Sustainable Agri-food Systems Research Articles

Getting (ECO)Ready: Does EU Legislation Integrate Up-to-Date Scientific Data for Food Security and Biodiversity Preservation Under Climate Change?

European policies on climate change (CC), food security (FS), and biodiversity (BD) represent the EU’s commitment to a sustainable agri-food system, highlighting the interdependence between environmental health and food security. By analyzing key drivers and indicators, the present study evaluates the effectiveness of existing measures and identifies gaps in the policy framework. A Scoping Group activity facilitated dialogue between policymakers, industry, and farmer representatives to gather feedback and strengthen the data–policy link. The results highlight progress in areas such as promoting sustainable agriculture and biodiversity, while pointing out unresolved issues like the challenges faced by smallholder farmers. The study emphasizes the need for real-time monitoring tools and tailored solutions to address the complexities of the agri-food system. It also encourages the integration of emerging technologies, such as IoT and AI, to enhance the sustainability of agricultural practices. Ultimately, the findings call for a landscape-specific approach to maximize biodiversity gains, mitigate climate impacts, and ensure food security within the broader context of the EU’s ecological and socio-economic challenges.

The economic and environmental sustainability dimensions of agriculture: a trade-off analysis of Italian farms

Crop and livestock farms are central to achieving the 2030 Agenda goals and a sustainable agri-food system. However, the transition toward a sustainable agri-food system requires optimizing several economic and environmental farm targets that, interacting with one another, would lead to win-win opportunities, at least as desired by the European Union (EU) policies. Indeed, in recent years, the EU has fostered sustainable development in a logic of synergy between farms’ environmental and economic performances. This work fits into the agricultural sustainability assessment with the aim of improving our understanding of the existence of synergy or a trade-off between the economic and environmental dimensions at a crop and livestock field and farm scale. Specifically, using a set of appropriate agricultural economic and environmental indicators, two composite indexes were created and used to perform trade-off analysis on 7.891 farms that participated in 2019 and 2020 in the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network. The findings showed a trade-off between economic and environmental dimensions in all livestock sub-sectors and the cereals sector, while a synergy in the horticulture sector. Considering the new European sustainability policies on agriculture and global scenarios, the study significantly contributes to policymakers, practitioners, and academic debate on sustainability in agriculture.

El papel de los <i>food system living labs</i> en el establecimiento de sistemas agroalimentarios sostenibles y resilientes en Colombia

Agrifood systems are crucial in food security, sustainability, and social equity. In a global context marked by challenges such as climate change and population growth, it is essential to propose new methodologies to understand the complex interconnections between the different actors and activities of the food system. In this context, food system living labs (FSLL) emerge as an effective strategy to generate alternative solutions that enable an efficient transition to resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. This review explores the concept and relevance of food system living labs, focusing on their importance, the innovations implemented, the economic, social, and environmental impacts they generate, and the challenges and successful strategies in their implementation. In addition, it analyzes four key aspects for their success: i) collaborative innovation platforms, ii) innovation for sustainability, iii) experimentation in real environments, and iv) development and adoption of new technologies, all within the framework of multisectoral participation and co-creation processes with local actors in rural and urban contexts. Finally, it proposes a model for implementation in Colombia.

Selective Management in Sustainable Agri-Food Systems

A sustainable agri-food system is designed to ensure food security and nutrition by establishing the economic, social, and environmental foundations required for food security. This article delves into the concept of selective management within sustainable agri-food systems for livelihood development. To systematically categorize and identify contemporary directions of scientific research on this topic, a descriptive analysis was conducted using sources from the Scopus scient metric database. The article proposes examining agri-food system functionality through the lens of sustainable development goals. Additionally, the article underscores the transformative influence of digitalization on these processes. The study highlights the challenges and prospects brought about by digital technologies in agribusiness, while stressing the necessity of tackling ethical, social, and environmental considerations. It calls for the formulation of policies and regulations to ensure the responsible use of these technologies

Advisors as key partners for achieving adoption at scale: embedding “My Climate View” into agricultural advisory networks

IntroductionThis paper examines the role of agricultural advisors as key partners for scaling adoption of long-term climate information. Agri-food sectors across the world face significant challenges in responding to climate change, which intersect with broader pressures driving transitions to more climate resilient and sustainable agri-food systems. Making better climate information available to farmers is a key part of responding to these challenges, since relevant and usable climate information can help farmers to adapt to future climate conditions. The development of climate services, which seek to provide climate information to assist with decision making, has therefore increased significantly over the last decade. The Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) program provides long-term climate projections to help the Australian agriculture sector prepare for and adapt to future climate conditions. ‘My Climate View’ is an online tool produced by CSA, which provides localised and contextualised, commodity-specific climate information, through historic weather data and multi-decadal projections of future climate, aimed at Australian famers and farm advisors. Agricultural advisors have a critical yet often underutilised role as climate information intermediaries, through assisting farmers translate climate information into action.MethodsThis paper uses CSA as a case study to examine farmer-advisor interactions as a key adoption pathway for My Climate View. We interviewed 52 farmers and 24 advisors across Australia to examine the role of advisors as key partners in helping farmers to understand climate information and explore on-farm climate adaptation options.Results and discussionInteractions between farmers and their trusted advisors are an essential part of the enabling environment required to ensure that this long-term climate information can be used at the farm scale to inform longer-term decisions about climate adaptation. We use the concept of an interaction space to investigate farmer-advisor interactions in the adoption and sustained use of My Climate View. We find that although My Climate View is not a transformational technology on its own, its ability to enable farmers and advisors to explore and discuss future climate conditions and consider climate adaptation options has the potential to support transformational changes on-farm that are needed to meet the sustainability transition pressures that climate change presents.

Sustainable Agro-Food Systems and Their Importance for Farmers in the Moxotó History, State of Pernambuco, Brazil

Objective: To analyze the sustainable agri-food systems and their relevance for farmers in Sertão do Moxotó, state of Pernambuco, Brazil, implemented by the Alternative Technology Service - SERTA through the Sustainable Semiarid project, in order to identify the changes that have occurred in farmers, and what they turned to believe and practice from this experience. Theoretical Framework: Based on topics, family farming, agroecology, agri-food system, food and nutritional security, water, nutrients and energetics, and Technical Assistance and Rural Extension - ATER. Method: The adopted methodology was action research, with individual visits to 20 farmers from nine communities, in a universe of 40 farmers from 19 communities. Data collection was carried out through interviews, questionnaires, and SERTA bibliographic documents. Results and Discussion: The results showed significant changes in the lives of farmers, with 10 farmers participating in agro-ecological-based fairs, increased production without pesticides, family involvement, concern for water, soil, and air, and trust in SERTA. Among the elements presented, it was noted that the project's discontinuity generated insecurity since the SERTA team was considered a family. Implications of the Research: Therefore, the results are innovative and relevant to strengthening and disseminating agroecology and inspiring others to change their practices in a conscious and economically viable way. Originality/Value: This study reveals the importance of social projects aimed at farmers, with technical and pedagogical training focused on food and nutritional security, nutrients, water, and energy, which will provide positive impacts on changes in conceptions and practices from the perspective of a good living.

Externalities and sustainable agri-food system

The study investigated the influence of externalities on sustainable agri-food systems. The purpose was to find out the extent to which the inclusion of the cost of externalities in the price of food will translate to a more sustainable agricultural food system. The study used the cross-sectional survey design consisting of 216 randomly selected farmers of agri-food, in south-south Nigeria. A structured questionnaire served as the instrument of data collection. Convergent and divergent validity tests served to test for validity of the questionnaire while composite reliability tests served the purpose of testing for reliability. The study employed path diagram analysis using the structural equation modelling technique to test for the significance of data. The results indicate that the various costs of externalities (environmental, social, health and economic) have statistically significant relationships with agri-food sustainability. The study recommends including the cost of externalities in food pricing facilitating the drive towards a sustainable food system. The study makes a significant contribution to empirical and theoretical literature.

From Sustainable Agriculture to Sustainable Agrifood Systems: A Comparative Review of Alternative Models

This paper reviews, compares, and critically evaluates two broad groups of sustainable agriculture models: “sustainable agriculture” and “sustainable agrifood systems”. The “sustainable agriculture” models—comprising organic farming, regenerative agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, carbon-capture agriculture, and nature-based solutions—focus primarily on improving ecological sustainability through farm-level practices. These models emphasize reducing external, industrial inputs, enhancing biodiversity, and promoting climate resilience, relying on technological and market-based solutions to address environmental concerns. On the other hand, the “sustainable agrifood systems” models—agroecology, alternative food networks, and permaculture—offer more ambitious visions of systemic transformation. These approaches not only seek to implement environmentally sound practices but also aim to reconfigure the broader food system by challenging corporate power, promoting local governance, fostering food sovereignty, and prioritizing social justice. Grounded in grassroots movements, these models emphasize social justice and economic viability in addition to ecological sustainability. This paper’s contribution lies in its comparative analysis of the wide array of sustainable alternatives, highlighting both their strengths and limitations. Adopting an agrarian political economy perspective, it critiques the former camp for limited engagement with structural issues inherent in capitalist agriculture and the latter camp for underplaying the importance of industrial agriculture for national development in the Global South.

Navigating Social, Environmental, and Economic Complexities of Insect Farming to Contribute to Sustainable Agrifood Systems

Abstract Insect farming is increasingly recognized as an important component of sustainable agrifood systems that provide a variety of social, environmental, and economic benefits. This text explores the complexities of insect farming which must be considered to maximize its potential and thereby contribute to global sustainability goals. It explores diverse strategies for evaluating and optimizing the socio-economic and environmental benefits of insect farming and addresses insects’ diverse roles in circular food systems and their potential contributions to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. By exploring the particularities of insect farming which vary according to the particular context of each region, this text highlights the ways in which local ecological, socio-economic, and cultural factors influence the outcomes of insect farming initiatives. The case exercises included are aimed at providing readers with an understanding of the role of insect farming in sustainable agriculture. Combining theoretical insights with practical examples, it provides a framework for developing locally adapted insect farming practices that maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks of this type of farming. The case exercises presented are aimed at providing students with experience in developing plans for insect farming scenarios that consider key social, environmental, and economic aspects related to sustainable insect production. Information © The Author 2024

Safefood4eu: An interdisciplinary approach on education for sustainable agri-food systems in Europe

Foods are complex products consisting of many ingredients of diverse origins. Along the food supply chains, food products are prone to spoilage and safety issues, which could give rise to different health-related concerns and outcomes. Furthermore, the existing highly centralised food systems generate substantial greenhouse gas emissions and food waste. In order to strengthen the sustainable decentralised "farm-to-fork" food chains, a mindset shift supported by relevant education and policy initiatives is highly required. The ERASMUS+ KA220 project SafeFood4EU was conceived with a crucial mission - to develop an interdisciplinary and innovative toolbox of higher education and lifelong learning courses that reflect various aspects of sustainable agri-food systems. The thematic areas discussed within the SafeFood4EU project have covered food safety and supply chain management, sustainable food systems and design, food production and quality of raw materials, food authenticity and analysis, and digital and soft skills. The main objectives have been to develop a distinctive content package and make it available to the students via an e-learning management system. The project's results, aimed at creating a pool of young and capable experts, can significantly impact future food security, thereby increasing awareness about the future challenges regarding food systems transition, dietary shift and the next generation's food security.

Crop diversity used in branded products with focus on legume species worldwide

Food diversity is a challenging issue for sustainable agrifood systems. Diets are increasingly dependent on branded packaged foods. Therefore, the crop diversity offered in the food market through these products is of particular importance. We scrutinize this diversity for some crops under great societal challenge: pulses. Based on the product launches referenced in the Mintel database over the last decade, we compare the food products containing pulse crops with those containing another legume—soy. From the 350,000 products analyzed, our results show that soy is mainly used but reveal some progress in the use of pulse species, particularly in Europe. The position of the examined species in the list of ingredients and in the product description allows us to assess its importance. The text-mining methods used usefully enable the monitoring of crop usage in the food market. We discuss several perspectives, notably how to deepen these results regarding consumer choices.

Whose knowledge counts? Power dynamics in the co-production of knowledge and innovation in agri-food systems

Abstract The concept ‘co-production of knowledge and innovation’ (CKI) is gaining prominence. European Union (EU) research and innovation funding programmes like Horizon 2020 (H2020), Horizon Europe, and INTERREG underscore its significance as engaging diverse societal actors is often a requirement. Reality reveals disparities in actor participation in these multinational EU-funded CKI projects. As these projects are perceived as avenues for tackling ‘grand societal challenges’, such as the transition to sustainable agri-food systems, questions arise about whether they ensure equitable inclusion of diverse perspectives, enable genuine participation, and why barriers to entry persist. This study delves into the complexity of multinational CKI projects, shedding light on these questions. One H2020 and one INTERREG project are analysed using the multilevel innovation system framework incorporating a ‘power dynamics’ dimension. By including ‘power dynamics’ in an innovation system-based analysis, we offer a nuanced examination of mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion and a better understanding of potential policy intervention strategies.

Editorial: Pushing the Frontiers of nutritional Life Cycle Assessment (nLCA) to identify globally equitable and sustainable agri-food systems

Editorial: Pushing the Frontiers of nutritional Life Cycle Assessment (nLCA) to identify globally equitable and sustainable agri-food systems

Transformation of the Agrifood System and Climate Change

Objective: Emissions from the agri-food system (AFS) account for between 21% and 37% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Concurrently, climate change has the potential to significantly impact the AFS production processes. The objective is to clarify the context that justifies the need for transformation and transition of the agri-food system, considering climate change as a prioritized challenge. Method: This study adopts a descriptive, bibliographical approach with a qualitative analysis. Content analysis of the literature review enabled examination of: a) the AFS's contribution to global emissions, and b) its susceptibility to climate change impacts. Results and Discussion: The agri-food chain has been notably responsible for emitting a substantial amount of greenhouse gases, particularly during land-use change and in pre- and post-production processes including manufacturing, transportation, refrigeration, food processing, packaging, and waste disposal. Additionally, the agri-food sector is among the most affected by climate change effects, notably due to increased occurrences of extreme events affecting agricultural production, harvesting, and other chain processes, thereby leading to rising prices and food scarcity. Research Implications: This paper highlights the importance of developing and expanding sustainable agri-food systems in response to the intensifying impacts of climate change and food insecurity. Originality/Value: The study aims to contribute to the discourse on the imperative for transformation and transition from the dominant agri-food system paradigm towards alternative production approaches that are more sustainable and resilient to environmental changes.

Rethinking food loss and waste to promote sustainable resource use and climate change mitigation in agri-food systems: A review.

The sustainable agri-food system is an important sector recognized for promoting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals on food security, resource conservation and climate change mitigation. However, the increasing food loss and waste (FLW) along the supply chains has continued to hinder these goals. This study evaluates the trend of FLW research from 1975 to 2022 and how it promotes the achievement of resource and environmental sustainability in agri-food systems. The salient research themes and hotspots that are of interest to researchers were identified. Bibliometric and network analyses were carried out on scholarly research articles from the Scopus database using bibliometrix and VOSviewer. Furthermore, the content analysis was conducted on the selected highly influential articles containing relevant data to understand the role of FLW in promoting sustainable agri-food systems. The results showed disaggregate and unbalanced research distribution on the impacts of FLW among the countries, with China and the United States having the highest contributions. The identified major research themes relating to sustainable agri-food systems are food waste and sustainable systems, food waste management and food waste impact assessment. Moreover, the circular economy was found to be a relatively new approach being explored in agri-food systems to promote FLW reduction and ensure sustainability of resource use. This study highlights the critical role of the impact of FLW in addressing the grand challenge of food security, resource use efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Exploring edible insects as feed in the UK: current challenges and future prospects

Abstract Edible insects are gaining attention within the UK’s feed industry, driven by their environmental and nutritional advantages. However, the UK insect sector is still relatively new. Therefore, this study aims to explore the primary challenges and opportunities faced by insect farmers, insect-related businesses, and feed operators in the UK, with the goal of formulating strategic plans to foster the growth of the insect sector. Ten in-depth interviews from key stakeholders highlight the several benefits of insect-based feed including contributing to the circular economy, advancing value-added product development, and enhancing livestock welfare. Despite these advantages, obstacles like limited research, ambiguous regulations, production constraints, and public acceptance concerns hinder progress. The study recommends strategic solutions involving tailored regulations, financial incentives, industry collaboration, awareness campaigns, and research investments. Implementing these strategies holds the potential to nurture the expansion of UK’s insect farming industry, bolstering sustainable agri-food systems, resource efficiency, and environmental consciousness.

Unlocking the nutritional potential of chickpea: strategies for biofortification and enhanced multinutrient quality.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a vital grain legume, offering an excellent balance of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, essential micronutrients, and vitamins that can contribute to addressing the global population's increasing food and nutritional demands. Chickpea protein offers a balanced source of amino acids with high bioavailability. Moreover, due to its balanced nutrients and affordable price, chickpea is an excellent alternative to animal protein, offering a formidable tool for combating hidden hunger and malnutrition, particularly prevalent in low-income countries. This review examines chickpea's nutritional profile, encompassing protein, amino acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, micronutrients, vitamins, antioxidant properties, and bioactive compounds of significance in health and pharmaceutical domains. Emphasis is placed on incorporating chickpeas into diets for their myriad health benefits and nutritional richness, aimed at enhancing human protein and micronutrient nutrition. We discuss advances in plant breeding and genomics that have facilitated the discovery of diverse genotypes and key genomic variants/regions/quantitative trait loci contributing to enhanced macro- and micronutrient contents and other quality parameters. Furthermore, we explore the potential of innovative breeding tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 in enhancing chickpea's nutritional profile. Envisioning chickpea as a nutritionally smart crop, we endeavor to safeguard food security, combat hunger and malnutrition, and promote dietary diversity within sustainable agrifood systems.

Fifty years of Teikei: the evolution of the movement’s ten principles and its impact on alternative food initiatives in Japan

IntroductionJapan’s teikei movement, recognized as a source of inspiration for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Western countries, is now entering its fifth decade. Built upon trust and shared values, teikei has continued to rely on mutually supportive relationships between organic producers and consumers. The movement’s commitments were originally articulated through the ten principles of teikei, which offer a roadmap to create food systems based on solidarity principles going beyond market transactions. Despite a decline in numbers, teikei groups continue to operate in the midst of societal shifts that are altering food practices and consumption patterns. These changes have had an impact on the implementation of the ten principles and on the power dynamics between producers and consumers.MethodsThis research investigates how such shifts have affected the development of alternative food systems in Japan, the evolution of teikei as a social movement, and the tensions that arise from contrasting notions of agri-food system alterity rooted in decommodified relationships versus market-based transactions. We employ the ten principles as a framework to investigate the transformations of some representative teikei groups over time, and identify three types of shifts: relational, operational, and ideological. These shifts show how different teikei actors have been engaging in realizing the vision of building sustainable agri-food systems through alternative market relations.ResultsThe shifts also underscore the fluid and situated nature of agri-food system alterity within historical, geographical, and cultural relational spaces. The current variations of teikei configurations and the progressive diversification of approaches to address the challenges of upholding the original principles demonstrate the movement’s adaptability over time. However, they also demonstrate the necessity to strike a compromise between conflicting needs.DiscussionThe development of the teikei movement is not only important from an historical and geographically-situated perspective, but also as a dynamic and evolving experiment in the potential and challenges of active food citizenship. The democratic decision-making processes embedded within teikei principles and practices offer a valuable model for understanding how individuals enact their food citizenship and contribute to ongoing transformation of the agri-food system. Simultaneously, these shifts also serve as a warning against how democratic principles can be eroded by conventionalization and neoliberalization, and about the assumptions that arise during the process of building alternative agri-food systems, such as gendered labor.

Drivers of a more sustainable future food system – Lessons from Sweden

The global food sector is one of the most impactful sectors in the world, necessitating an urgent shift towards more sustainable practices. Sweden has made great progress in putting sustainability on the agenda as a strategic component of its national development strategy. Still, understanding how a full-scale sustainable food system can be achieved in practice and the drivers of such a transition remain unclear. In this study, we first empirically explore these drivers, their interdependencies and how these affect the Swedish food system's progress towards its sustainability objectives. Then, we assess which scenarios for the future food system in Sweden perform better with regard to sustainability considerations. For the first objective, we utilised the DEMATEL technique to identify and quantify the cause-and-effect relationships among these drivers. The results showed that revenue and the use of toxic materials are key drivers for food systems' sustainability in Sweden, suggesting a path for system improvement focus areas in the future. For the second objective, we applied TOPSIS as a decision-making method for assessing the sustainability of four different future scenarios for the Swedish food system. The outcomes suggest that food tech is the most sustainable scenario among the ones considered. The findings of this study will collectively aid in promoting sustainable consumption, encouraging a shift towards a more sustainable agrifood system in Sweden, a leading nation in sustainability efforts.

Determinants of farmers’ willingness to pay for irrigation improvements in Northcentral Ethiopia

Investing in agricultural water management by improving irrigation schemes helps to establish climate-resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, thus contributing to sustainable poverty reduction. The purpose of this study was to identify the determinants of farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for irrigation water improvements in Northcentral Ethiopia. Primary data collected from a random sample of 132 households were analyzed using the double-bounded contingent valuation method and binary logit regression model to identify what determines farmers’ WTP for irrigation improvement. The findings show that farmers’ mean WTP for irrigation water improvements is 141.60 Birr/ha/year (2.50 USD/ha/year). The results of bivariate Probit model revealed that crop type, education, relative location to the irrigation scheme, irrigated plot size, and perceived drought risk statistically and positively determine farmers’ WTP for irrigation water improvement. These findings offer valuable policy implications on how best to guide practical agricaltural water management. Policy interventions aimed at enhancing farmers' behavior, awareness, and perception of drought-related issues, while also promoting cash crop production, are likely to drive more farmers towards a positive WTP for irrigation water improvement.