Cultivated alien plants with high invasion potential are more likely to be traded online in China.

Biological invasions have become a worldwide problem, and measures to efficiently prevent and control invasions are still in development. Like many other parts of the world, China is undergoing a dramatic increase in plant invasions. Most of the currently 933 established (i.e., naturalized) plant species, of which 214 are categorized as invasive, have been introduced into China for cultivation. It is likely that many of those species are still being traded, particularly online, by plant nurseries. However, studies assessing whether naturalized and invasive species are currently being traded more or less than nonnaturalized aliens are rare. We extracted online-trade information for 13,718 cultivated alien plant taxa on 1688.com, the largest website for domestic B2B in China. We analyzed how the presence in online-nursery catalogs, the number of online nurseries that offerred the species for sale, and the product type (i.e., seeds, live plants and vegetative organs) differed among nonnaturalized, naturalized noninvasive, and invasive species. Compared to nonnaturalized taxa, naturalized noninvasive and invasive taxa were 3.7-5.2 times more likely to be available for purchase. Naturalized noninvasive and invasive taxa were more frequently offered as seeds by online nurseries, whereas nonnaturalized taxa were more frequently offered as live plants. Based on these findings, we propose that, to reduce the further spread of invasive and potentially invasive plants, implementation of plant-trade regulations and a monitoring system of the online horticultural supply chain will be essential.

Navigating ethical challenges in online wildlife trade research.

The surge in internet accessibility has transformed wildlife trade by facilitating the acquisition of wildlife through online platforms. This scenario presents unique ethical challenges for researchers, as traditional ethical frameworks for in-person research cannot be readily applied to the online realm. Currently, there is a lack of clearly defined guidelines for appropriate ethical procedures when conducting online wildlife trade (OWT) research. In response to this, we consulted the scientific literature on ethical considerations in online research and examined existing guidelines established by professional societies and ethical boards. Based on these documents, we present a set of recommendations that can inform the development of ethically responsible OWT research. Key ethical challenges in designing and executing OWT research include the violation of privacy rights, defining subjects and illegality, and the risk of misinterpretation or posing risks to participants when sharing data. Potential solutions include considering participants' expectations of privacy, defining when participants are authors versus subjects, understanding the legal and cultural context, minimizing data collection, ensuring anonymization, and removing metadata. Best practices also involve being culturally sensitive when analyzing and reporting findings. Adhering to these guidelines can help mitigate potential pitfalls and provides valuable insights to editors, researchers, and ethical review boards, enabling them to conduct scientifically rigorous and ethically responsible OWT research to advance this growing field.

Los retos éticos de la investigación del mercado virtual de fauna Resumen El incremento en el acceso al internet ha transformado el mercado de fauna ya que facilita la adquisición de ejemplares a través de plataformas virtuales. Este escenario representa un reto ético único para los investigadores, pues los marcos éticos tradicionales para la investigación en persona no pueden aplicarse fácilmente en línea. Actualmente no hay lineamientos claros para el procedimiento ético apropiado cuando se investiga el mercado virtual de fauna (MVF). Como respuesta, consultamos la literatura científica sobre las consideraciones éticas en la investigación en línea y analizamos los lineamientos existentes establecidos por las sociedades profesionales y los comités éticos. Con base en estos documentos, presentamos un conjunto de recomendaciones que pueden guiar el desarrollo de la investigación sobre el MVF con responsabilidad ética. Los retos más importantes para el diseño y ejecución de la investigación sobre el MVF incluyen la violación del derecho a la privacidad, la definición de los sujetos y la ilegalidad y el riesgo de malinterpretar o presentar riesgos para los participantes cuando se comparten datos. Las soluciones potenciales incluyen considerar las expectativas de privacidad de los participantes, definir cuándo los participantes son autores y cuándo sujetos, entender el contexto legal y cultural, minimizar la recolección de datos, asegurar el anonimato y eliminar los metadatos. Las mejores prácticas también involucran la sensibilidad cultural cuando se analizan y reportan los resultados. La adhesión a estos lineamientos puede mitigar los posibles retos y proporcionar información valiosa para los editores, investigadores y comités de ética, permitiéndoles realizar una investigación con rigor científico y responsabilidad ética sobre el MVF para avanzar en este campo creciente de investigación.

Global invasion and biosecurity risk from the online trade in ornamental crayfish.

Trade in undomesticated ornamental animals has rapidly expanded beyond brick-and-mortar retail stores to now include growing numbers of internet marketplaces. The growing volume, diversity, and origins of invasive non-native species in trade challenge already weak national biosecurity policies. Despite widespread focus on vertebrates, many knowledge gaps exist regarding the online global trade of ornamental invertebrates. We conducted the first global assessment of the online trade in and associated invasion risk of freshwater crayfishes, which are increasingly popular aquarium animals. We systematically examined e-commerce marketplaces in multiple languages, scrapping information that included species identity, price, quantity, and shipping designation from each crayfish listing. Next, we combined geographic pathways of shipping associated with online trade (introduction risk) and environmental suitability modeling (establishment risk) to estimate global risk of non-native crayfish invasion risk. We identified hundreds of online marketplaces and thousands of sale listings in 33 countries (5 continents) involving 60 species and representing a selling value of ∼US$1.5 million. Invasion risk of non-native crayfish in trade was widespread, with geographic hotspots coinciding with both elevated opportunities for introduction (greater shipping offerings) and establishment. Precise characterization of the online species trade is fundamental to support new and reformed biosecurity policies, build industry partnerships, and design educational campaigns to prevent species invasions through trade. We found that the taxonomy, geography, and economics of the global online ornamental crayfish trade are vast and require greater attention.

Invasión global y riesgos de bioseguridad a partir del mercado virtual de langostinos de ornato Resumen El comercio de animales ornamentales silvestres se ha expandido rápidamente más allá de las tiendas minoristas para incluir un número creciente de tiendas en línea. El creciente volumen, diversidad y origen de las especies no nativas invasoras en el comercio suponen un reto para las ya débiles políticas nacionales de bioseguridad. A pesar de la gran atención que se presta a los vertebrados, existen muchos vacíos en el conocimiento sobre el comercio mundial en línea de invertebrados ornamentales. Realizamos la primera evaluación mundial del comercio virtual de langostinos de agua dulce, animales de ornato cada vez más populares, y el riesgo de invasión asociado. Analizamos sistemáticamente los mercados de comercio electrónico en varios idiomas, recopilando información que incluía la identidad de las especies, el precio, la cantidad y la designación de envío de cada listado de langostinos. Después combinamos las vías geográficas de envío asociadas al comercio en línea (riesgo de introducción) y los modelos de idoneidad ambiental (riesgo de establecimiento) para estimar el riesgo global de invasión de los langostinos no nativos. Identificamos cientos de mercados en línea y miles de listados de venta en 33 países (cinco continentes) que afectaban a 60 especies y representaban un valor de venta de ∼1.5 millones de dólares estadunidenses. El riesgo de invasión de langostinos no nativos en el comercio fue extenso, con puntos geográficos críticos que coincidían con elevadas oportunidades de introducción (mayores ofertas de envío) y de establecimiento. La caracterización precisa del comercio virtual de especies es fundamental para respaldar políticas de bioseguridad nuevas y reformadas, establecer alianzas con la industria y diseñar campañas educativas para prevenir las invasiones de especies a través del comercio. Descubrimos que la taxonomía, la geografía y la economía del comercio mundial en línea de langostinos de ornato es amplio y requiere mayor atención.

Scale of unregulated international trade in Australian reptiles and amphibians.

Reptiles and amphibians are popular in the exotic pet trade, where Australian species are valued for their rarity and uniqueness. Despite a near-complete ban on the export of Australian wildlife, smuggling and subsequent international trade frequently occur in an unregulated and unmonitored manner. In 2022, Australia listed over 100 squamates in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to better monitor this trade. We investigated current trade and assessed the value of this Australian CITES listing using web-scraping methods to monitor the online pet trade in Australian reptiles and amphibians, with additional data from published papers, trade databases, and seizure records. Despite the export ban, we identified 170 endemic herpetofauna (reptile and amphibian) species in international trade, 33 of which were not recorded previously in the international market, including 6 newly recorded genera. Ninety-two traded species were included in CITES appendices (59 added in 2022), but at least 78 other traded species remained unregulated. Among these, 5 of the 10 traded threatened species were unlisted, and we recommend they be considered for inclusion in CITES Appendix III. We also recommend the listing of all Diplodactylidae genera in Appendix III. Despite this family representing the greatest number of Australian species in trade, only one genus (of 7 traded) was included in the recent CITES amendments. Overall, a large number of Australian reptile and amphibian species are traded internationally and, although we acknowledge the value of Australia's recent CITES listing, we recommend the consideration of other taxa for similar inclusion in CITES.

Escala del mercado internacional no regulado de reptiles y anfibios australianos Resumen Los reptiles y anfibios son populares en el comercio de mascotas exóticas, en el que las especies australianas son valoradas por su rareza y singularidad. A pesar de la prohibición casi total de la exportación de fauna silvestre australiana, el contrabando y el comercio internacional posterior se producen con frecuencia de forma no regulada y no supervisada. En 2022, Australia incluyó más de 100 escamosos en el apéndice III de la Convención sobre el Comercio Internacional de Especies Amenazadas de Fauna y Flora Silvestres (CITES) para controlar mejor este comercio. Investigamos el comercio actual y evaluamos el valor de esta inclusión en CITES con métodos de raspado web para monitorear el comercio virtual de reptiles y anfibios australianos como mascotas, con datos adicionales de artículos publicados, bases de datos comerciales y registros de incautaciones. A pesar de la prohibición de las exportaciones, identificamos 170 especies endémicas de herpetofauna (reptiles y anfibios) en el comercio internacional, 33 de las cuales no se habían registrado previamente en el mercado internacional, incluidos 6 géneros registrados recientemente. Noventa y dos especies comercializadas se incluyeron en los apéndices de CITES (59 añadidas en 2022), pero al menos otras 78 especies comercializadas permanecieron sin regular. Entre ellas, cinco de las diez especies amenazadas comercializadas no estaban incluidas y recomendamos que se considere su inclusión en el apéndice III de CITES. También recomendamos la inclusión de todos los géneros de Diplodactylidae en el apéndice III. A pesar de que esta familia representa el mayor número de especies australianas en el comercio, sólo un género (de 7 comercializados) fue incluido en las recientes enmiendas de CITES. En general, un gran número de especies de reptiles y anfibios australianos son objeto de comercio internacional y, aunque reconocemos el valor de la reciente inclusión de Australia en CITES, recomendamos que se consideren otros taxones para su similar inclusión.

Impacts of Behavioral, Organizational, and Spatial Factors on the Carbon Footprint of Traditional Retail and E-commerce in the Paris Region.

Carbon footprint assessment of retail is necessary to optimize procurement strategies and adopt sustainable shopping habits. However, estimating carbon footprints is a complex task, given the diversity of existing distribution channels. Average values for carbon emissions of "conventional" retail (i.e., purchasing and receiving the product directly at the physical point of sale) found in most studies mask a heterogeneous reality: different retail strategies entail diverse shopping behavior for consumers, as well as varied procurement processes for outlets. In this paper, we propose a methodology to assess greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of different distribution systems related to the consumption of goods in the Paris Region by coupling traditional transport modeling with a life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach. We model and compare six distribution systems, including five traditional retail formats (hypermarkets, supermarkets, small generalist retail, small food retail, and small nonfood retail) and E-commerce home deliveries. Our model includes warehouse activity, shop and home delivery, shop energy consumption, consumer mobility, and goods packaging. Overall, we conclude that E-commerce emits fewer GHG emissions than retail outlets per kilogram of product purchased. This result is in line with the existing literature on the topic. However, the carbon footprint varies greatly within the case study depending on the characteristics of the logistics procurement processes of outlets, the behavior of shoppers, and spatial characteristics.

Toward a low carbon path: Do E-commerce reduce CO2 emissions? Evidence from China.

To address global climate change, achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality has become a global consensus. However, the means to simultaneously achieve carbon reduction and promote green economic development, particularly in developing countries, require further investigation. This study evaluates the impact of e-commerce on CO2 emissions. Through an examination of the effects of the National E-Commerce Demonstration City (NEDC) policy from 2006 to 2017, this paper reveals that e-commerce growth facilitated by the NEDC policy resulted in a 7.89% reduction in total CO2 emissions and a per capita reduction of 1.1146 tons in the pilot cities. Mechanism analysis demonstrates that the upgrading of industrial structure, development of digital finance, and the growth of innovation and entrepreneurship serve as primary pathways for this impact. The robustness of the findings is supported by parallel trend tests, placebo tests, and additional sensitivity analyses. Furthermore, the research reveals that the NEDC policy exhibits a more significant reduction in CO2 emissions in cities with higher levels of economic development and non-resource-based cities. Welfare analyses show that the NEDC policy has significant socio-economic effects. These findings provide new evidence on the environmental effects of the digital economy and offer insights into achieving carbon neutrality.

E-commerce operations and technology perceptions in promoting farmers' adoption of green production technologies: Evidence from rural China.

Agricultural green production is vital for ensuring product quality, safety, and mitigating environmental issues. E-commerce operations have emerged as a key driver of green production transformation. Based on a sample of 704 farm households in Jiangsu Province, this study employs a two-way fixed-effects model, Propensity Score Matching (PSM), Instrumental Variable Probit (IVProbit), and Extended Regression Model (ERM) to address endogeneity, alongside stepwise regression to test the mediating role of technology cognition. The results show that e-commerce operations significantly and positively influence the adoption of green production technologies among farmers, with technology cognition acting as a positive mediator. The impact of e-commerce on technology adoption varied across different age groups and geographical terrains, with older farmers and those in plain regions benefiting the most. Additionally, e-commerce played a crucial role in the adoption of green technologies, particularly in the use of organic fertilizers. To promote the broader adoption of green technologies among farmers, it is recommended that governments strengthen e-commerce support systems, enhance technical training for farmers, improve the inclusivity of e-commerce platforms, and address gaps in the availability of green production technologies.

The Collision of digital and green: Digital transformation and green economic efficiency.

Enhancing the green economy efficiency (GEE) is crucial for building a sustainable economy. How can the rapidly advancing digital transformation contribute to this process? The paper empirically examines the direct and spatial spillover effects of digital transformation on cities' GEE in China. This study utilizes the National E-commerce Pilot City (NEPC) policy as a quasi-natural experiment of regional digital transformation and employs the staggered difference-in-differences (DID) method with heterogeneous effects. The findings reveal that (i) implementing the NEPC policy significantly increases urban GEE by 2.6%, corresponding to a 16% increase in the mean of GEE. This effect is particularly pronounced in non-resource-based cities and cities with high Internet penetration. (ii) The mechanism test shows that the pilot policy positively affects GEE by promoting green structural transformation, enhancing green innovation, and strengthening public environmental concerns. (iii) The study highlights a positive spatial spillover effect of the NEPC policy on the GEE of nonpilot cities. (iv) The adoption of the NEPC plays a pivotal role in advancing energy use and carbon emission efficiency. This paper expands the existing knowledge on the green development effects of the digital economy while offering valuable policy insights for building an "Inclusive Green Economy".

Implications for biological invasion of non-native plants for sale in the world's largest online market.

Internet trade is increasingly recognized as a dispersal pathway of non-native plant species that is difficult to monitor. We sought to identify non-native flora present in the Chinese online market, the largest e-commerce market globally, and to decipher the effect of existing trade regulations, among other variables, on e-trading patterns and to inform policy. We used a comprehensive list of 811 non-native plant species in China present in 1 of the 3 phases of the invasion continuum (i.e., introduced, naturalized, and invasive). The price, propagule types, and quantities of the species offered for sale were retrieved from 9 online stores, including 2 of the largest platforms. Over 30% of the non-native species were offered for sale in the online marketplaces; invasive non-native species dominated the list (45.53%). No significant price difference was observed across the non-native species of the 3 invasion categories. Among the 5 propagule types, a significantly higher number of non-native species were offered for sale as seeds. The regression models and path analyses consistently revealed a direct positive effect of the number of uses and species' minimum residence time and an indirect effect of biogeography on the pattern of trade in non-native plant species when minimal phylogenetic signal was detected. A review of the existing phytosanitary regulations in China revealed their inadequacy in managing e-trading of non-native plant species. To address the problem, we propose integration of a standardized risk assessment framework that considers perceptions of stakeholders and is adaptable based on continuous surveillance of the trade network. If implemented successfully, the measures could provide a template for other countries to strengthen trading regulations for non-native plant species and take proactive management measures.

La venta de plantas no nativas en el mercado virtual más grande y sus implicaciones para la invasión biológica Resumen El mercado virtual en internet se reconoce cada vez más como una vía de dispersión de especies vegetales no nativas difícil de controlar. Intentamos identificar la flora no nativa presente en el mercado virtual chino, el mayor mercado de comercio electrónico del mundo, para descifrar el efecto de las regulaciones comerciales vigentes, entre otras variables, en los patrones de comercio electrónico e informar a las políticas. Utilizamos una lista integral de 811 especies de plantas no nativas de China presentes en una de las tres fases de invasión (es decir, introducidas, naturalizadas o invasoras). El precio, los tipos de propágulos y las cantidades de las especies puestas a la venta se recuperaron de nueve tiendas en línea, incluidas dos de las mayores plataformas. Más del 30% de las especies no nativas se pusieron a la venta en los mercados en línea; las especies no nativas invasoras dominaron esta lista (45,53%). No se observaron diferencias significativas de precio entre las especies no nativas en las tres categorías de invasión. Entre los cinco tipos de propágulos, se puso a la venta un número significativamente mayor de especies no nativas en forma de semillas. Los modelos de regresión y los análisis de trayectoria revelaron un efecto positivo directo y constante del número de usos y del tiempo mínimo de residencia de las especies y un efecto indirecto de la biogeografía sobre el patrón de comercio de especies vegetales no nativas cuando se detectó una señal filogenética mínima. Una revisión de la normativa fitosanitaria vigente en China reveló su insuficiencia para gestionar el comercio electrónico de las especies vegetales no nativas. Para abordar el problema, proponemos la integración de un marco normalizado de evaluación de riesgos que tenga en cuenta las percepciones de los actores y sea adaptable en función de la vigilancia continua de la red comercial. Si se aplican con éxito, las medidas podrían servir de modelo para que otros países refuercen la normativa sobre comercio de especies vegetales no nativas y adopten medidas proactivas de gestión.

Reliability of social media data in monitoring the global pet trade in ants.

The global pet trade is a major risk to biodiversity and humans and has become increasingly globalized, diversified, digitalized, and extremely difficult to control. With billions of internet users posting online daily, social media could be a powerful surveillance tool. But it is unknown how reliably social media can track the global pet trade. We tested whether Instagram data predicted the geographic distribution of pet stores and the taxonomic composition of traded species in the emerging pet trade in ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). We visited 138 online stores selling ants as pets worldwide and recorded the species traded. We scraped ∼38,000 Instagram posts from ∼6300 users referencing ants as pets and analyzed comments on post and geolocation (available for ∼1800 users). We tested whether the number of Instagram users predicted the number of ant sellers per country and whether the species referenced as pets on Instagram matched the species offered in online stores, with a particular focus on invasive species. The location of Instagram users referencing ants as pets predicted the location of ant sellers across the globe (R2  = 0.87). Instagram data detected 439 of the 631 ant species traded in online stores (70%), including 59 of the 68 invasive species traded (87%). The number of Instagram users referencing a species was a good predictor of the number of sellers offering the species (R2  = 0.77). Overall, Instagram data provided affordable and reliable data for monitoring the emerging pet trade in ants. Easier access to these data would facilitate monitoring of the global pet trade and help implement relevant regulations in a timely manner.

El mercado global de mascotas es una amenaza importante para la biodiversidad y los humanos y cada vez está más globalizado, diversificado, digitalizado y muy difícil de controlar. Con miles de millones de usuarios publicando a diario en línea, las redes sociales podrían ser una herramienta poderosa de vigilancia, aunque no se sabe cuán confiable puede ser su rastreo del mercado global de mascotas. Analizamos si los datos de Instagram pronosticaban la distribución geográfica de las tiendas de mascotas y la composición taxonómica de las especies comercializadas en el mercado emergente de hormigas mascotas (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Visitamos 138 tiendas virtuales dedicadas al comercio de hormigas como mascotas a nivel mundial y registramos las especies comercializadas. Reunimos ∼38,000 publicaciones de Instagram de ∼6,300 usuarios que mencionaban a las hormigas como mascotas y analizamos los comentarios en las publicaciones y la geolocalización (disponible para ∼1,800 usuarios). Analizamos si el número de usuarios de Instagram pronosticaba el número de vendedores de hormigas por país y si las especies mencionadas como mascotas en Instagram eran las mismas que aquellas ofrecidas en las tiendas en línea, con foco particular sobre las especies invasoras. La ubicación de los usuarios de Instagram que mencionaban a las hormigas como mascotas pronosticó la ubicación de los vendedores de hormigas alrededor del mundo (R2 = 0.87). La información de Instagram detectó 439 de las 631 especies de hormigas comercializadas en las tiendas virtuales (70%), incluidas 59 de las 68 especies invasoras comercializadas (87%). El número de usuarios de Instagram que mencionaba a una especie fue un buen indicador del número de vendedores que ofrecían esa eespecie (R2 = 0.77). En general, la información de Instagram proporcionó datos accesibles y confiables para el monitoreo del mercado emergente de hormigas mascotas. Un acceso más sencillo a estos datos facilitaría el monitoreo del mercado global de mascotas y ayudaría a implementar regulaciones relevantes de manera oportuna.

[Regulation of the online sale of medical products: experiences and strategies for Latin AmericaRegulamentação da venda de produtos médicos pela internet: experiências e estratégias para a América Latina]. / Regulación de la venta de productos médicos por Internet: experiencias y estrategias para Latinoamérica.

The objective of this special report is to present the advances in Latin America on regulation of the online sale of medical products and to offer guidance to national regulatory authorities (NRAs) on planning and implementing strategies to regulate and oversee the e-commerce of medical products. The regulatory advances and the programs and initiatives implemented in four Latin American countries to control the online sale of medical products are presented, including complementary reviews of the literature and reviews of e-commerce control programs of agencies of reference. Based on this review, the following strategies are proposed: strengthening the regulatory and policy framework; strengthening the capacity for oversight; collaboration with national and international authorities and other key players; and communication and awareness-raising with the community and health care professionals. Each of these strategies should be accompanied by specific actions that can serve as guidelines for NRAs in the Americas and in countries with similar contexts, to strengthen their regulatory frameworks and patient and consumer protections.

O objetivo deste relatório especial é apresentar os avanços na regulamentação da comercialização de produtos médicos pela internet na América Latina e oferecer orientações às Autoridades Reguladoras Nacionais (ARN) sobre planejamento e execução de estratégias de regulamentação e fiscalização do comércio eletrônico de produtos médicos. São apresentados avanços regulatórios e programáticos, bem como iniciativas realizadas por quatro países latino-americanos para controlar a venda de produtos médicos pela internet, incluindo revisões complementares da literatura e programas de controle do comércio eletrônico por agências reguladoras de referência. Com base nesta revisão, propõem-se as seguintes linhas estratégicas: fortalecimento do marco regulatório e normativo; fortalecimento da capacidade de fiscalização; colaboração com autoridades e outros atores-chave nacionais e internacionais; e comunicação e sensibilização da comunidade em geral e dos profissionais de saúde. Cada uma dessas estratégias deve ser acompanhada de ações específicas, que podem servir de diretrizes para as ARN das Américas ­ e de países com contextos semelhantes ­ para fortalecer seus marcos regulatórios e a proteção de pacientes e consumidores.

Environmental effects of rural e-commerce: A case study of chemical fertilizer reduction in China.

The economic effects of rural e-commerce have been fully discussed by scholars, but few studies focus on the environmental effects of rural e-commerce. This study takes the reduced application of chemical fertilizer in China as an example. On the basis of constructing the corresponding theoretical framework, we take the promotion of Rural E-Commerce Demonstration County (REDC) policy as a quasi-natural experiment, using the county panel data from 2000 to 2020 and the multi-period difference-in-difference method to excavate the influence of rural e-commerce on the fertilizer reduction. Our results show that REDC policy reduces the amount of chemical fertilizer applied in the county by 21%, which is unexpected. Our findings passed a series of robustness tests, including dealing with selective bias, eliminating other policy interference in the same period and placebo test. Based on the heterogeneity analysis of grain production and marketing regions and informatization level, it is found that the effect of fertilizer reduction by rural e-commerce is more impressive in the major grain production areas and counties with low informatization level. According to the theoretical framework, we use the mediating effect model to verify the transmission mechanism of marginal income improvement, mechanization and labor transfer. Therefore, we believe that policy designers can use e-commerce to promote farmers to adopt the production strategies of reducing fertilizer application. The findings and recommendations of this study may be relevant to other countries with free trading markets and e-commerce platforms.

E-commerce development and its contribution to agricultural non-point source pollution control: Evidence from 283 cities in China.

Agricultural non-point source (ANPS) pollution is a pressing environmental issue in developing countries that poses a substantial threat to sustainable development. With the rapid growth of e-commerce and its great penetration and transformation in many socioeconomic sectors, e-commerce plus agriculture is widely regarded as the solution to sustainable agricultural development. However, the environmental impacts of e-commerce on agriculture, as well as the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully explored and verified. Based on China's practices of e-commerce development and its integration with agriculture, a panel dataset of 283 prefecture-level cities from 2009 to 2019 was collected, and a spatial difference in difference (SDID) model combined with a Durbin model was constructed to examine the local and spatial spillover effects of e-commerce development on ANPS pollution. It is found out that e-commerce development has significant positive environmental impacts achieved by stimulating industrial structure upgrading and promoting green technology innovation, while the mechanism of cultivation scaling up tends to aggravate the ANPS pollution. Spatial analysis demonstrates that e-commerce development also helps alleviate the ANPS pollution of neighboring regions with a decayed effect over a distance. Meanwhile, the impact of e-commerce on mitigating ANPS pollution shows regional heterogeneity. Those developed regions present significant positive effects, while those regions dominated by agriculture economy and without sufficient supporting facilities for e-commerce development, show significant negative effects. Therefore, we argue that the positive environmental contribution of e-commerce is not bound to happen but instead is contingent, while policies should be adapted to local conditions and enhanced to encourage the integration of e-commerce and other socioeconomic sectors, in order to develop beyond the immature pioneering stage.

How does digital technology promote carbon emission reduction? Empirical evidence based on e-commerce pilot city policy in China.

Digital technology is an effective way to realize the carbon neutrality target in China. Therefore, based on panel data at the city level in China from 2006 to 2016, we take the e-commerce pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment, using the staggered difference-in-differences (DID) method to explore the effect of digital technology development on carbon emissions and its transmission mechanism. The conclusion of this paper shows that (ⅰ) the e-commerce pilot policy has significantly reduced carbon emissions. After a series of robustness tests, this empirical conclusion is still valid. (ⅱ) The inhibitory effect of different waves of e-commerce pilot cities on carbon emissions sequentially decreases. The e-commerce pilot policy has a greater effect on reducing carbon emissions in non-old industrial based cities and non-resource-based cities. (ⅲ) Implementing the e-commerce pilot city policy mainly reduces urban carbon emissions by optimizing resource allocation, reducing energy consumption and upgrading the industrial structure. (ⅳ) In addition, implementing the e-commerce pilot city policy has a significant positive carbon-reducing linkage effect with the carbon trading pilot policy and the low-carbon city pilot policy. The findings of this paper provide empirical evidence for carbon emission reduction, which has implications for upgrading urban construction patterns and promoting green urban development.

When businesses go digital: The role of CEO attributes in technology adoption and utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has prompted a rush of technology adoption as businesses turned to digital technologies to avert closure in the face of an unprecedent pandemic. This study examines the adoption and utilization of e-commerce and remote work technologies among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) during the pandemic. Building on various streams of research on technology adoption and utilization, we elaborate how CEO gender and experience can shape risk-taking attitude and crisis responsiveness, influencing technology adoption and utilization decisions. Analysis using a rich dataset of >20,000 enterprises across 42 countries revealed that female CEOs were significantly less likely to adopt remote work technologies; moreover, female CEOs leading small-sized enterprises were less likely to adopt e-commerce. However, CEO gender was not associated with the utilization intensity of remote work and e-commerce technologies. CEOs' industry experience was found to have an inverted U-shaped relationship with the adoption and utilization of both e-commerce and remote work technologies. These results reveal that top management decisions attributable to CEO experience, and to a lesser degree to CEO gender, can help explain divergent levels of digital technology adoption and utilization during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 state sales tax windfall.

Policymakers were surprised to find increases in sales tax revenues in 2020 due to expectations that they would drop 8-20%. We investigate this puzzle and provide novel insights into consumption taxes based on this experience. Using a case study from the State of Utah, we document that shifts in the structure of consumption played a significant role in the robustness of sales tax revenue. Two factors stand out in our results. The first factor is the structure of the tax base for sales taxes in the USA. This tax base covers only a subset of personal consumption, excluding, for example, many services. During the pandemic, when services were restricted or shut down, this caused a shift in spending toward goods that are more likely to be in the sales tax base. The second factor is the boom in e-commerce during the pandemic, which boosted sales tax collections. This was catalyzed by recent legal changes that made the collection of sales taxes in e-commerce easier. Interestingly, this e-commerce boost also shifted the point of sale and related sales tax revenues away from urban areas toward suburban areas. Our case study of the pandemic's effect on sales taxes in the USA generally, and Utah's experience specifically, provides lessons for consumption taxes, such as the VAT more broadly, and lessons on the role of consumption taxes for tax revenue volatility.

Has Rural E-Commerce Increased Potato Farmers' Income? Evidence from the Potato Home of China.

Rural e-commerce has achieved an effective interface between rural specialty industries and large markets. This paper explores the impact of rural e-commerce on the income levels of potato farmers based on field survey data. In addition, the extent of the impact of rural e-commerce on the income levels of potato farmers in the participating and non-participating groups was further explored under the counterfactual assumption. The main findings are as follows. (1) Rural e-commerce can increase the income of potato farmers. Participation in rural e-commerce can increase farmers' income in both the participating and non-participating groups. If the participating group had not previously sold potatoes through rural e-commerce, their per capita household income would have been reduced by 27.22%. Similarly, if the non-participating group had sold potatoes through the rural e-commerce platform, their per capita household income would have increased by 36.35%. (2) Under the counterfactual assumption, the impact of rural e-commerce on the incomes of farmers who have not yet sold potatoes through e-commerce platforms is more profound. The marginal income increasing effect of rural e-commerce is currently at an incremental stage, and selling potatoes through an e-commerce platform can lead to higher returns for farmers. (3) Gender, farm household differentiation, self-employment experience, arable land area, position in village and whether participating in agricultural associations or cooperatives are important factors that simultaneously influence farmers' e-commerce participation decisions and income levels. Education and health level can influence farmers' e-commerce participation decisions. Age, farming years, dependency ratio and accessibility to irrigation can influence farmers' income level.

Carbon Footprint of Alternative Grocery Shopping and Transportation Options from Retail Distribution Centers to Customer.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of e-commerce and automated warehouses, vehicles, and robots and has created new options for grocery supply chains. We report and compare the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for a 36-item grocery basket transported along 72 unique paths from a centralized warehouse to the customer, including impacts of micro-fulfillment centers, refrigeration, vehicle automation, and last-mile transportation. Our base case is in-store shopping with last-mile transportation using an internal combustion engine (ICE) SUV (6.0 kg CO2e). The results indicate that emissions reductions could be achieved by e-commerce with micro-fulfillment centers (16-54%), customer vehicle electrification (18-42%), or grocery delivery (22-65%) compared to the base case. In-store shopping with an ICE pick-up truck has the highest emissions of all paths investigated (6.9 kg CO2e) while delivery using a sidewalk automated robot has the least (1.0 kg CO2e). Shopping frequency is an important factor for households to consider, e.g. halving shopping frequency can reduce GHG emissions by 44%. Trip chaining also offers an opportunity to reduce emissions with approximately 50% savings compared to the base case. Opportunities for grocers and households to reduce grocery supply chain carbon footprints are identified and discussed.

Examining Chinese Users' Feedback Comments on HIV Self-testing Kits From e-Commerce Platforms: Thematic and Content Analysis.

BACKGROUND: HIV self-testing is preferred by many Chinese people for its convenience and confidentiality. However, most studies on HIV self-testing (HIVST) uptake in China overfocused on men who have sex with men and overrelied on obtrusive methods such as surveys and interviews to collect data. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore Chinese HIVST kit users' authentic experience via their feedback comments posted on e-commerce platforms using an unobtrusive approach. METHODS: In total, 21,018 feedback comments about buying and using HIVST kits posted on Chinese e-commerce platforms (Tmall and Pinduoduo) were collected. An inductive thematic analysis based on a random sample of 367 comments yielded several thematic features. These thematic features were developed into coding categories for a quantitative content analysis of another random sample of 1857 comments. RESULTS: Four themes were identified in the first study, including the expression of positive and negative emotions after and before getting the test, respectively, calling for living a clean and moral life in the future, comments on the sellers and HIVST kits, and the reasons for buying HIVST kits. The results from the second study suggested that there were significant associations between different platforms and several thematic features. Nearly 50% of the comments were related to the product itself and the disclosures of HIV-negative test results. More than 25% of the comments showed users' feelings of gratefulness after receiving negative test results such as "thank heavens for sparing my life." CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that Chinese users relied on HIVST kits to reduce and prevent HIV infection, while they also considered HIV infection a punishment related to moral violation such as being sexually promiscuous. The traditional Chinese health belief that health is influenced by one's morality still persists among some Chinese users. Many users also lacked appropriate knowledge about HIV transmission and self-testing kits.

Applications of Fusion Techniques in E-Commerce Environments: A Literature Review.

The extreme rise of the Internet of Things and the increasing access of people to web applications have led to the expanding use of diverse e-commerce solutions, which was even more obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic. Large amounts of heterogeneous data from multiple sources reside in e-commerce environments and are often characterized by data source inaccuracy and unreliability. In this regard, various fusion techniques can play a crucial role in addressing such challenges and are extensively used in numerous e-commerce applications. This paper's goal is to conduct an academic literature review of prominent fusion-based solutions that can assist in tackling the everyday challenges the e-commerce environments face as well as in their needs to make more accurate and better business decisions. For categorizing the solutions, a novel 4-fold categorization approach is introduced including product-related, economy-related, business-related, and consumer-related solutions, followed by relevant subcategorizations, based on the wide variety of challenges faced by e-commerce. Results from the 65 fusion-related solutions included in the paper show a great variety of different fusion applications, focusing on the fusion of already existing models and algorithms as well as the existence of a large number of different machine learning techniques focusing on the same e-commerce-related challenge.