Regional product labelling can help develop regional business activities, especially with traditional regional products. Their general popularity is a significant source of income for less-developed regions. The Gemer-Malohont region is an economically underdeveloped area with a high unemployment rate. The subject of the survey was focused on regional food products that are made by small farmers. The analysis was carried out using data from a questionnaire survey on the period April-July 2017 in each of the region's districts. The results obtained by the questionnaire survey were processed with the use of statistical methods (two-step cluster analysis, radar chart, box-plots, regression analysis) using Microsoft Excel and the IBM SPSS Statistics 23 software. We divided consumers into two groups-knowledgeable regional food purchasers and priced-oriented consumers-based on their preference for regional food and through cluster analysis. We show that the more developed regions (Rimavská Sobota and Rožňava) show a higher rate of purchase of regional foods. Less-developed regions (Poltár, Revúca) are represented by lower-income consumers for whom the food price is the decisive criterion. Local residents of backward regions should pay attention to domestic food and local small farmers who are tools for the creation of local capital and local development.
Slovakia, as part of the European Union, participates in all forms of regional development and sustainability. A transparent form of regional development and sustainability is regional labeling, which has a 10-year tradition. Our regions represent excellent potential for the development of domestic products. Acceptance of essential requirements for regional products (domestic raw materials, manual work share, respect for the environment) opens up opportunities for the labor market, promotes tourism, and increases citizens’ purchase ability, none of which are clearly demonstrable in Slovak regions. Residents of individual regions have specific approaches in relation to regional brands depending on the region studied. For the purpose of the survey, four regions of southern Slovakia (with common environmental morphology and different industrial development) were selected. Indicators of age, gender, education, monthly income, and location relative to regional product preferences were studied. The results obtained were processed by cluster analysis (as a way of segmenting consumers). An average conscious purchaser of regional products is a local productive middle-aged person with a secondary or tertiary education, either male or female, and from a more economically advanced region. The results show regional branding as a mobilizing function for connecting inhabitants and the subsequent joint presentation of regional activities.
Abstract:In Slovakia, 35% of buildings are older than 50 years but most newer buildings built before 1990 have greater energy consumption. Some other countries also have similar problems. The growing importance of energy saving in buildings can be, in the case of new and old residential buildings (RB), achieved by lowering thermal energy consumption most often by application of polystyrene insulation on the external walls and roof and the exchange of wood window frames for PVC (polyvinyl chloride) windows. The novelty of the article for Slovakia and some other central European countries consists in using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method for the objective assessment of the environmental benefits of the selected systems of wall insulation, as well as of energy savings in various time intervals of insulation functionality (up to 20 years). LCA software SimaPro (LE Amersfoort, The Netherlands) was used with ReCiPe and IMPACT 2002+ assessment methods to quantify the total environmental impact at selected endpoints and midpoints (IMPACT 2002+) of basic structural materials of an RB and its energy demand-heat consumption (hot water heating, central heating) before the application of insulation and thermal energy saving (TES) after application of insulation to its external walls, roof, and the exchange of windows. The data we obtained confirmed that the environmental impact of the polystyrene insulation of external walls, roof, and exchange of windows of one residential building (RB) in the first year after insulation is higher than the reduction caused by achieving a TES of 39%. When taking a lifespan of 20 years into consideration, the impact over the life cycle of the building materials is reduced by 25% (global warming: −4792 kg CO 2 eq; production of carcinogens: −2479 kg C 2 H 3 Cl eq; acidification: −12,045 kg SO 2 eq; and aquatic eutrophication: −257 kg PO 4 P-lim). The verified LCA methodology will be used for comparative analysis of different variants of thermal insulation of buildings, and their functionality in the long term, while taking into account local specifics and the preparation of environmental product declarations.
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