scholarly journals Effective Management Tools for Solving the Problem of Poverty in Relation to Food Waste in Context of Integrated Management of Energy

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4245
Author(s):  
Bohuslava Mihalčová ◽  
Antonín Korauš ◽  
Olha Prokopenko ◽  
Jozefína Hvastová ◽  
Magdaléna Freňáková ◽  
...  

Globally, millions of people suffer from poverty. This paper discusses the problem of poverty especially in relation to food waste. The prevention of food waste can also contribute to global poverty reduction, and the reduction of food waste is a tool for sustainable growth and competitiveness. At present, the number of people at risk of poverty and the amount of food waste are increasing at unsustainable rates. An integrated and efficient tool for the management of food, energy, and water (FEW) resources to improve FEW security via an interdisciplinary approach could help address several of the most significant global challenges, such as climate change, and economic, environmental, and social security. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the existence of poverty and the treatment of food for sustainable growth. The analysis focused on the EU countries and the main data source was the Eurostat database. Households generally create the largest proportion of food waste. Pareto analysis shows that in households, food and non-alcoholic beverages are among the first group of expenses, and in the EU countries they represent approximately 12% of the total expenses. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are a stable, unavoidable, and non-negligible element of total expenses. Paradoxically, enormous amounts of food are wasted. A relatively weak inversely proportional relationship between the amount of food waste per capita and the proportion of the population at risk of poverty among the total population of EU countries was identified through correlational analysis. A very weak relationship between the share of the population at risk of poverty in the total population and the amount of food waste per capita, excluding the population at risk of poverty, was also found.

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksy Kwilinski ◽  
Oleksandr Vyshnevskyi ◽  
Henryk Dzwigol

Despite the fact that a comprehensive analysis of digitalization processes in the EU member states has been carried out, the impact of a country’s digitalization level on the risks of poverty and social exclusion requires further investigation. The purpose of the paper is to verify a hypothesis that a higher level of national digitalization provides positive trends in reducing the risks of poverty and social exclusion for the population. The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) was used to evaluate the digitalization levels of the EU countries. The indicator “People at risk of poverty or social exclusion” (AROPE) was applied to estimate the poverty level. As the main research methods, the authors used a comparative and correlation analysis with respect to the above-mentioned indicators, as well as the Monte Carlo method in order to evaluate the probability of a change in the indicator “population at risk of poverty or social exclusion” in 2021. The EU countries with higher digitalization levels have a lower percentage of the population at risk of poverty and social exclusion. However, a higher digitalization level of the EU member states does not provide an accelerated risk reduction of poverty and social exclusion. Statistical calculations with respect to the entire population of these countries mainly indicate reverse processes. At the same time, a further reduction of poverty and social exclusion level is less probable in the countries with a higher level of digitalization. For relatively poor segments of the population (the 1st and 2nd quintiles by income) in the EU member states, the level of digitalization does not play a significant role. For relatively wealthy segments of the population (the 3rd and 4th quintiles by income) the authors noticed a pattern: the higher the level of digitalization is, the lower the risk of poverty and social exclusion becomes. A pairwise comparison of countries with initially similar AROPE values showed that in most cases (3 out of 5), the countries with higher levels of digitalization showed a more significant reduction in poverty and social exclusion. However, the probability of further positive changes in this area is higher for the countries with a lower level of digitalization.


10.5219/1282 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 343-350
Author(s):  
Lenka Maličká

This paper examines the consumption of one of the COICOP classes ”“ food and non-alcoholic beverages ”“ by the degree of urbanization on the sample of EU countries in three periods ”“ 2005, 2010, and 2015. The share of this class in total consumption of cities, towns, and suburbs and rural areas presents the second largest item of the total consumption of all structures in question. They examined the key variable creates an input to the analysis stated in the paper. First, the data visualization is realized by creating maps of scaled consumption of food and non-alcoholic beverages in cities, towns, and suburbs and rural areas in the three periods ”“ 2005, 2010, and 2015. The spatial distribution of data shows, that higher shares of consumption of food and non-alcoholic beverages are obtained in CEE and southern countries in all structures and all periods. Considering that consumption of food and non-alcoholic beverages is negatively correlated with GDP per capita or household expenditure per capita it is possible to conclude that countries with lower levels of GDP per capita spend more on goods of daily use. Second, based on k-means clustering, cluster analysis is stated. Similarities between EU countries in the consumption of food and non-alcoholic beverages by the degree of urbanization and with respect to socio-economic conditions are investigated. Clusters are made for all three monitored periods. In 2005 and 2010 five clusters were identified, in 2015 their number has been reduced to four. Similarities between EU countries in the consumption of food and non-alcoholic beverages by the degree of urbanization change through time. The delayed effect of the financial crisis may explain observed changes. The obvious relocation of countries is evident when comparing clusters in the period 2010 and 2015. Besides it, the most stabile cluster is the cluster, which contains core EU countries.


2018 ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mur Prasetyaningrum ◽  
Z. Chomariyah ◽  
Trisno Agung Wibowo

Tujuan: Studi ini untuk mengetahui gambaran KLB keracunan pangan yang terjadi di desa Mulo menurut deskripsi epidemiologi, faktor risiko dan penyebab KLB keracunan makanan. Metode: Studi ini menggunakan studi analitik case control, dimana kasus adalah orang yang mengalami sakit pada tanggal 7 - 8 Mei 2017, tinggal di desa Mulo dan mengkonsumsi makanan olahan dari bapak S dan K. Instrument menggunakan kuesioner. Hasil: KLB terjadi di Desa Mulo RT 5 dan 6 dengan jumlah kasus sebanyak 18 orang dari total population at risk 112 orang dengan gejala utama diare (100%), mual (72,2%), demam (66,6%), pusing (66,6%) dan muntah (50%). Dari diagnosa banding menurut gejala, masa inkubasi dan agent penyebab keracunan, kecurigaan kontaminasi bakteri mengarah pada E. Coli (ETEC). Masa inkubasi 1-16 jam (rata-rata 9 jam) dan common source curve. Penyaji makanan ada dua (pak K dan pak S). Dari perhitungan AR, berdasarkan sumber makanan mengarah pada makanan dari pak S (AR=42,8%). Bedasarkan menu, perhitungan OR dan CI 95 % jenis makanan yang dicurigai sebagai penyebab KLB adalah urap/gudangan (OR=4,33; p value0,0071) dan sayur lombok (OR=6,31; p value 0,0071). Sampel yang didapatkan adalah sampel air bersih, feses, dan muntahan penderita, sampel makanan tidak didapatkan karena keterlambatan informasi dari masyarakat. Hasil laboratorium, Total Coliform sampel air bersih melebihi ambang batas, sampel feses dan muntahan mengandung bakteri Klebsiella pneumonia.Simpulan: Terdapat 3 (tiga) faktor yang diduga sebagai penyebab keracunan pada warga Desa Mulo yaitu air bersih untuk mengolah makanan tercemar bakteri patogen, pengolahan makanan tidak hygienis dan penyajian makanan pada suhu ruang lebih dari 1 jam.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7650
Author(s):  
Astrida Miceikienė ◽  
Kristina Gesevičienė ◽  
Daiva Rimkuvienė

The reduction of GHG emissions is one of the priorities of the EU countries. The majority of studies show that financial support and environmental taxes are one of the most effective measures for the mitigation of the negative consequences of climate change. The EU countries employ different environmental support measures and environmental taxes to reduce GHG emissions. There is a shortage of new studies on these measures. The aim of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of the environmental support measures of the EU countries with the effectiveness of environmental taxes in relation to the reduction of GHG emissions. This study is characterized by the broad scope of its data analysis and its systematic approach to the EU’s environmental policy measures. An empirical study was performed for the EU countries with the aim of addressing this research problem and substantiating theoretical insights. A total of 27 EU member states from 2009 to 2018 were selected as research samples. The research is based on a cause-and-effect relationship, where the factors affecting environmental pollution (environmental taxes and subsidies) are the cause, and GHG emissions are the effect. Statistical research methods were used in the empirical study: descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), simple regression and cluster analysis. The results show that the older member countries of the EU, which had directed the financial measures of environmental policy towards a reduction in energy consumption, managed to achieve a greater reduction in GHG emissions compared to the countries which had not applied those measures. The Central and Eastern European countries are characterized by lower environmental taxes and lower expenditure allocated to environmental protection. The countries with a higher GDP per capita have greater GHG emissions that the countries with lower GDP per capita. This is associated with greater consumption, waste, and energy consumption. The study conducted gives rise to a discussion regarding data sufficiency in the assessment and forecasting of GHG emissions and their environmental consequences.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-32
Author(s):  
Anastasiia Samoilikova ◽  
Rosen Kunev

This article generalized modern tendencies and actual peculiarities of health care financing. The key aim of the research is to investigate the dynamics of health care financing as a factor of economic growth based on EU countries analysis. Systematization information sources connected with health care financing and its structure indicate that the EU countries analysis of dynamics of health care financing and its impact on economic growth was conducted fragmentary. This issue is still actual both for scholars and policymakers, especially for Ukraine, based on European trends. Investigation in the article is made according to the following stages: 1) introduction and relevance grounding; 2) literary review and identifying the necessity of research in this scientific area; 3) describing methodology, research methods, and current hypothesis; 4) characteristic of research results and confirming the hypothesis of the positive impact of the health care financing on economic growth; 5) making conclusions. Methodological tools of the research methods were structural and comparative analysis, logical generalization, and scientific abstraction. The methods of cross-country statistical and analytical analysis using the Excel 2010 software package for the sample from 14 EU countries for 2009-2018 (limited number of countries and limited data in 2018 relate to the data availability on open website of the EU statistical office) were applied to analyse the structure of health care financing, in particular financing schemes, main providers, and health care functions. The top countries in health care financing were identified. The methods of empirical analysis using the STATA software package for this data sample were used to confirm the hypothesis about the positive impact of the health care financing on economic growth – the GDP per capita. The nature of the analysed indices distribution was estimated based on results of Shapiro-Wilk test. So, Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficient was chosen. The statistical significance and strength of the relationship between the indicators of total expenditure for health care, and in particular government financing and compulsory contributory health care financing, voluntary health care financing, and household out-of-pocket payment for health care and the change of GDP per capita were assessed through a correlation analysis. The time lags of achievement the most statistical significance by this relationship was also identified. The results of the research show that the impact of health care financing on the change of economic growth is very high in 12 from 14 investigated EU countries (with lags of 1–3 years) and high in 2 from 14 countries (with a lag of 1 year). The character of this relationship for the most countries (9 from 14 countries) is direct (positive), and for 5 countries it is inverse (negative). The results of the research will be useful during future fundamental and practical research connected with health care financing and its modelling, for scholars and government officials to reform the health care system and its financial mechanism.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kebede Deribe ◽  
Hope Simpson ◽  
Rachel L. Pullan ◽  
Mbonigaba Jean Bosco ◽  
Samuel Wanji ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundPodoconiosis is a type of tropical lymphedema that causes massive swelling of the lower limbs. The disease is associated with both economic insecurity, due to long-term morbidity-related loss of productivity, and intense social stigma. The geographical distribution and burden of podoconiosis in Africa is uncertain.MethodsWe applied statistical modelling to the most comprehensive database compiled to date to predict the environmental suitability of podoconiosis in the African continent. By combining climate and environmental data and overlaying population figures, we predicted the suitability and human population at risk.ResultsIn Africa, environmental suitability for podoconiosis was predicted in 29 countries. By 2020, the total population in areas suitable for podoconiosis was estimated at 114.5 million people, (95% confidence interval: 109.4-123.9) with 16.9 million in areas suitable for both lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis. Of the total 5,712 implementation units defined by WHO in Africa, 1,655 (29.0%) were found to be environmentally suitable for podoconiosis. The majority of IUs with high environmental suitability are located in Angola (80 IUs), Cameroon (170 IUs), the DRC (244 IUs), Ethiopia (495 IUs), Kenya (217 IUs), Uganda (116 IUs) and Tanzania (112 IUs). Of the 1,655 environmental suitable IUs, 960 (58.0%) require more detailed community-level mappingConclusionsOur estimates provide key evidence of the population at risk and geographical extent of podoconiosis in Africa, which will help decision-makers to better plan more integrated intervention programmes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasa Miežienė ◽  
Sandra Krutulienė

AbstractAvailable studies indicate a strong negative correlation between poverty and social expenditures in EU countries. It means that the country’s at-risk-of-poverty rate tends to erode with increasing social expenditure. However, the studies have demonstrated that the impact of government spending on poverty may vary according to the sector of spending, how well it is targeted, and the way in which it is financed. Some countries manage to achieve a rather significant poverty rate reduction even with relatively low, in the context of other Member States, social expenditure (percentage of GDP). This suggests that in order to reduce poverty rates, it is important to consider not only the amount allocated to social spending, but also the areas the social transfers are channelled to. The article aims to analyse how the composition and the extent of social spending/transfers may affect poverty reduction in EU countries. The analysis showed that social protection transfers reduce the percentage of people at-risk-of-poverty in all countries, however, to a very different extent. Regression analysis demonstrated that social exclusion and family/children expenditure was found to be the most important predictor for a relative antipoverty effect of social transfers: even a small percentage increase in such expenditure allows quite a significant increase in the relative antipoverty effect of social transfers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-95
Author(s):  
Marcin Idzik ◽  
Krzysztof Sobczak

The aim of this article is to identify and project trends in the development of the non-cash payment market in Poland in terms of the payment cards use. The study was carried out on the basis of data from the European Central Bank (ECB) for EU countries for the years 2000—2014. The space-time analogy method was used. In Poland, the dynamics of payments by card at POS terminals (in commercial outlets) is higher than the EU average. However, in terms of such measures as the number of payment cards per capita as well as the number of POS terminals and ATMs per 1 million inhabitants, the gap between Poland and the EU average is over 10 years. In Poland, market was similar to 20 EU countries and will maintain development trends at least until 2020.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Toader ◽  
Bogdan Firtescu ◽  
Angela Roman ◽  
Sorin Anton

The accelerated development of information and communication technology (ICT) over the past two decades has encouraged an increasing number of researchers to examine and measure the impact of this technology on economic growth. Our study aims to identify and evaluate the effect of using ICT infrastructure on economic growth in European Union (EU) countries for a period of 18 years (2000–2017). Using panel-data estimation techniques, we investigate empirically how various indicators of ICT infrastructure affect economic growth, proxied in our study by GDP per capita. Within the estimates, we have included some macroeconomic control variables. Our results indicate a positive and strongly effect of using ICT infrastructure on economic growth in the EU member states, but the magnitude of the effect differs depending on the type of technology examined. Regarding the impact of macroeconomic factors, our estimates indicate that inflation rate, unemployment rate, the degree of trade openness, government expenditures, and foreign direct investments would significantly affect GDP per capita at EU level. The findings are broadly similar to the theoretical predictions, but also to the findings of some relevant empirical studies. Our research reveals that ICT infrastructure, along with other macroeconomic factors, is an important driver of economic growth in EU countries.


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