A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. October 2014. / The study seeks to establish how sustainable agriculture can improve livelihoods and consequently alleviate poverty in Topiya community of Mpumalanga Province. The study also entails an investigation into whether the Topiya community is food insecure, and in this instance, how sustainable agriculture can be embraced smoothly to improve the food security status of the Topiya community. The study also seeks to unearth whether raising rural agricultural productivity is sufficient to improve livelihoods or a more robust and multi dimensional approach is needed to improve rural livelihoods in general. A research instrument (questionnaire) was designed and administered to 19 households. The data is analyzed by way of frequencies and percentages. The results yielded by this study demonstrated that Topiya Community is food insecure and a plethora of factors such as but not limited to lack of adequate arable land, lack of farm assets, lack understanding of the concept of sustainable agriculture contributes to this. The results also pointed to the fact that an intrinsic understanding of what sustainable agriculture entails is of paramount importance for the concept to be embraced and achieve the objectives of improving food security and consequently alleviating poverty.

A project report submitted to the faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of Science in Engineering. Heidelberg Transvaal, 1993. / The obiective of this research is to propose a model by which maintene may be managed in the prepared foods industry. Various companies in this industry have implemented modules of a maintenance administration system. Nowhere, for this industry, does a structured programme which will provide tha maintenance manager with the elements of an administration system, their sequence of implementation and their interrelationships exist. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / AC2017

In der Lebensmittelindustrie wird heutzutage noch viel zu häufig mit überdimensionierten und ineffizienten Reinigungssystemen gearbeitet. Diese sind aus Gründen der Prozesssicherheit meist am „Worst-Case-Szenario“ ausgelegt, von bedarfsgerechter bzw. adaptiver Reinigung kann also keine Rede sein. Gründe dafür liegen vor allem am Mangel an Möglichkeiten zum Inline-Reinigungsmonitoring sowie starrer/unintelligenter Reinigungssysteme. Das Fraunhofer IVV Dresden arbeitet im Themenfeld „Adaptive Reinigung“ an verschiedenen Lösungen zur Realisierung einer bedarfsgerechten Reinigung, um eine größtmögliche Reinigungs- bzw. Ressourceneffizienz zu erzielen. [... aus dem Text]

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The aim of this research was to investigate the consumer perception of corporate social responsibility initiatives of companies in the vegan food industry, considering the consumers’ dietary choice and socio-demographic characteristics. The study is based on primary, quantitative data which was collected through anonymous surveys (N = 816). A social media sampling strategy was adopted, and a questionnaire was distributed among Europeans above the age of 18. The data was analysed with descriptive statistics, Cronbach Alpha reliability tests, one-way analysis of variance, and independent sample t tests. The findings showed that vegans care significantly more about CSR in the vegan food industry than non-vegans, hence they should be the target audience for CSR advertisements. Socio-demographic characteristics did not have an influence on perceptions among vegans, and only the characteristic of gender showed to be of importance, as women care more about CSR than men among vegetarians and omnivores. Therefore, the second target audience for CSR advertisements should be non-vegan women. CSR in the vegan food industry was rated as more legitimate compared to the rest of the food industry by all consumers, and all-vegan companies were rated as more socially responsible than companies that recently introduced vegan products in addition to their non-vegan range.

Sustainable consumption is becoming more and more important when aiming to achieve a sustainable food industry in the future. A sustainable movement requires actions from diverse actors on the market such as politicians, organizations, retailers, consumers etc. This research focuses mainly on retailers and partly consumers. Past research examines consumer behaviour when it comes to sustainable consumption and companies’ incorporation of Corporate Sustainability. This research seeks to complement prior research by investigating two major retailers in the Swedish food industry, Axfood and ICA. Through semi-structured interviews, with Sustainability Managers working at these companies, the research collects qualitative data that contributes to a better understanding of the Swedish food retailing industry and how they address sustainability issues. The research highlight current trends on today’s market and identify crucial focus areas for the future.

In this study, we have delved deeply into the European food industry's response to the altered reality during the Covid-19 pandemic. Through qualitative interviews with six business leaders from different parts of the sector, combined with a comprehensive literature review, we have strived to enhance the understanding of the organizational changes and strategic solutions that the industry has employed to navigate the crisis. The challenges we observed included disruptions in the supplychain, stress among employees due to illness and work-related pressure, as well as shifting sales and market patterns. Despite these difficulties, the companies managed to adapt by restructuring their organizations and leadership styles, which mitigated the negative impact of the pandemic. Some of the most significant lessons included the importance of having a flexible and adaptable organizational structure, and the necessity to develop effective communication strategies and leadership methods during uncertain times. The results of our study also point out that there is a need to integrate social aspects into food production and distribution. This would increase companies' resilience and ability to maintain operations in an increasingly uncertain global context. We found that the pandemic has contributed to increasing the importance of local production and consumption, strengthening the role of digital technology in streamlining communication and workflows, and focusing more on companies' sustainability initiatives and responsibilities. To further utilize these insights, we propose future research focusing on tracking companies' adaptations over time, comparing different industries and regions, and examining how the implementation of changes is related to the achievement of sustainability goals. We also underscore that both quantitative and qualitative research methods should be used to gain adeeper understanding of the processes driven by crises like the pandemic. In summary, our study shows that, despite the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought, food producers in Europe have demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt and reshape their organizations and business models. The main lesson is that flexibility, communication, and rapid adaptation are crucial in handling crises and ensuring a sustainable and resilient food industry. This insight can assist policymakers and industry leaders in formulating more effective strategies and guidelines to promote a more sustainable and resilient organization.

Sugar is intrinsically linked with the modern food system. Large sections of the U. K. food industry are dependent on its use and functional qualities. Supplies of sucrose entering the food chain have declined 25% between the 1950's and 1980's and currently stand around 37 kg/person/year. Furthermore, U. K. dietary guidelines over the past 14 years have consistently suggested caution over how much sugar is eaten, especially in manufactured foods. Dietary guidelines such as the NACNE report (1983) recommend average sugar consumption should be no more than 20 kg/person/year. Currently, two-thirds of sugar supplies are bought for use in food and drink manufacture. Continued pressures on sugar consumption and negative consumer attitudes to sugar may be reflected in lost sales of sugar-containing foods. The available information on U. K. sugar consumption is critically assessed. Although the main sources of sugar supply are identified, individual sugar consumption is shown to vary by considerable amounts. The place of sucrose is examined in relation to other sweeteners and why and where sugars and sweeteners are used in food systems. The promotion of "no added sugar" and "sugar free" products is examined since the publication of the NACNE report to the end of 1987. To further test the impact of changing patterns of sugar consumption on food and drink manufacturers a national survey of manufacturers who use sugar was carried out in early 1988. This was an attitudinal postal questionnaire and responses to the issue of sugar, diet and health were analysed. Respondents bought an estimated 650,000 tonnes of sugar in 1986, around 45% of the total industrial market. While the survey aggregate were fully supportive of sucrose, respondents reported that the majority of consumers were worried about sugar being bad for health and were actively cutting down on individual intakes. There were significant differences to the issue of sugar, diet and health dependent on company size, whether a company manufactured for a retailer's own label and if products had already been marketed at a "healthy eating" segment. However, in general, while manufacturers considered consumer attitudes to sugar to be important they had to be put in the context of other factors. So far the impact of changing patterns of sugar consumption is not reflected in the total average industrial purchases of sugar, although substantial "sugar-free" and "sugar-reduced" product niches have been established.