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The global outbreak of COVID-19 and its subsequent varied impacts on different economic activities necessitate to examine its disruptions and impacts on livestock sector in India due to its recently surging potential as an unrivaled alternative to boost farmer’s income.

The studies for review were identified through search in different databases using relevant keywords. Only full text papers written in English language were reviewed. The review was organized and streamlined using Covidence software.

Analysis of the literature reveals adverse effects of COVID-19 on functioning of input and output stages of livestock supply chains. This has resulted in upstream and downstream economic losses that affect livelihoods of the producers.

Scale of unprecedented crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic requires creative policy decisions to make livestock production systems robust, resilient and sustainable. Organized production systems are required to integrate with livestock-tech startups to modernize their supply chains, whereas local supply chains are required to reorient with government’s intervention in terms of developing on-farm production and postproduction processing facilities.

Although there exist some evidence on COVID-19-related impacts on livestock sector of India, but an integrated review of evidence on COVID-19 related disruptions at all the stages (from input supply to marketing) of livestock supply chains was missing.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent and multifaceted metabolic and endocrine disorder that affects a significant number of women in their reproductive years. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the lifeline diet score (LLDS) and PCOS.

In this study, the authors enrolled 105 women who had recently been diagnosed with PCOS. 105 women without PCOS, matched for age and body mass index (BMI), were selected as the control group. The mean age of the participants was 34.80 ± 5.37 years old. Standardized procedures were used to measure anthropometric indicators and assess the body composition of each participant. To determine the dietary patterns, a validated and reliable 147-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was administered. Based on the responses to the FFQ, the LLDS was calculated using 12 specific components. Multiple and univariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the associations between LLDS and PCOS, considering various factors.

In the control group, the mean LLDS was 45.61 ± 9.67; while in the case group, the mean LLDS was 25.10 ± 7.49, respectively (P = 0.001). After adjusting for socioeconomic status (SES), age, protein, fat, physical activity and BMI, the probability of developing PCOS is 69% lower in the third tertiles of LLDS than in the first tertiles (OR = 0.31, CI 95% = 0.15–0.62), (P < 0.001).

The study finds that a higher LLDS correlates with reduced PCOS risk, echoing dietary advice to boost fruits, dairy, vegetables, legumes, poultry and grains while limiting pasta, rice, bread, eggs, red meat, sweets, sugar and hydrogenated fats.

This study aims to test Singer’s suggestion that ‘over the next 20 years meat could follow smoking into disrepute” using the findings of the recent literature on meat consumption, education and smoking and data from consumers in Switzerland in 1990–2017.

We hypothesise that meat consumption in developed countries has increasingly shifted to people with less education, as has been observed for smoking in previous studies. Using trend analysis by regressions, we describe the consumption dynamics of nine sorts of meat in Switzerland and estimate meat consumption trends for populations with and without university education separately.

Our results partly confirm the hypothesis. Less educated households consume more non-fish meat per person than households with at least one member educating or having finished education at university. For most categories of meat, the relative decline in consumption has been significantly higher for households in which at least one person holds a university education.

Our study contributes to the studies on sociology of meat eating and suggests paying more attention to risks related to meat consumption and to awareness of the population about these risks.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2023-0335

The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of labour force participation and the factors affecting labour supply among older persons in Ghana. Both the extensive and intensive margins of older persons’ labour supply were analysed.

The paper uses nationally representative samples of household and individual data in 2016–2017 – Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS 7) data – for the analysis. Heckman’s sample selection model is used to analyse both the extensive and intensive margins of older persons’ labour supply.

The study found that older persons in Ghana who are pensioners, widowed, have high levels of education, poor health status and live in urban areas are less likely to participate actively in the labour market. On the other hand, being head of a household, married and owning certain assets increase the likelihood of an older person to work. Furthermore, pensions, household headship and post-secondary education have negative effects on the labour supply as having them make older persons work fewer hours per week compared to their counterparts.

This research is the first study to examine the prevalence of old age employment and factors that affect labour market decisions of older persons in Ghana. It also adds to the limited literature on pension and retirement decisions in developing countries.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between dietary diversity and haemoglobin concentration of women of reproductive age (WRA), 15−49 years in the Binduri District, of the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana.

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 153 non-pregnant, non-lactating WRA from three randomly selected communities in the Binduri District of the UER of Ghana. Socio-demographic information, 24-h dietary recall and minimum dietary diversity scores (DDS) of the women were obtained using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Haemoglobin concentration of the participants was measured by finger prick using Hemocue 301 Analyzer and classified according to WHO standards. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between DDS and haemoglobin concentrations of the participants.

Total study participants were 153 with mean age of 32.8 ± 8.7 years. Anaemia prevalence of 66.7% and a mean DDS of 4.0 ± 1.2 was recorded. DDS was found to be a strong predictor of haemoglobin concentration (p = 0.00, R² = 0.48).

Interventions that increase DDS may be effective in improving haemoglobin levels of WRA.

The results showed that DDS is a strong predictor of haemoglobin concentration of the WRA in this study. As the dietary diversity of the women increased, their mean haemoglobin concentration also improved. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to be conducted in the study area.

A meat quality grading system is essential to meet consumers' increasingly diversified demand for food quality in the global market. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the upcoming Chinese quality grading labels and examine the information effect of labeling standards on pork consumption choices.

Using an online survey with choice experiments, this study estimates consumer valuation for the fat thickness of different pork primal cuts by simulating three scenarios. Generalized mixed logit models in WTP space are used to analyze the choice experiment data.

Chinese consumers prefer lean pork to fatty pork and this preference does not vary significantly between primal cuts. Consumer valuation for ungraded high-quality (lean) pork increases after the implementation of the quality grading. Meanwhile, they are willing to pay high premiums for labeled pork (including level 1, 2, 3), and there are higher premiums for pork with higher levels. Besides, incomplete information on labeling standards could achieve more premiums for pork than relatively complete information.

This study pays attention to essential but few-noticed pork quality grading. The findings provide references for pork industry practices and policy-making of the meat quality grading system in China and globally by examining incomplete and relatively complete information effects on consumer choices.

This research was motivated by the recognition that the use of mobile-based agricultural extension services (AES) applications has become increasingly popular among the bottom of the pyramid segment in recent years. However, users’ adoption is determined not only by their perception of the technology but also by its perceived wealth. In other words, even though a technology may be perceived as advanced, if it does not fit users’ wealth perception benefits, they may not adopt it. Using an extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) perspective, this study aims to explore potential predictors of behavioral intention toward AES such as effort expectancy, performance expectancy, customer wealth (CW), social influence and perceived characteristics of innovation.

Potential causal connections between key UTAUT factors and users’ intentions to use the services are hypothesized. An integrated theoretical model was developed and tested against the empirical data collected from 336 AES users. A measurement model and structural equation model were tested using AMOS 22.0 and confirmed all 14 hypothesized relationships.

The results were consistent with the recent literature on mobile technology acceptance, confirming an unmoderated relationship between CW and the adoption of mobile-based AES. This research proposes a mobile AES user adoption model by integrating CW with the unified theory of acceptance and usage of technology (UTAUT).

This study establishes CW as an outcome of various relationships.

In Uganda, smallholder farmers produce about 70% of the food but receive very low prices on the sales channels they use. To improve farmers' livelihoods, other innovative sales channels such as farmers' markets (FMs) have to be explored. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the potential of establishing farmers' markets in Uganda, focusing on Kampala district.

A qualitative methodology was used to understand farmers' perceptions and the factors that could influence the success of the farmers' markets. In addition, the potential of FMs has been analyzed through the components of the Localized Agri-Food System (LAFS).

The respondents had a positive perception of the farmers' markets, and farmers have an urgent need for other sales channels that could be profitable for them. Factors that could influence the success of the FMs were highlighted, including infrastructure in the marketplace, transportation and taxation by the government.

The study had a limited sample size of the farmers, and it was carried out in 3 divisions of Kampala district, an urban area; thus, the findings cannot be generalized to fit the other regions of Uganda.

The LAFS showed that the foundation for establishing FMs is available; however, it has to be strengthened through the coordination of different stakeholders that work with the farmers.

Due to increasing scandals involving non-halal foods, contamination and fraudulent practices within the halal food supply chain, this paper aims to identify pivotal factors closely tied to halal food traceability and subsequently proposes a comprehensive halal food traceability model rooted in these factors.

The approach involved conducting a content analysis to meticulously gather data from existing scholarly works. Subsequently, the authors analysed this data using a thematic approach.

The extensive literature review yielded the identification of eight pivotal factors for the adoption and implementation of effective halal food traceability systems. These factors encompass consensus on halal food standards, government support, meeting consumer demands, ensuring the authenticity of halal food integrity, leveraging technological advancements, adherence to halal standards and certification systems, fostering stakeholder collaboration and promoting research and educational initiatives. Building upon these factors, this study presents a halal food traceability factorial model that can serve as a foundation for constructing a robust and readily-adoptable traceability system within Muslim countries.

The proposed halal food traceability model offers invaluable insights to stakeholders within both private enterprises and governmental bodies. By taking into account the identified factors, these stakeholders can significantly enhance their prospects for the successful adoption and implementation of traceability systems. Additionally, the paper expounds upon practical recommendations for practitioners and highlights avenues for future research aimed at establishing a robust halal traceability system across Muslim countries.

This paper stands as a significant contribution within the limited body of research addressing the development of an effective and readily-adoptable traceability model, thereby bolstering the integrity and safety of halal food. The outcomes of this paper are expected to catalyse improvements in the adoption and implementation of halal food traceability practices across Muslim nations.

This study aims to assess the information-seeking behaviors, attitudes and beliefs about pregnancy-related nutrition, food-related myths and taboos and supplementation among pregnant women in different communities of Pakistan.

A cross-sectional quantitative survey method was used in this study, which included 150 pregnant women from various locations in Lahore and Faisalabad.

Most participants were between the ages of 25 and 29, having 14 years of education. Regardless of age or number of children, all selected women had the same dietary awareness. Regarding myths and taboos, highly significant values (p = 0.001) were found in various studied variables. No significant difference was observed in knowledge level between age and number of children. It was observed that food myths and taboos significantly (p = 0.001) impact pregnant women’s dietary choices.

This survey experienced limited representativeness; many participants provided incomplete food and nutritional information. This research was conducted in two major districts of Pakistan, i.e. Lahore and Faisalabad; therefore, the results can be generalized for a population of pregnant women living in the northeastern region of Pakistan.

This study can provide helpful insight for health-care professionals to improve pregnant women’s nutritional status and knowledge.

The outcomes of this study can help guide how pregnant women might be educated and have better nutritional awareness at domestic and professional levels.

In Pakistan, there is a lack of research on pregnant women’s nutritional knowledge, and this research can assist health-care professionals in providing diversified knowledge to promote maternal health.