Promote Food Security Research Articles

Hill-placement of manure and fertilizer for improving maize nutrient- and water-use efficiencies in the northern Benin

Optimizing the use of organic and mineral fertilizer in rain-fed maize production is crucial for sustainable food production in sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigates the effect of hill-placement of two nutrient sources (farmyard manure and synthetic fertilizer) on nutrient- and water-use efficiencies of maize crops i.e. recovery efficiency (NUEre), internal utilization efficiency (NUEie) and water use efficiency (WUE). A four-year trial was conducted in the tropical sub-humid zone of the northern Benin with a factorial combination of farmyard manure at three levels (0, 3 and 6 t ha−1, hereafter NM, 3M and 6M, respectively) and three levels of fertilizer [0% (NF), 50% (50F) and 100% (100F) of the recommended rate (76 kg N + 13.1 kg P + 24.9 kg K ha−1) by the national center for agricultural research. The NUEre decreased with increasing rate of manure and/or fertilizer, but the decreasing rate was lower under combined manure and fertilizer application. However, the NUEie increased with the increasing manure and fertilizer amounts. The WUE was significantly higher in 3M and 6M treatments than in NM treatment, and higher in 50F and in 100F than in NF treatments. The combination of 3000 kg ha−1 farmyard manure with half recommended fertilizer rate (100 kg ha−1) could be suggested as an optimal nutrient management practice for maize production in the Northern Benin. Future studies should target the other agro-ecological zones in Benin, and also consider other widely cultivated crops in the study area for reducing yield gaps and promote food security.

Challenging the Maligning of Homemade Human Milk Substitutes During a Shortage of Commercial Formula

Infant formula (human milk substitutes) has been commercialized and capitalized in such a way that during times of shortages, families unable to offer human milk struggle to provide for their infant’s needs. A thoughtfully designed and safely prepared homemade recipe may meet the needs of families struggling to access commercial products. Analysis of a simple recipe indicates that it appears to be of greater nutritional value than the emergency formula suggested by the World Health Organization. Naturopathic doctors play a key role in empowering parents to provide safe and reliable nutrition for infants. As a profession, we have a great responsibility to advocate for the decommodification of food in order to promote food security and sovereignty, ensuring that people of all ages, including infants, have access to the most appropriate food for their health.

Consumer food storage practices and methods at the household-level: a community study in Ghana

IntroductionHousehold-level food storage can make food available to consumers, and promotes food security. Nevertheless, attention is mostly devoted to enhancing food storage at the farmer and national levels, neglecting the household level. It is therefore critical to assess food storage practices of households. This study examined food storage practices of households, evaluated expert opinions on household-level food storage, and assessed the effect household characteristics has on food storage and food security.MethodsDzorwulu and Jamestown communities in Accra, Ghana, were chosen as the study locations. The study consisted of a survey, expert interviews and structural equation modeling. For the survey, 400 food household heads selected using systematic sampling method responded to a semi-structured questionnaire. Seventeen (17) experts were also purposively sampled and interviewed.Results and DiscussionThe results showed that, most households stored foodstuffs they often consumed, with generally low storage of fruits and vegetables. Perishable foods such as cassava, tomato, yam, and banana were stored by 37.8, 42, 38.3 and 43.8% of households, respectively, for 1–3 days. Households often stored food within a period of 2 weeks, due to poor storage facilities and lack of food storage knowledge. About 85.8% of households had never received training on food storage. Most households used baskets, bowls, sacks and polyethylene bags to store food at home, and some used refrigerators and deep freezers. Regarding the link between food storage and food security, household heads’ income showed a significant positive moderating effect (p ≤ 0.01), households’ socioeconomic status had a positive effect, while household size indicated a significant negative moderating effect (p ≤ 0.01). The experts asserted that, household-level food storage enhances food security and food safety, and reduces food expenditure and food wastage. The limited food storage knowledge of households should be a basis for intervention to enhance proper food storage practices within households.

ADAPTABILIDADE E ESTABILIDADE DE CULTIVARES DE AVEIA À REDUÇÃO DO USO DE FUNGICIDA COM PRODUTIVIDADE SATISFATÓRIA

Purpose: The objective of the study is to identify oat cultivars with satisfactory productivity and adaptability to reduced use of fungicide concomitant with the longest interval between the last application and grain harvest, in the recommendation of biotype more adjusted to agroecological management. Method/design/approach: The study was developed in 2018, 2019, in Augusto Pestana, RS, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized block with three replications in a 23 x 5 factorial, for 23 Brazilian oat cultivars and 5 fungicide use conditions, applied on the time scale every 15 days cumulatively: control (no application); one application 60 days after emergence (DAE); two applications at 60, 75 DAE; three applications at 60, 75, 90 DAE and four applications at 60, 75, 90, 105 DAE. Results and conclusion: Experimental strategies with the analysis of adaptability and stability help to identify oat cultivars that are more resilient to the absence or reduction of fungicide use, promoting more sustainable management. The cultivars URS Brava and URS Altiva present satisfactory productivity with adaptability to the absence or reduced use of fungicide, providing a safe interval from the last application to the grain harvest, with the indication for agroecological management. It is necessary to promote food security based on new scenarios, including the environment, technology, economy and society. Originality/value: Unprecedented study seeking to reduce the use of fungicidal pesticides to control oat diseases using adaptability and stability models, providing opportunities for the analysis of different scenarios to identify cultivars more suited to agroecological management.

"Where Creator Has My Feet, There I Will Be Responsible": Place-Making in Urban Environments through Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiatives.

There is a growing emergence of Indigenous Food Sovereignty (IFS) initiatives across urban centers within many regions of Canada. Urban Indigenous communities are leading these efforts to revitalize Indigenous foods and agricultural practices while promoting food security and increasing Land-based connections within cities. However, the socio-ecological environments within these urban contexts affect IFS initiatives in unique ways which have not been previously explored. This study addresses these gaps by drawing on qualitative interviews with seven urban Indigenous people leading IFS initiatives within Grand River Territory (situated within southern Ontario, Canada). Applying community-based participatory methods, this research explored how place impacts IFS initiatives within urban environments. Thematic analysis generated two overarching thematic categories: Land access, and place-making practices, revealing a bi-directional, dynamic interaction between place and urban IFS initiatives. Relationships with landowners, control of land, and external factors determined how Land was accessed in urban environments. Place-making practices involved fostering relationships with Land, upholding responsibilities, and cultivating Land-based knowledges. Therefore, IFS initiatives are impacted by Land access, but also facilitate place-making for urban Indigenous Peoples. These findings demonstrate pathways towards Indigenous self-determination and IFS within urban contexts, which can be applicable to other urban Indigenous communities.

Improving environmental sustainability of agriculture in Egypt through a life-cycle perspective

Soil plays an essential role as a habitat, source of nutrients and support for vegetation. Promoting food security and environmental sustainability of agricultural systems requires an integrated approach to soil fertility management. Agricultural activities should be developed with preventive approaches aimed at avoiding or reducing negative impacts on the soil physicochemical and biological properties and the depletion of soil nutrient reserves. In this regard, Egypt has developed the Sustainable Agricultural Development Strategy to encourage environmentally friendly practices among farmers, such as crop rotation and water management, in addition to extending agriculture to desert areas, favoring the socio-economic development of the region. In order to evaluate the outcomes of the plan beyond quantitative data of production, yield, consumption and emissions, the environmental profile of agriculture in Egypt has been assessed under a life-cycle perspective in order to identify the associated environmental burdens and ultimately contribute to improving the sustainability policies of agricultural activity within the framework of a crop rotation system.In particular, a two-year crop rotation (Egyptian clover-maize-wheat) was analyzed in two distinct agricultural areas in Egypt: New Lands in desert regions and Old Lands along the Nile River, traditionally recognized as fertile areas due to the river alluvium and water availability. The New Lands had the worst environmental profile for all impact categories, except for Soil organic carbon deficit and Global potential species loss. Irrigation and on-field emissions associated with mineral fertilization were identified as the most critical hotspots of Egyptian agriculture. In addition, land occupation and land transformation were reported as the main drivers of biodiversity loss and soil degradation, respectively. Beyond these results, further research on biodiversity and soil quality indicators is needed to more accurately assess the environmental damage caused by the conversion of deserts into agricultural areas, given the species richness these regions hold.

Predictors of Food Insecurity and Childhood Hunger in the Bronx During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Using a community-based participatory research approach, we conducted a survey of 218 food pantry recipients in the south Bronx to determine predictors of food insecurity and childhood hunger. In adjusted multiple regression models, statistically significant risk factors for food insecurity included: having one or more children and not having health insurance. Statistically significant protectors against childhood hunger were: having a graduate degree, having health insurance and Spanish being spoken at home. Experiencing depression symptoms was positively associated with both food insecurity and childhood hunger. Frequency of food pantry use was not significantly associated with either food insecurity nor childhood hunger. This study suggests that targeting families with multiple children and without insurance will best help to promote food security among residents of the south Bronx. Social policy implications related to food security and benefit provision through the COVID-19 pandemic are also provided.

The contributions of urban horticulture to cities' liveability and resilience: Insights from Singapore

Social Impact StatementThe importance of urban horticulture, a practice of growing plants in an urban environment, is increasingly recognized. It is widely acknowledged that such initiatives contribute towards liveable, sustainable, and resilient cities. Based on Singapore as a case example, this study highlights how urban horticulture programs, informed by research and implemented at a national level, bring about important benefits to urban dwellers including health and well‐being, and social cohesion through people and plant interactions. They support Singapore's vision to be a City in Nature, in addition to promoting food security. The experience in Singapore holds useful lessons for other cities.SummaryOver the past few decades, there has been widespread recognition of the importance of urban vegetation to support cities' goals to be liveable, sustainable, and resilient to disturbances brought about by climate change. In this opinion article, we further highlight the importance of urban horticulture and its role in fostering the vision of Singapore to be a green city. Through the discussion of four national level programs, we illustrate how urban horticulture initiatives contributed to the social imperative to cultivate community ownership of green estates, community ties, and interest in horticulture. Community gardens offer distinct platforms for people to get together. Allotment gardens in parklands enable individuals to engage with nature through the various gardening activities and reap produce. The Gardening with Edibles program encourages home gardening through provision of resources. Lastly, specially designed therapeutic horticulture programs engage target groups to receive benefits from the facilitated nature‐based activities. The involvement of relevant governmental agencies, driven by taking an expanded view of urban horticulture targeted at delivering social objectives and achieving the environmental and ecological objectives of city greening, has contributed to the growth and expansion of the initiatives.

Food security and digital economy in China: A pathway towards sustainable development

The world’s largest food producer, China, is now facing increasing pressure to solve food security and is committed to forging new prospects for global food security and sustainable agricultural development. As food security is receiving greater attention, this research takes panel data from 31 provinces and cities in China from 2011–2020 to examine the spatial spillover effect of the digital economy on food security. The study conclusions are as follows. (1) Improvement of the digital economy significantly promotes the development of China’s food security. (2) The digital economy has an inhibitory effect on food security in local regions and promotes food security in neighboring regions. (3) Heterogeneity exists within the spatial spillover effects of the digital economy on food security, and such differences often vary based on the status of regional economic development, natural geographical location, and land function. Therefore, policy suggestions proposed herein cover three aspects: accelerating infrastructure investment and construction, improving the empowering capability of the digital economy, and implementing different digital economy strategies to better support food security in China.

Economic challenges limiting small-scale commercial farming development in rural areas of South Africa

Small-scale commercial farming has been recognised as a congruent strategy for local economic development. However, there are entrepreneurial challenges that are aggravated by the state of the economy, natural factors and weak agrarian edification system limiting growth in this sector. The fact that small-scale commercial farming is prioritized in the development agendas of the majority of African nations reflects how important it is in promoting food security and job creation. A number of agronomic limitations, including a limited farming entrepreneurship skill, severe climate change, drought, limited access to cash, and water shortages, have been recognized as major obstacles to the growth of small-scale commercial farming. As a result, the study presents the obstacles to entrepreneurship and small-scale commercial farmers in South Africa's rural areas. Two hundred and seventeen small-scale commercial farmers were chosen using a multi-stage sample technique. Quantitative data were collected through a survey in which structured questionnaires were used. Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 26 and Microsoft Excel version 2016 software were used as data analysis tools. Friedman means ranking technique was used to categorize the challenges in ascending order. Pearson chi-square was used to determine the relationship between the variables. The computed results revealed that financial, water, access to the market, crops and animal diseases were the most prevalent challenges. Subsequently, these farmers have poor financial management, marketing, packaging, cross-breeding and human management skills and this is exacerbating the challenges faced. Based on the results of this investigation, the paper recommends that the establishment of training programmes to improve entrepreneurship skills should be offered to these farmers, depending on the type of farming. Agricultural policies should be based on current evidence and should also be based on regular assessments. This improves the readjustment of relevant policies for the development of small-scale commercial farming. The study recommends that building of strong government intervention, farming stakeholder participation in policy formulation and adequate support for small-scale commercial farmers’ schemes in rural areas should be prioritised. Key words: Challenges, Small-scale commercial farming, economic challenges, entrepreneurial constraints, rural areas

Mayan diet model based on the Mediterranean diet as a nutritional alternative for southeastern Mexico

Nutritional education in Mexico is a necessary strategy to address the serious public health problem that is currently being experienced, since the population is suffering from chronic degenerative diseases, such as obesity, dyslipidemias, arterial hypertension and pathologies that unfortunately are already present in children thanks to a poor and unbalanced diet. Seeking alternatives for food orientation and for reducing these health problems, the Mediterranean diet was taken as an inspiring model. This healthy pattern, which has been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, is characterized by several structural elements, such as the promotion of regional and seasonal food, the respect of the nature, the cooking food at home, the consumption of a moderate amount of food, the promotion of family ties and communication, the practice of daily physical exercise and adequate rest. The proposal for a Mediterranean-based Mayan diet model also aims to integrate the entity’s native resources, promote food security in the southeast region of Mexico nd preserve the ancient recipes that have been inherited from our Mayan ancestors.

Curricular Innovation for Food Security

The curriculum is a dynamic and continuous process that must be adapted to the requirements and needs of specific contexts to respond to current problems. Currently, it is estimated that more than 828 million people in the world suffer from hunger, so food security must be based on the production and availability of food and physical and economic access to food, as well as its safety. For the above, this research aims to propose a curricular innovation to the professional competences of the study program of the Agricultural Technician (TAP) that is offered in the Agricultural Technological Baccalaureate Centers to train technicians who contribute to food security in the region. A methodology with a mixed perspective with a qualitative approach and descriptive exploratory character was used. Based on the primary information and data collection, it was possible to specify and substantiate a curricular proposal according to the training needs of specialized technicians, who develop professional skills to promote food security, the establishment of agricultural production system, management of livestock production systems, operation of agro-industrial production system, and the design and execution of projects to promote the cultivation of food from small-scale families.

Poshan Pakhwada 2023: A Strategic Innovation to Combat India’s Malnutrition Challenge

Adequate nutrition is essential for our physical and mental growth and development. It forms the foundation of our very existence as it impacts health outcomes in every stage of life. The importance of nutrition is well recognised in the United Nations, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-2 as “Zero Hunger” which aims to promote food security for all and end hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030. Nutrition is also the key to attainment of other SDG’s as well, with 12 of the 17 SDGs having indicators relevant for nutrition. India accounts for almost 1/3rd of the global burden of under-nutrition. Considering, India’s population size, investing in actions to reduce all forms of malnutrition is especially important, not just for India itself, but also to support the attainment of global targets.

The leaf sheath promotes prolonged flooding protection by giving rise to specialized adventitious roots.

This article is a Commentary on Lin et al. (2023), 238: 1403–1419.

Chitosan fabricated biogenic silver nanoparticles (Ch@BSNP) protectively modulate the defense mechanism of tomato during bacterial leaf spot (BLS) disease

Herein, the impact of chitosan fabricated biogenic silver nanoparticles (Ch@BSNP) has been evaluated for the protective management of bacterial leaf spot (BLS) disease in tomatoes caused by Xanthomonas campestris (NCIM5028). The Ch@BSNP originated by the Trichoderma viride (MTCC5661) derived extracellular compounds and subsequent chitosan hybridization. Spherical-shaped Ch@BSNP (30–35 nm) treated diseased plants were able to combat the biotic stress, as evidenced by the decreased elevated response of stress markers viz; anthocyanin (34.02%), proline (45.00%), flavonoids (20.26%), lipid peroxidation (10.00%), guaiacol peroxidase (36.58%), ascorbate peroxidase (41.50%), polyphenol oxidase (25.34%) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (2.10 fold) as compared to untreated diseased plants. Increased biochemical content specifically sugar (15.43%), phenolics (49.10%), chlorophyll, and carotenoids were measured in Ch@BSNP-treated diseased plants compared to untreated X. campestris-infested plants. The Ch@BSNP considerably reduced stress by increasing net photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency along with decreased transpiration rate and stomatal conductance in comparison to infected plants. Additionally, the expression of defense-regulatory genes viz; growth responsive (AUX, GH3, SAUR), early defense responsive (WRKYTF22, WRKY33, NOS1), defense responsive (PR1, NHO1, NPR1), hypersensitivity responsive (Pti, RbohD, OXI1) and stress hormones responsive (MYC2, JAR1, ERF1) were found to be upregulated in diseased plants while being significantly downregulated in Ch@BSNP-treated diseased plants. Furthermore, fruits obtained from pathogen-compromised plants treated with Ch@BSNP had higher levels of health-promoting compounds including lycopene and beta-carotene than infected plant fruits. This nano-enabled and environmentally safer crop protection strategy may encourage a sustainable agri-system towards the world's growing food demand and promote food security.

Does energy poverty increases starvation? Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa.

This study contributes to the existing literature on energy poverty and food security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study is conducted on a panel of 36 SSA countries over the period 2000 to 2020. Using several estimation methods, such as fixed effects, Driscoll-Kraay, Lewbel 2SLS, and the generalized method of moments, we find positive results for energy on food security. In SSA, the energy development index, access to electricity, and access to clean energy for cooking positively influence food security. This can encourage policy makers to prioritize investments in off-grid energy for vulnerable households through small-scale energy systems, which can promote food security by directly affecting local food production, preservation, and preparation, and contribute to human well-being and environmental conservation.

American Academy of Pediatrics Commits to Promoting Food Security for All Children.

Dr. Judy A. Beal is a Professor and Dean Emerita, Simmons University, Boston, MA. Dr. Beal can be reached via email at [email protected] The author declares no conflicts of interest.

Sustainable intensification of agriculture as a tool to promote food security: A bibliometric analysis

Sustainable intensification (SI) of agriculture is required to satisfy the growing populations' nutritional needs, and therefore food security while limiting negative environmental impacts. The study aims to investigate the global scientific output of sustainable intensification research from 2010 to 20 August 2021. The data was retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection and was analyzed using a bibliometric method and VOS viewer to determine the most productive countries and organizations by collaboration analysis, including the keywords to analyze the research hotspots and trends, and the most cited publications in the field. From the 1,610 studies published in the theme of sustainable agriculture by 6,346 authors belonging to 1,981 organizations and 115 countries, the study found an increased number of publications and citations in 2020, with 293 publications and 10,275 citations. The United States ranked highest in countries collaborating with the most publications in the field. The occurrence of keywords like “food security”, “climate change”, “agriculture”, “ecosystem services”, “conservation agriculture”, “Sub-Sahara Africa”, “Africa”, “biodiversity”, and “maize” in both author and all keywords (author and index) reveal the significance of sustainable intensification in Africa, as a solution to food insecurity under climate change conditions. The availability of funding agencies from big economies explains the growing interest by developing countries in the SI of agriculture research due to the growing population, food insecurity, and access to limited land for farming.

A Review of Sustainable Use of Biogenic Nanoscale Agro-Materials to Enhance Stress Tolerance and Nutritional Value of Plants.

Climate change is more likely to have a detrimental effect on the world's productive assets. Several undesirable conditions and practices, including extreme temperature, drought, and uncontrolled use of agrochemicals, result in stresses that strain agriculture. In addition, nutritional inadequacies in food crops are wreaking havoc on human health, especially in rural regions of less developed countries. This could be because plants are unable to absorb the nutrients in conventional fertilizers, or these fertilizers have an inappropriate or unbalanced nutrient composition. Chemical fertilizers have been used for centuries and have considerably increased crop yields. However, they also disrupt soil quality and structure, eventually impacting the entire ecosystem. To address the situation, it is necessary to develop advanced materials that can release nutrients to targeted points in the plant-soil environment or appropriate receptors on the leaf in the case of foliar applications. Recently, nanotechnology-based interventions have been strongly encouraged to meet the world's growing food demand and to promote food security in an environmentally friendly manner. Biological approaches for the synthesis of nanoscale agro-materials have become a promising area of research, with a wide range of product types such as nanopesticides, nanoinsecticides, nanoherbicides, nanobactericides/fungicides, bio-conjugated nanocomplexes, and nanoemulsions emerging therefrom. These materials are more sustainable and target-oriented than conventional agrochemicals. In this paper, we reviewed the literature on major abiotic and biotic stresses that are detrimental to plant growth and productivity. We comprehensively discussed the different forms of nanoscale agro-materials and provided an overview of biological approaches in nano-enabled strategies that can efficiently alleviate plant biotic and abiotic stresses while potentially enhancing the nutritional values of plants.

Did weekly economic index and volatility index impact US food sales during the first year of the pandemic?

We explore the impacts of economic and financial dislocations caused by COVID-19 pandemic shocks on food sales in the United States from January 2020 to January 2021. We use the US weekly economic index (WEI) to measure economic dislocations and the Chicago Board Options Exchange volatility index (VIX) to capture the broader stock market dislocations. We validate the NARDL model by testing a battery of models using the autoregressive distributed lags (ARDL) methodology (ARDL, NARDL, and QARDL specifications). Our study postulates that an increase in WEI has a significant negative long-term effect on food sales, whereas a decrease in WEI has no statistically significant (long-run) effect. Thus, policy responses that ignore asymmetric effects and hidden cointegration may fail to promote food security during pandemics.