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Health crises, community health habits, and pandemic-driven food sentiments: a twitter-based study in the United States
(Wiley, 2025-01-26) Fakhreddine, Lara Bou; Sánchez García, Mercedes; Pindado Tapia, Emilio; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa
This study analyzes how Twitter users' characteristics (the number of followers and followings) and their context (crisis conditions, community healthy eating, and exercise habits) determine food attitudes during health crises. We analyzed 72,067 US tweets discussing food and COVID-19 from January 20, 2020 to March 20, 2021. The analysis examines tweets mentioning together the topics food and COVID-19 to grasp the sentiments of users regarding food amidst this health crisis. Using sentiment analysis and multilevel modeling, our results show that users with a high number of followings tend to express fewer positive sentiments, whereas the opposite is the case for users with a high number of followers. We found that a worsening of the epidemic conditions increased the propensity to express fewer positive sentiments and that the relationship of community healthy habits with pandemic-driven food sentiments is contingent on these conditions. At low levels of COVID-19 cases, users in healthy-eating communities tend to express positive sentiments, but at high levels, they express more negative sentiments. Regarding community exercise habits, people in these contexts often express fewer positive sentiments. However, as the pandemic worsened, individuals in these communities tended to express more positive sentiments. This study advises policymakers to counter misinformation and develop targeted communication strategies for different communities.
Open Access
New trends in the global digital transformation process of the agri-food sector: an exploratory study based on Twitter
(Elsevier, 2022) Ancín Rípodas, María; Pindado Tapia, Emilio; Sánchez García, Mercedes; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Gestión de Empresas
CONTEXT: The agri-food system is undergoing pervasive changes in business models, facilitated by the use of digital technologies. Although today it is almost inevitable for any business to adopt some level of digital transformation to strengthen their competitiveness, this transition in the agri-food sector could be more complex, given its characteristics. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to analyse worldwide the perceptions of new digital technologies in the agri-food sector expressed within social media platforms, identifying the differences that may exist between them regarding its objectives and social acceptance. METHODS: This paper examines the information regarding digital transformation process in the agri-food sector disseminated worldwide on Twitter. For that purpose, Twitter API is used to gather tweets and descriptive and content analyses, including a sentiment analysis, are performed using R and MAXQDA software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We found that the digitalization of the agri-food sector is broadly discussed within Twitter. Different actors participate in these information flows, being companies and digital solution providers the most active users and academics and governmental institutions the most visible. Artificial Intelligence was the most mentioned technology, that together with the Internet of Things, Big Data, Machine Learning, and Cloud Computing, was related to improving production efficiencies, crop yield, or cost reduction. In the case of Blockchain Technology, it was closer to food supply chain actors, such as distribution companies and marketers. However, all these technologies are connected to the concept of sustainability. The sentiment analysis showed a generally positive tone, indicating social acceptance regarding the starting phase of the adoption of these technologies. The study also identified differences among countries, pointing to a stronger level of engagement with these technologies in developed regions. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic was seen as a chance to boost the digital transformation in the sector all over the world. SIGNIFICANCE: Our results demonstrate that data harvested from Twitter provide useful insight into perceptions of digital transformation and different digital technologies in the agri-food value chain across different countries. Information that could be useful for researchers, but also for agricultural firms and policymakers.

Pindado Tapia, Emilio

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