Food Security Goals Research Articles

Enhancement of the Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Activities of Fruit Pomaces and Agro-Industrial Byproducts through Solid-State Fermentation for Livestock Nutrition: A Review

The abundance of fruit waste from the food industry and wineries, particularly peels, seeds, and other fruit pomace throughout the year, could lead to health and environmental hazards if not channelled into productive areas. Improving or transforming these waste products for better use in other vital sectors could be achieved via solid-state fermentation (SSF) since most waste products are solid. One such productive and important area is the feeding of livestock, which will guarantee millennium food security goals for many nations of the world. The nutritional and antioxidant composition of abundantly available fruit pomace and agro-industrial byproducts could be improved via solid-state fermentation for overall livestock productivity. They contain substantial dietary fibre, protein, and phenolic compounds; hence, improving them via fermentation could serve the livestock industry in dual capacities, including nutraceutical and conventional feedstuff. This review seeks to provide reinforcing evidence on the applicability and impact of fruit pomaces on livestock nutrition. The significant nutrient improvements, beneficial outcomes in feeding trials, and inconsistencies or areas of research gap were also explored.

Transforming Arid and Semi-Arid Areas to be Food Secure: The Role of Small-Scale Irrigation Projects

The primary aim of this research was to evaluate the contribution of irrigation-based initiatives towards ensuring food security. The specific objectives encompassed assessing the role of labor within small-holder irrigation projects in bolstering food security, analyzing the impact of external donor assistance on food security outcomes within these projects, and appraising the extent of governmental backing for small-holder irrigation endeavors in the pursuit of food security goals. Employing a descriptive survey methodology, the study was conducted within various small-holder irrigation projects. The research population consisted of 1303 members affiliated with the irrigation schemes, alongside 12 agricultural officers. Utilizing a simple random sampling technique, two agricultural extension officers were selected from the irrigation schemes, while a stratified sampling approach identified 66 irrigation scheme members for participation in the study. Data collection primarily relied on the administration of questionnaires. Findings revealed that the majority of farmers predominantly relied on their labor or that of family members, with minimal utilization of hired labor observed in small-scale irrigation ventures. Consequently, labor scarcity emerged as a notable challenge within these projects. Furthermore, the study highlighted that a significant proportion of small-holder irrigation initiatives benefited from external donor support. To address labor shortages, the research suggested incentivizing specialized labor while recommending collaborative efforts among farmers to engage specialists in crop management, thereby enhancing crop productivity within the schemes.

Roadmap for National Adoption of Blockchain Technology Towards Securing the Food System of Qatar

The national adoption of any technology involves the tight cooperation between the government and the key players involved in the sector of significance. This study highlights a road map toward blockchain technology (BCT) adoption and how it can catalyze better collaboration between the national authorities who play a vital role in securing food systems. The study discusses novel organizational and management concepts to blockchain-based digital governance and lays the foundation for future research. The methodology involves a combination of a systematic review and field research with officials of Qatar’s Food Security Program. As a result of analysing the case of Qatar, this paper analyzes the key features of both the BCT and the national food security goals of Qatar and investigates the technology–strategy fit. The outcomes include a blockchain collaboration matrix, “Technology Adoption and Stakeholder Effect” Matrix, and mapping the national strategies of Qatar Food Security to the capabilities of blockchain technology. Finally, this work concludes by providing concrete suggestions to help facilitate blockchain adoption within the national IT infrastructure, for better traceability and transparency in the food system.

FROM TRADITIONAL TO “SMART” AGRICULTURE: ADVANTAGES, CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF DIGITIZATION

Eter Kharaishvili E-mail: eter.kharaishvili@tsu.ge Doctor of Economics Sciences, Professor of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4013-7354 Paata Koguashvili E-mail: paata_koguashvili@hotmail.com Doctor of Economics Sciences, Professor of Georgian Technical University Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8597-3103 Nino Shengelia E-mail: ninoshengelia@gmail.com PhD Students of Georgian Technical University Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4099-1603 Abstract: The article emphasizes the importance of the formation of "smart" agriculture in achieving the goals of food security. Digital transformation is seen as the basis for the modernization and progress of agriculture. The advantages of digitization in agriculture are analyzed, the challenges related to the introduction of digital technologies are presented. The paper evaluates the period of transformation from traditional to "smart" agriculture, their advantages and disadvantages are identified through a comparative analysis of traditional and "smart" farms. One of the main issues in the process of digital transformation is the search for effective ways to transition from traditional to "smart" agriculture. By justifying the relevance of digitization, the question is answered: traditional agriculture or "smart" agriculture? Based on statistical data and facts, the development trends of "smart" agriculture are analyzed, its market value is estimated. Taking into account the growth rate of the global digital transformation market, forecast indicators for the period up to 2030 are presented. The paper provides conclusions on the advantages and challenges of "smart" agriculture, offers recommendations on ways to overcome these challenges and prospective directions of development. Keywords: Traditional Farming, "Smart" Farming, Advantages of Digitization, Challenges of Digital Transformation, Perspectives. JEL classification: Q1; O1; O3.

THE SOVEREIGNTY, INDEPENDENCE AND FOOD SECURITY POST THE OMNIBUS LAW ON JOB CREATION

<em><span lang="EN-ID">Food is the most important basic human need guaranteed in the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. The existence of the law on Job Creation will allegedly move Indonesia away from the goals of food sovereignty, independence and national food security. This research examines further the extent of legislation in the field of food and agriculture in order to realize food sovereignty, independence and food security as state goals. The research method used in this research is normative juridical research, namely research intended to study the application of rules or norms in positive law. The research approach used is a statutory approach. The results of this research are: 1) Food sovereignty, independence and food security as the embodiment of the constitutional mandate to achieve state goals, namely the welfare and prosperity of the people; 2) The existence of the Job Creation Law which encourages economic growth through easy investment policies to encourage the creation of jobs, has degraded food sovereignty and independence and placed greater emphasis on aspects of food security through food imports; 3) Control over the conversion of sustainable agricultural land and spatial planning policies as mandated by law is distorted by the presidential decree on national strategic projects which are hierarchically under the law</span></em>

Comparative advantage of Indonesian mushroom commodities in the green technology era

Mushroom is a commodity in the agricultural sector that has the potential to be developed in global trade competition. As part of the ASEAN regional cooperation institution, Indonesia can contribute to achieving excellence in mushroom commodities. Developing mushroom cultivation to support green technology innovation also helps achieve food security for future generations. This research aims to analyze and overview the comparative advantages of ASEAN with China related to mushroom commodities in 2018-2022. This research uses descriptive analysis methods and RCA-Revealed Comparative Advantage analysis in calculating the RCA of this mushroom, using HS codes 0709, 0711, and 0712. HS code 0709 represents mushroom commodities based on the sub “Fresh or chilled mushrooms of the genus “Agaricus” and Fresh or chilled edible mushrooms and truffles. The results show that China has a comparative advantage over ASEAN regarding mushroom commodities in 2018-2022. China outperforms in 3 mushroom commodity sectors in HS Codes 071159, 071151, and 071239. In comparison, ASEAN regional institutions have a low and weak level of comparative advantage in each mushroom commodity code. These results indicate that countries that are members of ASEAN pay less attention to mushroom commodities. Therefore, strategic efforts are needed to develop mushroom commodities supporting green technology innovation by prioritizing humidity control to achieve national food security goals.

Nanotechnology-driven Solutions: Transforming Agriculture for a Sustainable and Productive Future

Nanotechnology offers immense potential to revolutionize agriculture and address key challenges of food security, environmental sustainability, and nutritional enhancement. Diverse nanomaterials and nano-enabled innovations are being developed targeting nearly all aspects of the agricultural system. Nanoparticle crop protection products, nano-biosensors, nanofertilizers, and nanobioactives can enhance productivity, crop quality, and resource use efficiency. Smart nanoformulations for controlled nutrient release, nanoparticle plant growth regulators, and nanoencapsulation of agrochemicals allow precise delivery with lower doses than conventional products. Nanopesticides, nanoherbicides, and nanobactericides provide more effective crop protection with reduced environmental impact compared to traditional pesticides. Nanosensors and nanobarcodes enable real-time monitoring of soil conditions, plant health, pest/disease outbreaks, and supply chain tracking. Water-saving nanofiltration techniques support expanded reuse of drained water and wastewater in agriculture. Nanocatalysts, nanozymes, and nanobiotechnology approaches offer new solutions to agricultural pollution and waste issues. Nanotechnology-enabled agriculture can help meet escalating food demands while fostering sustainable intensification, furthering the goals of food and nutrition security. However, potential health and environmental risks of nanomaterials must be rigorously assessed. Overall, nanotechnology presents promising opportunities to enhance productivity, resource efficiency, food quality and safety – vital steps toward productive and sustainable agricultural systems.

Socioeconomic shocks, social protection and household food security amidst COVID-19 pandemic in Africa's largest economy.

Africa has been known to experience series of problems among which are poverty, food insecurity, lack of access to energy, lack of infrastructure among others. These problems were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a severe impact on the socioeconomic status of households in Africa. This paper examines the relationship between socioeconomic shocks, social protection, and household food security during the pandemic in Nigeria, the Africa's largest economy. Using the World Bank's COVID-19 national longitudinal baseline phone survey (2020) for the analysis and applied the multinomial logit regression, the study finds that socioeconomic shocks resulting from the pandemic have led to an increased level of food insecurity. Social protection programmes have played a crucial role in mitigating the impact of these shocks on households. However, the study also highlights the need for more targeted and effective social protection policies to ensure that vulnerable households are adequately protected from the adverse effects of the pandemic. The findings of this study have important implications for policymakers and stakeholders in Africa's largest economy, as they seek to address the challenges posed by the pandemic and promote household food security for the actualisation the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of food and nutrition security (SDG2). The study, therefore, recommends that efforts be made to preserve food supply chains by mitigating the pandemic's effect on food systems, increasing food production, and looking forward beyond the pandemic by building resilient food systems with the use of social protection interventions.

Family meals and food insecurity in Spanish adolescents

The world is not on track to achieve the goal of food security for the global population by 2030. New approaches to understand individuals’ food insecurity are needed, especially insecurity related to children and adolescents, since it is associated with health and psychosocial problems. The study aimed to characterise the family dinners among a representative cohort of schooled adolescents (n = 1017) and their parents (n = 261) in Terrassa (Catalonia, Spain) and how family dinners could be related to household food insecurity. The survey findings revealed that in 2022, 19.2% of the adolescents were experiencing household food insecurity. Adolescents with a lower socioeconomic status and of foreign origin showed the highest likelihood of experiencing household food insecurity. Household food security was also associated with some characteristics of family dinners, such as better quality and a higher frequency (seven or more dinners eaten together per week). Based on this finding, possible ways in which family dinners could offer a beneficial effect, alleviating the consequences of food insecurity in adolescents, are discussed. In line with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goal of guaranteeing food security, the promotion of family dinners and their quality, frequency, and duration to leverage the beneficial effect in states of household food insecurity in Spanish adolescents should be taken into account to design actions and public campaigns in Spain.

Energy-water-food security nexus in mung bean production in Iran: An LCA approach

Mung bean is a very important crop in Iran in both socio-economic and nutritional terms. However, although discussions on food and food security increasingly include sustainability issues, there are no precedents in academic literature that analyze in depth the nexus between energy, water use and food security in relation to this crop in Iran from an agri-food system approach. Therefore, our main objective is to assess the energy-water-food security (EWFs) nexus and the environmental impact of mung bean production in Iran from a “cradle to fork” approach using different nutritional units (1 kg of beans, 1 kg of proteins, and 1000 kcal) and load allocation criteria. In addition, an economic analysis of the farms is carried out. The results show that the on-farm production of mung beans is the phase where the largest environmental impacts are concentrated (between 40 % and 96 % of them, including those related to water and energy use), while cooking accounts for more than 50 % of the carbon footprint. The non-renewable cumulative energy demand (NR CED) and total water footprint (TWF) per kilogram of beans (“cradle to fork”) is estimated at 27.4 MJ and 1.55 m3 and the farm Net Margin (NM) is estimated at 3,677 USD per ha. The paper discusses whether mung bean is a low-impact option for protein production, especially when compared to animal products and the importance of using different functional units and load allocation criteria to address the issue of EWFs and sustainability. In this regard, further research is needed to improve the environmental efficiency of bean production, which is critical for promoting sustainable diets in line with food security goals.

Adjustment of Meat Consumption Structure under the Dual Goals of Food Security and Carbon Reduction in China

With the progress of economic development and increase in income, there have been significant transformations in the food consumption patterns among Chinese residents. Grain consumption has declined while the consumption of livestock products such as meat, poultry, eggs, and milk has gradually risen. Moreover, noteworthy adjustments have been observed in the meat consumption structure itself, with a substantial increase in poultry consumption and a significant decrease in pork consumption as representative of red meat. This study collects data mainly from the “Brick Agricultural Database” and “China National Grain & Oils Information Center”. And then, we employ the China Agricultural Industry Model (CASM) to simulate the economic and ecological consequences of augmenting poultry consumption as a substitute for red meat intake. The research findings demonstrate that ensuring an adequate intake of livestock products for residents without any decline will stimulate the doubling of China’s poultry meat demand by 2035 compared to 2020 while replacing pork. This would reduce feed grain requirements by 50 million tons and achieve carbon emission reductions amounting to 82 million tons. If we consider the consumption of poultry consumption growth in conjunction with its substitution for other red meats such as pork, beef, and mutton, this will save approximately 20 million tons of feed grains and lead to a reduction of around 103 million tons in carbon emissions. In conclusion, promoting future increases in poultry consumption as a substitute for pork and other red meat will yield extensive economic andecological benefits contributing toward international food security goals, as well as global carbon reduction targets. Additionally, advocating for increasing poultry consumption will also reduce the risk of chronic diseases and malignant tumors; this will significantly improve the national health states.

Impacts, carbon effects, and forecasts for cropland expansion in the Northern Tianshan Mountain Economic Zone.

Increasing population growth and cropland occupation means that new cropland is needed to achieve the goal of food security. In order to achieve the goal of "carbon neutrality," the carbon effect and ecological effect brought about by the cropland area increase urgently need to be studied. Methods such as land use transfer matrix, land use information map, InVEST model, and the ecological risk index were used to analyze the impact of cropland change in the Northern Tianshan Mountain Economic Zone and calculated the carbon effect caused by its increasing cropland area. The Ca-Markov model was used to predict and analyze the impacts of future cropland distribution and area. The results showed that, between 2000 and 2020, the area of cropland in the study area increased 3926 km2, and the area of cropland occupation by built-up was 857 km2. The new increased cropland was predominantly derived from low-cover grassland and unused land. The quality and the carbon stock of the cropland increased. The ecological risk index of cropland was 0.2613, 0.2624, and 0.1187 in 2000, 2010, and 2020, respectively. The proportion of low-risk index area was 54.43%, 55.49%, and 87.22% in 2000, 2010, and 2020, respectively. According to the current development pattern of cropland, from 2000 to 2030, the area of occupation cropland and the area of cropland may increase, the carbon stock may increase by 941,650 Mg due to the change in land use types associated with cropland, the ecological risk index may be 0.1113, and the proportion of low-risk index cropland may be 80.08%. As a carbon sink, cropland is important for local carbon neutralization alongside the sustainable adjustment of planting structure and farming methods. The results could be helpful for land resource management policy, under the conditions of following natural laws; it is feasible to appropriately expand the cropland area in order to support the gradually increasing population.

Advancing sustainability in the food and nutrition system: a review of artificial intelligence applications.

Promoting sustainability in food and nutrition systems is essential to address the various challenges and trade-offs within the current food system. This imperative is guided by key principles and actionable steps, including enhancing productivity and efficiency, reducing waste, adopting sustainable agricultural practices, improving economic growth and livelihoods, and enhancing resilience at various levels. However, in order to change the current food consumption patterns of the world and move toward sustainable diets, as well as increase productivity in the food production chain, it is necessary to employ the findings and achievements of other sciences. These include the use of artificial intelligence-based technologies. Presented here is a narrative review of possible applications of artificial intelligence in the food production chain that could increase productivity and sustainability. In this study, the most significant roles that artificial intelligence can play in enhancing the productivity and sustainability of the food and nutrition system have been examined in terms of production, processing, distribution, and food consumption. The research revealed that artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science that uses intelligent machines to perform tasks that require human intelligence, can significantly contribute to sustainable food security. Patterns of production, transportation, supply chain, marketing, and food-related applications can all benefit from artificial intelligence. As this review of successful experiences indicates, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data are a boon to the goal of sustainable food security as they enable us to achieve our goals more efficiently.

Time and temperature abuse of milk in conditions representing a school cafeteria share table does not meaningfully reduce microbial quality

Share tables (ST) are tables or stations in school cafeterias where students can return unopened foods and beverages, providing an opportunity to access these items at no cost. Currently, research suggests that milk is among the most wasted items in breakfast and lunch programs in the United States. Share tables present a simple solution for reducing milk waste, but research is needed to understand the microbial spoilage potential of milk in ST. To this end, uninoculated milk cartons and milk cartons inoculated with 2 to 3 log10(cfu/mL) Pseudomonas poae, a fast-growing psychrotroph, was exposed to ambient temperature during winter (mean temperature = 20.3°C) and summer (23.1°C) for 125 min, repeated over 5 d (the length of a school week). Microbial counts in the inoculated milk cartons increased linearly, exceeding the spoilage threshold of 6.0 log10(cfu/mL) after d 3 and after d 4 in the winter and summer season trials, respectively. In the winter trial, the microbial counts for uninoculated milk cartons never exceeded the lower limit of detection, 2.31 log10(cfu/mL), and in the summer trials, microbial counts never reached the spoilage threshold, indicating that initial contamination is a driving factor of microbial milk spoilage. Regardless of sharing status or seasonality, the greatest changes in counts for inoculated milk cartons occurred during overnight refrigeration, ranging from 0.56 to 1.4 log10(cfu/mL), while during the share table ranged from no observable change up to 0.29 log10(cfu/mL), emphasizing that school nutrition personnel should focus efforts on tightly controlling refrigeration temperatures and returning milk to refrigeration as soon as possible. A previously developed model for school cafeteria share tables was adapted to understand the typical residence time of milk in a simulated cafeteria with an ambient temperature share table for the summer and winter seasons over 1,000 wk. Milk was predicted to have a very short mean residence time (85 min) regardless of sharing status or season, with 99.8% of milk consumed, discarded, or donated within the first 2 d. As a result, only 3 out of 451,410 and 6 out of 451,410 simulated milks spoiled in the winter and summer seasons, respectively. The data generated here can be used to inform science-based decision-making for including milk in share tables, or applied to any system where one might have to accept short-term unrefrigerated storage of milk to meet a waste reduction or food security goal.

Household headship, resource ownership and food security: New evidence from Southeast Nigerian cities

In cities with deeply entrenched sociocultural/patriarchal norms, female-headed households (FHHs) and male-headed households (MHHs) often have unequal access to economic resources and opportunities, which can lead to gender gaps in food security. Male control of economic resources means that women and FHHs are frequently less able to invest in and achieve food security goals. Using an estimated food security line constructed from a set of household food expenditure data retrieved from the 2018/19 Nigeria Living Standards Survey (to delineate households as food secure and food insecure), as well as a nonlinear Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition model, this study investigates how household headship and resource ownership contribute to gendered food (in)security gaps in Nigerian cities. The study offers two main findings. First, there are significant food security inequalities between MHHs and FHHs. Second, the differences in the level of use of household resources/assets explain 56 % of the observed gendered food security inequalities. In sum, the study suggests that: (i) if FHHs are supported to acquire the same level of economic resources as MHHs, their food security status can improve significantly; and (ii) considering household headship and resource ownership as crucial gender equality issues in food security policies can help advance the wellbeing of FHHs in cities. This study's findings are important for the design of policies promoting equal rights to economic resources and the achievement of food security for both men and women.

Nano fertilizers: Revolutionizing Agriculture for Sustainable Crop Growth

Nanofertilizers, a cutting-edge advancement in agricultural technology, have garnered considerable attention for their potential to revolutionize crop production and promote sustainable farming practices. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of nanofertilizers, focusing on their design, properties, applications, and environmental implications. By encapsulating nutrients within nano-sized carriers, nano fertilizers offer controlled release mechanisms that optimize nutrient delivery to plants while minimizing environmental impact. The unique properties of nanofertilizers, including their small size and high surface area-to-volume ratio, facilitate enhanced nutrient absorption and utilization by crops. Moreover, nano fertilizers can be tailored to respond to specific environmental cues, further enhancing their efficacy in diverse agroecosystems. However, the widespread adoption of nano fertilizers raises concerns regarding their potential risks and unintended consequences, necessitating careful evaluation of their environmental fate and toxicity. Through a balanced assessment of opportunities and challenges, this paper underscores the transformative potential of nanofertilizers in promoting sustainable crop growth and advancing global food security goals.

Sustainability of community-based workers in multisectoral food security programs: a case study of producer leaders, village vaccinators, mother leaders, and community health workers in Burkina Faso

The community-based worker (CBW) model is commonly used by food security projects as an approach to catalyze community-driven development and to enhance long-term sustainability of project impacts in rural areas of low-income countries. However, there is limited follow-up research exploring how CBWs continue to carry out expected activities in the years that follow project exit. This case study examines how four different CBW roles—producer leaders, village vaccinators, community healthcare workers, mother leaders—all trained to contribute to the food security goals of a multi-year initiative in Kaya, Burkina Faso, sustained their respective activities post-project. Two years after the project ended, we collected qualitative data to examine how well these CBWs continued providing the activities that they had been trained to provide as expected by the project. We employ a conceptual framework of sustainability and exit strategies to assess what factors contributed to sustained activities and, where activities ceased, what caused them to stop. We find that where activities were sustained, all four hypothesized factors—sustained capacities, resources, motivation, and linkages—were present. We conclude by discussing key lessons and considerations for using the CBW model: (1) gradually transition to independent operation during project lifetime; (2) integrate CBWs into permanent and functional systems through gradual project exit; (3) professionalize the CBW role (re-think the volunteer approach); (4) what to do about resources and (5) co-develop endogenous definitions and indicators from the project onset.

Accounting for and Comparison of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions between Crop and Livestock Sectors in China

The synergistic greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction of the crop production (CP) and livestock farming (LF) sectors is of great significance for food security and low-carbon development, especially for China, the world leader in agricultural production. In this paper, the GHG emissions from the CP and LF sectors are accounted for and compared, and the spatial econometric model is adopted for comparative study based on the panel data from 1997 to 2021. The results show that: (1) The total amount and intensity of GHG emissions from both sectors showed obvious spatial heterogeneity and spatial dependence, and the spatial distribution pattern was relatively stable. (2) The influence of each factor on the GHG intensity and spatial characteristics of CP and LF varies widely. For the CP sector, economic development (local effect −0.29, adjacent effect +1.13), increased urbanization rate (−0.24, +0.16), agricultural structure (−0.29, +0.05), and urban-rural disparity (−0.03, +0.17) all reduce the GHG intensity of local region, while increasing the GHG intensity of its adjacent areas, signifying leakage. The economic structure (+0.06, +0.16), agricultural finance support (+0.02, +0.26), mechanization level (+0.05, +0.03), and land occupancy rate (+0.54, +0.44) all play a role in increasing the GHG intensity of CP in the local region and its adjacent areas. The disaster degree (−0.03, −0.03) also reduced the GHG intensity of CP. For the LF sector, economic structure (+0.08, +0.11), urban-rural disparity (+0.11, +0.21), agricultural development level (+0.03, +0.50), and increased land occupancy rate (+0.05, +0.01) can improve the GHG intensity of the one region and adjacent areas. Economic development (+0.03, −0.15), urbanization rate (+0.04, −0.30), agricultural structure (+0.09, −0.03), and disaster degree (+0.02, −0.06) can increase the GHG intensity of the local region while reducing the GHG intensity of adjacent areas. Based on the results, under the background of carbon peaking and carbon neutralization(dual-carbon) goals, this study first puts forward collaborative emission reduction measures for CP and LF, respectively, then further rises to sector synergy and regional synergy, and constructs the countermeasure system framework of collaborative emission reduction from three levels, to provide guidance and reference for the realization of dual goals of agricultural GHG reduction and food security.

Revolutionizing goat milk gels: A central composite design approach for synthesizing ascorbic acid-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles decorated alginate-chitosan nanoparticles fortified smart gels

Goat milk gels (GMGs) are popular food due to their high water content, low-calorie density, appealing taste, texture enhancers, stability, and satiety-enhancing characteristics, making them ideal for achieving food security and zero hunger. The GMGs were optimized using the central composite design matrix of response surface methodology using goat milk powder (35–55 g), whole milk powder (10–25 g), and potato powder (10–15 g) as independent variables. In contrast, complex modulus, flow stress, and forward extrudability were chosen as dependent variables. The maximum value of complex modulus 33670.9 N, good flow stress 7863.6 N, and good extrudability 65.32 N was achieved under optimal conditions. The optimized goat milk gel was fortified with ascorbic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticle (magnetic nature) decorated alginate-chitosan nanoparticles (AA-MNP@CANPs), making it nutritionally rich in an economically feasible way—the decorated AA-MNP@CANPs characterized for size, shape, crystallinity, surface charge, and optical characteristics. Finally, the optimized fortified smart GMGs were further characterized via Scanning electron microscopy, Rheology, Texture profile analysis, Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The fortified smart GMGs carry more nutritional diversity, targeted iron delivery, and the fundamental sustainability development goal of food security.

Large-scale production: A possible way to the balance between feed grain security and meat security in China

Food security as a national strategy, closely links to China's economic progress, people's livelihoods and social harmony. The balance between feed grain security and meat security remains a key unresolved issue that significantly impacts China's integral food security goal. In this study, we first apply food security index to demonstrate the efficacy of the self-sufficiency rate as an indicator for evaluating the food security situation, and then evaluate meat security and feed grain security with self-sufficiency rate, as well as explore their production challenges and successful long-term development experiences based on related agricultural data. We find that the burgeoning meat consumption has made feed grains a “rigid demand”, among which pork and soybean are critical parts. Pork consumption accounts for over 65% of total meat consumption in 2020, but its self-sufficient rate is waning. Moreover, the self-sufficiency rate of soybean is as low as 0.15, and a great unit yield gap between China and the United States. However, the current production patterns have already reached their attainable potential in production efficiency due to the declining growth rate of unit yield, which also pose challenges for improving production efficiency and domestic supply of soybean. According to the projection by FAO-OECD, the growth rate of unit yield of soybean will remain stagnant from 2020 to 2030. Furthermore, the percentage of medium-scale and large-scale pig farms is remarkably low, accounting for only 0.578% and 0.013%, respectively. Further analysis indicates that large-scale production in soybean and pig industry offers notable advantages in improving production efficiency and reducing feed consumption. Finally, based on factors such as soybean sowing area, regions with high pig slaughter and scale farms, farm size and the pig regional development planning, we propose the integration of soybean-pig in large-scale production in selected possible provinces, which has the potential to improve the production efficiency of soybean and pig, to strike a balance between feed grain security and meat security. This study has practical significance in optimizing the production space of feed grains and livestock products, to improve production capability and ensure China's food security.