers’ emotional evaluation of food products has gathered interest among sensory scientists and food companies as a means to gain additional insights beyond hedonic measurements. While recent work shows that emotional profiling can also be performed with children and teenagers, concerns have been raised about the validity of emotional profiling...

Agronomic biofortification (i.e., the application of fertilizer to elevate micronutrient concentrations in staple crops) is a recent strategy recommended for controlling Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDDs). However, its success inevitably depends on stakeholders' appreciation and acceptance of it. By taking Northern Uganda as a case, this study aime...