Global Food Production System Research Articles

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO DESIGN FUTURE CROPS: GATEWAY TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN 21ST CENTURY

The global food production system is facing numerous challenges due to factors such as population growth, climate change, limited resources, and environmental preservation. To address these challenges, various strategies can be employed to develop future crops that are more productive, nutritious, and resilient. One strategy is to improve the yield potential of existing crops by developing new high-yielding cultivars. This can be achieved through the development of new varieties that can produce more grain under optimal conditions. Additionally, improving the nutritional quality of crops is important to address nutrient deficiencies. Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering methods can be used to develop crops with enhanced nutritional value. Efficient utilization of agricultural resources is another important aspect of crop improvement. This includes developing crops that use water and nutrients more efficiently, reducing the need for irrigation and fertilizers, and minimizing environmental impacts. Increasing the resistance of crops to pests, diseases, and extreme weather events can also help reduce the use of pesticides and minimize crop losses. The domestication of wild or semi-wild plants through genetic manipulation offers new opportunities for crop design. These plants may have high nutritional value, stress tolerance, and specialized metabolites that can be incorporated into cultivated crops. Similarly, the domestication of orphan or neglected plants can contribute to crop improvement by incorporating unique traits. Genetic improvement through the transfer of genes from wild relatives or other species can also enhance crop productivity. Advancements in genomics and genetic technologies can aid in the identification and transfer of beneficial alleles. Agronomic improvements, such as maximizing the effectiveness of crop protection agents and fertilizers while minimizing their environmental impact, can also contribute to crop performance. The emerging field of synthetic biology offers opportunities for developing novel biological devices and systems that can further enhance crop productivity and resilience. Overall, these strategies can help address the challenges faced by the global food production system.

Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics: Special emphasis on optimization of human health and animal performance

Environmental factors, food’s nutrients, and genetic makeup play an important role in phenotypic appearance of a trait via the principles of biological sciences. The nutritional genomics focuses on the interaction between bioactive food components and the genome, which includes nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics. The influence of nutrients on genes expression is called nutrigenomics, while the heterogeneous response of gene variants to dietary nutrients is called nutrigenetics. Nutrigenomics is providing the effects of ingested food’s nutrients on gene expression and gene regulation, i.e., diet-gene interaction in order to identify the dietetic components having beneficial or detrimental health effects. It elucidates that how DNA and genetic code influence the need for specific nutrients and also within specific quantities are required for maintaining good health throughout life. It is helpful to determine the personalized diet that means individual nutritional requirements based on the genetic makeup of the person as well as clarifies some etiological perspectives of chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes, cancer, obesity and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) because of associations between diet and chronic diseases. Rearing of farmed animals is a vital component of global food production systems, its impact on the environment, human health, animal welfare, and biodiversity is being increasingly challenged. Developments in genetic and genomic technologies have had a key role in improving the productivity of farmed animals for decades. The goal of discussing these issues is to get a better understanding of basic biological issues and to apply their knowledge to practical problems such as medicine, and improvement of animal performance. Therefore, this review article is focus on the role of genes and the use of genomic techniques in human health, as well as animals’ well-being and welfare.

Large-scale Production and Application of Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles to Meet Agriculture Needs

The success of the agricultural sector is crucial to the whole world's prosperity. Reducing hunger and poverty and enhancing food security and nutrition have all made great strides in recent decades. Improvements in resource efficiency and food safety brought about by productivity and technical gains have not been shared fairly. Fortunately, it is possible to reduce the adverse effects of the current global food production system on the environment and climate with the aid of technological advancements. Nanotechnology can be integrated into the agricultural sciences as "nano agriculture", to provide solutions that are more accurately boost production without negatively impacting the environment. Among a range of nanoparticles, graphene oxide (GO) has found diverse application in electronics, optics, medicine, and supercapacitors. Due to its adaptability, it is also crucial in many critical biological contexts. Graphene oxide has a range of potential uses in industries as diverse as agriculture, technology, and food production. Nanoencapsulation of nutrients, smart-release systems, novel packaging, smart water treatment systems for various kinds of microorganisms and pollutants, pesticide and insecticide detection and analysis, and other kinds of detection systems are all possible applications of this versatile material. It may also be a part of fertilizer or used as a plant growth stimulant. In the GO market, yield is a major concern. With so much focus on graphene, it is essential to produce GO nanoparticles in large quantities. A possible method for industrial-scale graphene manufacturing is the oxidative exfoliation of graphite. This review outlines few cost effective strategies to mass-produce GO for use in agriculture.

The pervasive impact of global climate change on plant-nematode interaction continuum.

Pest profiles in today's global food production system are continually affected by climate change and extreme weather. Under varying climatic conditions, plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) cause substantial economic damage to a wide variety of agricultural and horticultural commodities. In parallel, their herbivory also accredit to diverse ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, allocation and turnover of plant biomass, shaping of vegetation community, and alteration of rhizospheric microorganism consortium by modifying the root exudation pattern. Thus PPNs, together with the vast majority of free-living nematodes, act as ecological drivers. Because of direct exposure to the open environment, PPN biology and physiology are largely governed by environmental factors including temperature, precipitation, humidity, atmospheric and soil carbon dioxide level, and weather extremes. The negative effects of climate change such as global warming, elevated CO2, altered precipitation and the weather extremes including heat waves, droughts, floods, wildfires and storms greatly influence the biogeographic range, distribution, abundance, survival, fitness, reproduction, and parasitic potential of the PPNs. Changes in these biological and ecological parameters associated to the PPNs exert huge impact on agriculture. Yet, depending on how adaptable the species are according to their geo-spatial distribution, the consequences of climate change include both positive and negative effects on the PPN communities. While assorting the effects of climate change as a whole, it can be estimated that the changing environmental factors, on one hand, will aggravate the PPN damage by aiding to abundance, distribution, reproduction, generation, plant growth and reduced plant defense, but the phenomena like sex reversal, entering cryptobiosis, and reduced survival should act in counter direction. This seemingly creates a contraposition effect, where assessing any confluent trend is difficult. However, as the climate change effects will differ according to space and time it is apprehensible that the PPNs will react and adapt according to their location and species specificity. Nevertheless, the bio-ecological shifts in the PPNs will necessitate tweaking their management practices from the agri-horticultural perspective. In this regard, we must aim for a 'climate-smart' package that will take care of the food production, pest prevention and environment protection. Integrated nematode management involving precise monitoring and modeling-based studies of population dynamics in relation to climatic fluctuations with escalated reliance on biocontrol, host resistance, and other safer approaches like crop rotation, crop scheduling, cover cropping, biofumigation, use of farmyard manure (FYM) would surely prove to be viable options. Although the novel nematicidal molecules are target-specific and relatively less harmful to the environment, their application should not be promoted following the global aim to reduce pesticide usage in future agriculture. Thus, having a reliable risk assessment with scenario planning, the adaptive management strategies must be designed to cope with the impending situation and satisfy the farmers' need.

Farm production diversity, household dietary diversity, and nutrition: Evidence from Uganda's national panel survey.

Improved food security and nutrition remain a notable global challenge. Yet, food security and nutrition are areas of strategic importance regarding the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The increasingly weakening global food production systems pose a threat to sustainable improved food security and nutrition. Consequently, a significant population remains chronically hungry and severely malnourished. As a remedy, farm production diversity (FPD) remains a viable pathway through which household nutrition can be improved. However, evidence is mixed, or unavailable on how FPD is associated with key nutrition indicators like household dietary diversity, energy, iron, zinc, and vitamin A (micronutrients). We use the Uganda National Panel Survey (UNPS) data for rural households to analyze differential associations of sub-components of FPD on dietary diversity, energy, and micronutrient intake. Panel data models reveal that indeed crop species count, and animal species count (sub-components of FPD) are differently associated with household dietary diversity score (HDDS), energy, and vitamin A sourced from markets. Moreover, when volumes of these nutrition outcomes were disaggregated by source (own farm vs. markets), the animal species count was only positively significantly associated with nutrition outcomes sourced from consumption of produce from own farm. Associations were insignificant for nutrition indicators sourced from markets except vitamin A. The crop species count, however, consistently showed a strong positive and significant association with energy, and all studied micronutrients sourced from own farm produce consumption, as well as those sourced from markets except Vitamin A, which was negative but insignificant. Therefore, inclusive, pro-poor, and pro-nutrition rural policy initiatives in the context of rural Uganda and similar ones, could more widely improve household nutrition through prioritizing crop species diversification on own farms because crops fetch wider nutrition gains.

Comparison of environmental impacts of individual meals - Does it really make a difference to choose plant-based meals instead of meat-based ones?

More than one third of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) can be attributed to our food system. Limiting global warming to 1.5° or 2 °C will not be possible without reducing GHG emissions from the food system. Dietary change at the meal level is of great importance as day-to-day consumption patterns drive the global food production system. The aim of this paper was to assess the life cycle environmental impact of a sample of meals from different cuisines (chilli, lasagne, curry and teriyaki meals) and their meat-based, vegetarian, vegan, and whole-food vegan recipe variations. The environmental impacts (global warming, freshwater eutrophication, terrestrial acidification and water depletion potential) of 13 meals, made with 33 different ingredients, were estimated from cradle to plate using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Results showed that irrespective of the type of cuisine, the plant-based version of meals (vegan and whole-food vegan) had substantially lower environmental impacts across all impact categories than their vegetarian and meat-based versions. On average, meat-based meals had 14 times higher environmental impact, while vegetarian meals had 3 times higher environmental impact than vegan meals. Substantial reductions in the environmental impacts of meals can be achieved when animal-based ingredients (e.g., beef, cheese, pork, chicken) are replaced with whole or minimally processed plant-based ingredients (i.e., vegetables, legumes) in recipes. Swapping animal-based meals for plant-based versions, and preferably transitioning to plant-based diets, present important opportunities for mitigating climate change and safeguarding environmental sustainability.

Algal solutions: Transforming marine aquaculture from the bottom up for a sustainable future.

Today's global food production system is unsustainable. Shifting the focus of marine aquaculture down the food chain to algae could help meet projected global nutritional demands while simultaneously improving overall environmental sustainability and ocean health.

26 Complementary Roles for Genetic Selection and Population Dynamics in Enhancing Livestock Sustainability

Abstract Over the past several years, there has been considerable international dialog surrounding the importance of enhancing the sustainability of global food production systems to meet the demands of the growing global population. Internationally, sustainable food production systems are defined as those which contribute to food and nutrition security while safeguarding the economic, social, cultural, and environmental bases of food production for future generations. Although animal agriculture often has strong cultural roots around the world, there are challenges related to the environmental impacts of animal products, the social acceptability of production practices, and the affordability of animal-source foods which present opportunities for improvement. Historical advancements in the affordability and environmental footprints of animal-source foods highlight the tremendous impacts of genetic selection for enhanced productivity on animal-source food sustainability metrics. Continued emphasis on genetic selection as a tool to address sustainability objectives may be an essential strategy to continue enhancing the role of animal source foods in contributing to a sustainable and secure global food system. However, systems dynamics modeling demonstrates trade-offs between the rate of genetic progress and aspects of sustainability like environmental impact and social acceptance. These trade-offs are largely driven by the generation interval and assumptions surrounding the fate of animals culled either early in life or during mid-career due to undesirable genetics. Exploring alternative production systems which make better use of cull animal populations presents a strategy to address some of these trade-offs. To better explore these factors in tandem, the objectives of this work are to review the historical improvements in animal genetic merit and the impact on sustainability of animal-source foods; to explore future selection strategies and how they may support continued sustainability enhancement; and to highlight the complementary roles of population dynamics and genetic selection in enhancing livestock sustainability.

VaclavSmilHow the World Really Works: A Scientist's Guide to Our Past, Present and FuturePenguin, 2022, 325 p., $28.00.

VaclavSmilHow the World Really Works: A Scientist's Guide to Our Past, Present and FuturePenguin, 2022, 325 p., $28.00.

A review on impacts of COVID-19 on global agricultural system and Scope for Bangladesh after pandemic.

COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on the global food production system. Large-scale food producing countries restricted exports for food sovereignty, while small and import-dependent countries are at risk. After COVID-19 pandemic, integrated and planned action is necessary to overcome this global stalemate. In this review paper, we have tried to show the damage caused to global agriculture as well as in Bangladesh due to COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the prospects and tasks of Bangladesh in the post-pandemic global economy have also been discussed. Due to the middlemen-based marketing system in Bangladesh, farmers have been deprived of their profits from the early period. The government should move forward with a long-term planning to find alternative food market such as processing and export alongside the one-way marketing system. On the other hand, it will benefit the farmers’ community of Bangladesh, as well as ensure global food security after this pandemic.

Stakeholder-driven adaptive research (SDAR): better research products

AbstractRapid changes in economic, environmental and social conditions generate both problems and opportunities in agriculture. The cycle from problem identification through discovery of potential solutions is lengthy. The objective of this study was to use collaborative methods to speed the cycle of discovery in sustainable organic strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) production systems in the southeastern USA. This method, stakeholder-driven adaptive research (SDAR), combines farmers' experiential knowledge with scientists' experimental knowledge to develop rigorous research design collectively. Farmers evaluated our biological research and co-designed research experiments with scientists. Farmers and other stakeholders (1) evaluated on-station experiments individually and then made recommendations as a group, (2) served as advisory council members to direct our goals and objectives, and (3) conducted farmer field trials where they implemented aspects of our on-station experiments under their management regimes. The results eliminated potential solutions that were not feasible, ineffective or too costly for farmers to adopt. Key results included eliminating treatments using high tunnel systems altogether on one field trial on a University of Florida (UF) research facility, adding a leguminous cover crop mix treatment, adding companion planting, and eliminating strawberry cultivars Strawberry Festival and Florida Beauty from our research trials. Our proposed methodology allows farmers and other stakeholders to inform the biological research from design through dissemination to reduce the time needed to create research products in an era of rapid bio-physical, social and economic change. Accelerating the discovery cycle could significantly improve our ability to identify and address threats to the USA and global food and fiber production system.

Transforming the Future of Marine Aquaculture: A Circular Economy Approach

By mid-century, society will need to significantly intensify the output of its food production system while simultaneously reducing that system’s detrimental impacts on climate, land use, freshwater resources, and biodiversity. This will require finding alternatives to carbon emissions-intensive agriculture, which provides the backbone of today’s global food production system. Here, we explore the hypothesis that marine algae-based aquaculture can help close the projected gap in society’s future nutritional demands while simultaneously improving environmental sustainability. Food production from marine algae-based aquaculture has the potential to contribute more than the total global protein demand projected for 2050, which ranges from 263.8 Mt/yr to 286.5 Mt/yr. It also offers important nutritional and environmental sustainability advantages relative to terrestrial agriculture. Marine algae can provide a better source of high-quality nutritional protein, essential amino acids, and other micronutrients relative to terrestrial plants. In addition, because marine algae do not require soil, irrigation, and the open application of fertilizer, their cultivation does not need to compete with agriculture for arable land and freshwater nor does it lead to fertilizer runoff and downstream eutrophication. Furthermore, by reducing agriculture’s demand for arable land and freshwater, marine algae-based aquaculture can reduce the pressure for deforestation, potentially leading to globally significant reductions in carbon emissions and biodiversity loss.

Pollution controls in Lake Tai with the reduction of the watershed nitrogen footprint

To feed an increasingly affluent population, the nitrogen input into global food production systems is currently two times the safe planetary boundary leading to adverse impacts on the local and global environments. The nitrogen footprint is an important index to understand the impact of human activities on the environment, however, it is rarely applied at a watershed scale. By using the Coupled Human And Natural System (CHANS) model, it was found that the total nitrogen input to the Lake Tai watershed has increased from 141.1 Gg N yr−1 in 1995 to 244.3 Gg N yr−1 in 2010, and then decreased again to 201.2 Gg N yr−1 in 2015. The study findings are consistent with the change in the total nitrogen concentration observed in Lake Tai. While the per capita nitrogen footprint remained stable at around 30 kg N yr−1 before 2010, a substantial decrease to approximately 25 and 20 kg N yr−1 in 2010 and 2015, respectively, has occurred. Dominant sources of nitrogen emissions contributing to the nitrogen footprint gradually have changed from agricultural production to wastewater and nitrogen oxides emissions from fossil fuel combustion. A reduction of the nitrogen footprint is beneficial for effective nitrogen pollution control strategies and better wastewater treatment techniques should be prioritized for future policymaking.

Upstream Causes of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Need for Public Education

The last year we have seen COVID-19 spread across the globe with unprecedented deaths and illness while racking havoc on the global economy. People are eager to return to normal and are optimistic that vaccines are now rolling out. However, it must be understood that the conditions that are responsible for zoonosis pandemics are a product of the development of industrial agriculture and until we change how we produce food, we are likely to continue to experience pandemics more frequently. There is a need for education of the public and politicians that we must do more than deal with this pandemic, we must actively work toward changing global food production systems.

Specialization in food production affects global food security and food systems sustainability

• We build the agricultural product space network to study food specialization patterns of countries. • Bipartite networks of food producing countries are dense but display two well-defined communities that reveal a gap in production patterns. • Concentrating food production decreases food supply, food security, and sustainability of food systems. • More competitive countries that diversify in a coherent way improve their food security, but this could harm the sustainability of food systems. • Food specialization patterns provide relevant insights for the design of policies seeking to achieve food security and sustainability. Understanding specialization patterns of countries in food production can provide relevant insights for the evaluation and design of policies seeking to achieve food security and sustainability, which are key to reach several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper builds bipartite networks of food products and food-producing countries, using FAO data from 1993 to 2013, to characterize the global food production system. We use methods from complex systems analysis to rank products according to their need for capabilities and countries according to their competitiveness, which derives from the quality and diversification of their food production baskets. We observe two well-defined communities of food-producing countries, one that groups countries with relatively developed agricultural systems, and the other grouping countries with less developed production systems. The stability of these two communities reveals persistent differences between countries specialization patterns. We econometrically analyze whether and how specialization patterns affect food supply, food security (SDGs: Targets 2.1 and 2.2), and sustainability of food systems (SDGs: Target 2.4). We show that concentrating agricultural production negatively impacts food supply, food security, and food systems sustainability. The competitiveness of countries and the coherence of their diversification patterns increase per capita food supply and food security but might harm sustainability. This evidence reflects the trade-off between achieving food security while simultaneously improving sustainability, which needs to be considered when developing or implementing policies seeking to reach SDGs.

Contributions of African Crops to American Culture and Beyond: The Slave Trade and Other Journeys of Resilient Peoples and Crops

There is a general unawareness of food crops indigenous to the African continent that have contributed to Western culture. This under-appreciation is particularly relevant in the current context of societal movements to end historic racism and value the contributions of peoples of African origin and African skin colors. Lack of awareness of the contributions of Africa's crops has negative practical consequences, including inadequate investments in preserving and maximizing the use of crop diversity to facilitate breeding. This paper provides an overview and analysis of African crops that have made significant contributions to the United States and globally, and/or hold potential in the twenty-first century. The paper specifically discusses watermelon, coffee, kola, rooibos, oil palm, shea, cowpea/black eyed pea, leafy greens, okra, yam, sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, teff, and fonio. The review focuses on the intersection of these crops with racialized peoples, with a particular focus on African-Americans starting with slavery. The analysis includes the sites of domestication of African crops, their historical migration out of Africa, their sociocultural contributions to cuisines and products around the world, their uses today, and the indigenous knowledge associated with traditional cultivation and landrace selection. The untapped potential of local genetic resources and indigenous agronomic strategies are also described. The review demonstrates that African crops played an important role in the development of American cuisine, beverages and household products. Many of these crops are nutritious, high value and stress tolerant. The paper concludes that African crops hold significant promise in improving the resiliency of global food production systems, to mitigate climate change and alleviate food insecurity and rural poverty, especially in dry regions of the world. It is hoped that this review contributes to teaching the next generation of agriculturalists, food scientists and international development professionals about the valuable contributions of Africa's resilient crops and peoples.

Linkages of agroecosystems producing farmed seafood on food security, nutritional status and adolescent health in Bangladesh.

This narrative review aims to provide an interdisciplinary perspective on actors that link global aquatic food production systems with fish consumption and nutritional status, with a special focus on adolescent girls in Bangladesh. The writing of this narrative perspective was undertaken within the framework of the Aquatic Food for Health and Nutrition (AQN) project that aimed to develop a metric for assessing the impacts on nutrition and health of agroecosystems producing farmed seafood. Previous studies evaluating links between agricultural ecosystems, aquaculture, food security and human health have systemically ignored the importance of diet and nutrition. Such studies have also ignored the importance of local communities, cultural norms and household composition and behaviours to identify vulnerable groups such as adolescent girls. This narrative review presents our current understanding of the relationships between aquaculture, fish production and consumption patterns, food security, optimal nutrition and health. It also highlights the importance of research into aquaculture food systems, linking aquatic food production systems with nutritional status, health and socioeconomic prosperity, which would help to develop more integrated and relevant food policies.

Http://jebas.org/uploads/409_pdf.pdf

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has created an opportunity to rethink and rectify the existing loopholes in the global food production system. The continuing ‘illegal’ attacks of human being over the environment for decades has taken a turn back in the form of a novel pandemic virus. This is not the first time we are facing a setback due to our invalid and primitive food habits that has been followed by certain sections of the society in different parts of the globe. Considering the current scenario, it is necessary to update our food habits and food culture as it is the need of the time. Although several studies have proven the persistence of viral particles on the surface materials that are routinely used in the food production systems. Further studies are required to explore the possibilities of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via food and food packaging materials. Although the pandemic has created a bit of awareness among the people, further campaigning is required to achieve an effective food safety system. The strict implementation of FSMS (food safety management systems) such as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is advised for improving the food supply chain. Besides these, proper cleaning and sanitization, GHP (Good Hygienic Practices), and efficient packaging systems are also necessary to generate wholesome food from farm to fork.

A systems analysis and conceptual system dynamics model of the livestock-derived food system in South Africa: A tool for policy guidance.

Global food production systems are currently under scrutiny, in particular the health, nutrition, and environmental impacts of livestock-derived food (LDF). Despite South Africa's recent socio-economic transformation and increased per-capita LDF consumption, the triple burden of malnutrition persists. Policy responses to such complex problems often fail because of linear thinking with short-term goals. However, a systems approach helps identify root causes, feedback mechanisms, potential unintended consequences, and opportunities for integrated, durable solutions. Participation in the systems-thinking process improves stakeholder understanding and buy-in. Our participatory workshop facilitated the development of a systems map for South African LDF, identifying key system elements, linkages, and nexus points. The latter included climate change, land access and management, livestock management and productivity, farming systems, food safety, policy articulation, agricultural knowledge, and income. Based on these findings, and an overview of related literature, we produced a conceptual system dynamics model of the LDF system. We identified key vari-ables and causal relationships, vicious and virtuous loops, system archetypes, conceptual stock and flows, and links to Sustainable Development Goals. The LDF system is complex and dynamic, with a dominance of commercial enterprises across agriculture and food retail, presenting barriers for small and medium-scale individuals. Other key elements relate to population growth and urbanization, land access, deregulation of international trade, climate change vulnerability, feed production limitations, and food safety. Our work provides a unique reference for policymakers, identifying the need for deep structural change, highlighting the possible unintended consequences, and thereby mitigating the risk of system destabilization.

Impact of food wastage on water resources and GHG emissions in Korea: A trend-based prediction modeling study

Unsustainable use of water resources and environmental degradation as related to global food production systems are critical issues of concern. However, reducing food wastage along the supply chain can provide the needed solutions to resources and environmental conservations, while meeting food demand. This study quantified the wastage of common food types at each stage along the supply chain in Korea using top-down mass flow analysis for the period of 2007–2017. The principal component analysis (PCA) was used to rank the food types based on their contribution to the total wastage. The water resources and GHG emissions associated with food wastage were assessed using the production footprint concept, after which prediction models were developed. The estimated food wastage was 14.97 ± 1.2 million tonnes, with production, postharvest, processing, distribution, and consumption representing 14%, 11%, 13%, 15%, and 46%, respectively. Vegetables, maize, and rice were ranked as the highest food types contributing to the total wastage, while mutton and rapeseed were the least. Our results indicated 15.24 ± 1.95 billion m3 and 20.08 ± 6.14 megatonnes CO2eq of water footprint and GHG emissions associated with food wastage, respectively, with substantial variations among the 28 major food commodity types. The prediction models using Bradley-Terry fitted well for the trend analysis of water footprint and GHG emission associated with food wastage. The prediction suggested that the total food supply, total wastage, water footprint, and GHG emission were estimated to reach 54.89 million tonnes, 16.91 million tonnes, 18.63 billion m3, and 27.41 megatonnes CO2eq by 2030, respectively. This study is of utmost importance considering the strong desire of the Korean government to pursue food self-sufficiency in the face of constraint water resources and GHG emission reduction target.