Search the digital library catalog

Abstract: Value-added food supply chains are chains that maintain positive social, environmental, and community values which are integrated into the production process from the primary producer to the final consumer, ensuring economic, social, and environmental sustainability, thus forming a sustainable agricultural and food production system. The evaluation of the value added in each chain is based on indicators, which are a tool to measure changes in the actual situation or to show performance trends in achieving the progress set by the objectives. The presented indicators are based on publicly available statistics and foreign literature that allow measuring value added in specific livestock chains at aggregate level (beef production, pork production and dairy production) and are based on publicly available statistics in the Republic of Slovenia. The need to produce indicators of value added in livestock food supply chains arises from the large differences in structural changes in the sector itself and in the development and economic performance of the various livestock industries.
Keywords: food supply chain, value-added, indicators, sustainability, economic, social and environmental aspect
Published in DKUM: 23.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 2
Link to file

Abstract: In this paper, the quality of the municipal waste sorting process in seven waste management centers in Slovenia was assessed using the qualitative multicriteria analysis (MCA) method DEX (Decision EXpert) implemented in DEXi software, which is based on multicriteria decomposition of the problem and utility functions in the form of ʺif-thenʺ decision rules. The study was based on eight types of secondary raw materials. The quality of the secondary raw materials, the regularity of the delivery of secondary raw materials to recycling units based on the sorting efficiency, and the loading weight of the individual baled fractions in the transport of secondary raw materials for recycling were the main parameters used in the model. The final assessment shows good waste management service in centers A and D. Centers B, C, and F were rated ʺaverageʺ. The ʺbadʺ rating was assigned to centers E and G.
Keywords: waste sorting, quality management, multicriteria decision analysis, expert system DEXi
Published in DKUM: 03.02.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 4
Full text (2,88 MB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: The question of gender equality is increasingly being raised today and is present at all levels of society. The topicality of the issue on farms is particularly evident, due to the particular inheritance processes on farms, the clear division of labour, and intergenerational cooperation that characterise the agricultural sector. In this research, a multi-criteria model (DEX-SOCIAL) was developed to understand the broader aspect of rural sociology and the issue of women’s status on the farm. The paper discusses the status of women on a farm and assesses their social and economic situation. The methodology includes an online questionnaire in which women in the Eastern and Western Cohesion Regions participated, as well as other farm members and owners. Subsequently, the questions were transformed for the requirements of the assessment model, which assessed the life prospects of women on farms in both the Eastern and Western Cohesion Regions who were aged both over and under 40 years (criteria for “young successor”). The results of the study show that there is a clear difference in the qualitative assessment of women’s socio-economic position in relation to the East–West cohesion region. The social position of women does not differ according to age structure. The conclusions of the study also present broader applications of the results in the field of rural development and rural sociology.
Keywords: woman, socio-economic status, family farms, multi-criteria model, DEX
Published in DKUM: 29.11.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 6
Full text (7,71 MB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: This paper presents a simulation model for determining the most suitable type of microbiogas plant for small local communities on Slovenian farms, focusing on the efficient processing of organic waste. This model uses various input parameters, including different types and quantities of slurry and corn silage. Four different scenarios were developed to represent potential plant sizes, each evaluated using key economic indicators: net present value, breakthrough price, and internal rate of return. A scenario sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the effects of changes in investment costs, fluctuations in energy prices, and the addition of corn silage to the anaerobic digestion process. The results highlight significant differences in economic viability across the scenarios, with some demonstrating positive financial outcomes and shorter payback periods and others indicating potential financial risks and longer recovery times under certain conditions. The analysis suggests that smaller micro biogas plants may struggle to achieve profitability without optimizing input ratios or reducing costs, whereas larger plants show more favorable economic indicators, provided certain conditions are met. Furthermore, the economic efficiency improves when adding maize silage to the fermentor mixture.
Keywords: micro biogas plant, biogas, economic efficiency, simulation
Published in DKUM: 27.11.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 9
Full text (861,79 KB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: In this work, a new multi-criteria model for the evaluation of traditional and indigenous horse breeds, the HORQUAL model, was developed by applying the DEX (Decision Expert) method. The idea for this study culminated from brainstorming among researchers who had the importance of conserving traditional and indigenous horse breeds in Slovenia and their universal uses (recreative and sport) in mind. The conservation of native domestic animal breeds is one of the important indicators of sustainable agricultural development in particular countries. Here, the assessment process considered the horse breeds in terms of lifestyle, expectations, requirements and experiences. The development process was based on the multi-criteria decision analysis approach, and it was applied to seven traditional and indigenous Slovenian horse breeds. The horse breeds were classified into four groups of breed ratings according to the chosen criteria. The horse breeds were categorised as follows: “does not correspond to the criteria”, “less correspondence with the criteria”, “corresponds to the criteria” and “completely corresponds to the criteria”. The results of the HORQUAL model clearly show that it is easier and more effective to choose the most suitable breeds for specific purposes (i.e., recreative/sport horses with the potential for breeding along with acceptable costs, favourable temperament and suitable price) as they can easily be analysed or compared with each other, according to the criteria chosen in this paper. The rating by group takes the criteria for the multi-attribute evaluation that were identified by an expert group into account and balances between the assessment of recreational and sports needs for riders and the life expectancy for breeders. Additionally, incorporating the Plus-minus-1 analysis proved to be a useful support tool to analyse the assessments and to further improve horse breeding plans.
Keywords: traditional horse breeds, indigenous horse breeds, multi-criteria model, DEX-model
Published in DKUM: 02.07.2024; Views: 132; Downloads: 54
Full text (5,85 MB)
This document has many files! More...