Hasil untuk "Nutrition. Foods and food supply"

A. Raza, Tushar Khare, Xinyue Zhang et al.

To fulfil food and nutritional demand for nine billion people by the mid‐21st century, global food production must increase by 60% regardless of challenges such as environmental pollution, water scarcity and land degradation. Climate change exacerbates the frequency and intensity of biotic and abiotic stresses, which, in turn, severely compromise global crop yields, jeopardize food supply, deteriorate sustainable development goals for achieving global food safety, and limit sustainable climate‐smart crop production. Current food production and consumption practices negatively influence the environment, posing a major threat to the global ecosystem and human health. Addressing these critical issues to achieve sustainable agriculture necessitates designing future crops employing cutting‐edge breeding strategies for enhanced productivity with minimal environmental footprints. This endeavour requires a comprehensive understanding of plant stress adaptation, signalling pathways and mitigation mechanisms. In this review, we first explain the diverse impacts of ongoing climate change events on crop production. Subsequently, we outline various strategies to tackle climate change, including agronomic practices, and advanced technologies for understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms of plant stress tolerance. We also discuss breeding and engineering crops with superior stress tolerance and disease resistance and nurturing healthy microbial partnerships between plants and soil to ensure food and nutrition security for current and future populations amidst mounting environmental challenges.

Vilhouphrenuo Zatsu, Angel Elizabeth Shine, Joel M. Tharakan et al.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the food industry by optimizing processes, improving food quality and safety, and fostering innovation. This review examines AI's applications in food science, including supply chain management, production, sensory science, and personalized nutrition. It discusses techniques like knowledge-based expert systems, fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks, and machine learning, highlighting their roles in predictive maintenance, quality control, product development, and waste management. The integration of AI with sophisticated sensors enhances real-time monitoring and decision-making in food safety and packaging. However, challenges such as ethical concerns, data security, transparency, and high costs persist. AI is poised to advance sustainability by optimizing resource use, enhance food security through predictive analytics of crop yields, and drive innovation in personalized nutrition and supply chain automation, ensuring tailored products and efficient delivery. This paper underscores AI's transformative potential in the food industry while addressing the obstacles to its widespread adoption.

J. Fanzo, C. Davis, Rebecca McLaren et al.

Abstract A better understanding of the pathways linking climate change and nutrition is critical for developing effective interventions to ensure the world's population has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. The paper uses a food systems approach to analyze the bidirectional relationships between climate change and food and nutrition along the entire food supply chain. It identifies adaptation and mitigation interventions for each step of the food supply chain to move toward a more climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive food system. There are many entry points for “double duty” actions that address climate adaptation and nutrition but they need to be implemented and scaled by governments.

Taisija Gricenko, Alise Zommere, Jorens Kviesis et al.

Berry press residues represent a valuable source of bioactive compounds, particularly anthocyanins and polyphenols, which exhibit strong antioxidant properties. Berry press residues have wide application potential in food systems due to their health benefits as well as colouring capabilities. However, the effects of drying on anthocyanin stability are not fully understood across berry species and drying methods. This study evaluated the effects of conventional hot air and vacuum drying at temperatures ranging from 30 to 90 °C, as well as freeze drying, on the total polyphenolic content (TPC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), antioxidant activity (DPPH assay), and individual anthocyanin profiles in press residues from 10 berry species. Freeze drying preserved the highest levels of both TPC and TAC, while vacuum drying at moderate temperatures (30–60 °C) demonstrated comparable stability and outperformed conventional drying. All thermal methods showed accelerated degradation of anthocyanins above 75 °C, with notable compound losses at 90 °C. Species-specific responses were observed, with chokeberries and honeysuckle berries being particularly susceptible to high-temperature degradation. Chromatographic analysis revealed that rutinoside and glucoside anthocyanins were more thermally stable than sambubioside and diglucoside forms. Strong correlations were found between TPC and antioxidant activity (r = 0.89), whereas the contribution of anthocyanin was more variable (r = 0.66). This study provided a systematic cross-species comparison of 10 berry press residues dried under identical conditions, revealing species-specific degradation thresholds and demonstrating vacuum drying as a method for the substitution of freeze drying. Clear structure-stability relations across 24 individual anthocyanins were demonstrated, offering novel mechanistic insights for optimisation of industrial anthocyanin-rich by-product valorisation. Future research should explore the molecular mechanisms underlying anthocyanin degradation and assess process scalability for industrial applications. Optimising drying protocols may enable sustainable upcycling of berry by-products into high-value functional ingredients.

Begizew Golla, Nigussie Dechassa, Wassu Mohammed et al.

Soil acidity is a major constraint to maize production in western Ethiopia, where maize is used as a major staple crop. This problem severely limits yield, threatening food security and farmers’ livelihoods. To manage soil acidity and enhance maize productivity, this study was initiated to evaluate the effect of combined application of biochar and inorganic fertilizers. A two-year field experiment (2023/24 and 2024/25) was conducted at Bako, western Ethiopia, using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) arranged in a factorial with three replications. Treatments included three rates of biochar (0, 5, and 10 t ha−1), nitrogen (0, 46, and 92 kgha−1), and phosphorus (0, 34.5, and 69 kgha−1 P2O5). Major agronomic parameters were measured to assess treatment effects. The results showed that combined application of biochar and inorganic fertilizers significantly increased maize leaf area index (P > 0.01) and grain yield, and significantly (P > 0.05) increased biomass, grain number, and grain weight. The highest grain yield obtained with 5 or 10 t ha−1 biochar combined with 92 kgha−1 N and 69 kgha−1 P2O5. Economically, 5 t ha−1 biochar with the same N and P rates was optimal for acid-prone soils. This treatment increased grain yield by 24.1 % over recommended inorganic fertilizer alone and improved biomass, grain number per ear, and grain weight by 33.9 %, 23.2 %, and 12.2 %, respectively. The combined application reduced soil acidity, improved soil properties, and enhanced maize productivity. As the study covered only two seasons, long-term experiments are required to verify the persistent effects of biochar.

Şenay Burçin Alkan, Hilal Öz, Berna Madalı Kafes et al.

ABSTRACT The awareness and consumption of functional foods (FFs) have increased in recent years. To develop FFs and accurately inform consumers, fundamental knowledge of students enrolled in the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts (GCA), Food Engineering (FE), and Nutrition and Dietetics (ND) is essential. The aim of the study is to evaluate the attitudes and knowledge of students enrolled in the GCA, FE, and ND departments regarding FFs. The study was planned as a cross‐sectional study, and data were collected using an online survey form. Students were asked to evaluate various traditional and fortified foods in terms of their functional properties. Additionally, students' attitudes and knowledge toward FFs were assessed through questionnaires. The statistical analysis of the data was conducted using the Chi‐square test in SPSS version 22. The study included 348 students (34.8% from GCA, 33.0% from FE, 32.2% from ND departments). Among the participants, 36.5% enrolled in a course on FFs. The proportion of students who identified enriched foods as FFs was highest in the FE department, while students in the GCA department predominantly identified traditional foods as FFs. Students in the ND department commonly identified both traditional and enriched foods as FFs. Positive attitudes toward FFs were more prevalent among those who enrolled in the FFs course, and these students prioritized health claims, food composition, price, and safety when purchasing FFs. The study recommends incorporating FFs courses into the curricula to enhance students' knowledge and their ability to innovate and promote FFs in society.

Seid Reza Falsafi, Sneh Puniabangar, Monica Trif et al.

Abstract The development of bioformulations based on food protein hydrolysates (FPHs) has gained significant traction in the food and pharmaceutical sectors due to their biophysical and biochemical properties, including health‐promoting effects, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. However, the oral delivery of FPHs presents notable technical challenges, largely due to their inherent limitations such as (bio)stability, permeability, bioavailability, and molecular size. This review provides a comprehensive overview of FPHs, including their structural characteristics, origins, methods of preparation, and associated health benefits. Additionally, it highlights the challenges related to their oral delivery. Recent advancements in the formulation and delivery of FPHs through biopolymeric controlled release systems—such as micro‐ and nanoparticles, hydrogels, biofunctional films and composites, and electrospun fibers—are discussed. We also explore lipid‐based delivery platforms, including liposomes, chitosomes, emulsions, Pickering emulsions, nanostructured lipid carriers, solid lipid nanoparticles, and surfactant‐based carriers. Furthermore, this article emphasizes the importance of controlled delivery and targeted release of FPHs following oral administration. The challenges in designing effective lipid/biopolymer‐based carriers for FPHs, along with future prospects and opportunities in this growing field, are also thoroughly examined.

Kexia Chen, Lifang Xiao, Bing Xiao et al.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) and chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression in gastric cancer patients.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study analyzed 562 gastric cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at two Chinese medical centers from January 2022 to December 2024. The exposure variable was PNI, calculated from serum albumin and lymphocyte count. The primary outcome was myelosuppression after the first chemotherapy cycle, defined according to CTCAE 5.0 criteria. Multiple logistic regression models adjusted for demographics, health status, tumor characteristics, treatment factors, and laboratory parameters.ResultsMyelosuppression occurred in 75.1% of patients. After full adjustment, each one-unit increase in PNI reduced myelosuppression risk by 13% (OR = 0.87, 95%CI: 0.79–0.96, p = 0.004). Patients with PNI ≤ 48 had a significantly higher risk of myelosuppression (OR = 14.50, 95%CI: 4.93–42.65, p < 0.001). Significant effect modification was observed by sex (interaction p < 0.001), with stronger protective effects in males (OR = 0.71, 95%CI: 0.60–0.84).ConclusionPNI is an independent predictor of chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression in gastric cancer patients, with a threshold of ≤48 identifying high-risk individuals. This readily available biomarker may guide personalized preventive strategies, particularly for male patients.

Kasper A. Hettinga, Chris H. P. van den Akker, Nils Billecke et al.

This Review Article summarizes outcomes from the ILSI Europe expert workshop on plant-based proteins in infant formula, held in November 2024. Experts from academia, clinical nutrition, and food science evaluated the current use and future potential of plant-based protein sources in infant formula, considering nutritional adequacy, allergenicity, sustainability, processing technologies, and regulatory constraints. While soy and hydrolyzed rice proteins are already approved and in use, emerging sources such as pea, lentil, and faba beans show promise but require further validation of their amino acid profiles, digestibility, safety, and suitability for infants. Key research priorities identified include the development of improved protein extraction methods, in vitro digestion and allergy modeling, and targeted clinical studies. This review synthesizes current evidence and expert perspectives to support the development of sustainable, nutritionally adequate plant-based infant formulas.

Xinyi Zhang, Changzheng Shi, Zhaoxin Lu et al.

In the food industry, bacterial cells usually adhere to equipment surfaces, forming biofilms that may cause persistent contamination. This study aimed to identify the key genes responsible for the stronger biofilm-forming capability of the Listeria monocytogenes LMB 33426 strain compared to that of the L. monocytogenes CICC 21662 strain through comparative genomics. Additionally, the expression of genes and related metabolic pathways of LMB 33426 and CICC 21662 strains were analyzed at the transcriptional level by high-throughput sequencing technology to uncover key differentially expressed genes between planktonic and biofilm cells of those two strains. Subsequently, the key genes found to present differences that were uncovered by those genome-wide and transcriptomic analyses were used to construct gene deletion strains. The crystalline violet assay and motility assay showed that GL002291, GL002712 and lmo1438 genes were involved in the regulation of biofilm formation as well as motility. The hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation ability assay results demonstrated an association between the clpB, lmo1438, and lmo0294 genes and bacterial adhesion. However, no significant differences were found regarding this association in the GL002291 and GL002712 genes. This study elucidates some potential regulatory genes associated with biofilm formation in L. monocytogenes, and laying a theoretical foundation for future research.

Yun-Shi Dai, Peng-Fei Dai, Stéphane Goutte et al.

Stable and efficient food markets are crucial for global food security, yet international staple food markets are increasingly exposed to complex risks, including intensified risk contagion and escalating external uncertainties. This paper systematically investigates risk spillovers in global staple food markets and explores the key determinants of these spillover effects, combining innovative decomposition-reconstruction techniques, risk connectedness analysis, and random forest models. The findings reveal that short-term components exhibit the highest volatility, with futures components generally more volatile than spot components. Further analysis identifies two main risk transmission patterns, namely cross-grain and cross-timescale transmission, and clarifies the distinct roles of each component in various net risk spillover networks. Additionally, price drivers, external uncertainties, and core supply-demand indicators significantly influence these spillover effects, with heterogeneous importance of varying factors in explaining different risk spillovers. This study provides valuable insights into the risk dynamics of staple food markets, offers evidence-based guidance for policymakers and market participants to enhance risk warning and mitigation efforts, and supports the stabilization of international food markets and the safeguarding of global food security.

D. Mcclements

Numerous examples of next-generation plant-based foods, such as meat, seafood, egg, and dairy analogs, are commercially available. These products are usually designed to have physicochemical properties, sensory attributes, and functional behaviors that match those of the animal-sourced products they are designed to replace. However, there has been concern about the potential negative impacts of these foods on human nutrition and health. In particular, many of these products have been criticized for being ultraprocessed foods that contain numerous ingredients and are manufactured using harsh processing operations. In this article, the concept of ultraprocessed foods is introduced and its relevance to describe the properties of next-generation plant-based foods is discussed. Most commercial plant-based meat, seafood, egg, and dairy analogs currently available do fall into this category, and so can be classified as ultraprocessed plant-based (UPB) foods. The nutrient content, digestibility, bioavailability, and gut microbiome effects of UPB foods are compared to those of animal-based foods, and the potential consequences of any differences on human health are discussed. Some commercial UPB foods would not be considered healthy based on their nutrient profiles, especially those plant-based cheeses that contain low levels of protein and high levels of fat, starch, and salt. However, it is argued that UPB foods can be designed to have good nutritional profiles and beneficial health effects. Finally, areas where further research are still needed to create a more healthy and sustainable food supply are discussed.

EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP), Claude Lambré, José Manuel Barat Baviera et al.

Abstract The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling process Reliance Industries (EU register number RECYC315), which uses the ProTec technology. The input material consists of washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes, mainly originating from collected post‐consumer PET containers, e.g. bottles, with no more than 5% PET from non‐food consumer applications. The flakes are extruded into pellets (step 1), crystallised (step 2) and treated in a solid‐state polycondensation (SSP) reactor (step 3). Having examined the challenge test provided, the Panel concluded that the extrusion and the decontamination in the ■■■■■ SSP reactor (steps 1 and 3) are critical in determining the decontamination efficiency of the process. The operating parameters to control the performance of these critical steps are temperature, pressure and residence time. It was demonstrated that this recycling process is able to ensure that the level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food is below the conservatively modelled migration of 0.1 μg/kg food. Therefore, the Panel concluded that the recycled PET obtained from this process is not considered to be of safety concern, when used at up to 100% for the manufacture of materials and articles for contact with all types of foodstuffs, including drinking water, for long‐term storage at room temperature or below, with or without hotfill. The final articles made of this recycled PET are not intended to be used in microwave and conventional ovens and such uses are not covered by this evaluation.

Minjeong Jeong, Jinhyun Kim, Dahye Han et al.

Objectives A campus-based intervention to enhance food literacy (FL) and establish exercise habits among college students was developed and the program’s effectiveness was evaluated. Methods The 13-session program was developed based on the transtheoretical model and social cognitive theory. Junior and senior students majoring in food and nutrition and physical education were asked to participate as mentors, with freshmen and sophomores from varied majors as mentees. The program encompassed food, nutrition, and exercise lessons including cooking sessions. Data were collected via pre- and post-program surveys using a questionnaire consisting of items on FL and nutrition behaviors and physical fitness measurements. Results Among 39 participants (35.9% male, 64.1% female), the overall FL score increased significantly from 64.1 to 70.6 post-program (P = 0.001). Significant increases were observed in the nutrition and safety (P < 0.001), cultural and relational (P = 0.023), and socio-ecological (P = 0.001) domains, as well as knowledge (P = 0.001), self-efficacy (P = 0.013), attitude (P < 0.001), and behavior (P = 0.005) items in three domains of FL. Additionally, meal duration increased significantly (P = 0.007) and sit-up performance among female showed a meaningful change (P = 0.046). Changes in dietary behaviors significantly progressed (P = 0.015) while that in exercise habits approached a marginal significance (P = 0.053) after the intervention. Conclusion The results reveal positive changes in FL and some modifications in eating habits, although the program had limited effects on physical activity and fitness measurements. These findings suggest that strategic approaches to foster exercise behavior changes in college students are required. This pilot program can serve as foundational data for improving and expanding multicomponent health promotion programs for this population.

Yuji Kanagawa, Kenji Doya

The reward system is one of the fundamental drivers of animal behaviors and is critical for survival and reproduction. Despite its importance, the problem of how the reward system has evolved is underexplored. In this paper, we try to replicate the evolution of biologically plausible reward functions and investigate how environmental conditions affect evolved rewards' shape. For this purpose, we developed a population-based decentralized evolutionary simulation framework, where agents maintain their energy level to live longer and produce more children. Each agent inherits its reward function from its parent subject to mutation and learns to get rewards via reinforcement learning throughout its lifetime. Our results show that biologically reasonable positive rewards for food acquisition and negative rewards for motor action can evolve from randomly initialized ones. However, we also find that the rewards for motor action diverge into two modes: largely positive and slightly negative. The emergence of positive motor action rewards is surprising because it can make agents too active and inefficient in foraging. In environments with poor and poisonous foods, the evolution of rewards for less important foods tends to be unstable, while rewards for normal foods are still stable. These results demonstrate the usefulness of our simulation environment and energy-dependent birth and death model for further studies of the origin of reward systems.

Kristina L. Kupferschmidt, James Requiema, Mya Simpson et al.

In this work, we address a lack of systematic understanding of fluctuations in food affordability in Canada. Canada's Food Price Report (CPFR) is an annual publication that predicts food inflation over the next calendar year. The published predictions are a collaborative effort between forecasting teams that each employ their own approach at Canadian Universities: Dalhousie University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of Guelph/Vector Institute. While the University of Guelph/Vector Institute forecasting team has leveraged machine learning (ML) in previous reports, the most recent editions (2024--2025) have also included a human-in-the-loop approach. For the 2025 report, this focus was expanded to evaluate several different data-centric approaches to improve forecast accuracy. In this study, we evaluate how different types of forecasting models perform when estimating food price fluctuations. We also examine the sensitivity of models that curate time series data representing key factors in food pricing.

Sarah C. Lotspeich, Ashley E. Mullan, Lucy D'Agostino McGowan et al.

Healthy foods are essential for a healthy life, but accessing healthy food can be more challenging for some people than others. This disparity in food access may lead to disparities in well-being, potentially with disproportionate rates of diseases in communities that face more challenges in accessing healthy food (i.e., low-access communities). Identifying low-access, high-risk communities for targeted interventions is a public health priority, but current methods to quantify food access rely on distance measures that are either computationally simple (like the length of the shortest straight-line route) or accurate (like the length of the shortest map-based driving route), but not both. We propose a multiple imputation approach to combine these distance measures, allowing researchers to harness the computational ease of one with the accuracy of the other. The approach incorporates straight-line distances for all neighborhoods and map-based distances for just a subset, offering comparable estimates to the "gold standard" model using map-based distances for all neighborhoods and improved efficiency over the "complete case" model using map-based distances for just the subset. Through the adoption of a measurement error framework, information from the straight-line distances can be leveraged to compute informative placeholders (i.e., impute) for any neighborhoods without map-based distances. Using simulations and data for the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, we quantify and compare the associations between two health outcomes (diabetes and obesity) and neighborhood-level access to healthy foods. The imputation procedure also makes it possible to predict the full landscape of food access in an area without requiring map-based measurements for all neighborhoods.

Kevin O. Obiero, P. Meulenbroek, Silke Drexler et al.

：Approximately 200 million people in Africa derive high-quality and low-cost proteins from fish. However, the consumption of fish is not fully exploited to combat the “triple burden” of malnutrition—obesity, undernutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies which are the leading causes of poor health in the region. There is still limited knowledge on quantitative information to guide policy makers in developing evidence-based actions that can improve the availability of and access to nutritious food for healthy and sustained diets among children and care givers. In this paper, we review the available literature with the aim of assessing and quantifying the extent to which fish contributes towards fighting food and nutrition insecurity in the Eastern Africa subregion. Key results reveal the region is characterized by fish supply deficits, and hence, low levels of fish consumed per person. Nonetheless, the increase in fish imports, and the growing supply of fish from aquaculture are likely to improve the per-capita fish intake. Fish trade is generally bidirectional, with exports exceeding imports in value terms, while significant challenges still hinder domestic and intra-regional fish trade. The Eastern Africa region is projected to realize increased fish consumption from 4.80 kg in 2013 to 5.49 kg by 2022. Rising population growth and income levels imply that the region will need 2.49 million tonnes of fish to fill the demand–supply gaps. We recommend that food security and nutritional programmes should recognize the potential of fish in providing essential micronutrients from the aspects of improved dietary quality, nutritional status, and general wellbeing of the region’s fast growing population.

A. Ogunniyi, G. Mavrotas, K. Olagunju et al.

Abstract Despite impressive progress in the fight against malnutrition and hunger in recent years, food and nutrition insecurity remains a major concern in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries. In this study, we employ a panel data covering 15 SSA countries from 1996 to 2015 to investigate the growth effects of remittances and quality of governance on food and nutrition security, proxied by the average value of food production and the average dietary energy supply adequacy, respectively. We use a dynamic empirical model based on system GMM to control for unobserved heterogeneity and potential endogeneity of the explanatory variables. The empirical results emanating from our analysis show that the interaction of remittances and the composite index of governance quality exerts positive and significant effects on the average value of food production, and also contributes to the improvement of average dietary energy supply adequacy in SSA. In addition, the control of corruption, government effectiveness, political stability and rule of law scores increase both measures of food and nutrition security. Albeit, the contribution of control over corruption score is relatively the largest as compared to other indicators of governance.

Genanew Agitew Brhanu, Z. Ayele, Samson Gebremedhin Gebreselassie

Background: Food and nutrition insecurity continues to be one of the persistent challenges in Ethiopia. The country has been responding to the challenges in various ways to foster sustainable development. Objectives: The objective of the study is to assess national food and nutrition security policy and strategic responses. Method: A qualitative review of policies, strategies, programs, guidelines, and a government commitment, document was conducted. Interviews with experts from food and nutrition-implementing governmental and nongovernmental organizations were also employed. Thematic analysis with description was used. Results: The results of the study revealed that global initiatives stimulated Ethiopia to progressively take various strategic directions to address the ongoing food and nutrition challenges. In addition to various policy directions, the country has been implementing nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs under the multisectoral approach. The concepts and practices of food and nutrition security shifted from simply balancing the demand and supply of food to a broader and more inclusive food system approach with the involvement of multiple actors. However, more has been said than done. The policy, strategic objectives, and initiatives have not been adequately translated into practices. Actions toward ensuring food and nutrition security, on the other hand, are constrained by institutional, environmental, technological, and emerging priorities like an outbreak of a pandemic and political instability. Conclusion: The study concluded that available policy and strategic intents have sufficiently addressed food and nutrition challenges in documents and need to be fully translated into practices. Plain language title Ethiopia’s Policy and Strategies to Ensure Food and Nutrition Security Plain language summary Ethiopia is facing food and nutrition insecurity problems that require multidimensional action. We studied how the country is responding to the challenges through national food and nutrition security policies and strategies. We found that global initiatives stimulated Ethiopia to progressively take various strategic directions to address the ongoing food and nutrition insecurity problems. The country has devised nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs under the multisectoral approach, which incorporates policy, strategies, program, guidelines, and a political commitment document. The concepts and practices of food and nutrition security have evolved from balancing the demand and supply of food to a broader and more inclusive food system approach with the involvement of multiple actors. However, the country did not fully translate the policy response into the ground. Interventions to ensure food and nutrition security are challenged by institutional, environmental, technological, other priority agenda, and political instability. Based on the study, we conclude that the country has a fertile policy environment that needs to be translated into practices uniformly across all regions.