Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore self-control and habit strength interventions based on temporal self-regulation theory on decreasing discretionary food consumption. Design/methodology/approach A two by two (time by condition) design was used whereby 152 participants who resided in Australia (61% identified as women) completed an online questionnaire containing validated measures of intention, self-control, habit strength and discretionary food consumption. They participants completed either: a self-control intervention, a habit strength intervention or were part of the control group. At time two, one week later, participants repeated the baseline measures. Data were collected in April 2024. Findings There was no time by condition effect with no significant main effect of time on discretionary food consumption F (1, 149) = 2.10, p = 0.149, ηp2 = 0.01 and no significant changes in self-control or habit strength. This indicates that habit strength and self-control were not effective in decreasing discretionary food consumption. Findings offer a starting point for using temporal self-regulation theory to change behaviour by targeting its constructs with behaviour change techniques. Originality/value This study is the first to apply the principles of temporal self-regulation theory within an experimental design with the intention of decreasing discretionary food consumption. The current study provides direction for future interventions targeting interventional dosage and longer durations for implementing self-control and habit strength interventions.

Purpose In an era of intensifying climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and economic volatility, ensuring the stability of food supply chains is essential for food security. This study investigates a critical yet underexplored question: When subjected to diverse external shocks, do global food trade networks possess the necessary resilience and adaptability to maintain functional import channels for nations? Design/methodology/approach Utilizing trade data from 2000 to 2022, we construct and analyze four distinct global food trade networks: wheat and meslin, maize, rice, and a composite total food network. We employ a novel, multi-dimensional analytical framework that integrates the structural evolution of networks, node-level resilience, and structural resilience. The robustness of these networks is rigorously tested through simulations of both random and deliberate strategies, targeted attacks on core nodes. Findings Our analysis reveals that while global food trade networks are expanding and becoming more interconnected, their resilience is unevenly distributed. Countries like Japan, South Korea, Iran, and China are reliant on imported food and exhibit trade vulnerability due to concentrated import sources. Major food traders, including Canada, Mexico, China, and South Korea, serve as hub nodes of the network, alongside smaller trading nations like South Africa, Denmark, and Belgium. Among the four types of food trade networks, network connectivity is strongest for wheat and meslin, whereas the rice trade network displays the highest structural stability. Deliberate attacks are more detrimental to network resilience than random attacks, with the failure of core nodes such as France and Germany significantly exposing a critical systemic vulnerability. Originality/value Moving beyond prevailing research that often focuses on single shock types or aggregate networks, this paper provides a nuanced, multi-network and multi-strategy analysis of trade resilience. It introduces an integrated node-structure framework for assessing systemic risk. The findings offer actionable insights for policymaker, emphasizing the urgency of diversifying import sources, strengthening regional trade cooperation, and developing differentiated contingency plans based on specific network roles and shock characteristics.

Purpose This study examines how animal disease outbreaks influence consumer behaviour beyond directly affected species. It investigates food safety perceptions and risk-mitigation strategies during the 2019 African Swine Fever outbreak, focusing on spillover effects on goat meat consumption in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey of 470 goat meat consumers in ten provinces of Vietnam was analysed using multinomial logistic regression to identify socio-demographic, perceptual and attitudinal drivers of risk-mitigation strategies. Findings While most consumers did not alter goat meat consumption, 17% changed their behaviour due to perceived spillover risks. Among them, 12.5% became more cautious, 4.2% reduced consumption and 1.5% increased it. Urban consumers were more likely to adopt cautious behaviours. Spending a larger share of income on food and viewing goat meat as convenient increased the likelihood of reducing consumption, while familiarity with goat meat and perceiving it as natural reduced this likelihood. Research limitations/implications There is a need for clear communication and trust-building to avoid unwarranted demand shifts across unrelated meats. Strengthening safety assurance, certification and consumer education is critical to sustaining confidence and market stability. Future studies could examine cross-country responses to assess spillover effects globally. Originality/value This is the first study linking food safety perceptions with risk-mitigation strategies and highlighting spillover effects of disease outbreaks on unrelated meats. It advances the understanding of consumer behaviour in crises and provides insights for policy and industry.

Purpose The article aimed to elucidate the United Kingdom government’s proposed direction for the “Public Money for Public Goods” approach and future implications for livestock systems post-Brexit by identifying the overall coherence between post-Brexit livestock policies. Design/methodology/approach A systematic policy review of post-Brexit livestock policies on gov.uk was undertaken. Of 505 policy documents initially identified, 44 were included in the final review after removing duplicates and applying exclusion criteria. A policy document analysis was conducted to iteratively build an a priori list of thematic categories discussing livestock and post-Brexit changes. Policy Narratives were produced, supporting these data with grey and academic literature. Findings UK livestock policy overlooks the diverse needs of different farming systems. Public goods definitions related to livestock systems remain ill-defined. Policies often conflict and lack ambition for a comprehensive public goods transition. Research limitations/implications The rapid pace at which government policy evolves imposed difficulty in reviewing new or updated policies. Also, policy terminology varied between documents, including an inherent vagueness of language. Both factors required substantial interpretation, potentially introducing bias. Practical implications Failure to address the gaps identified across policies will lead to uneven social, economic and environmental outcomes for the animal-based farming sectors. Originality/value Agricultural policy design needs to incorporate a critical food systems approach to ensure post-Brexit livestock policies and the public goods transition support different scales and types of farming businesses.

Purpose Foodborne illnesses significantly impact public health and economic losses, highlighting the need for effective food risk analysis and communication strategies. This study aimed to enrich and validate the food Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model for foodborne diseases in the United States. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire using a non-probability opt-in sample was used to collect 1,013 consumers in the United States and analysed through structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings Results indicated that higher subjective knowledge and previous experience with foodborne diseases increased the perception of these food risks as significant threats. Social pressures, perceived information-gathering capacity and perceptions that more information encouraged information-seeking and systematic as well as heuristic processing. Also, trust in information channels was crucial. The structural model explained 48.4% of the variance in information seeking, 54.1% in systematic processing and 7.8% in heuristic processing. Originality/value Our study is the first to apply SEM to the RISP model for foodborne diseases in the United States, examining both information seeking and processing behaviours. Our findings help develop targeted food risk communication strategies in the United States that enhance public awareness of food risks, promote systematic information processing and encourage preventive behaviours to mitigate potential foodborne illnesses impacts.

Purpose This study applies social network analysis to examine how 572 UK farm businesses engage with eight marketing channels, aiming to understand how patterns of market access relate to structural position, business characteristics and resilience. Design/methodology/approach Measures of degree centrality, core–periphery structure and modularity clustering were used to uncover the relational architecture of the UK farms’ marketing channels. Findings Findings show that most farms rely on just one or two channels, with those using three or more exhibiting the highest network centrality. The findings highlight the need to distinguish between structural embeddedness and functional integration. A farm may be well connected yet remain marginal in terms of capital flow or market influence. Practical implications Policies aiming to strengthen food system resilience must be network-aware and support a plurality of marketing strategies tailored to different farm contexts enabling resilience and innovation to emerge across all parts of the network. Originality/value The findings presented herein offer practical recommendations for rural development and national procurement frameworks showing how structural positioning and connectivity can inform typologies for targeted and equitable intervention.

Purpose The primary objective of this study is twofold: (1) to analyse how users' perceived privacy on opinion platforms in the foodservice sector influences their willingness to use/create electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) content, as well as to examine the relationship between such content and perceived relationship quality; and (2) to assess whether there are significant differences in the means of the variables perceived privacy, e-WOM and perceived relationship quality between foodservice sector users of Google Maps and TripAdvisor platforms. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a diverse group of nationals in the Iberian Peninsula during June and July, 2025. A structured survey was designed to measure the key variables of the study. The collected responses were subsequently analysed using variance-based structural equation modelling (SEM), with partial least squares (PLS) employed as the statistical method for data analysis. Findings The study's results reveal significant differences between Google Maps and TripAdvisor regarding privacy perceptions related to the generation of e-WOM content related to perceived relationship quality in the foodservice sector. Furthermore, it has been found that a greater sense of privacy perceived by users is associated with greater participation in e-WOM activities. Originality/value This work makes a significant contribution to academic literature by addressing a gap in the comparative analysis of the most widely used opinion platforms. Moreover, the findings offer practical implications for the management of the restaurants, providing valuable recommendations on how to improve the user experience and foster trust in digital environments for the foodservice sector companies.

Purpose This study aims to understand the dynamics of knowledge sharing, governance mechanisms and innovation results generated in an interorganizational network formed within the scope of the RedFruitsHealth case, a collaborative initiative between a higher education institution (HEI) and several companies in the agri-food sector, focused on the valorization of red fruits through the development of healthy and functional food products. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a qualitative and exploratory approach, using the case study method, we fundamentally used semi-structured interviews with the partners involved in this network as a technique for gathering information. Findings Based on a thematic analysis of the interviews, the results made it possible to understand the motivations, barriers and strategic stakeholders in this type of network. The empirical evidence shows the potential of an HEI–Companies network to promote innovation in the agri-food sector, particularly in value-added products based on endogenous resources, while contributing to regional development and meeting the growing demands for healthy food. Practical implications This study makes both theoretical contributions, enriching the literature on interorganizational networks in contexts of nutritional enhancement, and practical contributions, presenting guidelines for the effective implementation of networks in the agri-food sector. Originality/value In this study, a new and innovative framework, for the effective implementation of interorganizational networks in the agri-food sector, is proposed.

Purpose This study advances research on consumer trust in the food system by integrating mistrust and distrust – two overlooked yet critical dimensions shaping consumer attitudes. While trust has been extensively examined in the literature, its erosion and transformation into more complex attitudes remain underexplored. By adopting a multidimensional and multi-actor approach, the present research provides a nuanced understanding of how consumers evaluate food system actors based on perceived practices and alignment with core values. Design/methodology/approach The study combined a preliminary focus group with 16 participants and 15 laddering interviews to link consumer perceptions of four key food system actors – farmers, manufacturers, retailers, and public authorities – to attitudes of trust, mistrust, and distrust. Aggregated hierarchical value maps visualise how specific practices trigger different responses and reveal the underlying values shaping these perceptions. Findings Findings challenge the conventional trust-distrust continuum by showing that trust, mistrust and distrust are distinct yet interrelated attitudes shaped by value congruence. Farmers retain a strong trust foundation grounded in perceived competence and care, whereas manufacturers and retailers face deep scepticism driven by concerns over transparency and sustainability. Public authorities are in an ambivalent position, combining perceived expertise with doubts about integrity and responsiveness. Safety, honesty and autonomy emerge as pivotal values guiding how consumers interpret practices and form attitudinal responses. Originality/value This study advances the understanding of consumer trust by analysing trust, mistrust and distrust as distinct attitudes that may unfold together within consumer perceptions. It reveals how perceived practices interact with personal values to generate these attitudinal configurations across food system actors, offering empirical evidence of the dynamic role of value congruence. Beyond a conceptual contribution, it provides actionable insights for rebuilding confidence through tailored, value-based communication strategies, renewing both academic inquiry and managerial practice in the food sector.

Purpose This study explores the food choices made by the Roma community in Belfast, with a particular focus on how health and sustainability preferences are expressed. Design/methodology/approach An ethnographic methodology was employed, incorporating semi-structured interviews with 14 Roma women recruited through a local community organisation. Findings Thematic analysis revealed a preference for home cooked meals of fresh food, with a distinct cultural categorisation of these food types as Roma food while ultra-processed and convenience foods were identified as “Northern Irish”. There was an expressed preference for foods perceived as healthy and nutritious despite findings that nutrition is low amongst this social group. Sustainable food knowledge was limited to ethical and organic production, suggesting a need for greater sustainability awareness and promotion amongst the Roma. Research limitations/implications The study's small sample size and location-specific focus may limit broader generalisation; however findings suggest interventions to improve knowledge and awareness and incentivise behaviour change in favour of more nutritious and sustainable choices should account for low literacy levels and should be co-produced with the Roma to be culturally appropriate and avoid paternalist approaches which reinforce their social exclusion. Originality/value Limited research is available regarding the Roma's food behaviours and dietary health, with seemingly nothing written about their role of sustainability in their food choices. The findings address a significant gap in our knowledge about this marginalised group by contributing cultural perspectives on the motivations and barriers affecting their food choices, with particular regard to health and sustainability.