Improve Food Supply Research Articles

System dynamic model of water, energy and food nexus for policy implementation

In this study, a spatiotemporal disaggregated simulation model was developed based on water–food–energy (WFE) nexus approach to assess water and food supply security considering ecosystem provisioning services. The main components of the developed model in this study (SD-WFE model) are population, water, agriculture, and energy modules. The model, which was developed using system dynamics (SD) approach, was utilized to simulate effectiveness of sectoral municipal, industrial, and agricultural water and energy consumption management and environmental protection policies in improving ecosystem provisioning services during a 20-year period. Through sensitivity analysis utilizing the Monte Carlo model, the study addresses the formulation of sustainable water resource policies across four main categories: water demand management, water supply management, food resource management, and energy resource demand management. Additionally, it explores the integration of policies within an optimal framework. The simulation of proposed solutions revealed that a combination of water demand management and food resource management yielded the most promising outcome. Specifically, the recommended solution entails enhancing water irrigation efficiency by 18% through the expansion of pressurized irrigation network coverage, adjusting cropping patterns by 14%, reducing agricultural product losses by 8% via improved food supply management, minimizing food demand by 9% due to reduced food consumption losses, and achieving an annual 10% increase in crop performance. These selected policies form the foundation for sustainable water resource management strategies.

Reevaluating Economic Drivers of Household Food Waste: Insights, Tools, and Implications Based on European GDP Correlations

This article examines the relationship between household food waste and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in various European regions, aiming to determine how economic prosperity influences the levels of household food waste. Using comparative analysis of secondary and tertiary data, a synthetic indicator (IpFW) was developed to assess the interaction between GDP per capita and household food waste per capita. Linear correlation analysis was also applied for better interpretation of the data. Despite expectations, higher GDP is not consistently correlated with lower household food waste, challenging economic prosperity and environmental stewardship assumptions. This research highlights the complexity of the interaction between economic factors and household food waste management, revealing a lack of significant correlation even at the regional level. The findings indicate a need to re-evaluate current policies and highlight that improving food supply chains and influencing consumer behavior can promote more sustainable consumption patterns, which is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Preliminary Insights on Barriers to and Facilitators of Healthy Eating for Rural Residents Emerging from Extreme Poverty: A Qualitative Study in Dafang, China.

The purpose of this study was to examine the dietary views and practices and to identify associated barriers to and facilitators of healthy eating of rural residents emerging from poverty in the context of rapid socio-economic development. A qualitative design with semi-structured interviews was utilized to collect detailed insights into the dietary behaviors of 22 rural residents from 10 villages in Fengshan town, Dafang county, Guizhou province, China. Thematic analysis was applied to interpret the interview data, guided by the socio-ecological model. Four themes were identified: traditional eating patterns, factors influencing food choice, limited knowledge of healthy diet, and lack of nutritional guidance. Barriers to healthy eating included traditional but unhealthy foods, limited nutritional knowledge, inadequate understanding of nutritional requirements, overwhelming nutritional information, and limited professional guidance. Facilitators encompassed healthy traditional eating patterns, household composition, home gardening, preference for traditional bean and soy products, improved food supply and availability owing to poverty alleviation efforts, and being open to receiving professional dietary guidance. As a preliminary investigation into the dietary views and practices of this population, the study highlights a significant gap in the nutritional knowledge and guidance available to rural residents in China, emphasizing the need for comprehensive strategies that address the complex socio-ecological factors influencing dietary behaviors.

Sustainable dynamic planning and policy implementation for water, energy and food resources

The current investigation focuses on analyzing dynamic approaches to sustainable water resource management policies, considering the interconnectedness of water, food and energy resources. This analysis takes into consideration changes in demand resulting from population growth and economic development over a twenty-year timeframe, employing a systems dynamics methodology. Initially, the model was developed and simulated using data from the case province as a macro-scale representation of the water-food-energy resource framework, while also factoring in the continuation of current conditions. Through sensitivity analysis utilizing the Monte Carlo model, the study addresses the formulation of sustainable water resource policies across four main categories: water demand management, water supply management, food resource management, and energy resource demand management. Additionally, it explores the integration of policies within an optimal framework. The simulation of proposed solutions revealed that a combination of water demand management and food resource management yielded the most promising outcome. Specifically, the recommended solution entails enhancing water irrigation efficiency by 17 % through the expansion of pressurized irrigation network coverage, adjusting cropping patterns by 12 %, reducing agricultural product losses by 7 % via improved food supply management, minimizing food demand by 7 % due to reduced food consumption losses, and achieving an annual 8 % increase in crop performance. These selected policies form the foundation for sustainable water resource management strategies.

Quantifying the production of plant pollen at the farm scale.

Plant pollen is rich in protein, sterols and lipids, providing crucial nutrition for many pollinators. However, we know very little about the quantity, quality and timing of pollen availability in real landscapes, limiting our ability to improve food supply for pollinators. We quantify the floral longevity and pollen production of a whole plant community for the first time, enabling us to calculate daily pollen availability. We combine these data with floral abundance and nectar measures from UK farmland to quantify pollen and nectar production at the landscape scale throughout the year. Pollen and nectar production were significantly correlated at the floral unit, and landscape level. The species providing the highest quantity of pollen on farmland were Salix spp. (38%), Filipendula ulmaria (14%), Rubus fruticosus (10%) and Taraxacum officinale (9%). Hedgerows were the most pollen-rich habitats, but permanent pasture provided the majority of pollen at the landscape scale, because of its large area. Pollen and nectar were closely associated in their phenology, with both peaking in late April, before declining steeply in June and remaining low throughout the year. Our data provide a starting point for including pollen in floral resource assessments and ensuring the nutritional requirements of pollinators are met in farmland landscapes.

Semendo Coffee Development and Partnership Strategy to Enhance Governance for Food Security and Climate Change Mitigation

Semendo coffee is a major income source for agricultural households in the Semendo region. Agroforestry is commonly employed practice at numerous Semendo coffee plantations. Timber and Multipurpose Tree Species widely cultivated to provide shade. This study examines Semendo coffee’s governance-enhancing development and collaboration methods. SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, threats) and AHP (analytic hierarchy process) analysis are used to determine the most suitable governance strategies and policies for Semendo coffee development. The data was gathered from key persons who possess expertise and serve as representatives for pertinent stakeholders and commercial entities throughout the Semendo coffee supply chain. SWOT analysis shows that the Strength-Opportunity (SO) strategy could improve Semendo coffee governance. High-quality coffee production, relevant party cooperation, and marketing network expansion are the proposed strategies. The AHP says mutual need drives partnership decision-making the most. Plasma-core partnerships are best for creating a strong sense of mutual need. Integration of the SO strategy with the core-plasma partnership is proposed to improve Semendo coffee governance. Agroforestry in Semendo coffee production can produce fruits and sequester carbon, reducing climate change. Agroforestry-based Semendo coffee management is expected to improve food supply, distribution, and consumption. This development is expected to maintain environmental integrity, notably in climate change mitigation.

Selection of forage grasses for cultivation under water-limited conditions using Manhattan distance and TOPSIS.

Extreme weather events, such as severe droughts, pose a threat to the sustainability of beef cattle by limiting the growth and development of forage plants and reducing the available pasture for animals. Thus, the search for forage species that are more tolerant and adapted to soil water deficit conditions is an important strategy to improve food supply. In this study, we propose utilizing the mathematical concept of the Manhattan distance to assess the variations in the morphological variables of tropical forage grasses under water-limited conditions. This study aimed to select genotypes of tropical forage grasses under different water stress levels (moderate or severe) at this distance and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Nine varieties from five species were examined. Forage grasses were grown in 12-L pots under three soil irrigation regimes [100% pot capacity-PC (well-irrigated control), 60% PC (moderate drought stress), and 25% PC (severe drought stress)] with four replicates. Drought stress treatments were applied for 25 days during the forage grass tillering and stalk elongation phases. After exposure to drought stress, the growth and morphological traits of forage plants were evaluated. The results show that the use of the Manhattan distance combined with TOPSIS helps in the genotypic selection of more stable tropical forage grass varieties when comparing plants exposed to moderate and severe drought conditions in relation to the nonstressful environment (control). The 'ADR 300', 'Pojuca', 'Marandu', and 'Xaraés' varieties show greater stability when grown in a greenhouse and subjected to water stress environments. The selected forage varieties can be used as parents in plant breeding programs, allowing us to obtain new drought-resistant genotypes.

Background commentary on the Researching the Obesogenic Food Environment (ROFE) project.

The objective of this commentary is to provide an overview of the rationale and objectives of the Researching the Obesogenic Food Environment (ROFE) project that was conducted in Ghana and South Africa. Narration has been used to describe the main objectives, phases as well as the methods used for the conduct of this project. The project described in this commentary was conducted in Khayelitsha and Mount Frere in South Africa and Ahodwo and Ejuratia for Ghana. Participants of the study described here include households in South Africa and Ghana, stakeholders and policymakers, and various actors within the food chain in both countries. The ROFE findings provide a good understanding of the extent of the impact of the food environment on consumption, characteristics of value chains of healthy and unhealthy foods, as well as the potential for improved governance and policy that is relevant to the region. The supplement provides the opportunity to share the extensive findings of the ROFE project. Nine papers that describe the process and findings of the three phases of the ROFE project have been presented. Some of the papers focus on phases of the ROFE, while others cut across different phases and explore the linkages between the phases. Briefly descriptions of key findings of some of the papers in the supplement are provided. Together, the findings of the ROFE study presented in this supplement have increased understanding of how communities in SA and Ghana interact with their food supplies and have led to identification of specific opportunities to improve food supply policies, in ways that create incentives for the production and consumption of healthy, relative to unhealthy foods.

Incorporating sustainability in the food supply chain: The development of a private standard of Nature Farming poultry production in Brazil

This article aims to communicate sustainability dimensions and attributes for poultry production throughout a supply chain by developing a Nature Farming (NF) system standard. Poultry production is relevant for food security and job creation, an important economic activity and a significant export item in Brazil. The NF poultry production system was implemented in the 90s as a pioneering initiative, opening space for differentiated products. However, certification of NF poultry products has yet to be established and implemented to reach consumers. The NF products are identified as organic on labels, which does not distinguish the method’s sustainability, and communication of specificities needs to be more efficient. We studied the process of establishing a private food standard with a sustainable approach, considering perceptions of the supply chain's agents. The method was a case study of a poultry company that applies NF system. The qualitative research involved interviews with 27 company managers, 23 poultry producers, seven farm assistance technicians, 11 auditors, and 12 commercial managers. The results showed innovation by introducing a Nature Farming poultry standard comprising product attributes and sustainability criteria in the dimensions: environmental, economic, and social in conjunction with two significant dimensions, which are ethical and health. Our findings indicated that Nature Farming is a specific style of agriculture that is diverse from other currents of alternative agriculture. We proposed expressions and claims about the system’s quality attributes, aiming at the clarity of communication with consumers. We concluded that the developed standard might be the basis for certification of products. This work contributes to improving food supply chain management with differentiated and sustainable processes.

Bibliometric Analysis of Farmers' Rural-Urban Migration Based on the Scopus Platform

Cities and metropolitan regions provide economic and social opportunities for individuals in today's globalized and rapid urbanization period. However, urbanization has led to unequal economic growth between rural and urban regions, promoting urban migration. Migration is a cross-cutting problem on the SDG 2030 agenda, presenting fresh difficulties at national and international levels. Rural-urban migration is a common phenomenon in developing countries. In many cases, rural farmers migrated and left their existing farming profession. Many people believe there are some positive effects, like improving food supply, schooling for kids, etc., and some adverse effects, like poor housing and unhygienic living environments in cities for the migrants. However, very few studies have been conducted in this aspect. Considering these, the present study showed a bibliometric study of farmers' rural-urban migration based on the Scupas platform. The study used both Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software. The bibliometric analysis of scholarly articles from 2013 to 2023 is presented in the article, including the analysis of 1,549 journals, books, and other publications, with 3,892 documents from the Scopus platform. Influential journals, such as "SUSTAINABILITY", "INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH", and "PLOS ONE". Leading research countries are China and the USA. Active institutions in rural-urban migration include the University of Amsterdam, Beijing Normal University, Peking University, etc. Future research should consider data from different sources and integrate cross-border populations, as conceptual analysis based on keywords may provide a superficial interpretation.

Interspecific competition and productivity in a dryland silage maize/alfalfa intercropping system

AbstractCereal–legume intercropping has the potential to reduce the use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and increase forage yield and quality, however, how to optimize system design to fully realize interspecific complementary and enhance crop production in an annual and perennial crops intercropping was not well understood. This study was conducted to evaluate the interspecific interaction and yield performance of silage maize (Zea mays L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) intercropping in response to N management and row arrangement under the rain‐fed conditions on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Five planting arrangements, namely, sole maize, sole alfalfa, and maize and alfalfa intercropping in rows of 1:2 (I12), 2:2 (I22), and 2:4 (I24), were compared over a period of 4 years (2018–2021). Two N‐levels (150 and 90 kg N ha−1) were applied to maize in each planting arrangement. Our results show that maize was the dominant species in 2018. In the next 3 years (2019–2021), maize was outcompeted by alfalfa during the first and second cuts of alfalfa, and complete recovery growth of maize was recorded at the third cut. The interspecific competition of I24 was less severe, resulting in a higher yield than I12 and I22. Although the reduction of N application reduced the biomass and crude protein (CP) yield, it weakened the interspecific competition and substantially increased the land equivalent ratio (LER). I24 under low N yielded more than sole cropping, with the LER based on biomass and CP yield of 1.01–1.12 and 1.08–1.18, respectively. In addition, I24 had the highest net revenue of 24,251 ¥ ha−1 on average. Therefore, maize/alfalfa intercrop with a higher alfalfa proportion and a wide strip arrangement (I24) in combination with low N application could alleviate interspecific competition and improve forage production, which is suggested for our study region and similar dryland farming areas worldwide. Maize/alfalfa intercropping provides a basis for grain and livestock mixed farming and helps to improve food supply and resilience of the farming system.

Exploring Factors and Impact of Blockchain Technology in the Food Supply Chains: An Exploratory Study.

Blockchain technology (BCT) has been proven to have the potential to transform food supply chains (FSCs) based on its potential benefits. BCT promises to improve food supply chain processes. Despite its several benefits, little is known about the factors that drive blockchain adoption within the food supply chain and the impact of blockchain technology on the food supply chain, as empirical evidence is scarce. This study, therefore, explores factors, impacts and challenges of blockchain adoption in the FSC. The study adopts an exploratory qualitative interview approach. The data consist of Twenty-one interviews which were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques in NVivo (v12), resulting in identifying nine factors classified under three broad categories (Technology-complexity, compatibility, cost; Organization-organization size, knowledge; Environment-government support, competitive pressure, standardization, and compliance) as the most significant factors driving blockchain adoption in the FSC. In addition, five impacts were identified (visibility, performance, efficiency, trust, and value creation) to blockchain technology adoption. This study also identifies significant challenges of blockchain technology (interoperability, privacy, infrastructure conditions, and lack of knowledge). Based on the findings, the study developed a conceptual framework for blockchain adoption in food supply chains. The study adds to the corpus of knowledge by illuminating the adoption of blockchain technology and its effects on food supply chains and by giving the industry evidence-based guidance for developing its blockchain plans. The study provides full insights and awareness of blockchain adoption challenges among executives, supply chain organizations, and governmental agencies.

Creation Experience of Startup Campuses in Major Regions (North America, Far East, Australia and Europe)

Startup campuses are a gathering place for local startups. On the one hand, they bring together innovative startups, and on the other hand, they offer solutions for international market entry through various incubator programmes, investment services, training networks, education, extensive networking capital, and mentoring. Startup campuses should be seen as a 21st century combination of decentralised incubators, accelerators, and business angels. The world’s leading startup and innovation campuses recognise the need to build the right environment and ecosystem for startups to grow quickly and efficiently. Among the startup campus ecosystems, the US Silicon Valley stands out, home to seven of the world’s top ten startups. Currently, five large startup ecosystems (New York, London, Beijing, Boston, and Shanghai) have the best business development capabilities, and two are trying to catch up (Los Angeles and Tel Aviv). Among startup ecosystems, the US leads the race by a significant margin, but European startup campuses are also growing steadily, while South American startup incubators are lagging behind. The study seeks to find out what services startup campuses provide in different regions, what their main activities are, and how successful they are. The topic is also important because startups most often respond to broad societal problems, such as access to basic services at affordable prices, reducing poverty and inequality, and increasing diversity and inclusiveness. On environmental issues, the most common targets are improving food supply and security, clean energy, climate change solutions, water, and sanitation.

Investigation of Carbon Footprints of Three Desalination Technologies: Reverse Osmosis (RO), Multi-Stage Flash Distillation (MSF) and Multi-Effect Distillation (MED)

Nowadays, the drinking water shortage is increasing, mainly due to rapid population growth, climate change, wasteful overuse of water, and pollution. Under the current circumstances, a quarter of the world's population will not have access to good quality drinking water. Thus, another solution must be adopted in areas with insufficient freshwater. One possible line is the desalination of seawater, one of the most practical solutions to solve the problem of drinking water shortage along the oil availability shore and continues to expand globally. Water produced may also be utilized for irrigation, reducing a region's reliance on imports, contributing to the local economy, and improving food supplies. However, this process is not a consequences-free procedure; it may cause several environmental and human health problems.The three most applied desalination technologies are reverse osmosis (RO), multi-stage flash distillation (MSF), and multi-effect distillation (MED). In this study, the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) of drinking water produced from seawater using these three technologies with fossil and renewable energy sources were investigated based on two methods: life cycle assessment (LCA) using SimaPro life cycle analysis software and carbon footprints. As a result, RO technology has significantly lower CO2 emissions than thermal technologies. The RO combined renewable energy is the most environmentally friendly; provides outstanding benefits in terms of human health and ecosystem quality. This technology may still evolve in the future to produce longer-lasting, cheaper membranes, and the energy requirements of this process are lower with applying modern energy recovery systems.

CROP RECOMMENDER SYSTEM

The development of farming techniques improved food supply to the nation's GDP and made it simpler for farmers to grow the precise and suitable crop without any risk or loss in productivity. Agriculture is important to human existence and livelihood because it has become a necessary and crucial part of our daily lives. To maintain the sustainability in rate and quality of production, we need to involve and introduce the best portable and noncomplex strategies such as machine learning tools to carry on the needed operations and procedures to get desired and expected crop by coordinating and initiating data exchange between the scientific and practical platforms which is the trending existing system. The idea behind this project, called the crop recommendation system, is to define and state that the appropriate crop should be grown based on a number of relative parameters, including soil features like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that are extracted from the soil through filtration, and weather conditions that are embedded in a dataset in the form of structured data. This dataset is taken over by machine learning algorithms that will perform some operations like classification and will be finding the accuracy where in detail to be explained we will be splitting the given dataset into training and testing data and compare the results of those algorithms based on accuracy that each model gives and that will be our preferred algorithm. Along with a few dimensionality reduction techniques including PCA, LDA, andcross validation, we applied machine learning techniques like Decision Tree, Random Forest, and KNN.

Potential of innovative marine aquaculture techniques to close nutrient cycles

AbstractAquaculture is an established technique for producing marine species. However, it creates large amounts of nutrient‐rich waste. Therefore, it is worth examining the methods available to use these nutrients and close the nutrient cycle. This review covers research activities of different saline water methods for food production. These are Integrated Multi‐Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), Biofloc Technology (BFT) and marine aquaponics. IMTA combines on‐ and offshore aquaculture with macroalgae and filter feeder production. Commercial implementations have been achieved but are not widely used. Especially shrimp are suitable for cultivation in saline BFT systems. Few commercial deployments exist. There is a well‐established market for the products of IMTA and BFT systems. Marine aquaponics is increasingly being tested as part of an expansion of Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and BFT systems, but commercial implementations are not known. Moreover, there is no established market for the resulting salt‐tolerant plants (halophytes). Market prices and popularity were evaluated to assess the economic potential of the different plant and aquaculture species farmed with IMTA, BFT and marine aquaponics. There are established markets for well‐known products, but therefore the competition is greater. Niche products are offered occasionally, but often achieve top prices. Closing nutrient cycles and increasing saline water usage for food production as well as high product diversity are necessary to mitigate the increasing pressure on freshwater resources and to be able to feed the growing world population. Therefore, IMTA, BFT and marine aquaponics are promising techniques for reducing pressure on freshwater resources and improving food supply.

Inter- and intra-annual changes in food consumption among rural households in East China

Rapid economic development and urbanization have changed the pattern of global food consumption. This change can be particularly well observed when studying differences in food consumption among urban and rural residents. This study explored the temporal dynamics in household food consumption (HFC) in rural households of the Shandong Province in China. The study revealed that the inter-annual changes in HFC, starting with 2009, brought about a substantial increase in meat and vegetables intake. Improvements in living conditions represented the key driver of this change. The intra-annual changes were reflected in increased consumption of fruits and vegetables in summer being attributed to improved food supply and warmer weather. The variety of consumed food increased, especially during holidays, being driven by increased visitation of friends and relatives and the influence of Chinese culture. Children’s food preferences when visiting home resulted in increased consumption of meat, vegetables, and aquatic products. The findings provide a scientific basis to enhance the food consumption structure and refine the dietary nutrition levels in rural areas of China. The findings also provide a reference point which can be used to examine temporal changes in food consumption in other countries of the world.

The Role of Blockchain in Revolutionizing the Agricultural Sector

Since blockchain technology has proven to be effective in the development of a wide range of industries, its use in other fields is also being expanded. Agriculture is one such sector, where blockchain technology is being used to improve farm business operations. Today, several agribusiness firms are utilizing technology to improve food supply chain tracking. For example, Farmers Edge, the world’s leading company that revolutionized the field of digital agriculture through its work in providing advanced artificial intelligence solutions, as well as new opportunities that give agriculture a globally advanced future for all stakeholders, has taken a significant step forward. The issue of blockchain network technology and its applications in agriculture will be discussed in this study, as well as the key advantages that this technology can provide, when employed to make the lives of both producers and consumers easier. In addition, a total of 79 research papers were evaluated, with a focus on the state of blockchain technology in agriculture, related issues, and its future importance, as well as relevant contributions to this new technology and the distributions of this study by different countries.

Land Use, Environmental, and Food Consumption Patterns in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2015: A Review

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) land use changes are primarily influenced by agriculture and its population. The region faces various challenges ranging from rainfall variabilities to poverty and insecurities, which further hampered food supply and production. The spatial analysis identified six land uses—agriculture, forest, grassland, wetland, urban, and others (i.e., bare land, water, and sparse vegetation), showing relative percentage changes. Additionally, information collected and analyzed shows that the Millennium Development Goals period witnessed increased agricultural land use changes in the environment to improve food supply, and farmers adopted local methods and native experiences to mitigate environmental particularities facing the region. Farmers’ landholdings are fragmented, and food supply per capita is low albeit rich in calories, and nutrition is still unbalanced, while bushmeat consumption is popular and serves as an alternative to animal-sourced protein. Concerted efforts should be made to improve food security and edge closer to the sustainable development goal during this decade.

Impacts of bioenergy sustainable growth on food security in EU28 region: an empirical analysis

This research analyzes the influence of bioenergy use on food supply in the 28 European Union (EU) countries under the governance quality system in 1990–2018. We used the pooled ordinary least squares technique and found that bioenergy growth (under the quality governance system), fossil fuel, and gross domestic product appears to increase food supply more in 13 European Union (EU13) underdeveloped countries. On the other hands, governance quality and population density have greatly affected food supply in 15 European Union developed countries (EU15) compared with EU13 European countries. These findings imply that the number of bioenergy resources which could be used directly in agricultural food chain end-use sectors will effectively increase food supply and thus contribute to the global warming objective. The results were verified by the pooled least squares (Pooled OLS) and fixed effect methods. The study recommends that the Member States of the European Union increase bioenergy in the energy mix to improve food supply, as systematic output does not compete with food-producing resources. The authorities should illustrate organized food supply and bioenergy policy by developing alternative strategies for reducing fossil fuel power and related CO2 emissions, according to the unique characteristics of both developed and developing countries in the EU.