Staple Food Production Research Articles

Nuclear and chloroplast diversity and phenotypic distribution of rice (Oryza sativa L.) germplasm from the democratic people's republic of Korea (DPRK; North Korea).

BackgroundRice accounts for 43% of staple food production in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The most widely planted rice varieties were developed from a limited number of ancestral lines that were repeatedly used as parents in breeding programs. However, detailed pedigrees are not publicly available and little is known about the genetic, phenotypic, and geographical variation of DPRK varieties.ResultsWe evaluated 80 O. sativa accessions from the DPRK, consisting of 67 improved varieties and 13 landraces. Based on nuclear SSR analysis, we divide the varieties into two genetic groups: Group 1 corresponds to the temperate japonica subpopulation and represents 78.75% of the accessions, while Group 2 shares recent ancestry with indica varieties. Interestingly, members of Group 1 are less diverse than Group 2 at the nuclear level, but are more diverse at the chloroplast level. All Group 2 varieties share a single Japonica maternal-haplotype, while Group 1 varieties trace maternal ancestry to both Japonica and Indica. Phenotypically, members of Group 1 have shorter grains than Group 2, and varieties from breeding programs have thicker and wider grains than landraces. Improved varieties in Group 1 also show similar and/or better levels of cold tolerance for most traits, except for spikelet number per panicle. Finally, geographic analysis demonstrates that the majority of genetic variation is located within regions that have the most intensive rice cultivation, including the Western territories near the capital city Pyungyang. This is consistent with the conscious and highly centralized role of human selection in determining local dispersion patterns of rice in the DPRK.ConclusionsDiversity studies of DPRK rice germplasm revealed two genetic groups. The most widely planted group has a narrow genetic base and would benefit from the introduction of new genetic variation from cold tolerant landraces, wild accessions, and/or cultivated gene pools to enhance yield potential and performance.

A General Equilibrium Model for Analyzing African Rural Subsistence Economies and an African Green Revolution

How can foreign aid support economic growth in Africa? This paper presents a geographically indexed general equilibrium model that enables green revolution-focused macroeconomic analysis in low-income African settings. The model is flexible to parameterization and highlights the role of farmers’ constraints to self-financing of inputs alongside minimum subsistence consumption requirements. It includes particular attention to the challenge of soil productivity and to the effects of official development assistance (ODA) for agricultural inputs and road building. Uganda is used as an illustrative case. The economy’s labor force is predominantly still located in rural areas and remains overwhelmingly focused on staple food production. Under plausible economy-wide parameters, a foreign-financed green revolution package shows a clear anti-Dutch disease result, in which the temporary boost in targeted ODA yields permanent productivity and welfare effects at relatively low cost.

Crop diversification, dietary diversity and agricultural income: empirical evidence from eight developing countries

This study sheds light on the dilemma between food crop specialisation and diversification. We use data from household surveys to estimate the effects of crop diversification on nutrition (dietary diversity) and on income (crops sold) of rural households from eight developing and transition economies. We find that the vast majority of households grow crops despite the modest contribution of agriculture to income. Most agricultural land is devoted to staple food production; high-value commodities such as fruits and vegetables are also produced, but in limited quantities. Both descriptive statistics and regression results show a positive correlation between the number of crops cultivated, household income from crops and the two indicators we use for dietary diversity, also after controlling for household characteristics.

Beyond local climate: rainfall variability as a determinant of household nonfarm activities in contemporary rural Burkina Faso

At the household level, nonfarm activities are thought to help rural poor households buffer against agricultural risks related to local climate variability by providing them with cash to buy food in the case of harvest shortfalls. Over the recent decades, households in rural Sub-Sahara have been found less dependent on land and subsistence agriculture and an increasing number of households here derive their income from nonfarm activities. This study tests the hypothesis that rural households in Burkina Faso have diversified to the extent that they no longer rely on nonfarm activities as a safety net against adverse local rainfall events. Results show that household decisions to participate in the nonfarm economy could not be directly linked with local rainfall events during the study period in the mid-2000s. However, household participation was determined by adverse rainfall conditions in the major staple food production zone of the country, presumably because these caused a rise in food prices. Results also suggested that Burkinabe households adopted a flexible approach to nonfarm participation in terms of locality and plurality, depending on short-term rainfall conditions.

СТРАТЕГИЯ РАЗВИТИЯ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОГО АГРОПИЩЕВОГО КЛАСТЕРА

Since 2007 the majority of Russian regions include clusters development in the long-term territorial socio-economic development strategies. The main attention is paid to formation of innovative and industrial, tourist clusters. However, a small amount of scientific works is devoted to сlustering in agriculture. The potential of cluster development of the agrarian and industrial complex is studied insufficiently: in our opinion, the formation of agrocluster structures allows to obtain a synergistic effect that contributes to sustainable regional development. The strategy of the agro-food cluster development is considered in the article. Proceeding from its competitive advantages, the priority directions of development are defined. The forecast of staple food production in the region is provided. The implementation of cluster policy in agrarian and industrial complex will enable to increase the competitiveness of region’s economy and its food security. Clustering of the agrarian sector encourages the rural economy diversification and increases the rural population living standards.

Staple Food and Livestock Production among the Yoruba of the Colonial Nigeria: The Ekiti Experience

Traditionally, the Ekiti were known for the production of yam, cocoyam, plantain, cassava and other root crops which people were forced to produce, particularly as a result of the draught of the 1920s. With migrants workers from the East and Middle Belt particularly, Ekiti people were able to produce more than enough food that made them self-reliant. They were also good in livestock production with purely traditional methods. Such livestock included goats, sheep, dogs, fowls, among others. In fact, livestock production was the preoccupation of both men and women and it solely depended on traditional methods because people were not receptive to some innovations brought by modernity. Staple food and livestock production were the economic backbone of the people before the era of cocoa boom.

Food and sustainability: local and organic food in Finnish food policy and in institutional kitchens

This article probes a number of recent national policy documents in order to capture how sustainability is perceived and expressed in the context of food and what role is given to the alternative food supplies. The goals of food policy and their realization are discussed by reflecting the results from the policy document analysis against the actual use of alternative food in the statutory municipal catering services in Finland. In the policy documents the concept of sustainable development has remained rather abstract; various dimensions such as food security, affordability and access to food, cultural and health aspects are mentioned, but these are not necessarily identified as elements of sustainability. Local and organic foods appear as important items in food sustainability. However, in the documents they are usually not differentiated from each other, and positioning of local food in relation to domestic and regional food is not clear. The municipal caterers instead, identify organic as distinct from local and they are interested in locally produced staple food products, but the (labeled) local specialities – locality food – are not relevant within the public catering services. Use of organic food is also marginal. Defining sustainability in the context of food is a prerequisite for coherent food policy. The development needs and possibilities are different in different municipalities, and the same approach cannot be offered to all, but the problems need to be addressed in the concrete situations. With the small population basis and long distances, it is worthwhile to aim at solutions relying on local resources. Food strategy should be included as part of the comprehensive municipal development strategies. It is important to involve practical actors in developing the food sector and in formulating quantitative goals.

Toward a Spatial Understanding of Staple Food and Nonstaple Food Production in Brazil*

Brazilian agricultural census data at the municipal level are used to develop and map a simple index of staple food versus nonstaple food agriculture for Brazil over time (1996–2006). The results show spatial variation in the direction and degree of the shift toward or away from staple food cropping across Brazil. The index is presented as an important methodological step toward a systematic geographic understanding of crop share changes surrounding food versus fuel and other nonfood crop production.

Techniques of Transfer of New Knowledge to African Women Farmers through Extension

Women are variously estimated to provide 70 percent of total agricultural labour and to be responsible for at least 70 percent of staple food production in Africa. This is in addition to other agricultural activities such as storage, processing, marketing of food and cash crops, and livestock production. This paper reviews some of the ways of reaching women farmers with new knowledge through extension. Some of the recommendations made are that research and extension should be adapted to women’s needs, the content of extension services to women farmers should be improved, and more women should be recruited and trained to provide services in the public and private sectors of extension.Keywords: women farmers, transfer, messages, extension, Africa.

Crop Improvement, Ideotyping and Modelling for African Cropping Systems Under Climate Change

Climate change threatens staple food production and human livelihoods, particularly in vulnerable environments in Africa. Poorly adapted cropping systems increase the risk of poverty and hunger. Existing genotypes adapted to local conditions may not be suited for cropping systems responding to future climatic conditions. Models based on genotypic traits for ideotyping varieties to fit specific environmental conditions have the potential to accelerate crop improvement required to adapt African agricultural systems to climate change. As the final conclusive discussion of the RISOCAS project (Developing rice and sorghum crop adaptation strategies for climate change in vulnerable environments in Africa) comprised in the research initiative ‘Adapting African Agriculture to Climate Change’ funded by Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) from 2008 to 2011, an international conference was held at the University of Hohenheim in February 2011 entitled: ‘Crop improvement, ideotyping and modelling for African cropping systems under climate change – CIMAC’. This conference brought together an interdisciplinary group of scientists from 24 countries with specific expertises in plant breeding, agronomy and modelling with a regional focus on African agriculture and was additionally supported by the German Science Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG), the fiat panis foundation and the Tropenzentrum at the University Hohenheim. The participants discussed possibilities for genotypic adaptation via identification of suitable morpho-physiological traits, breeding strategies and modelling approaches allowing extrapolative evaluation of climate change scenarios in view of genotypic adaptation mechanisms. This issue holds a selection of papers representing research output presented at the conference covering mainly three topics:

Food security, climate change and mycotoxins

Food security issues have become important as prices of staple grains have soared in the last few years. Climate change is expected to increase pressure on food supply/quality/sustainability worldwide. Changes in rainfall patterns, drought, temperature and CO 2 all impact on staple food production systems. It has been suggested that there will be “hotspots” in different regions of the world where the temperature may increase by +2–4 °C, where rainfall patterns and drought events may increase, resulting in more rapid desertification and significantly impacting on staple food crop yields. Thus, for staple cereals a doubling of CO 2 (350 to 700 μl/l) and an increase in temperature will have a penalty on yield and nutritional quality, while for rice this could increase crop biomass, although effects on yield and quality are less clear. Plant stress inevitably leads to increased susceptibility to fungal infection, pre- and post-harvest, and potential for increased contamination by mycotoxins (Magan et al., 2011; Wu et al., 2011). We have previously demonstrated that mycotoxigenic fungal activity can lead to small changes in dry matter losses in climate change type conditions, which would still exceed the legislative limits, certainly in Europe. It is thus important to consider the potential for increased contamination of cereals by Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxins and Fusarium verticillioides and fumonisins in maize; Fusarium species and trichothecenes A and B, such as T-2 and HT-2 toxins, zearelenone and deoxynivalenol in small grain cereals. We have harnessed our published ecological data on the marginal conditions for growth and mycotoxin production in relation to temperature and water availability for a range of Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium species and tried to integrate this with other types of data including mould growth and molecular data to develop models which could be used to predict mycotoxin contamination and the relative risk in cereals under different climate change scenarios. Based on climate change scenarios there are expected to be hot spots of increased temperature and flooding in northern parts of India with southern parts being subjected to increased drought episodes with increased temperatures and irrigation becoming essential. This could have profound impacts on cereal production, yield and grain quality in northern parts of India. This could impact on food security and availability in some parts of the Indian sub-continent.

RURAL TRANSPORTATION AND ITS EFFECTS ON STAPLE FOOD PRODUCTION IN ITAOGBOLU

The United Nation in its millennium declaration adopted the millennium Development Goals (MDGS) that seeks among other goals to reduce poverty especially in the less developed societies, Africa inclusive. Hunger is a complex crisis; to solve it we must address the interconnected challenges of agriculture and transportation. Transport development has a tremendous impact on economic activities. Poor road network, inadequate transport facilities and inefficient transportation system are the arrow head of low agricultural productivity and increase in price of agricultural products. This paper investigates the effects of rural transportation on staple food production in Itaogbolu. The primary data were collected in two different stages, the reconnaissance survey and questionnaire administration. Six quarters were identified and twenty questionnaires were administered on each of the quarters, making a total of one hundred and twenty. Data from secondary sources were also adopted. The research has found out that rural transport has a significant negative impact on staple food production. It also reveals some of the problems of staple production, such as crop failure, pest and disease infestation. It was vivid from the research that the various types of staple crop produced includes; tubers, grains, fruits and vegetable. The study however recommended that government should embark on the provision of adequate transport facilities; giving of loans to interested farmers as well as provision of subsidy of schemes.

Screening the banana biodiversity for drought tolerance: can an in vitro growth model and proteomics be used as a tool to discover tolerant varieties and understand homeostasis.

There is a great need for research aimed at understanding drought tolerance, screening for drought tolerant varieties and breeding crops with an improved water use efficiency. Bananas and plantains are a major staple food and export product with a worldwide production of over 135 million tonnes per year. Water however is the most limiting abiotic factor in banana production. A screening of the Musa biodiversity has not yet been performed. We at KU Leuven host the Musa International Germplasm collection with over 1200 accessions. To screen the Musa biodiversity for drought tolerant varieties, we developed a screening test for in vitro plants. Five varieties representing different genomic constitutions in banana (AAAh, AAA, AAB, AABp, and ABB) were selected and subjected to a mild osmotic stress. The ABB variety showed the smallest stress induced growth reduction. To get an insight into the acclimation and the accomplishment of homeostasis, the leaf proteome of this variety was characterized via 2D DIGE. After extraction of the leaf proteome of six control and six stressed plants, 2600 spots could be distinguished. A PCA analysis indicates that control and stressed plants can blindly be classified based on their proteome. One hundred and twelve proteins were significantly more abundant in the stressed plants and 18 proteins were significantly more abundant in control plants (FDR α 0.05). Twenty four differential proteins could be identified. The proteome analysis clearly shows that there is a new balance in the stressed plants and that the respiration, metabolism of ROS and several dehydrogenases involved in NAD/NADH homeostasis play an important role.

Влияние мирового агропродовольственного рынка на саморазвитие региональных аграрных систем

This paper analyzes the impact of foreign economic grocery relations on the state of self-development and self-regulation in the agrarian sector of the country and regions. A definition of the concept of «self-regulation of the agrarian sector in the region» is given. The characteristic of long-term trends in food independence is given. In this regard, the current state of food self-sufficiency in the regions of Russia on essential grocery is analyzed. It is concluded that the majority of regions are characterized by low levels of selfsufficiency in grocery. The main trends of Russian food exports in recent years are shown. The reasons for the sharp growth in grain exports are analyzed. The estimation of the possibilities for further increase of exports of these products in connection with the planned growth of consumption and production of staple food as predicted by the Russian government is made. In general, the authors believe that low levels of food self-sufficiency of the country may be not only at significant food imports, but also at low volumes of imports, coupled with the high volume of agricultural exports. Accordingly, in both cases the possibility of selfdevelopment of the regional agrarian scope is undermined because of the influence of external factors (low levels of food self-sufficiency in the country).

The economics of food aid under subsistence farming with an application to Malawi

We investigate how food-aid affects price and production of staple food, with a partial equilibrium model with non-separable production and consumption. The model captures the key characteristics of sub-Saharan Africa subsistence economies. Simulations generate negative but also positive food-aid elasticities of production. Conditions are identified which mitigate the negative impact and support a positive impact. The share of domestic food production in total staple food demand (+) and the share of income from staple food production in total household income (−) are key determinants. Price and production equations, estimated with a panel of district data of the Malawi maize market for the period 1999–2010, show a small positive impact of food-aid. Large negative impacts of food-aid are not likely given production and income shares and behavioural responses.

Chemopreventive effects of in vitro digested and fermented bread in human colon cells

Bread as a staple food product represents an important source for dietary fibre consumption. Effects of wheat bread, wholemeal wheat bread and wholemeal rye bread on mechanisms which could have impact on chemoprevention were analysed in colon cells after in vitro fermentation. Effects of fermented bread samples on gene expression, glutathione S-transferase activity and glutathione content, differentiation, growth and apoptosis were investigated using the human colon adenoma cell line LT97. Additionally, apoptosis was studied in normal and tumour colon tissue by determination of caspase activities. The expression of 76 genes (biotransformation, differentiation, apoptosis) was significantly upregulated (1.5-fold) in LT97 cells. The fermented bread samples were able to significantly increase glutathione S-transferase activity (1.8-fold) and glutathione content (1.4-fold) of the cells. Alkaline phosphatase activity as a marker of differentiation was also significantly enhanced (1.7-fold). The fermented bread samples significantly inhibited LT97 cell growth and increased the level of apoptotic cells (1.8-fold). Only marginal effects on apoptosis in tumour compared to normal tissue were observed. This is the first study which presents chemopreventive effects of different breads after in vitro fermentation. In spite of differences in composition, the results were comparable between the bread types. Nevertheless, they indicate a potential involvement of this staple food product regarding the prevention of colon cancer.

A systems approach to model the relationship between aflatoxin gene cluster expression, environmental factors, growth and toxin production by Aspergillus flavus.

A microarray analysis was used to examine the effect of combinations of water activity (a(w), 0.995-0.90) and temperature (20-42°C) on the activation of aflatoxin biosynthetic genes (30 genes) in Aspergillus flavus grown on a conducive YES (20 g yeast extract, 150 g sucrose, 1 g MgSO(4)·7H(2)O) medium. The relative expression of 10 key genes (aflF, aflD, aflE, aflM, aflO, aflP, aflQ, aflX, aflR and aflS) in the biosynthetic pathway was examined in relation to different environmental factors and phenotypic aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) production. These data, plus data on relative growth rates and AFB(1) production under different a(w) × temperature conditions were used to develop a mixed-growth-associated product formation model. The gene expression data were normalized and then used as a linear combination of the data for all 10 genes and combined with the physical model. This was used to relate gene expression to a(w) and temperature conditions to predict AFB(1) production. The relationship between the observed AFB(1) production provided a good linear regression fit to the predicted production based in the model. The model was then validated by examining datasets outside the model fitting conditions used (37°C, 40°C and different a(w) levels). The relationship between structural genes (aflD, aflM) in the biosynthetic pathway and the regulatory genes (aflS, aflJ) was examined in relation to a(w) and temperature by developing ternary diagrams of relative expression. These findings are important in developing a more integrated systems approach by combining gene expression, ecophysiological influences and growth data to predict mycotoxin production. This could help in developing a more targeted approach to develop prevention strategies to control such carcinogenic natural metabolites that are prevalent in many staple food products. The model could also be used to predict the impact of climate change on toxin production.

Testing the Importance of Family Solidarity, Community Structure, Information Access, and Social Capital in Predicting Nutrition Health Knowledge and Food Choices in the Philippines

This study investigates the influence of family solidarity, community structure, information access, social capital, and socioeconomic status on the extent of nutrition and health knowledge (NHK) among primary household meal planners. In turn, we pose the question: does this knowledge influence dietary decision making? Data are taken from a survey determining socioeconomic impacts of vitamin A fortified peanut butter on Philippine households. Questions on the relationships of nutrition to health were selected to construct a knowledge index on which household respondents could be ranked. We then tested hypotheses regarding what types of individual, family-level, and community structural characteristics would predict performance on this index. The results indicate that the strongest predictors of NHK come from sociological theory related to family solidarity and community centrality, in addition to information accessibility and household income. Our findings also indicate that NHK influences dietary choices with regard to the purchase of a vitamin fortified staple food product, which is essential when addressing nutritional deficiency problems in developing countries.

Structure and controls of the global virtual water trade network

Recurrent or ephemeral water shortages are a crucial global challenge, in particular because of their impacts on food production. The global character of this challenge is reflected in the trade among nations of virtual water, i.e. the amount of water used to produce a given commodity. We build, analyze and model the network describing the transfer of virtual water between world nations for staple food products. We find that all the key features of the network are well described by a model that reproduces both the topological and weighted properties of the global virtual water trade network, by assuming as sole controls each country's gross domestic product and yearly rainfall on agricultural areas. We capture and quantitatively describe the high degree of globalization of water trade and show that a small group of nations play a key role in the connectivity of the network and in the global redistribution of virtual water. Finally, we illustrate examples of prediction of the structure of the network under future political, economic and climatic scenarios, suggesting that the crucial importance of the countries that trade large volumes of water will be strengthened. D

ASSESSING AND ADDRESSING CLIMATE-INDUCED RISK IN SUB-SAHARAN RAINFED AGRICULTURE

Rainfed agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is the mainstay of the continent's food and feed production. Nearly 90% of staple food and feed production comes from, and will continue to come from, rainfed agriculture (Rosegrant et al., 2002). In spite of this, investment in this vital production system, and hence its productivity, has stagnated. There are many complex and interrelated issues that contribute to this state of affairs. The outcomes of lack of investment and low production of rainfed agriculture reinforce each other leading to poverty traps and increased vulnerability of livelihoods to climatic and other shocks (World Bank, 2000). This has become well recognized and an emerging political will, both within and outside SSA, to support increased investment in rainfed agriculture appears to be gaining momentum (Sanchez et al, 2009).