Implications For Food Security Research Articles

The impact of climate change on insect pest biology and ecology: Implications for pest management strategies, crop production, and food security

The explosive expansion of the global population and technological progress has greatly influenced agriculture and food production. However, this progress is threatened by climate change, which unleashes a slew of issues like carbon dioxide (CO2) increases, frequent droughts, and temperature shifts that present a substantial obstacle to crop yields and food security. The ramifications of these climatic factors on insect pest biology and ecology are profound, given that these pests depend heavily on these factors. Since crop productivity is tightly connected to both insect pests and these climate variables, changes in these factors can significantly impact crop yields. Therefore, it is imperative to comprehend the impact of climate change on insect pests to manage them effectively and ensure sufficient food production. This review examines the climate change effect on insect pest biology and ecology and explores the potential use of modern pest monitoring technologies and prediction tools to devise effective pest management strategies to improve crop production and food security.

Effects of Some Macro-Economic Variables on Agricultural Output: Implication for Food security in Nigeria (1980-2020)

The study explored the effects of some macroeconomic variables on agricultural sub-sector output: implication for food security in Nigeria (1981-2020). The study specifically looked at the effects of money supply, interest rate, inflation rate, exchange rate and government recurrent expenditure on agricultural output in Nigeria. Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin, index mundi and journals were used as sources for the annual time series data on the research variables for the period 1981–2019. The Autoregressive Distributed Lagged Model was used in the study. The unit root test revealed in the pre-diagnostic tests that the variables were stationary at 1(0) and 1(1). The ARDL Bound test for co-integration revealed that the variables had long-run co-integrating relationship. Additionally, empirical findings indicated that, in the short run, exchange rate, government recurrent expenditure and money supply as macroeconomic variables affected agricultural output The study recommends that since the research showed that money supply had positive effect on agricultural output, government should inprove on money supply so as to enable farmers meet up their required purchases.

Soil Microbes Expertly Balancing Nutrient Demands and Environmental Preservation and Ensuring the Delicate Stability of Our Ecosystems- A Review

It scrutinizes the critical role of soil microbes in balancing nutrient demands and environmental preservation, thereby ensuring the stability of our ecosystems. The document elucidates how these microscopic organisms play a pivotal role in various ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and the promotion of plant health. It details how their metabolic processes influence soil fertility and plant growth, maintaining a fine equilibrium between the soil's nutrient demand and environmental conservation. The review stresses the influence of microbes on soil health and their potential role in mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration, demonstrating their significance beyond primary production. The correlation between microbial communities, climate change, and soil degradation is emphasized, showing how these factors interact in a complex, interconnected network. Modern microbial management strategies, highlighting sustainable methods to exploit their potential in agriculture and environmental conservation. It advocates for more research into soil microbiome functionality, with a special focus on the impact of human activities and climate change. By emphasizing that soil microbes, although invisible, carry profound implications for global sustainability and food security. By optimizing microbial functions, we can improve soil health and fertility, contributing significantly to ecosystem resilience and stability.

Modeling inequality in access to agricultural productive resources and socioeconomic determinants of household food security in Ghana: a cross-sectional study

Women in rural communities remain the most vulnerable population in accessing agricultural productive resources with dire implications for food security, malnutrition, and poverty. Effective agricultural and food-related policies should be based on a better understanding of the complex inter-relationship of how socioeconomic, demographic, gender, women empowerment, and geographical location indicators simultaneously affect access to agricultural productive resources and food security. The study quantified the level of inequality in access to agricultural productive resources and explored the mechanism through which socioeconomic status mediates the effect of geographic location on food security. This is a community-based cross-sectional study using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling design to generate a representative sample of the target population who live in coastal and non-coastal communities. The Gini inequality index, generalized structural equation models, multivariable modified Poisson and Negative binomial regression models were used. The inequality in access to agricultural productive resources was marginally higher among women than in men, higher in the coastal areas than in the non-coastal areas, and higher among women with low empowerment in agricultural production decision-making. The empowerment of women in agricultural decision-making was found to increase with age, as older women were more empowered to make decisions in agriculture. Approximately 17% [95% CI 15.6–18.6] of the population were food-secured (coastal = 13.9%, non-coastal communities = 20.7%). Socioeconomic status mediates the effect of living in coastal versus non-coastal rural communities on food security. To improve food security, the government should prioritize interventions geared toward improving women's access to productive agricultural resources. These interventions must consider gender-specific constraints, poverty alleviation schemes, legal framework, sociocultural factors, and decision-making power.

Cropland abandonment in China: Patterns, drivers, and implications for food security

Grasping cropland abandonment patterns in China can help protect croplands, thereby ensuring the perpetuation of nationwide food security. However, the pattern of long-term cropland abandonment at the national scale remains limited. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of cropland abandonment across China during 1990–2019 by integrating continuous long-term series of land cover, natural factors, and socioeconomic data. We find that the mean abandoned cropland area is 2.34 × 104 km2 per year. The spatial pattern of cropland and natural factors are prime drivers of cropland abandonment, but there is a substantial variation across agricultural regions. Further analysis suggests that annual food loss due to cropland abandonment is about 7.94 billion kilograms, which could feed 19.85 million people. These findings allow for a better understanding of the spatial heterogeneity and driving forces of cropland abandonment patterns, and inspire to govern global cropland abandonment and formulate relevant policies.

Triploid Pacific oysters exhibit stress response dysregulation and elevated mortality following heatwaves.

Polyploidy has been suggested to negatively impact environmental stress tolerance, resulting in increased susceptibility to extreme climate events. In this study, we compared the genomic and physiological response of diploid (2n) and triploid (3n) Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) to conditions present during an atmospheric heatwave that impacted the Pacific Northwestern region of the United States in the summer of 2021. Climate stressors were applied either singly (single stressor; elevated seawater temperature, 30°C) or in succession (multiple stressor; elevated seawater temperature followed by aerial emersion at 44°C), replicating conditions present within the intertidal over a tidal cycle during the event. Oyster mortality rate was elevated within stress treatments with respect to the control and was significantly higher in triploids than diploids following multiple stress exposure (36.4% vs. 14.8%). Triploids within the multiple stressor treatment exhibited signs of energetic limitation, including metabolic depression, a significant reduction in ctenidium Na+ /K+ ATPase activity, and the dysregulated expression of genes associated with stress response, innate immunity, glucose metabolism, and mitochondrial function. Functional enrichment analysis of ploidy-specific gene sets identified that biological processes associated with metabolism, stress tolerance, and immune function were overrepresented within triploids across stress treatments. Our results suggest that triploidy impacts the transcriptional regulation of key processes that underly the stress response of Pacific oysters, resulting in downstream shifts in physiological tolerance limits that may increase susceptibility to extreme climate events that present multiple environmental stressors. The impact of chromosome set manipulation on the climate resilience of marine organisms has important implications for domestic food security within future climate scenarios, especially as triploidy induction becomes an increasingly popular tool to elicit reproductive control across a wide range of species used within marine aquaculture.

Hydropower Development and the Neglect of Inland Capture Fisheries from a Food Systems Perspective

This paper addresses why food security implications of projected losses to inland capture fisheries due to hydropower development have been neglected in policy arenas. Drawing on the case of the Lower Mekong Basin, this paper applies a conceptual framework for analyzing this question as a case of fundamental food system change. Four inter-related axes of change – narratives, actors, institutions and resources – constitute the framework for analyzing and challenging the dynamics and values of food systems change. Despite substantial scientific evidence on the nutritional and food security significance of the fisheries, and the magnitude of negative impacts of planned hydropower development, there has been no discernible shift in hydropower investment and related policy. The lack of attention to this food production loss is due to a broader transformation in food systems, itself shaped by powerful interests and values. Addressing the neglect of fisheries requires challenging this trajectory of food system change.

Climate change and water-related threats in the Indian Sundarbans: food security and management implications

ABSTRACT Based on a desk review and three rounds of the Delphi method, this study examines the impacts of climate change-induced water-related threats on food security in the Indian Sundarbans, and develops management strategies to address the issues. Results show climate change, through its impacts on water, has lowered agricultural output, endangered traditional livelihoods, reduced access to food, and affected food utilization by impacting freshwater availability and creating health hazards. In addition, intensified weather extremes are likely to threaten food security further. A combination of local-level adaptation measures and global-level mitigation initiatives is necessary to ensure food security in this region.

Microplastics in seafood: Implications for food security, safety, and human health

Once critically thought of only as a menace in the marine environment, plastics particulates, especially microplastics (MPs) are gradually gaining access into the human body. However, among diverse sources of exposure examined, seafood might be the most critical, as it is deemed a “necessary evil”. Seafood consumption in recent years has experienced geometric increase and so its likelihood to stealthily introduce food-borne to humans. This is because marine organisms have become repositories of MPs and their domiciled microbial community, which are often not beneficial. We ratiocinated that steady human consumption will increase multiple risks presented plastic composites, their leachates and exogenously formed adsorbents (antibiotic resistance bacteria: ARBs, antibiotic resistance genes: ARGs, heavy metals and noxious aromatics) might pose. However, a critical dearth in literature only affords a collaged comprehension of the whole picture regarding this issue, which might impede progress in risk assessment and control measures. In this regard, this study aimed to update knowledge on known trends and delve deeper to suggest unknowns that might be critical for seafood safety and security, and ultimately, human well-being.

A model-based groundwater recharge zone mapping for food security: A case study of Notwane sub-catchment in Botswana

The understanding of groundwater recharge occurrence in drylands is central to water resources management for various uses. This study uses Remote Sensing and GIS techniques to understand where groundwater recharge occurs, and its implications for water and food security in Notwane River Basin located in the Botswana drylands. WetSpass, a distributed hydrological model was applied to map the potential groundwater recharge zones. Crop yield was predicted using the Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) precision weighing system. Model inputs were land use, soil texture class, topology, slope, groundwater level and catchment hydro meteorological patterns from 1987 to 2017- all sourced from satellite images. Image based classification was done to map the land cover changes in the catchment using ILWIS 30 software. Model outputs were evapotranspiration, surface runoff and groundwater recharge zone maps. The results of image-based land cover classification showed an increase of Settlements/buildup area (22.35%), grassland (5.24%) and a decline in forest cover (3.64%), agricultural land (22.23%) and bareland (3.16%). The results indicate that high recharge zones are associated with low surface runoff in rural, forested areas with sandy soils and the opposite is true for urban, buildup with clay soils. CSIRO predicts yield estimation of up to 2.037 × 103 tonnes of drought resistant maize or sorghum annually using 1100 × 106 L of the available 517.32–434.32 mm/year and 532.64–426.50 mm/year potential surface runoff and groundwater recharge, respectively. Runoff and potential recharge in Notwane sub-catchment suggest an existence of water resources worthy to be explored for food security in water scarce drylands.

A retrospective analysis of climate adaptation strategies and implications for food and nutrition security among small-scale farmers in South Africa

With the ever-increasing climate change, actions to reduce its negative impact while improving food and nutrition security are critical. This review is a retrospective analysis of climate adaptation strategies and implications for food and nutrition security among small-scale farmers in South Africa. The review used bibliometric analysis and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis to track research on implications of adaptation on food and nutrition security, identify adaptation strategies with implications on food and nutrition security and discuss the implications. The analysis shows a steady growth in the research field; however, whether the pace will accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2 by 2030 is unknown. Institutional research collaboration is notable, although weak. The co-occurrence of keywords reflects Climate-Smart Agriculture and food and nutrition linkages, emphasizes the importance of farmers’ perceptions on adopting measures to enhance food and nutrition security and illustrates the risk-vulnerability-resilience nexus. Adaptation measures with implications on food and nutrition security are varied, ranging from individual efforts to government-led initiatives. We recommend strengthening institutional research collaboration to accelerate the pace towards achieving zero hunger, food security and nutrition by 2030. It is also important to have an inclusive policy framework that addresses farmers’ adaptation needs.

Oil exploitation and food insecurity in Nigeria's Niger Delta

AbstractThe destructive impacts of oil exploitation on the natural environment, which the inhabitants of the Niger Delta depend on for their livelihood, pose major threats to food security. Environmental damage alienates the local people from their ancestral lands and erodes their sources of livelihood. This study examines the effect of oil exploitation on the local people's access to sufficient, safe and culturally acceptable food. The study is based on data collected through interviews with key informants and Focus Group Discussions in the oil communities in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States. Environmental and livelihood sustainability are intricately interconnected. They have significant implications for food security of people in the oil-rich region. Nutritional adequacy is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for food security because cultural acceptability is also required. This study addresses the interplay between these factors and their implications for household food security in the Niger Delta.

The impacts of climatic conditions on cereal production: implications for food security in Africa.

Climate change is a confounding factor that affectsfood security in several ways.Although the analyses of earlier studies in this area were largely non-technical, new analytical techniques have been developed tocomprehensively evaluate climate change patternsand their implications for food security. In this study, we use recent developments in panel econometrics, which consider cross-sectional dependence and parameter heterogeneity, to examine the effects of climatic conditions on cereal farming in Africa from 1970Q1 to 2017Q4. The results show that rainfall positively affects cereal crops, although average temperatures are typically unfavourable. In the country-specific scenarios, we observed significant variations in the influence of climatic conditions on cereal production. The causality test results show a two-way causal relationship between climatic conditions-rainfall and temperature-and cereal production. It is suggested that African governments and non-governmental organisations support farmers' adaptation to climate change by implementing policies that prioritise farmers' capacity building and ensure that extension service officers engage with farmers intensively.

Exchange rates and multicommodity international trade: insights from spatial price equilibrium modeling with policy instruments via variational inequalities.

In this paper, we construct a multicommodity international trade spatial price equilibrium model of special relevance to agriculture in which exchange rates are included along with policy instruments in the form of tariffs, subsidies as well as quotas. The model allows for multiple trade routes between country origin nodes and country destination nodes and these trade routes can include different modes of transportation and transport through distinct countries. We capture the impacts of exchange rates through the definition of effective path costs and identify the governing multicommodity international trade spatial price equilibrium conditions, which are then formulated as a variational inequality problem in product path flows. Existence results are established and a computational procedure presented. The illustrative numerical examples and a case study are inspired by the impacts of the war against Ukraine on agricultural trade flows and product prices. The modeling and algorithmic framework allows for the quantification of the impacts of exchange rates and various trade policies, as well as the addition or deletion of supply markets, demand markets and/or routes, on supply and demand market prices in local currencies, and on the volume of product trade flows with implications for food security.

Land Cover Change and Food Security in Central Sumba: Challenges and Opportunities in the Decentralization Era in Indonesia

This study focuses on land cover and land management changes in relation to food security and environmental services in a semi-arid area of East Nusa Tenggara (ENT), Indonesia. The study was conducted in the Central Sumba District of ENT province. A classification and regression tree (CART) for land cover classification was analyzed using machine learning techniques through the implementation of the Google Earth Engine. A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) survey followed by in-depth interviews was conducted for primary data collection, involving a total of 871 respondents. The socio-economic data were statistically analyzed descriptively using non-parametric tests. The study showed that (1) there has been a substantial change in land use during the devolution era that has both positive and negative implications for food security and environmental services; (2) there has been population pressure in fertile and agricultural land as a direct impact of the development of city infrastructure; and (3) national intervention through the Food Estate program has fostered and shaped land use change and land management in the Central Sumba District. The study highlights the importance of the devolution spirit in aiding the management of limited arable/agricultural land in predominantly semi-arid areas to ensure food security and environmental services.

Disparities in Community Food Environments

This publication reviews types of food environment disparities and their implications for food and nutrition security. Written by Alicia Papanek, Catherine G. Campbell, and Karla Shelnutt, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, May 2023.

Policy Dynamics and Their Effect on Food Supply Chains in DKI Jakarta: Implications for Food Security

This scholarly paper investigates the complex interplay between policy dynamics, food supply chains, and food security within the urban confines of DKI Jakarta, Indonesia. The research sheds light on the profound impact of policy changes on various sectors of food supply chains, including production, distribution, consumption, and waste management, thereby determining the city's food security status. Emphasizing the importance of policy stability and coherence, the paper illustrates the potential disruptions in food supply chains resulting from inconsistent policy shifts, posing threats to urban food security. The study concludes with strategic recommendations aimed at enhancing the resilience and efficiency of food supply chains through robust policy mechanisms. The findings of this study serve as a crucial reference for policymakers and stakeholders concerned with reinforcing food security in dense urban landscapes like DKI Jakarta.

Perceived risk of COVID-19 pandemic on crop production: an implication for food security in Ethiopia

BackgroundRisk perception is a subjective psychological construct that is influenced by cognitive, emotional, social, cultural, and individual differences, both within and between individuals and across countries. Although the impact of COVID-19 on short- and long-term food security is difficult to predict, some risk factors and lessons from previous pandemics can be identified. The goal of this study is to assess rural farmers’ perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on crop production and its implications for food security in West Arsi Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 634 small-holder farmers in the west Arsi zone district. From November 1–30, 2020, data was gathered through interviews with local farmers. Data was gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire. Six trained expert agricultural workers were used as data collectors and supervisors, respectively, and both were trained. The questionnaire had been pre-tested. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 25 was used to analyze the data. To identify factors associated with risk perception of the COVID-19 pandemic on crop production, binary and multivariable logistic regression were used, with statistical significance determined at a p-value of 0.05.ResultsThis study found that among farmers in West Arsi Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, about 32.5% reported having perceived risk of COVID-19 pandemic on crop production, and that age greater than or equal to 57, female sex (AOR,1.48 95% CI (1.03–2.12)), primary Educational status (AOR,2.85(1.78–4.58)), and permanent employed occupation of the house head (AOR, 2.27(1.24–4.17) were found to be independent predictors of perceived risk of COVID-19 pandemic on crop production among farmers in West Arsi Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia.ConclusionPerceived risk of COVID-19 on crop production was high and varied across age groups, sexes, educational attainment levels, and the occupation of the head of the household.

Microplastic contamination in salted and sun dried fish and implications for food security – A study on the effect of location, style and constituents of dried fish on microplastics load

The presence of microplastics in 21 different species of marine dried fish products from four locations in India is reported in this study. All samples have microplastics, and majority of the MPs were found to be fragments (56 %) and are of <100 μm size (47 %). Eviscerated fish found to have significantly higher MPs than whole fish. Micro FTIR spectroscopy was used to recognize the polymer of identified MPs, which included polypropylene (21 %), low density polyethylene (17.5 %), polystyrene (15.5 %), and others. Anguilla bengalensis from station 1 had the greatest concentration of microplastics (99 ± 18.91 MPs/g) among all the samples. High value of microplastics polymer induced risk index (H) of different stations, suggesting a significant level of threat to consumer safety. Additional research is required to determine the potential effects on human health caused by consuming dried fish that contains variety of microplastics and their associated compounds.

Declining potential of local food supplies to satisfy urban demand during 1990‒2015 and the resulting implications for urban food security

ABSTRACT This study developed the two new indexes, the distance to the nearest cropland (DTNC) of urban residents and the foodshed radius of urban residents (FRUR), to evaluate the potential of China's local food system to sustainably meet urban food needs. The results found that the per-capita DTNC increased by 53% over 1990−2015, with a total increase of 8.2 × 106 km on a national scale; the FRUR estimated on a “business-as-usual” basis was estimated to be 10.1 km. This study further predicted that stress on local food supplies will continue increasing until the 2040s, particularly in mega-urban areas. Appropriate spatial planning regarding the distribution of cropland and urban areas is necessary for mega-urban regions to cope with crisis situations when the external food supply is restricted. Such planning will ultimately ensure the long-term sustainability of urban areas.