Food Scarcity Research Articles

Wild food plants of Bhil and Bhilala ethnic community of Western Madhya Pradesh, India – an implication for food security

ABSTRACT The present study documents the wild edible plants commonly used by the Bhil and Bhilala tribes in Western Madhya Pradesh, India. Through ethnobotanical field research, the traditional knowledge of these tribes regarding wild edible plants was assessed using semi-structured questionnaires and participatory rural appraisal approach. Quantitative indices, including the Cultural Importance index (CI), Preference ranking, and Fidelity level (FL), were employed to analyze the data. The study identified 109 plant species from 93 genera and 54 families, with trees and herbs (40 species each) being the most commonly used, followed by climbers (17) and shrubs (12). Forty-six species had a fidelity level of 100%, while CI values ranged from 0.18 to 0.78. Among the species, 62 (56.88%) had significant market value, contributing to income generation for the local communities. The consumption of wild edibles plays a crucial role in the diet, especially during food scarcity periods. However, the increased exploitation of certain species poses a threat to biodiversity. The study highlights the need for sustainable harvesting of wild edible plants to ensure their conservation and continued contribution to local diets and income.

A model of optimal digestive strategy in infrequently-feeding snakes

Abstract Organisms require energy for survival, growth, and reproduction. In a system with a finite energy supply, fluctuations in resource availability can select for plasticity in the allocation of resources between competing physiological processes. Infrequently-feeding snakes, which naturally experience extended episodes of fasting, have evolved the capacity to modulate gastrointestinal (GI) performance in response to changes in digestive load. Specifically, the gut can be downregulated during fasting to reduce metabolic maintenance costs. Some energy is, however, required to upregulate the digestive system again to allow the exploitation of captured prey. Despite significant inquiry into the relationship between sit-and-wait foraging tactics and GI plasticity, quantitative examination of the optimal digestive strategy for an infrequently-feeding snake is lacking. Here, we construct an optimisation model to quantitatively predict this strategy in terms of the length of time post-feeding after which gut downregulation occurs and the minimum prey mass required to initiate gut upregulation. Contrary to long-held assertions, our simulations predict that infrequently-feeding snakes of all sizes that practice gut downregulation benefit from consuming relatively small prey. We identify gut downregulation as an adaptive strategy when prey are small and encountered infrequently, and assert it as a critical factor in determining predator vulnerability to food scarcity. When parameterising the model, we found the distribution of potential prey body sizes to be poorly characterised in the literature. Accordingly, we identify the frequency distribution of individual body sizes within a terrestrial community as a key focus of future ecological research.

Adverse Environmental Condition Causes Shifting of Behaviour of Tetraponerasp (Slender Ants) from Aggressive, Ecological Dominance to Resource Partitioning, Coexistence with Other Arthropods Pest of Cocos nucifera L. Plant

Slender ant belonging to the genus Tetraponeraspis ecologically dominant, aggressive species don’t believe on resource partitioning and coexistence with other arthropod species in their natural habitat. With help of their peptide containing venom they can paralysed and deterred other species from their host plant. After Amphan, a super-cyclone which strike on Gangetic plane, West Bengal, on 20th May, 2020 caused destruction of lots of plants due to high wind velocity (155km/hour). This adverse environmental condition causes food scarcity and lost of habitat of Tetraponerasp which resulted into changed their behaviour. It make them natural pest of Cocos nucifera by sharing their habitat with carpenter ants, pest beetle of coconut and causes huge damage of growing coconuts.

Insights Into Earthworms and Fungi: Pioneering Roles in Mitigating Global Food Scarcity and Combatting Land Degradation

Insights Into Earthworms and Fungi: Pioneering Roles in Mitigating Global Food Scarcity and Combatting Land Degradation

Enablers of and barriers to ART adherence among female sex workers in mid-western Uganda: a qualitative study

IntroductionFemale sex workers (FSWs) in Uganda experience numerous barriers to antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. We used the planned behavior theory to help explore the enablers and barriers to ART adherence among FSWs. Understanding the barriers to ART adherence may help contribute to the development of interventions to improve ART adherence among the FSWs.Materials and methodsA descriptive qualitative study was conducted in Fort portal City. We conducted 30 in-depth interviews among FSWs who had been taking ART for at least six months. Furthermore, six key informant interviews were conducted with healthcare workers and leaders of the FSWs initiative. Data collection lasted for two months. Thematic deductive analysis was applied to analyse the data through the lens of the theory of planned behavior.FindingsThe attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influenced adherence to ART. Positive attitudes including perceived benefits of ART, and experiencing positive outcomes from taking ART were seen to enable its adherence. Subjective norms such as social support, disclosure of HIV status, seeing others take ART, and aspirations of longer life enabled ART adherence. Taking ART in the morning, responsive and respectful healthcare workers, and availability of food/basic needs facilitated compliance with ART adherence. Negative attitudes such as misconceptions and fear of side effects hindered ART adherence. Social disapproval of sex work and or HIV, lack of social support, gender-based violence, non-disclosure, stigma, and abandonment hindered the use of ART among FSWs. Socio-economic constraints (e.g., food scarcity), and occupation-related factors (substance use, incarceration, busy and predictable schedules, and abrupt migrations) were the additional barriers to ART adherence.ConclusionART adherence among FSWs was influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Addressing these barriers in ART adherence through targeted interventions could facilitate ART adherence and improve health outcomes among FSWs.

Necrophagy in cave environments: ecological pressure due to food scarcity? A case study of necrophagy by a harvestman Discocyrtanus canjinjim Carvalho & Kury, 2017 (Arachnida: Opiliones) preying on an Eidmanacris sp. (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae) carcass

Cave environments present stable abiotic conditions, including permanent darkness, high humidity, and mild temperatures, while biotic factors reflect simplified ecological networks and energy constraints. Cave invertebrates, primarily detritivores and generalists, demonstrate specific adaptations to these conditions. Predation and necrophagy are critical behaviors shaped by the cave's scarcity of food resources. In this study, we report a rare necrophagy event involving Discocyrtanus canjinjim Carvalho & Kury, 2017 (Arachnida: Opiliones) feeding on a deceased cricket (Eidmanacris sp.) (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae) in the Ponte de Pedra I Cave, Brazil. This limestone cave features large entrances and supports an oligotrophic system. The event occurred in an aphotic zone, where the harvestman displayed no flee behavior despite external stimuli. The presence of other predatory arachnids suggests potential intra-guild competition. Opiliones in the Cerrado and Caatinga exhibit opportunistic carnivory, consuming various prey taxa, including insects and vertebrates. Necrophagy, intra-guild predation, and cannibalism are behaviors reported in subterranean populations due to limited food availability. Climate change and anthropogenic pressures, such as deforestation and mining, threaten the stability of cave environments. Observations like this contribute to understanding the ecological dynamics within caves, highlighting the importance of preserving these fragile ecosystems.

Fullerenol nanoparticles and AMF application for optimization of Brassica napus L. resilience to lead toxicity through physio-biochemical and antioxidative modulations

Crop plants are severely affected by heavy metals (HMs), leading to food scarcity and economical loss. Lead (Pb) is outsourced by use of lead-based fertilizers, batteries, mining, smelting and metal processing. It significantly reduces growth, development and yield of crops cultivated on contaminated sites. In this study, the ameliorative role of carbon based fullerenol nanoparticles (FNPs) in combination with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) inoculation was examined in Brassica napus L. grown in Pb contaminated soil. A pot experiment in three-ways completely randomize fashion with three replicates was conducted. For Pb stress, a 200 µM PbCl2 solution was applied at a rate of 1 L per pot. FNPs were applied via foliar spray at a concentration of 3 mM. For AMF inoculation rhizospheric soil was collected from Sorghum bicolor fields and used in this experiment. Results of the study showed that Pb toxicity greatly reduced growth (shoot length; 15%, root length; 25%) of B. napus plants. It lowered photosynthesis (38%) and gas exchange related attributes. Pb contamination caused oxidative stress, evident from elevated level of malondialdehyde (62%), and reactive oxygen species (H2O2; 60%, OH−; 103% and O2•−; 23%). It also triggered the antioxidant defense system of B. napus. These plants also had high Pb metal ions in their root and shoot compared with control. Foliar application of FNPs along with AMF inoculation effectively mitigated oxidative stress caused by Pb via increasing antioxidant enzymes activities. Catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and polyphenol peroxidase activities were increased by 37, 19, 96, 200, 47, 117 and 47%, respectively. In conclusion, these treatments modulated photosynthetic machinery, antioxidant defense mechanism and nutrients uptake in B. napus plants to alleviate Pb stress. It is presumed that use of carbon-based nano particles in combination with AMF inoculation could effectively mitigate HMs stress in crop plants grown in contaminated soil.

Biostimulants: Mitigation strategy for salinity stress in fruit crops

The burgeoning specter of abiotic stresses caused by global climate change, including drought, salt, extremely high temperatures, heavy metals and UV radiation, has rendered fragile agroecosystems increasingly precarious. This has reduced the production and quality of fruit crops. The burden on plants might be even worse if several stressors occur at once. These multifarious stressors have led to a 70 % reduction in annual agricultural production globally, sparking the embers of food scarcity and stoking the fires of hunger within our ever-expanding populace. However, within this seemingly hopeless situation, a number of alternatives have surfaced as a glimmer of light. Biostimulants, derived from natural or organic sources, enhance plant development and resilience by enhancing their capacity to absorb nutrients, withstand stress and sustain overall health. The exogenous application of biostimulants on an organic basis has emerged as a powerful treatment for certain of them, promoting plant growth and production in the face of adversity. These biostimulants work across a wide range of pathways, composing a symphony of resistance to stress-related difficulties. Only a few papers have provided information on plant biostimulants’ impacts on fruit quality, which is connected to appearance, chemical composition and physical characteristics. The objective of this review is to assess the efficacy of externally applied organic biostimulants in improving plant growth and productivity, especially in challenging environments. These biostimulants enhance plant resilience, nutrient absorption and overall health, providing a sustainable solution to agricultural difficulties. They also have a sustainable appeal since they are organic, satisfying the desire of customers who are concerned about the advantages of eating healthier food.

Intimate Partner Violence and Level of Household Food Scarcity in Mozambique.

Although food insecurity in its various forms is consistently associated with the presence of intimate partner violence (IPV), it is still unknown if various levels of severity of hunger predict IPV when important extraneous mental health, interpersonal, and social support indicators are considered. The study applied a posttest-only comparison group quasi-experimental design. The samples were randomly drawn from married women (n = 202) in Mozambique. The logistic regression model showed a significant association between multiple forms of IPV and multiple forms of food scarcity; women experiencing severe hunger were consistently between 3.5- and 5-times greater odds of reporting IPV compared to those without hunger, even when controlling for important covariates.

The role of microRNA in the regulation of hepatic metabolism and energy-expensive processes in the hibernating dormouse.

The garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) is a fat-storing mammal that undergoes annual periods of hibernation to mitigate the effects of food scarcity, low ambient temperatures, and reduced photoperiod that characterize winter. Like other hibernating species, this animal suppresses its metabolic rate by downregulating nonessential genes and processes in order to prolong available energy stores and limit waste accumulation throughout the season. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, single-stranded, noncoding RNAs that bind to mRNA and mediate post-transcriptional suppression, making miRNA ideal for modulating widespread changes in gene expression, including global downregulation typified by metabolic rate depression. Using next-generation sequencing, we analyzed an RNA-seq dataset to determine which miRNAs are differentially regulated during hibernation in the dormouse liver. We found that the expression of 19 miRNAs was altered during hibernation; however, only one major miRNA (miR-34a-5p) remained significantly downregulated after correcting for false discovery rate. Gene Ontology and KEGG Pathway Analysis predicted that energy metabolism, nuclear-related functions such as histone binding, chromatin- and chromosomal binding, and the cell cycle are processes that may be differentially regulated during hibernation due to miRNA regulation. Taken together, our data suggest that miRNA influence appears to be strongly directed toward suppressing energy-intensive processes in the nucleus hence contributing to extend the animal's endogenous fuel reserves for the duration of hibernation.

Hungry for antiquity: Zbigniew Herbert and reception as ingestion

Abstract This article examines the travel writing of the Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert (1924–98) through a reception-theoretical lens, identifying a pattern of representing contact with antiquity as food consumption in the travelogues Barbarian in the Garden (1962) and Labyrinth on the Sea (1973/2000). While closely situating this prandial language within the changing cultural discourses of consumption in socialist Poland, I argue for Herbert’s construction of a more widely applicable model of reception as ingestion that speaks to current debates on distance, temporality, and affective relations to the past. By rooting this reception model in Herbert’s lived experiences of post-war precarity, hunger, and the connection between food scarcity and economies of violence, as well as by linking it to his practice of ‘devouring’ knowledge about antiquity through intense research in Western libraries, I also highlight the centrality of embodied experience for seemingly abstract theory-making in reception studies and beyond.

Effects of Climate Change on Communities Living and Economic Structure of Indus Riverine Areas of Dera Ghazi Khan

Climate change is the most important issue of the top current issues that the globe is experiencing. Climate change is the most significant and hazardous issue not just for Pakistan but globally as well. Pakistan is one of the underdeveloped nations in South Asia and is ranked among the five nations that have been worst affected by climate change. Climate change has severely influenced both the development of human lifestyles and existence, together with food scarcity, wildlife destruction, and risky meteorological conditions problems. The objectives of the study were (1) to investigate the direct consequences of deforestation on the local ecosystem and (2) to examine how deforestation increases environmental changes. The study was delimited to people only in the Indus riverine areas in District Dera Ghazi Khan. All the people who are living in the Indus Riverine areas in District D.G. Khan served as the population of the study. A total sample size of 225 citizens was selected from District Dera Ghazi Khan. In the first stage, 3 Tehsils of District Dera Ghazi Khan e.g. (Dera Ghazi Khan, Kot Chutta, & Taunsa Shareef) were selected. In the second stage, 3 riverside union councils were selected from each Tehsil through a convenient sampling technique. In the third stage, 25 citizens were selected from each union council. Data was collected through an interview schedule and examined by ‘The Statistical Package for Social Sciences’ (SPSS). Obtained results indicate that climate change also happens in the community (99.1%), climate change decreases the local agricultural productivity (92.9%) and climate change has effect on the overall economic sustainability of the local community (95.5%). The bivariate analysis showed that more will be climate change vs less will be the agricultural productivity; less will the economic sustainability. So, all the hypothesis results are accepted after the analysis of the data.

Prevention of Food Waste in China: Role and Impact of China's Anti-Food Waste Law.

In recent years, despite global improvements in development, food scarcity and waste remain critical issues impacting food security, human health, and environmental sustainability. China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs reports that China's food loss and waste rate is approximately 22.7%, amounting to 460 million tons annually, with the consumption and post-harvest processing stages facing the highest losses. To address these issues, China enacted the Anti-Food Waste Law in 2021, aiming to reduce food waste through clear responsibilities, incentives, and penalties for government agencies and relevant stakeholders. While scholars note that the law represents a significant shift from moral to legal governance in tackling food waste, some argue that its provisions lack sufficient specificity. This article assesses the effectiveness of China's anti-food waste legislation using case studies and comparative analyses, highlighting the challenges in defining and implementing the law within China's cultural framework, where food signifies abundance and prosperity. Additionally, the article explores successful international practices, including the 2030 Champions Program and similar efforts in Europe and Japan, to inform China's strategy. The key recommendations for policy improvement include strengthening accountability and governance, establishing a food hierarchy for sustainable resource management, enhancing data collection on food waste, promoting food donation mechanisms, and transitioning from a solely government-led regulatory approach to a multi-dimensional co-regulation model.

New Strategies in the Chemical Control of Fusarium oxysporum Using Synthetic Bioisosteres of Secondary Metabolites: A Review of the Synthetic Methods for Novel Compounds with Potential Antifungal Activity

Abstract: One of the main problems affecting the world is food scarcity which is occasioned by different causes, including difficult climatic conditions, economic and technical limitations, infrastructure and transportation, food safety and insecurity, and diseases caused by microorganisms (phytopathogens) such as Fusarium oxysporum whose damage triggers a series of irreversible effects on several crops, causing economic losses worldwide. Given the complexity that the chemical control of phytopathogens represents, various investigations have been refocused on exploring new biomimetic actions that lead to synthesizing new compounds with potential antifungal activity. In addition, computational chemistry and chemoinformatics tools (molecular docking and molecular dynamics) make it possible to understand and often predict these compounds' mechanisms of action, thereby formulating Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) models. These strategies have established an important advance in designing new molecules capable of inhibiting pathogens from a rational development of antifungal compounds. This article reviewed the novel synthetic bioisosteres of secondary metabolites biologically active against Fusarium oxysporum, their synthetic protocols, and the strategies implemented for its control. The most innovative examples of this class of active organic compounds are presented, such as N,S-dialkyl dithiocarbamates, Schiff bases, N-alkyl substituted amides, and several heterocyclic systems with potential antifungal activity. Likewise, the use of computational tools is discussed, showing how these results can conduce to the design of new antifungal agents.

Get it while it's hot: Benefits of a large herbivore exploiting stochastic resource pulses in a time of food scarcity

AbstractTo persist in seasonal environments, animals track, exploit, and store energy when food is plentiful. Seasonal changes in plant phenology that are predictable allow animals to track abundant food resources. However, little is known about how animals use and benefit from ephemeral and unpredictable food pulses during times when food is scarce. Climate change is altering the timing, abundance, and spatial distribution of food releases, emphasizing the ongoing need for understanding how unseasonal weather conditions influence access to food. Using 12 years of GPS‐location data and annual measures of body mass in 72 adult female Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), we tested whether individuals with greater use of nutritionally beneficial resource pulses in autumn and early winter are heavier going into parturition in spring. Additionally, we evaluated how stochastic weather conditions influence the use of food resources. Reindeer that foraged most in marshes during autumn and early winter gained a positive carryover effect of up to 5 kg heavier body mass in late winter, with previously demonstrated benefits to both survival and reproduction. Marsh use was rare, brief, and intense, which is the expected response to a pulsed resource. The extent to which marshes were used varied greatly among years and was associated with stochastic mild spells that relaxed constraints of snow depth for a few days. Compared with other habitats used, marshes offered superior quantity and quality of belowground plant biomass that may be accessed more easily under milder autumn and winter conditions. Our findings demonstrate the individual benefits of exploiting stochastic food pulses and showcase how resource tracking during periods of food scarcity may be a behavioral trait that could enhance population resilience in a rapidly warming climate.

Wildlife Management in South Sudan, 1901–2021: Conservation amidst Conflict

Abstract To date, there is no systematic research on the overlapping challenges of wildlife conservation and security in South Sudan, where the wildlife service (WLS) has institutionally survived for over a century while contending with poor state capacity and responsibility for protected areas (PAs) that cover vast territories characterized by chronic insecurity and food scarcity. Integrated into the country’s “Organized Forces,” South Sudan’s park rangers play roles beyond conservation as armed actors in complex conflicts. Data obtained from archival research and field interviews shows that South Sudan’s wildlife authorities have persisted since the colonial period in spite and because of chronic warfare.

The Art of Chilling Out: How Neurons Regulate Torpor.

Endothermic animals expend significant energy to maintain high body temperatures, which offers adaptability to varying environmental conditions. However, this high metabolic rate requires increased food intake. In conditions of low environmental temperature and scarce food resources, some endothermic animals enter a hypometabolic state known as torpor to conserve energy. Torpor involves a marked reduction in body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and locomotor activity, enabling energy conservation. Despite their biological significance and potential medical applications, the neuronal mechanisms regulating torpor still need to be fully understood. Recent studies have focused on fasting-induced daily torpor in mice due to their suitability for advanced neuroscientific techniques. In this review, we highlight recent advances that extend our understanding of neuronal mechanisms regulating torpor. We also discuss unresolved issues in this research field and future directions.

Effect of Prolonged Starvation of Nacella concinna, Odontaster validus, and Sterechinus neumayeri on Their Body Composition and the Enrichment of the Aquatic Environment with Nitrogen and Phosphorus

The seasonal availability of food for Antarctic zoobenthic consumers affects, among other factors, the levels of excreted metabolites that can serve as a source of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) for autotrophs. This study tested the effects of prolonged starvation on N and P excretion by Nacella concinna, Odontaster validus, and Sterechinus neumayeri, as well as changes in their body chemistry. In all animals starved for 65 days, a significant decrease in body protein content was observed (33% for S. neumayeri and approximately 23% for N. concinna and O. validus). Nitrogen excretion rates were higher than phosphorus, with mean values (in µmol N or P h−1 100 g−1) of 1.351 and 0.094 for N. concinna, 0.779 and 0.037 for O. validus, and 0.538 and 0.075 for S. neumayeri, respectively. Ammonium nitrogen accounted for 50% to 69% of total nitrogen, while total reactive phosphorus represented 35% to 42% of total phosphorus. The study confirmed the natural adaptation of zoobenthos to prolonged food scarcity and demonstrated that (i) protein was the primary energy source during starvation, (ii) excretion rates were negatively correlated with invertebrate body size and were higher for N than P, and (iii) the excreted N and P loads may serve as a source of nutrients for autotrophs and act as chemical signals in trophic chemoreception.

Integrated omics analysis reveals the effect of feeding scarcity on the lipid metabolism and apoptosis in Nibea coibor

Food scarcity was a crucial challenge to fish in natural waters, necessitating a complex adaptive process for them to cope with. This study estimated the effects of four different feeding strategies (daytime feeding, DF; intermittent fasting, IF; continuous fasting, CF; nighttime feeding, NF) on the growth, metabolism, and health of Nibea coibor. The lowest weight gain rate and steatosis degree occurred in the CF group, which had the highest bacterial load in the liver and the lowest survival rate after Vibrio harveyi infection. The IF group had the highest serum GLU, LAC, and COR levels and the lowest hepatic bacterial loads post V. harveyi challenge. The NF group had higher serum GLU level (P < 0.05) and lower survival rate compared to DF. Notably, the integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome screened out significantly differential genes (dgke, pla2g12b, axin2) and metabolite (Glycerophosphocholine), which were all involved in lipid metabolism and downregulated in CF (P < 0.05). The correlation analysis of phenotypic indicators with the transcriptome and metabolome showed that gadd45 and l-carnitine were positively and negatively correlated with bacterial infection resistance, respectively. In general, this study suggested fasting influenced weight gain and bacterial infection resistance of N. coibor, through regulating genes and metabolites related to lipid metabolism and apoptosis, providing valuable reference significance on the impact of feeding rhythm on fish.

Biochemical and cytological studies of Typha domingensis used for bioethanol production

AbstractTypha domingensis (cattails) is an emergent invasive aquatic macrophyte; it belongs to Typhaceae family inhabiting multiple Egyptian water bodies like rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Due to the scarcity of food, the depletion of fossil fuels, population growth, and increased industrial development, sustainable renewable bioenergy production has gained a lot of attention lately. Typha is an excellent lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production because it does not compete with food but rather endangers aquatic life and prevents water from flowing through drainage channels and canals, which rises evapotranspiration. Although it is beneficial in phytoremediation, its removal is a necessity due to previous reasons. Chemical pretreatment has been widely used to degrade complex chains of lignocellulosic materials. Enzymatic hydrolysis is used to enhance fermentable sugars production from cellulose. Fermentation process has been conducted by yeast for centuries. Saccharomyces cerevisiae tolerance to ethanol can be increased by mutation; it is induced either chemically, physically, or biologically. Geneticists frequently utilize gamma radiation, one of the physical mutagenesis mechanisms, to change the DNA of microorganisms. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) is concerned with examination and analysis of microstructure morphology and chemical composition. Changes in internal organelles of Saccharomyces cerevisiae after mutation has been tracked using transmission electron microscope (TEM) in order to distinguish between native and mutant yeast and to examine their ultrastructural changes.