During the first COVID-19 wave in Spain, confining the population at home was seen as an effective way to prevent the disease from spreading. This limited mobility affected citizens’ routines at homes because it influenced their life habits, including food management. The main objective of this paper was to understand citizens’ food waste (FW) behavior during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Spain by understanding related food practices that could have influenced FW generation. An online survey was conducted from 14 May to 11 June, 2020; 6293 valid responses were collected and analyzed, and 95% of the participants declared not wasting more food than usual. On average, they reported wasting 234 g per household per week, which equals 88 g per capita. We found significant differences in the reported FW generation between participants regarding their age, gender, household composition, and employment status due to COVID-19. In addition, food-related behaviors such as buying more food than usual due to fear or anxiety, storing more food than before the lockdown, and improvising when buying groceries seemed to affect the FW reported by the participants. The paper ends by comparing the conclusions drawn by different works conducted in other countries for a similar purpose.

Food waste (FW) has recently attracted the interest of different institutions and has been the focus of many studies due to its important environmental, social and economic impact. This paper aims to analyze whether a didactic intervention, consisting of informing teachers and pupils and involving pupils in reducing FW, could bring about changes in the level of knowledge and attitude towards FW and in the amount of FW generated during the mid-morning break and lunch at schools. This study was conducted at a public Primary School in Valencia (Spain). Subtle changes in the level of knowledge and attitude towards FW were detected in teachers and pupils after the intervention. Around 30% of FW reduction at lunch was observed in the intervention group but not in the other groups. A decrease of almost half of the average weight was observed during the mid-morning break in the rest of primary groups. The results apparently show that addressing the FW issue in classrooms can have a very positive effect on children’s attitudes. As it is such a cross-cutting issue; it raises awareness about a large group of Sustainable Development Goals, and encourages these young citizens to make conscious decisions and to act responsibly.

On March 19, 2020, a State of Emergency was declared in Portugal as a way to contain the spread of the COVID-19. Restriction measures were adopted, limiting the mobility of the population. This paper presents preliminary results of an online survey to Portuguese households on the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on food purchase, storage, management, and waste generation. A total of 841 questionnaires were collected.The main changes observed were in food purchasing behavior, as 77 percent stated that they had reduced the frequency of grocery shopping, and 68 percent had bought more in local shops than before. Regarding food waste generation, the majority (60 percent), stated that during lockdown they threw away the same amount of food as before. 36 percent answered less than before, reporting that they had adopted strategies to reduce food waste. Vegetables, milk, and fruit were the goods with the highest reduction of food waste.

Globally, one in every three produced kilograms is wasted at some point along the entire agri-food chain. Unfortunately, knowledge about losses and waste is not equally distributed along the food chain. In fact, in some stages the primary data required to properly estimate the magnitude of the problem are lacking. This is especially true for agricultural production, for which studies that have used on-site measurements are scarce. The present study analyses the mass losses and unpaid share that occur during the harvest process and persimmon storage in warehouses in the Valencia region, Spain. The study was carried out using on-site measurements and primary data from the harvest and storage phases. Losses were also classified according to their causes. The total mass and economic losses were estimated as either 29.5% for the total produced volume or 38.5% for the number of finally commercialised kilograms. This work aims to highlight the complex problem in primary production with the mass and economic losses that farmers bear and to show the potential of loss reduction measures.

The technology existing in Spanish horticultural greenhouses is highly diverse; however, low levels predominate. Therefore urgent improvements and conversions are required to increase yields and quality to maintain competitive production. To define the equipment and investment required, it is necessary to establish the current levels of technology and the extent to which it is developing. To do so, information has been collected using a survey based on stratified random sampling in the three most important greenhouse horticultural areas in Spain: Almería, Murcia and Southern Alicante. Based on information from 242 farms, five groups of technological levels with a gradual variation in technology were identified by cluster analysis. Of the five groups, three relate to cultivation in soil and the other two to soilless culture. In this study, we have applied the test for independence in order to relate the levels obtained with certain relevant characteristics of the farm. The results display the usefulness of grouping the greenhouses by levels, and reveal which are the most characteristic components in level formation with their percentage distribution. Thus, current characteristics of technology, and its development, have been identified, and priority assigned to the different components.Additional key words: cluster, horticultural systems, random sampling, technological development, test for independence. Resumen Caracterización de niveles tecnológicos en los invernaderos hortícolas mediterráneosLa tecnología de los invernaderos hortícolas españoles es muy variada, con predominio de los bajos niveles, por lo que es urgente su mejora y reconversión, para aumentar los rendimientos y la calidad y mantener la posición competitiva de las producciones. Para establecer las necesidades en inversiones y equipamiento es preciso conocer los niveles actuales de la tecnología y su grado de evolución, para lo cual se ha tomado información por encuesta basada en un muestreo aleatorio estratificado en las tres zonas españolas más importantes: Almería, Murcia y sur de Alicante. A partir de la información de 242 explotaciones se determinaron por análisis cluster cinco grupos con sus niveles tecnológicos y una variación gradual de la tecnología. De los cinco grupos, tres corresponden al cultivo en suelo y dos al cultivo en sustrato. A continuación, y con el fin de relacionar los niveles obtenidos con algunas características relevantes de la explotación, se aplicó el contraste de independencia. Los resultados han evidenciado la utilidad de la agrupación de los invernaderos por niveles, y qué elementos son más característicos en la formación de un nivel con su distribución porcentual. Se han determinado así las características actuales de la tecnología y, en su evolución, la prioridad que se asigna a los diversos componentes.Palabras clave adicionales: contraste de independencia, cluster, evolución tecnológica, muestreo aleatorio, sistemas hortícolas.

After describing the technology adopted and its influence on production and yield, the importance of varietal change, which is essential to meet demand, is underscored. The choice of a variety by growers depends on the expected price it will fetch along with the commercial and crop characteristics and the quality. Survival of a variety in the marketplace depends on the performance as expected and on the existence of other more competitive varieties. First, in Spanish citrus farming, the navel group predominate, with 41.10% of orange production, in which the main varieties are “Navelina” and “Lanelate.” The group of late white oranges is also important. The mandarin orange group includes clementines and mandarin hybrids; lemons also feature prominently. In sweet oranges, the navel group and late white group has often been renewed with varieties from the same group. In very early clementines varieties, the survival of which is usually short, the supply of new varieties is excessive. Because of its commercial characteristics and harvesting time, the group with the highest expansion possibilities are the mandarin hybrids which are in demand by hypermarkets. In the introduction of varieties, in recent years we have seen varietal clubs being established, with area control of each variety and very strict rules on cultivation and marketing.

In the large inland extensions of the Spanish Mediterranean, dry-farming is predominant and the main crops are olive, vine and almond. These species represent an agricultural activity that is fundamental to the continued inhabitation of these regions. The aim of this work is to determine the chances this agriculture has of continuing by following criteria of sustainability. Having chosen goals of an economic, social and environmental nature, almost-ideal cropping plans are obtained using the Compromise Programming. Moreover, given the important role played by water availability in this type of agriculture, the study is completed by determining the impact that an irrigation-water pricing policy would have, as outlined in the European Water Framework Directive. The study leads to the conclusion that, increasing mechanization may be the most straightforward strategy to ensure the sustainability of farms in Spanish dry-lands, and specially if the current trend of increasing irrigation-water prices is consolidated.Additional key words: compromise programming, demand functions of irrigation water, goal programming, mediterranean agro-systems, multiattribute utility theory, technological improvements. Resumen Sostenibilidad de los cultivos leñosos en las comarcas del secano mediterráneoEn las grandes extensiones del mediterráneo español predominan el olivo, la vid y el almendro cultivados en secano. Estas especies conforman un paisaje muy característico y, sobre todo, determinan una actividad económica que es fundamental para que estas comarcas sigan estando habitadas. El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar las opciones de continuidad de esta agricultura, siguiendo criterios de sostenibilidad. Tras seleccionar objetivos de índole económica, social y ambiental, se obtienen planes de cultivos cercanos al ideal, a través de la Programación Compromiso. Por otra parte, y dado el importante papel de la disponibilidad de agua en esta agricultura, el estudio se completa determinando el impacto que tendría una política tarifaria en el agua de riego, como recoge la actual Directiva Marco de Aguas europea. Con los resultados se concluye que la mecanización es la estrategia más directa para asegurar la sostenibilidad de las explotaciones de las comarcas del secano mediterráneo, sobre todo si se consolida la tendencia actual de elevar los precios del agua de riego.Palabras clave adicionales: agrosistemas mediterráneos, funciones de demanda del agua de riego, función de utilidad multiatributo, mejoras tecnológicas, programación compromiso, programación por metas.

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