Reduce Food Production Research Articles

Impact of plant diseases on global food and nutritional security: a strategic theme for Brazil

Plant diseases have a significant impact on global food and nutritional security, and their occurrence has the potential to destabilize economies and create political challenges, as well as affect the health and well-being of populations. Diseases impact the key components of food security (availability, access, utilization, stability), particularly in less developed regions and/or vulnerable populations. The occurrence of plant diseases is exacerbated by factors such as increased global trade, the genetic uniformity of hosts, and climate change, leading to reduced food production, higher prices, and greater dependence on agricultural inputs like pesticides. Brazil, as a major producer and exporter of food, plays a crucial role in global food security. Future prospects for mitigating the negative effects of diseases involve the ongoing pursuit of innovative solutions through investment in research and strengthening global collaboration in disease monitoring and promoting sustainable agricultural practices to tackle this complex challenge.

Tropical Indian Ocean drives Hadley circulation change in a warming climate

Abstract The weakening and poleward expansion of the Hadley circulation (HC) are considered robust responses of atmospheric meridional circulation to anthropogenic warming. Climate impacts arising from these changes enhance drought conditions and reduce food production in the affected regions. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of HC changes is critical to anticipating the resultant climate risks. First, we demonstrate that robust future HC changes in boreal winter, and the uncertainty in their future projections, are both largely related to sea surface temperature (SST) warming. Next, we investigate the impact of anthropogenic regional ocean warming on the future HC. Accordingly, we conduct a large ensemble of individual ocean basin perturbation experiments at 1.5 °C, 2 °C, and 3 °C warming thresholds (as in the Paris Agreement). These experiments highlight (i) the leading role of tropical Indian Ocean warming in HC changes and (ii) inter-model differences in tropical Pacific warming as a source of uncertainty in HC projections.

Prevention of Agricultural Land Conversion through Subak Instruments in Apuan Village, Susut District, Bangli District

Bangli is one of the districts in Bali that is also experiencing land conversion. The cause of this land conversion is due to the increasing need for development land, due to the increase in population. This will have an impact on reducing food production, socio economic aspects, socio cultural aspects and environmental aspects. Rapid population growth which is also accompanied by an increasing need for housing means that agricultural land is decreasing. Agricultural land is increasingly narrow due to land conversi on for housing and industrial land. This research examines the function and role as well as strategies of Subak in preventing land conversion in Apuan Village. This research is empirical legal research. The research results show that Sub ak has a function and role as a traditional institution which is expected to prevent land conversion with all forms of legal regulations owned by this organization and through intensive appeals and approaches. The life of the Subak community which is based on Tri Hita Karana is expected to be able to increase awareness and determination of Subak manners not to convert their land which will impact on the creation of environmental sustainability and the sustainability of Subak itself.

Low-cost solar dryer dehydrates silver banana with a prediction of diffusion approximation model

Solar dryers made from recycled materials offer a cost-effective solution for promoting the widespread adoption of this technology and reducing food production costs. In this study, a low-cost solar dryer was constructed using repurposed materials, employing indirect exposure, and its performance was evaluated through a kinetic study on banana slice drying (Musa spp.). Drying was carried out until equilibrium moisture, reaching constant mass. The drying air's temperature and relative humidity (RH, %) were monitored. Fourteen empirical models were used to fit the experimental data. The banana slices took approximately 300 min to dry, with final moisture of 1.8%. The mean operational conditions during natural drying were 59.08±9.16 °C and RH = 39±4%. The diffusion Approximation model fitted the drying curve better, as it presented the lowest reduced Chi-square (χ2 = 2.9×10-5) and a high coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9998). The effective diffusion coefficient (Def = 5.4×10-9 m2/s, R2 = 0.9935) was determined. Thus, the solar dryer demonstrated efficient performance in the banana drying process, requiring minimal design effort. Furthermore, despite the limitations in controlling the drying conditions, most of the mathematical models successfully predicted the drying process due to the dryer's ability to maintain the continuity of the drying curve, suggesting potential viability for this low-cost dryer.

Impacts of sand and dust storms on food production

Abstract Sand and dust storms (SDS) are common in the world’s drylands, regions that are also critically important for global food production. Agriculture is the most prevalent land use resulting in anthropogenic SDS sources, resulting in impacts on cropland and rangeland, but food production is also affected by impacts from natural SDS sources. This review assesses our knowledge of SDS impacts on all the major types of food production in terrestrial and oceanic environments, impacts that occur in all three phases of the wind erosion system: during particle entrainment, during transport, and on deposition. These effects are short term and long term, direct and indirect. Wind erosion is a major cause of land degradation and there is good evidence to indicate that the deleterious effects of SDS can reduce food production via substantially diminished yields of crops, pastures and livestock. However, it is also clear that soil dust plays an important role in major biogeochemical cycles—especially phosphorus, nitrogen and iron—with implications for the valuable environmental services provided by numerous ecosystems, both terrestrial and marine. Ultimately, these nutrients have particular significance for soil formation, ecosystem productivity and food webs on land and at sea, and hence the provision of food for human societies. Efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of SDS on the sustainability of agriculture should be balanced with an appreciation of the significance of soil dust to the Earth system.

Spraying for the beauty: Pesticide use for visual appearance in apple production

AbstractPesticides are used to reduce yield losses and to enhance the visual quality of products. However, pesticide use raises concerns due to negative health and environmental effects, hence ambitious policy goals for their reduction have been established. Reducing pesticides which mainly focus on visual quality of products could be an efficient strategy to contribute to these goals, without reducing food production. However, the role of “cosmetic” pesticide use is so far not well documented and understood. Here, we quantify cosmetic pesticide use and the influence of supply chain characteristics on their use. We focus on table apple production, where the visual quality of products is a key aspect. Using a sample of 196 apple growers in Switzerland, we find that 23.5%–59.2% of growers use cosmetic pesticides for the apples’ visual appearance. Farms mainly marketing via intermediaries are 23.9‐29.6% more likely to spray cosmetic pesticides for visual purposes compared to farms mainly direct marketing. Our findings highlight the role of supply chains in farmer decision‐making, recommending a decrease in the focus on visual product quality, especially in retail environments, thus minimizing unnecessary and irreversible risks of pesticide exposure by farmers without compromising food security.

Species diversity and extinction risk of vertebrate pollinators in India

Animal pollinators underpin the functioning and persistence of ecosystems globally. However, the vital role of pollination is being progressively eroded by the worldwide decline of pollinator species caused by human-induced environmental degradation, resulting in rising costs to biodiversity, agriculture, and economy. Most studies quantifying pollinator diversity and declines have focused on insects, whereas vertebrate pollinators remain comparatively neglected. Here, we present the first comprehensive study quantifying the macroecological patterns of species richness and extinction risk of bird and mammal pollinators in India, a region of extremely high biodiversity and increasing anthropogenic pressure. Our results reveal that hotspots of mammal pollinator diversity are restricted to the south of the Western Ghats, whereas bird pollinator diversity hotspots are scattered throughout the country. Analyses of hotspots of threatened species (based on the IUCN Red List) show that only mammal pollinators are currently classified as threatened in India, whereas multiple hotspots of population declines were observed for birds, and primarily in the Southwest for mammal pollinators. Our analyses failed to identify a role for species traits as drivers of these patterns, whereas most pollinators appear to be threatened by agriculture, logging and hunting for food, and medicinal purposes. Pollinator endangerment has widescale ecological and economic implications such as reduced food production, plant extinction, loss of functional and genetic diversity, and economic damage. We suggest protection of vertebrate pollinators should be emphasised in active conservation agendas in India.

Is Climate Change Posing a Challenge to Food Security? Empirical Evidence from a Small Island Developing Country

Food security remains one of the main goals for all countries worldwide. While several agencies have mobilized resources to achieve this goal, food insecurity remains a significant livelihood challenge in many developing countries. Therefore, in this paper, we examine some critical factors affecting the food security of rural agricultural households in Fiji using the latest Agricultural Census data. This study reveals that farmers’ access to fishing grounds and non-timber forest resources can improve farming households’ food security. The study also shows that while the government vigorously pursues a transition from subsistence agriculture towards commercial agriculture, improving market access and reducing transportation costs will significantly improve food security. Given the importance of regular cash income, the study also demonstrates that off-farm employment of household members, particularly larger-sized households, will substantially help to improve food security. Lastly, and most importantly, the government must quickly examine how it could mitigate challenges posed by climate change, as this could devastate food security via reduced food production.

Climate Change Driving Salinity: An Overview of Vulnerabilities, Adaptations, and Challenges for Indonesian Agriculture

Abstract Climate change has negatively affected agricultural productivity in Indonesia. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of the literature on soil salinity caused by climate change, discussed the impact of soil salinity on Indonesian agriculture, examined various strategies for adaptation to salinity, and delivered some ideas for future research. An analysis of 39 identified Scopus articles related to farmers’ vulnerability, adaptation, and practices was carried out. This study was performed in November 2022 and employed Bibliometrix R package and VOSviewer software. Findings show that salinity has left Indonesia’s agriculture vulnerable to reduced food production, especially for small-scale farmers losing crop yields and land. Various adaptation measures have been initiated, such as restoring soil fertility and using saline-resistant varieties. Irrigation facilities improvements have also been carried out to reduce the risks of soil salinity expansion. Farmers also try social action measures, such as selling assets, borrowing money for daily needs, and even changing jobs. However, for farmers to survive and sustain their businesses, any such measures need to produce satisfactory results. A review of the existing literature reveals a lack of soil salinity studies in Indonesia, which simultaneously points to research gaps not only on the issue of the impact of salinity on income and the vulnerability of small farmers but also on the development of adaptation strategies to address salinity due to climate change. Significance Statement Soil salinization caused by climate change is a disastrous problem in Indonesia’s coastal areas that presents a major challenge to the productivity of rice agriculture and difficulties in addressing sustainable food security. To provide researchers with a clear understanding of the current emphasis and future trends in climate change–induced salinity research, systematically analyzing the relevant literature in the existing research area is necessary. The bibliometric analysis in this study shows that research on salinity due to climate change in Indonesia still needs to be completed. Further comprehensive studies to find a focus for managing coastal soil salinity are urgently required to reduce vulnerability and increase adaptation to salinity due to climate change.

Nourishing the Future: AI-Driven Optimization of Farm-to-Consumer Food Supply Chain for Enhanced Business Performance

Efficiency and sustainability are upending the global food supply system. The current study examined the relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and agriculture to optimize food supply chain from farm to consumer business model. The study examined how AI-driven solutions may boost efficiency, reduce waste, and promote environmental responsibility with an emphasis on sustainability. The food supply system faces resource depletion, climate change, and growing global food consumption. AI technologies, such as automation, data analytics, and machine learning may solve these issues. AI systems use real-time data, predictive analytics, and intelligent logistics to improve production, distribution, and consumption. This reduces food production and transportation of carbon emissions along with improving resource allocation. AI-powered precision agriculture helps the farmers to increase crop yields while lowering fertilizer and pesticide use along with supporting sustainable farming as well. IoT devices and sensor networks are helpful to improve livestock management and crop monitoring, enabling data-driven agriculture. The current study highlighted how AI ensures food quality and safety across supply chain. By identifying impurities, monitoring storage conditions, and forecasting shelf life, AI-powered quality control systems may decrease food wastage and ensure safe, high-quality goods. In conclusion, AI-agriculture integration is an innovative way to increase farm-to-consumer food supply chain efficiency and sustainability. AI technology may help the supply chain stakeholders to create resource-efficient, environmentally friendly food production that meets the needs of a growing population. The current study discussed food industry sustainability and AI uses in agriculture, as well as future possibilities and challenges.

Economic consequences of climate change impacts on South Asian agriculture: A computable general equilibrium analysis

AbstractSouth Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions of the globe in terms of climate change, with agriculture the most affected economic sector of the region. This study employs an environmental Global Trade Analysis Project model to simulate the impact of an average global 2°C temperature increase by 2050, with a focus on South Asian countries. The economic costs of climate change in relation to crop productivity losses due to increasing temperature, land productivity losses caused by rising sea levels and heat stress‐induced agricultural labour productivity losses are assessed based on model simulations. The results show that the unfavourable climate change impacts on agricultural productivity (crop, land and labour) will reduce food production and create upward pressure on food prices. This will lead to a reduction in food consumption at the household level, threatening future food security in the region. The results further predict a contraction in all South Asian economies by 2050, due to adverse climate change impacts on the agricultural sector. In addition, out of the three climate change damage factors considered, labour productivity causes the greatest economic losses, while land productivity losses caused by rising sea levels impact the least. The study also found that low‐income countries would suffer most severely due to the impacts of climate change on the agricultural sector, while high‐income countries would be impacted the least.

The Spatial distribution of quarry stone mining sites in Igembe South Sub-county Meru County, Kenya

The objective of this study was to develop a GIS-based spatial distribution of mining site patterns in order to identify risk-prone geo-locations in Meru County's Igembe South Sub County. Data was collected using PRA methodologies and processes, primary data was collected from participants' notes to detect mining-related problems, and an informal and formal survey and pair-wise assessment was used. There has been concern about the spatial distribution of mining in affected areas. The communities and mines in the Akachiu ward are as follows: Auki, Amwamba, Nceme, Kirindine, and Tiira. Information was obtained from 300 respondents. These issues were resolved by segmenting the target population and confirming field observations. Data were analysed using the nearest neighbour analysis method and descriptive means, median, and mode statistics. Results were then presented using tables, maps, graphs, and pie charts. Results established that mining activities have damaged land in Igembe South Sub-County, reducing food production and agricultural demands and polluting water supplies in the area, including contaminated streams. Pollution and noise are present in the area. It was affirmed that the residents know the environmental consequences of mining. In light of the County Government of Meru's efforts at restoration and intervention, such as re-afforestation, the mining companies and the County Government of Meru are reviewing their methods of operation and providing alternatives to the affected areas. Mining's environmental impact should be reduced by rethinking the environmental management strategy.

Allocation of Healthcare Resources in National Health Systems Under Climate Change

Climate change has, among others, impacts on human health and by consequence on healthcare systems. Some impacts are direct such as extreme events, air pollution and aeroallergens, and some are indirect such as reduced food production and supply, vector-borne and water-borne infectious diseases, and social and economic disruptions. The main aim of this paper is to study the pressures of climate change on national healthcare systems. An empirical dynamic resource allocation problem is proposed to estimate how healthcare systems may be affected by climate change. The problem is formulated as a nonlinear programming model which finds the optimal allocation of healthcare resources that compensate for life expectancy reductions due to climate change. We examine various scenarios of climate impacts to estimate the additional budget and healthcare resources needed. The results show that the necessary healthcare budget grows nonlinearly with respect to impacts with disproportional demands on lower income countries. Finally, the necessary healthcare investments should be made sooner as climate impacts become heavier. Our methodology could aid policy-makers in prioritizing measures to enhance the climate resilience of national healthcare systems.

Hydroponics: A Review on Revolutionary Technology for Sustainable Agriculture

India's economy heavily relies on agriculture, with the majority of the population depending on it for sustenance and livelihood. However, the rapid development of regions has resulted in severe issues affecting soil quality and cultivation practices. Additionally, factors such as natural disasters, climate change, and excessive use of chemicals have further deteriorated soil fertility. The scarcity of usable water for agriculture exacerbates the problem, leading to reduced food production and widespread hunger and malnutrition. Consequently, there is a critical need to embrace agricultural technologies that can conserve water, enhance food production, and ensure its availability. “Hydroponics” is one such methodology that can be adapted to counter all these problems. Hydroponic cultivation generally yields higher-quality produce with superior taste and nutritional value compared to traditional soil-based farming methods. Hydroponics offers numerous advantages compared to conventional soil-based crop cultivation. These benefits include shorter crop growing cycles, year-round production, reduced susceptibility to diseases and pests, and the elimination of labour-intensive intercultural tasks such as weeding, spraying, and watering. In the future, hydroponics has the potential to emerge as a prominent method for supplying food to the global population.

Digital transformation in agriculture: reducing food production waste

The article covers the issue of food waste, its impact on the environment and food security, as well as the key tasks for sustainable development of the agrarian sector. The authors propose the use of digital transformation and innovative automated methods to address these challenges. The application of digital solutions in agriculture and the focus on precision agriculture technologies, which include information systems and analytics, are discussed. The sources of food loss, their causes, and the possibilities of waste reduction through digital technologies are analyzed. In conclusion, the authors emphasize the growing awareness of the food waste problem and its consequences, as well as the importance of researching and implementing digital technologies to address such issues. Successful application of these technologies supports sustainable practices, reduces costs for farmers, and increases overall efficiency.

Quantitative analysis of abandonment and grain production loss under armed conflict in Ukraine

The armed conflict in Ukraine has been ongoing, with firefights concentrated in Kherson, Zaporizhia, Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv oblasts of eastern Ukraine. Armed conflicts have caused damage to valuable black land and agricultural infrastructure, resulting in reduced food production and greatly affecting the world food supply. Therefore, it is urgent and important to quantify the extent of the impact of armed conflicts on cropland. We applied the Sentinel dataset based on the GEE platform and used the time-weighted dynamic time warping (TWDTW) method to map abandonment in six eastern oblasts and propose a cumulative NDVI (cumNDVI) method to characterize food production loss. The accuracy of the 2022 cropland abandonment in Krain was excellent. The overall accuracy was 92.5%, with a kappa coefficient of 0.85. The area of abandoned cropland in southeastern Ukraine was 11,892.49 km2, which was 7.17% of the cropland. The most abandoned cropland in Kherson was 26,692.22 km2, with 3,661.12 km2 of abandoned and a 13.72% abandonment rate. Because of abandonment, the loss of grain production in the six oblasts was from 3.67% to 15.18% respectively. And the other loss of grain production of cultivated cropland was found to be 33.02%, with a general loss characteristic in all regions except Donetsk slightly increased. In 2022, the grain production loss was a totally 8.19 million tons. That means the grain production loss of the six eastern oblasts in 2022 was up to 31.5% compared to the average yield level in 2016–2020 and accounted for 6.76% compared to the national grain production. The study not only mapped the distribution of abandonment with high precision at a 10 m resolution in 2022 but also quantified the food production loss due to armed conflict. It reveals the severity of the food crisis and proposes measures for post-war replanting and restoration of agricultural economic activities.

Smallholder Farmers’ Coping Strategies to Perceived Climate Change and Variability in Isingiro District, South Western Uganda

Climate change and variability pose a major challenge facing the agricultural sector around the world and trends are feared to intensify by 2050. This is likely to complicate agricultural decisions affecting local communities who depend on the sector for their livelihood. Seasonal changes in weather patterns are projected to reduce food production due to the reduction in average yields of common food crops. With the majority of smallholder farmers in Uganda depending on agriculture for survival, building their adaptive capacity to climate change is vital to ensure household food and income security. This study aimed at establishing the smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate change and their initiatives to cope with and manage the associated risks. A sample of 126 farming households were randomly selected from three Sub counties in Isingiro District and studied using field observations and questionnaires. Key informant interviews were also conducted with three extension workers. The collected data was analysed using Stata 14 and Excel. The findings revealed that there was increasing awareness of the climate change and variability challenge among smallholder farmers with the increasing need to take on adaptation strategies. The results showed that the major perceived changes were, increased intensity and frequency of droughts (98%), increase in daytime temperatures (92.7%), decrease in rainfall intensity (92.1%) and changes in rainfall distribution patterns (90%). It also showed that different initiatives had been taken by farmers to cope with the changes like changing planting dates (92.1%), growing crop variety mixtures (73.8%) and practising soil and water conservation (62.7%). Based on the findings of this study, smallholder farmers greatly perceived climate change and variability with negative impacts imposed on their farming operations. Although farmers have tried to adapt, there is still a need to support their coping strategies through appropriate policies. This will facilitate increased adoption of adaptation measures, thereby reducing the negative consequences of climate change in future

The 4th International Conference on Agriculture and Bioindustry (ICAGRI)

The 4th ICAGRI-2022 theme is “Strengthening Resilience and Adaptive Capacity on Climate Change to Promote Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security” Banda Aceh, 18-19 October 2022PrefaceSince 2019, we had successfully organized the three previous ICAGRI conference consecutively. This year it is the 4th conference, ICAGRI 2022 and we are keeping hold this conference virtually due to the protracted pandemic. This means that the pandemic is not a constraint for us to perform this scientific meeting as is our responsibility for the development of knowledge, science and technology.Climate conditions have recently been unpredictable. Climate change has raised global temperatures, shifted rainfall patterns, and increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Climate change tends to reduce food production, which has a direct impact on farmer welfare and, moreover, has a significant impact on delaying agricultural development. As a result, it is critical to develop adaptive capacity in order to reduce all risks and achieve the sustainability and resilience of agricultural production systems. Therefore, this year’s conference theme is Strengthening Resilience and Adaptive Capacity to Promote Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security.I would like to extend hearty welcome to all experts, professors, researchers, policy makers, postdoctoral fellows, and research students from around the world and to thank you for your interest in the 4th International Conference on Agriculture and Bioindustry (ICAGRI-2022). The editorial board of ICAGRI 2022 received a total of 169 papers from 15 countries throughout the world: Malaysia, Nigeria, Irak, Meksiko, Libya, Belgia, Polandia, Kanada, Vietnam, Korea, Jerman, Australia, Cina, Austria and Indonesia. A total of 135 papers were accepted to be presented in this conference, while the 34 submitted papers were rejected. All papers were reviewed and the accepted papers will be submitted to IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science indexed by Scopus.On behalf of the committee, we want to acknowledge and express gratitude to all parties supporting this conference: the rector of Universitas Syiah Kuala, the Dean and vice Dean of the Agriculture Faculty, and the international partners of ICAGRI 2022. Our special thanks to our keynote and invited speakers. And last but not least, thank you to all committee members for your kind and hard work for this conference. Hopefully the conference will highly contribute to our future sustainable development in the agricultural sector. Have a nice conference and hope to see you again next year at ICAGRI 2023 conference.Cordially yours,Dr. Elvira IskandarChairperson of the 4th ICAGRI 2022List of Steering Commitees, Organizing Committee, International Scientific Committee & Advisory Board, International Editorial Board are available in this pdf.

Application and Prospect of Soil Microorganisms in Agro-ecological Environment

Sustainable agriculture has also received increasing attention in recent years. In the pollution of the agro-ecological environment, pollution sources such as oil, pesticides and heavy metals are seriously affecting the soil. These pollution will not only reduce food production and poor crop growth, but also greatly affect the soil environment, which will cause major losses to agriculture in the long run. Among the many methods for soil environment remediation, microbial remediation is the most promising bioremediation technology with development and application potential. In this paper, the application types, influencing factors and mechanisms of microorganisms in the restoration of petroleum, heavy metal and pesticide pollution, as well as the development status of microbial remediation technology and its application prospect in agricultural ecological environment are reviewed.

Asymmetric effects of climate variability on food security in Morocco: evidence from the nonlinear ARDL model

PurposeThis study aims to examine the asymmetric effects of average temperature (TP) and rainfall (RF) on the Moroccan food security, measured by the food production index (FPI), using annual data from 1961 to 2020.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses the Climate Change and Food Security Framework (CCFS) developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and employs the nonlinear auto-regressive distributed lag (NARDL) model and various econometric techniques to show the effects of climate variability in the short and long-term. It also examines if the impacts on Moroccan food security are asymmetric by analyzing the positive and negative partial sums of mean temperature and rainfall.FindingsThe study shows that RF has a long-term relationship with FPI, with increased RF leading to increased FPI and decreased RF leading to decreased FPI. FPI responds more strongly and persistently to a positive shock in RF than to an adverse shock. The study also identifies an asymmetric relationship between FPI and RF, with increased TP enhancing food output in the long run and a decrease reducing food production in the long run.Research limitations/implicationsThe current study could have some limitations. For instance, there are several other non-climate factors that might potentially impact food security. In particular, CO2 emissions which from the literature is a key variable that represent climate change impact on food security, was not included. The present research has not included those factors mainly because adding more variables to the model reduces the degree of freedom available to estimate the parameters, resulting in inaccurate results.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the food security literature by utilizing the latest asymmetry methodology to decompose climate changes into their positive and negative trends and examining the contrasting impacts food production.