Green management and green technology - exploring the causal relationship

In this paper, we analyze potential endogeneity problems in former econometric studies which regress corporate environmental performance such as green technology activities on green management. Based on evolutionary theory and the resource-based view of the firm, we discuss in the first step that green technology could also influence green management and that unobserved firm characteristics could simultaneously influence green management and green technology. Contrary to existing studies, we empirically explore in the second step the structural reverse causality hypothesis with a unique crosssectional firm-level data set from the German manufacturing sector. Our econometric analyses with uni- and multivariate probit models imply a significantly positive effect of environmental process innovations on certified environmental management systems and a significantly positive impact of environmental product innovations on life cycle assessment activities. We interpret these empirical results as a further indicator that the causal relationship between green management and green technology is not clear. We conclude that panel data, which are not available for technological environmental innovations yet, are a necessary condition to solve these endogeneity problems. Such panel data studies could therefore be an appropriate basis for robust conclusions with regard to voluntary green management measures as a non-mandatory approach in environmental policy. --Non-mandatory environmental policy,green management,green technology,uni- and multivariate probit models,endogeneity

Guatemala és molt més

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Green Management and Green Technology – Exploring the Causal Relationship

In this paper, we analyze potential endogeneity problems in former econometric studies which regress corporate environmental performance such as green technology activities on green management. Based on evolutionary theory and the resource-based view of the firm, we discuss in the first step that green technology could also influence green management and that unobserved firm characteristics could simultaneously influence green management and green technology. Contrary to existing studies, we empirically explore in the second step the structural reverse causality hypothesis with a unique crosssectional firm-level data set from the German manufacturing sector. Our econometric analyses with uni- and multivariate probit models imply a significantly positive effect of environmental process innovations on certified environmental management systems and a significantly positive impact of environmental product innovations on life cycle assessment activities. We interpret these empirical results as a further indicator that the causal relationship between green management and green technology is not clear. We conclude that panel data, which are not available for technological environmental innovations yet, are a necessary condition to solve these endogeneity problems. Such panel data studies could therefore be an appropriate basis for robust conclusions with regard to voluntary green management measures as a non-mandatory approach in environmental policy

Causas de infranotificación de reacciones adversas a medicamentos en la comunidad autónoma de las Islas Baleares

La notificación espontánea mediante el formulario de Tarjeta Amarilla representa el método más eficiente para la identificación de los riesgos previamente desconocidos y evaluación de la relación causal entre un medicamento y una reacción adversa a medicamentos (RAM). La principal limitación del programa es la infranotificación. El objetivo del estudio es identificar las causas que conducen a no notificar una RAM, así como de evaluar la percepción del notificador sobre la notificación. Se elabora un cuestionario que se distribuye por los centros de atención primaria de Baleares una vez realizadas las sesiones de presentación del Centro de Farmacovigilancia durante el 2005. Los profesionales sanitarios muestran en general una buena percepción en la utilidad de notificar una RAM. El 59,5% de los encuestados no notifica por dudas en la relación causal y un 16% desconocía la existencia del programa. La realización de sesiones de promoción de la notificación de RAM pretende reforzar la actitud y conocimiento del notificador

The effect of enhanced carotenoid content of transgenic maize grain on fungal colonization and mycotoxin content

Novel strategies that address vitamin A deficiency have been developed, such as high-carotenoid maize, a biofortified transgenic maize line rich in carotenoids generated by genetic transformation. The South African white maize inbred (M37W), which is devoid of carotenoids, was engineered to accumulate high levels of β-carotene (provitamin A), lutein, and zeaxanthin. Maize seeds contaminated with fumonisins and other mycotoxins pose a serious threat to both humans and livestock. During three consecutive harvests, the fungal incidence and the fumonisin and aflatoxin content of maize seeds grown in an experimental field in Catalonia (Northeastern Spain) were evaluated. Fungal infection was similar in high-carotenoid maize and its isogenic line, with Fusarium verticillioides being the most prevalent fungus in all the harvests. Neither Aspergillus spp. nor aflatoxin contamination was found. Fumonisin levels were lower in high carotenoid than in its isogenic line, but this reduction was statistically significant in only 2 of the 3 years of study. Our results suggest that high carotenoid content reduces fumonisin levels in maize grains.The study was supported by La Caixa (Recercaixa project PC084082 VitaMaize: high-quality and safe food through antioxidant fortified maize), the Agrotecnio Center, the Catalonian Government (2014 SGR 1296 Agricultural Biotechnology Research Group and XaRTA Reference Network on Food Technology) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BIO2014-54441-P). J. Díaz-Gómez thanks the University of Lleida for a pre-doctoral grant. The authors would like to thank the Agricultural Biotechnology group of the University of Lleida, Antonio Michelena, and Jaume Lloveras for their work in the experimental field

Provitamin A carotenoids from an engineered high-carotenoid maize are bioavailable and zeaxanthin does not compromise β-carotene absorption in poultry

High-carotenoid (HC) maize, a biofortified staple crop which accumulates β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin, was used as a feed component in a chicken feeding trial to assess the bioavailability of provitamin A (PVA) carotenoids in the kernel matrix compared to the synthetic and natural color additives routinely used in the poultry industry. We found that the PVA carotenoids in HC maize were not metabolized in the same manner: β-carotene was preferentially converted into retinol in the intestine whereas β-cryptoxanthin accumulated in the liver. We also considered the effect of zeaxanthin on the absorption of PVA carotenoids because zeaxanthin is the major carotenoid component of HC maize. We found that chickens fed on diets with low levels of zeaxanthin accumulated higher levels of retinol in the liver, suggesting that zeaxanthin might interfere with the absorption of β-carotene, although this observation was not statistically significant. Our results show that HC maize provides bioavailable carotenoids, including PVA carotenoids, and is suitable for use as a feed component.This work was supported by La Caixa (Recercaixa project PC084082 VitaMaize: High quality and safe food through antioxidant fortified maize), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BIO2014-54426-P; BIO2014-54441-P, FEDER funds), the Catalan Government (2014 SGR 1296 Agricultural Biotechnology Research Group) and the Agrotecnio Center

High-carotenoid biofortified maize is an alternative to color additives in poultry feed

Skin color in poultry is achieved by the addition of natural or synthetic pigments to feed. Crops used routinely in feed formulations offer an alternative cost-effective strategy to replace color additives if they are biofortified with sufficient levels of carotenoids. We tested the hypothesis that high-carotenoid (HC) maize, which was genetically engineered to accumulate high levels of β‐carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin in the endosperm, can replace carotenoid additives in poultry feed by performing two feeding trials using diets incorporating different maize lines with diverse carotenoid compositions: control (wild-type M37W, the parental line), HC, and standard yellow commercial maize supplemented with color additives (marigold flowers and red paprika extracts). The effects of dietary treatments on growth performance, health parameters, color evolution and carotenoid distribution were determined. We found that chickens fed on the HC diet grew normally and developed similar pigmentation to animals fed on a commercial diet supplemented with color additives, although yellowness was significantly higher in the commercial diet due to the high concentration of yellow xanthophylls. Lightness scores in chickens fed on the control, HC and commercial diets were 45.88 ± 1.31, 44.32 ± 1.10 and 44.29 ± 0.99, respectively, in breast muscle, and 51.62 ± 1.33, 49.66 ± 0.96 and 50.10 ± 1.16, respectively, in thigh muscle. Redness scores in chickens fed on the control, HC, and commercial diets were 0.36 ± 0.26, 3.25 ± 0.29 and 3.58 ± 0.29, respectively, in breast muscle, and 1.28 ± 0.37, 4.79 ± 0.39 and 4.85 ± 0.34, respectively, in thigh muscle. Yellowness scores in chickens fed on the control, HC, and commercial diets were 2.45 ± 0.47, 7.61 ± 0.64 and 9.66 ± 0.73, respectively, in breast muscle, and 3.38 ± 0.64, 10.00 ± 1.10 and 12.64 ± 0.97, respectively, in thigh muscle. High-carotenoid maize is therefore a cost-effective alternative to feed supplementation in the poultry industry.This work was supported by La Caixa (Recercaixa project PC084082 VitaMaize: High quality and safe food through antioxidant fortified maize), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BIO2014-54426-P; BIO2014-54441-P, FEDER funds) and the Catalan Government (2014 SGR 1296 Agricultural Biotechnology Research Group)