The role of land as the central piece to sustainable food systems:Lessons learned from Portugal national food-related policies

This paper discusses to what extent land is considered in food-related policies from a systemic perspective.Based on existing literature and international agendas priorities,we argue that access to and preservation of land for food along the food chain play a major role in sustainable food systems.To further explore this argument,we address the following question:Where does land stand in sectorial and national food-related policies?The mul-tiple dimensions and implications of food systems and the international agenda’s priorities namely the“Right to adequate Food”,“Food Sovereignty”and the“Right to Land”,were used as our conceptual framework.To work out how land is being considered in food sectorial policies,both quantitative and qualitative methods were applied to examine ten Portuguese national food-related policies.Results are showing a lack of consideration for land access and land preservation,needed all along the food chain to build a national sustainable food system.On the other hand,there is a gap between current grassroots priorities international agendas and food-related national policies.Such a situation strongly suggests that building a sustainable food system needs a clear food territorial perspective,still neglected,and shifting from sectorial policies towards a more integrated food system approach,that will include land as a central piece.

(Re)assessing Climate-Smart Agriculture practices for sustainable food systems outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa:The case of Bono East Region,Ghana

This research paper assesses the reality of Climate-Smart Agriculture(CSA)practices’potential to promote the outcomes of sustainable food systems(SFS)within Ghana’s smallholding agriculture context.The study demon-strates that rural farmers generally perceive CSA’s contribution to‘food and nutrition security’and‘economic performance’as more important than CSA’s contribution to‘social equity’and‘environmental stewardship’.From a narrow perspective,the study demonstrates that farmers perceive CSA’s potential to‘prevent pest and disease outbreaks’and‘increase human capital information’as the most important contribution of CSA to SFS outcomes.In contrast,CSA’s potential to promote environmental stewardship is perceived as the least important among Ghana’s rural farmers.This enormity of displacement of smallholders’perceptions at large is motivated by de-mographic,socioeconomic and ecological factors.Moreso,the CSA for SFS outcomes narratives is driven by farmers’self-apprise,social networks and other local information dissemination agents.Furthermore,research findings suggest farmers’awareness of CSA practices and interventions is deficient owing to unmet training and information needs for approximately 82%of the CSA practices and interventions.This situation elucidates the dichotomy of CSA practices’narratives as tools for attaining food,nutrition security and economic performance to the detriment of critical issues such as increasing awareness and building farmers’capacity to engage with CSA practices while also managing socio-ecological trade-offs that emerge over time due to engagement with CSA.Critical(re)orientation is needed across the scale to drive CSA practices and interventions that confine cli-mate adaptation and food production practices within safe planetary boundaries without undermining social,economic,food and nutrition security needs.

Seeking sustainable solutions for human food systems

Sustainable food system development is the cornerstone of global human survival and development.This research briefly analyzes the challenges facing the current food system,summarizes the directions of food system trans-formation,expounds the role of geography in the transformation of food system,and discusses the future paths to promote the sustainable development of food system.The main conclusions are as follows:1)The interaction of factors such as regional conflicts,climate change,slowdown in development,raging epidemics,and resource and environmental constraints pose multiple challenges to the global food system.2)The food system should be high-quality,efficient,nutritious and healthy,green and low-carbon,inclusive and inclusive transformation.3)Geography can provide solutions for the transformation of food systems.4)The transformation paths of the food system includes:establishing a global food system with benefit sharing,cleaner production,and fair participation,improving the innovation capability of the food system,and establishing an effective organizational guarantee system.

Exploration on Key Technologies and Practical Paths for Carbon Emission Reduction in Food System

On the basis of existing research,carbon emission reduction technologies in production,processing,packaging,transportation and storage of the food system were summarized,and their application effects were analyzed.In view of the inherent inadequacy of carbon emission reduction technologies in Chinese food system,starting from carbon labeling technologies and ESG system of the food industry,the unsoundness of the carbon emission reduction evaluation system and the high cost of related technology promotion,countermeasures such as strengthening top-level design,encouraging and supporting the development of new carbon emission reduction technologies,and improving carbon emission reduction technology subsidies were proposed by drawing on domestic and international experiences.

Air pollution, food production and food security: A review from the perspective of food system

Air pollution negatively impacts food security. This paper reviews the current literature on the relationship between air pollution and food security from the perspective of food system. It highlights that agricultural emissions which substantially contribute to air pollution could happen at every stage along the food supply chain. Meanwhile, air pollution can not only affect plant growth and animal health but also shift market equilibrium of both agro-inputs and outputs in the food supply chain and thereby affect food security indirectly. Furthermore, this study evaluates the effects of agricultural policy and energy policy on food security and air pollution, respectively, and provides an overview of potential policy instruments to reduce air pollution while ensuring food security. Finally, we identify the remaining research and policy issues for further studies, mainly focusing on the study of household＇s bounded rational behaviors and the issue of rural aging population.

Planning and Design of Food System in Bajiao Community of Shijingshan District of Beijing under the Background of Healthy Community

Community is basic unit of healthy urban development.As main space of people’s daily life,community carries various functional needs of food,clothing,housing and transportation.Under concept of healthy community development,planning and design of community food system are studied in this paper.A good community food chain plays a positive role in improving people’s happiness and quality of life.In this paper,ArcGIS platform is used to build“food map”network system.Taking Bajiao Community in Shijingshan District of Beijing as an example,infl uence weight,spatial distribution and accessibility of food source are studied,and optimization strategies and development suggestions for food system planning and design are fi nally put forward.

Global food system assessment and optimization in terms of sustainability and equity

We design a three-level evaluation system for food accessibility capability and composite index food accessibility indicator(FAI)to investigate the equity and sustainability of the global food system.To concrete,based on Entropy Weight Method(EWM),we select fourteen indicators indicating the efficient,profitability,equity and sustainability of food system,and on this basis,construct the threelevel evaluation system.Then,we use fuzzy clustering method to divide the food system into three states:fragile,vulnerable and stable,and gray GM(1,1)model to predict and compare the FAI curve and the perturbed FAI curve to evaluate the effectiveness of the perturber FAI.Thereafter,we create a cost prediction equation,describe the benefits and costs of changes in indicators on the food system.Finally,we conduct the in-depth analysis of FAI model,and investigate the extendibility and adaptability of the model,and propose modification suggestions for small scale food system and large scale food system to improve the accuracy and extendibility of the model.In summary,the proposed models formalize a fairer globally achievable goal and promotion measures for food accessibility capability.What’s more,they can dynamically adapt to,including but not limited to,region size,and national development capacity.

Urbanization and Its Impacts to Food Systems and Environmental Sustainability in Urban Space: Evidence from Urban Agriculture Livelihoods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Urbanisation is the key factor underpinning and catalysing changes in food systems, environmental quality, climate change and agriculture livelihoods in the overall urban ecosystem setting and its sustainability. The paper explores Dar es Salaam, a rapidly expanding city in Sub-Saharan Africa, and shows that urban agriculture provides urban ecosystem services and contributes to environmental sustainability. The interconnections of environmental justice, urban ecosystem services and climate change and variability found eminent feature that influence land governance, productivity and aesthetic value of the city. The study reaffirms the pivotal role urban agriculture which plays to enhance community health services and access to resources, with important implications on urban environmental sustainability and redistributive spatial land use planning policies and practices. The process of urbanisation, forms of urban agriculture and government strategies for enhanced urban food systems in the city economy have been highlighted. Equally, the process triggers the transformation of settlements from rural in character to modernity with an augmented land use conflicts. The results suggests that with increasing population, a clear spatial land use planning and management strategy is required to overcome the challenges and enhanced food systems and urban environmental sustainability in rapidly urbanizing cities like Dar es Salaam in Sub-Saharan Africa.

New Sustainable Market Opportunities for Surplus Food: A Food System-Sensitive Methodology (FSSM)

An important way to address global food security is to make better use of the food already produced. Since at least one third of global food is wasted before consumption, there are enormous incentives to cut this waste and create a more sustainable food system. This paper focuses upon saving food loss at the supermarket level in the US and channeling this food stream in new and efficient ways to those in hunger. A more comprehensive Food System-Sensitive Methodology has been used to pilot and evaluate a surplus food management program that diverts culled fresh fruits and vegetables from grocery stores that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills. Instead, produce is processed for donation or for new businesses. Nearly 35,000 pounds of produce was culled from a grocery store chain in Philadelphia. Twenty-five percent of this was not suitable for culinary uses, ten percent consisted of relatively small quantities of food that did not warrant further research, and about 33 percent is suitable for use at area food shelters and pantries. An experimental sample taken from the remaining 15,000 pounds was used for recipe research and development for diversion to new commercial enterprises. We analyzed a scenario where a supermarket receives $0.25 per pound for culled produce, generating about $8700 dollars in average monthly revenue while eliminating disposal costs. New commercial possibilities for the unused food were then explored. The scenario included community-based enterprises that could process the produce into value-added products that could be wholesaled back to the store at sufficient profits to support 2 - 4 community employees. Extrapolating these results to the approximately 38,000 large supermarkets in the United States suggests that much of the 1,100,000,000 pounds of produce that is currently sent to landfills can be repurposed. If diverted to new foods each of the 46.1 million SNAP recipients could figuratively receive an equivalent of 24 pounds of fruit and vegetable products per annum. This initial analysis suggests that repurposing surplus produce from supermarket discards can have significant beneficial outcomes for new food markets and the environment.

Challenges of agriculture and food systems issues in China and the United States

China and the United States are the two most significant nations in the contemporary global food and agricultural network.In addition,they are two of the most important innovators with respect to the development of new crop varieties,agro-technologies,farm products,markets and consumer issues,such as consumer resistance to genetically modified foods,among others.In the face of an ever-complex web of interactions,technologies and products among producers and consumers in both nations,there are far more structural similarities than differences in the food and agriculture sectors of these two nations.This essay,adopting some of the themes of the Sino-American Symposium on Future Issues Affecting Quality of Life,presents a limited but representative comparative assessment of three of the most important shared challenges impacting the agricultural sectors of China and the United States for the period from 2000 to the present including 1)environmental challenges related to agricultural water supply,2)declines in farm labor and rural population,and 3)growing food-related concerns and challenges.For both nations,excessive and unsustainable groundwater consumption has lowered water tables and limited crop production.Rural populations and farm workforces in both nations are also declining,leading to labor challenges in both nations.Finally,concerns regarding food safety are also very similar with major challenges to the farm sector associated with consumer resistance to genetically modified food crops and sanitation issues linked to lengthening supply chains.All of these issues threaten the development of sustainable agricultural production systems.

Sorghum:Nutritional Factors,Bioactive Compounds,Pharmaceutical and Application in Food Systems:A Review

After wheat,rice,maize,and barley,sorghum is the fifth most widely grown cereal on the planet.Due to its high production,drought resistance,and heat tolerance,this crop is replacing maize in some areas.Sorghum is available in a variety of colors,including cream,lemon-yellow,red,and even black.The principal grain anatomical components are pericarp,germ or embryo and endosperm.This review provides an overview of key sorghum grain components,including starches,fiber,proteins,lipids,and vitamins.Also,we summarized phenolic compounds,flavonoids,tannins,carotenoids,vitamin E,amines,Policosanols and Phytosterols in sorghum grains.Sorghum is used to manufacture bread and porridge,and it provides a significant source of energy and nutrition for humans;sorghum is extensively farmed for animal feed.However,because the natural components in sorghum are useful in the development of healthy and functional foods,sorghum farming for both biofuel production and human consumption is gaining popularity.Pigmented sorghum grain is high in antioxidants such as polyphenols,primarily tannins,which have a variety of health benefits,including antiproliferative properties linked to the prevention of certain cancers,antioxidant activities linked to the prevention of diseases linked to oxidative stress,and anti-inflammatory effects,as well as improving glucose metabolism.Because these chemicals cannot be assimilated,their application in the food business has been limited,as sorghum is regarded as a lownutritional grain due to the presence of anti-nutritional components such as strong tannins,which form complexes with proteins and iron,limiting their digestibility.This review aims to show the utilization of sorghum as a source of bioactive chemicals and the value they bestow on human health due to the general biological potential it possesses.

Characterization of Natural Antimicrobials in Food System

There has been a rising interest in using natural antimicrobial compounds in food industry due to current trend of giving value to natural and renewable resources. These antimicrobials provide new modalities to ensure microbial safety and extend the shelf-life of foodstuffs. Natural antimicrobials can be directly added into the food, but several efforts have been made to find alternative solutions to the aim of avoiding undesirable inactivation. Some different ways such as, dipping, spraying, and coating treatment of food are currently applied to product before packaging considered as valid options. The present paper aims to review the use of natural compounds to control microbiological and physicochemical shelf life of major food categories such as, meat, fish, dairy-based products, fruit and vegetables, and cereal-based products.

Forest Soil Quality and Potentials for Food Systems Health in the Takamanda National Park in South Western Cameroon

Soil is a basic natural resource for food production, the vast majority of food we consume is either directly or indirectly derived from soil. Soil quality determines the quantity and quality of foods grown. Protecting the soil’s physical, chemical and biological integrity?is?therefore of vital importance in safeguarding global food security. This paper evaluates the physical and chemical properties?of soils in the rainforest of the Takamanda in Southwestern Cameroon and their implications?on?agricultural productivity and food security. Soils were randomly sampled using a bucket soil auger at the left, middle and right flank of the 50 ha Takamanda forest dynamic plot. Soils were sampled from three flanks at depths of 0 - 10 cm, 10 - 20 cm and 20 - 30 cm. Bulk density increased with soil depth in all the flanks. Soil nitrogen, organic carbon, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus and cation exchange capacity were greater in topsoil (0 - 10 cm) than subsoils. Soil Ca and pH were slightly greater at 20 - 30 cm soil depths with value of 0.45 cmol (+)/kg and 4.24 respectively. Soil C/N ratio was highest (13.12) in 10 - 20 cm soil depth though it was not significantly different from the other soil depths. To promote food production, an integrated cost-effective approach to soil management should comprise the use of acid-tolerant species of crop plants, efficient use of fertilizers, suitable crop rotations, crop diversification and agroforestry.

Research progress in assessment and strategies for sustainable food system within planetary boundaries

Meeting the increasing food demand in a manner that ensures both resources and environmental sustainability poses a global challenge.The conceptual framework of planetary boundaries(PBs)has emerged as a crucial reference in the study of sustainable food system,with specific focuses on key dimensions such as land use change,freshwater use,nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)cycles,and greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions.In this study,we summarized the threshold applications of PBs in sustainable food system research at both the global and national(China)scales.Based on these thresholds,we evaluated the sustainability conditions of the food system,considering resources such as cropland,freshwater,N and P applications,as well as environmental impacts including N and P losses,and GHG emissions.In addition,we explored the impacts of single or combined management strategies on sustainable food systems.These strategies included dietary changes,improvements in technologies and management,reductions in food loss and waste,and optimization in agricultural production distribution.Finally,we outlined future research directions in sustainable food system,including enhancing research on the interaction mechanisms among PBs elements within food systems,conducting downscaling studies of PBs elements at national and regional levels,and ensuring the rationality of policy-making for sustainable food systems in China.This study can provide a theoretical foundation and strategies guidance for sustainable food system and agricultural land use management in the future both globally and in China.

Toward sustainable food systems: global initiatives and innovations

A recent UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) analysis indicated a significant regression in the global SDG goal scores, particularly in SDG 2—Zero Hunger. The emissions of environmental pollution caused by meeting food demands have prompted some countries to intensify their climate change mitigation efforts. These circumstances have introduced significant uncertainty to the future global sustainable food development. Additionally, a notable global challenge is the persistence of hidden hunger, primarily characterized by the insufficient consumption of high-quality animal protein. Addressing this issue would necessitate increased environmental costs to attain high-quality food security. The future food system presents a significant challenge in coordinating food security, food quality and environmental quality. This article presents a comprehensive review and proposes a three-step strategy for future agricultural development based on food security, quality, and environmental aspects. This is a novel food system transfer strategy, as it concurrently addresses both global food security and environmental thresholds. It involves the construction of an efficient food system that operates within the constraints of environmental limits. The objective is to align with global SDG indicators and to maintain natural resource consumption and pollutant emissions within planetary boundaries.

Optimizing nitrogen management in the food system for sustainable development: a case study of Quzhou County

Nitrogen(N) is an essential nutrient for food production. The rapid increase in population requires high inputs of N to meet the growing food demand. If not managed well, the substantial loss of N from the food system has multiple impacts on grain yield, air and water pollution, and the economic benefits of agricultural. Multi-objective(food security, environmental sustainability and economic sustainability) synergistic consideration of N management in the food system is still lacking. This study employed strategies for optimizing N management in the food system, using Quzhou County as a typical example on the North China Plain. Firstly, a food chain approach was adopted to understand drivers and reasons behind N losses from the food system.Secondly, a top-down approach was used to define multi-objective N management, taking into consideration food security, environmental sustainability and economic sustainability. Multi-objective N management aims to reduce N losses to the environment and increase N use efficiencies,while simultaneously increasing yields and economic benefits. Thirdly, 3R(reduce-retain-recycle) N management strategies were identified for specific crops and animals through a bottom-up approach and then analyzed the potential of these strategies to achieve the multi-objectives. Finally, there is a discussion of how to engage different stakeholders to promote the technologies implementation. This study provides new insights into the synergistic achievement of multi-objective N management in the food system and the development of environmentally-friendly agriculture.

Juxtapose of System Performance for Food Calorie Estimation Using IoT and Web-based Indagation

A rudimentary aspect of human life is the health of an individual,and most commonly the wellbeing is impacted in a colossal manner through the consumption of food. The intake of calories therefore is a crucial aspect that must be meticulously monitored. Various health gremlins can be largely circumvented when there is a substantial balance in the number of calories ingested versus the quantity of calories expended.The food calorie estimation is a popular domain of research in recent times and is meticulously analyzed through various image processing and machine learning techniques. However,the need to scrutinize and evaluate the calorie estimation through various platforms and algorithmic approaches aids in providing a deeper insight on the bottlenecks involved,and in improvising the bariatric health of an individual. This paper pivots on comprehending a juxtaposed approach of food calorie estimation through the use of employing Convolution Neural Network(CNN)incorporated in Internet of Things(IoT),and using the Django framework in Python,along with query rule-based training to analyze the subsequent actions to be followed post the consumption of food calories in the constructed webpage. The comparative analysis of the food calorie estimate implemented in both platforms is analyzed for the swiftness of identification,error rate and classification accuracy to appropriately determine the optimal method of use. The simulation results for IoT are carried out using the Raspberry Pi4B model,while the Anaconda prompt is used to run the server holding the web page.

Repositioning fertilizer manufacturing subsidies for improving food security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China

China removed fertilizer manufacturing subsidies from 2015 to 2018 to bolster market-oriented reforms and foster environmentally sustainable practices.However,the impact of this policy reform on food security and the environment remains inadequately evaluated.Moreover,although green and low-carbon technologies offer environmental advantages,their widespread adoption is hindered by prohibitively high costs.This study analyzes the impact of removing fertilizer manufacturing subsidies and explores the potential feasibility of redirecting fertilizer manufacturing subsidies to invest in the diffusion of these technologies.Utilizing the China Agricultural University Agri-food Systems model,we analyzed the potential for achieving mutually beneficial outcomes regarding food security and environmental sustainability.The findings indicate that removing fertilizer manufacturing subsidies has reduced greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions from agricultural activities by 3.88 million metric tons,with minimal impact on food production.Redirecting fertilizer manufacturing subsidies to invest in green and low-carbon technologies,including slow and controlled-release fertilizer,organic-inorganic compound fertilizers,and machine deep placement of fertilizer,emerges as a strategy to concurrently curtail GHG emissions,ensure food security,and secure robust economic returns.Finally,we propose a comprehensive set of government interventions,including subsidies,field guidance,and improved extension systems,to promote the widespread adoption of these technologies.

STRATEGIES FOR A LOW-CARBON FOOD SYSTEM IN CHINA

In China,there has been insufficient study of whole food system greenhouse gas(GHG)accounting,which limits the development of mitigation strategies and may preclude the achievement of carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.The paper presents the development of a carbon extension of NUFER(NUtrient flows in Food chain,Environment and Resources use model),a food system GHG emission accounting model that covers land use and land-use change,agricultural production,and post-production subsectors.The spatiotemporal characteristics of GHG emissions were investigated for the Chinese food system(CFS)from 1992 to 2017,with a focus on GHG emissions from the entire system.The potential to achieve a low-carbon food system in China was explored.The net GHG emissions from the CFS increased from 785Tg CO_(2)equivalent(CO_(2)-eq)in 1992 to 1080 Tg CO_(2)-eq in 2017.Agricultural activities accounted for more than half of the total emissions during the study period,while agricultural energy was the largest contributor to the GHG increase.In 2017,highest emitting regions were located in central and southern China(Guangdong and Hunan),the North China Plain(Shandong,Henan and Jiangsu)and Northeast China(Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia)and contributed to over half of the total GHG emissions.Meanwhile,Xinjiang,Qinghai and Tibet are shown as carbon sink areas.It was found that foodsystem GHG emissions could be reduced to 355 Tg CO_(2)-eq,where enhancing endpoint mitigation technologies,transforming social-economic and diet conditions,and increasing agricultural productivities can contribute to 60%,25%and 15%,respectively.Synergistic mitigation effects were found to exist in agricultural activities.