An Analysis of the Main Factors Influencing the Early Warning System for Food Security

Food security is the national strategic issue,which is linked with economic development and social stability. This paper systematically researches and analyzes the threat to food security and five aspects related to food security,such as the related policy,food production,food circulation,food storage,and food consumption,and separately discusses various factors which have effects on food security,in order to provide ideas for taking effective measures to guarantee food security.

Moving beyond the opposition of diverse knowledge systems for food security and nutrition

Food Security and Nutrition(FSN) is influenced by diverse and complex factors, and therefore requires a holistic approach to agriculture and food systems plus integration of knowledge from diverse sources in science and society. Using the results of a colloquium held at the University of Hohenheim(Germany) in September 2016 leading up to the recent High Level Panel of Experts(HLPE) Note on Critical and Emerging Issues for Food Security and Nutrition, this article underlines the role of research and innovation as a social and political process and draws attention to neglected types of knowledge. It illustrates the potential of knowledge co-production and co-innovation to transform food systems in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

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.

Soybean maize strip intercropping:A solution for maintaining food security in China

The practice of intercropping leguminous and gramineous crops is used for promoting sustainable agriculture,optimizing resource utilization,enhancing biodiversity,and reducing reliance on petroleum products.However,promoting conventional intercropping strategies in modern agriculture can prove challenging.The innovative technology of soybean maize strip intercropping(SMSI)has been proposed as a solution.This system has produced remarkable results in improving domestic soybean and maize production for both food security and sustainable agriculture.In this article,we provide an overview of SMSI and explain how it differs from traditional intercropping.We also discuss the core principles that foster higher yields and the prospects for its future development.

Food security amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Central Asia:Evidence from rural Tajikistan

Food security has been long understudied in the context of Central Asia.We present an analysis examining household-level food demand for Tajikistan and assessing the magnitude of its food security changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.Based on an extensive household survey data set from Tajikistan,we estimate the expenditure,income,and price elasticities for nine food categories using the QUAIDS model.Then,we develop a microsimulation model using the estimated elasticities to assess the dual impact of declining remittance income and rising food prices stemming from the pandemic shock.There are significant differences in demand elasticities across food groups,with high elasticities observed for nutritious foods,such as meat,fruit,eggs,and milk,in rural households.Moreover,our findings show that changes in remittance income and food prices significantly negatively affected food security for rural households during the COVID-19 pandemic.These findings have important implications for policymakers concerned about rural livelihoods and food security in remittance-receiving economies during the post-pandemic period.

The Role of Plantain in Promoting Food Security: A Review

Plantain is a food security crop of significant nutritional value in the global south. Yet there are significant post-harvest losses, especially at the senescent stage. This review seeks to give a general overview of the crop, its nutritional significance and the technologies that can be adopted to enhance its utilisation at its senescent stage. In West Africa, plantains are eaten at all ripening stages, yet processing is limited to the unripe and semi-ripe. Adoptable technologies such as foam-mat drying will enhance its utilisation in indigenous meals and other food applications. This review provides useful insight to optimize the use of plantain to prevent food waste.

Food Security Problems and Solutions in China Based on the Strategy of Sustainable Agricultural Development

China attaches great importance to food security.With the strong promotion of the government,Chinas grain output has achieved a great feat from"shortage"to"surplus in bumper years"and then to"rising steadily",achieving a record"increase for the tenth consecutive year".From the current balance of food supply and demand in China,the food security situation can be guaranteed on the whole.However,if we analyze the food security in China from the perspective of agricultural sustainable development strategy,there are some difficulties,such as the reduction of cultivated land area,the decline of cultivated land quality,the fragility of agricultural ecological environment,and the transformation of residentsconsumption structure.This paper analyzes the difficulties faced by the development of food security in China under the strategy of sustainable agricultural development,and puts forward that to implement the strategy of sustainable agricultural development,it is necessary to realize the coordinated development of food security,science and technology,ecological environment,resources and society.

The prospects for China＇＇s food security and imports： Will China starve the world via imports？

China＇s food supply and demand have significant implications for both China＇s own national food security and that of the world. This study reviews China＇s food security prospects and their implications, focusing on international trade in the coming decade. The results show that China＇s policies for ensuring food security will be enhanced and China will move to sustainable agriculture. Most studies anticipate that China will increase its food and feed imports in the coming decade. China＇s overall food self-sufficiency is likely to fall from 94.5% in 2015 to around 91% by 2025. The greatest increases in imports are likely to be soybean, maize, sugar, and dairy products. However, within the production capacity of the major exporting countries and of many food-importing developing countries, China＇s additional imports of 3 to 5% of its total food consumption in the coming decade are unlikely to threaten global food security. Indeed, the projected imports of feed and several foods could provide opportunities for many exporting countries to expand their production and save global resources.

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.

A New Indicator for Global Food Security Assessment: Harvested Area Rather Than Cropland Area

Cropland area has long been used as a key indicator of food security.However,grain yield is not solely controlled by the area of the cropland.Therefore,we proposed a new indicator to assess food security.Results show that from 1992 to 2004,the global cropland area increased by 840200 km^(2)(99.4%),but the grain yield increased only by 310 million t(29.1%);and from 2004 to 2015,the cropland area decreased by 39000 km^(2)(4.64%),but the grain yield increased by 370 million t(70.84%).This result showed that grain yield was not linearly correlated with cropland area,and delimiting the threshold of cropland protection may not guarantee food security.Combined with further correlation analysis,we found that the increase in the global grain yield was more closely related to the harvested area(R^(2)=0.94),which indicated that the harvested area is a more scientific and accurate indicator than cropland area in terms of guaranteeing food security.Therefore,if governments want to ensure the food security,they should choose a new and more accurate indicator:harvested area rather than cropland area.

Developing the Agro-Grassland System to Insure Food Security of China

China’s food security has always been the top priority in China. As the huge increase of animal food consumption, the current agriculture system in China namely “grain farming”, whose major animal feed are grains, seems to meet a great challenge to ensure China’s food security in the future. Not only the current situation, but also the production capacity as developing grassland agriculture is analyzed in this paper. The results show that half of provinces don’t have enough grain to meet their various needs for grain, and the whole country’s potential of grain yield is reaching a limited position. On the other hand, implementing cereal-forage rotation on 20% of the total arable land and developing high productivity sown pastures on 3% of the total rangeland areas could create approximately 1.2 times Arable Land Equivalent Unit (ALEU) than ever. So changing the traditional agriculture system into Grassland Agro-Ecosystems is an effective way to insure China’s food security. It includes utilization of rangeland rationally, establishment of more sown pasture and implementation of cereal-pasture rotation system, increase livestock production, and use of arable land more efficiently.

Study on the Reform of Agricultural Supply Side Based on Food Security

In December 2015,the Central Rural Work Conference put forward the structural reform of agricultural supply side,to ensure the national food security. At present,China's grain production is increasing,the supply and demand structure of grain market is not balanced,and the ineffective supply due to the lack of market supply and demand has caused the problem of structural surplus and structural shortage.And price and quality difference of domestic and international grain is obvious,and the agricultural products in China are overstock,so the reform of agricultural supply side based on food security must be implemented. To adjust structure,reduce stock,reduce cost,increase quality,promote the primary,secondary and tertiary industries convergence will become the focus of China's agricultural supply side structural reform,and we can develop the ecological agriculture,improve the competitiveness of the grain market in price and quality,to ensure food security for the nation.

Strategic Agricultural Commodity Value Chains in Africa for Increased Food: The Regional Approach for Food Security

The challenge Africa faces the most is how to feed the 2.4 billion people in 2050. This will require a transformational agriculture. Africa doesn’t need subsistence agriculture, but rather agriculture linked to the market where market demand and the consuming habits are taken in consideration. Agriculture evolves in an environment where small holders are linked to markets (national and regional), where economies of complementarity and economies of scale are taken advantage of by producers and private sector. In short, Africa will need a paradigm shift to industrialise and commercialise its agriculture sector in order to increase food production, and income and to create jobs in and outside the sector. Africa needs agribusiness and agro-industries to domesticate the benefits of the sector, to create wealth in the sector and retain that wealth in the continent. Agricultural commodities regional value chains for increased food should be the target for Africa. The continent remains the region with the highest prevalence of under-nourishment. Since agriculture remains the mainstay of most African economies except the mineral producers, the sector deserves a close attention from leaders. It accounts for 65% of employment and 40% of Africa’s export earnings and accounts for 17% of the GDP. This shows how important the sector is. Agriculture needs to be seen as a conduit for farmers to get connected to markets, a conduit for revenue, for jobs and for transformation. Africa needs to come back on the international scene as food sufficient continent and even food exporter. This can be achieved only with a stable, productive agricultural resource base. Thus, achieving and sustaining food security and economic prosperity in Africa will require significant efforts to modernize the continent’s agriculture sector through injection of agribusiness and agro-industries and through the application of science and technology in agriculture. In essence, agriculture needs to be viewed as knowledge based entrepreneurial activity. Smart investments in agriculture will have multiplier effects for the whole economy and hence induce prosperity to other sectors. In recent years, a renewed focus on agriculture has been evident in policy and development agendas across the African continent. This paper outlines the status of agriculture, agribusiness and agro-industries in Africa, their role in the agenda of agricultural transformation and economic transformation and the focus on regional value chain to increase food production, transformation and trade. The paper adopts a new thinking in agriculture, which reflects a regional value chain approach. The author covers such issues as: need for agricultural transformation, the role of value chain in agricultural sector, the need for regional value chain for increased income and increased food, the role of markets and the common denominator of all, the regional integration to push forward the African agriculture agenda. Evidence shows that it is agricultural growth, through its leverage effects on the rest of the economy that typically enables poor countries, poor regions and ultimately poor households to take the first steps toward economic transformation. Therefore agricultural productivity, at the small holder’s level, has the potential to lift millions of Africa’s vulnerable out of poverty and provide sustainable jobs. Other factors, namely “the rapid urbanization” and “increased population growth”, are quoted to be of critical importance. Africa population is projected to double, attaining the 2.3 billion people mark over the next 40 years representing half of the globe’s total population. This could trigger competition for resources and can have devastating effects on natural resources if not rightly channelled.

Impact of Africa Regional Food Security Program on Nigerian Farmers： The Case of National Special Program for Food Security

This paper examined the impact of National Special Program for Food Security （NSPFS） on the beneficiaries through a qualitative measurement of the food security status of the beneficiaries. A food insecurity index was estimated to measure the well-being of the beneficiaries as affected by the impact of the program. Beneficiaries were classified into four categories： food secure （41%）, food insecure without hunger （46%）, food insecure with moderate hunger （11%）, and food insecure with severe hunger （2%）. Perceptions of beneficiaries were measured. In conclusion, the program has had a positive impact and enhanced food security among the Nigerian beneficiaries. It is not without its short comings which include delayed and untimely disbursement of funds and lack of output markets, irrigation facilities, production inputs and adequate training on technology know-how. The default rate and number of debtors remain high among beneficiaries. Efforts should be made to correct the short comings to improve the effectiveness of the program and justify the huge financial resources that have been committed.

Impact of Irrigation on Food Security in Bangladesh for the Past Three Decades

Bangladesh has made impressive progress in agriculture sector in the last three decades and has almost be-come self-sufficient in food grain production. This is a tremendous achievement owing to its small territory and huge population and this was achieved through agricultural mechanization and modernization. Irrigation is one of the leading inputs has direct influence to increase yield, food grains production and plays vital role for ensuring food security in Bangladesh. The present study examined the growth of irrigated area and its impact on food grain production during last three decades. Time series data were used for the study. Differ-ent statistical methods such as mean, percentage, linear and exponential growth model were applied for get-ting meaningful findings. Various technologies have been used for irrigating crops which have contributed to rapid expansion of irrigated area. The conventional irrigation methods (Low Lift Pump, Dhone, Swing Bas-ket, Treadle Pump etc.) were replaced by modern methods (i.e Deep Tube Well and Shallow Tube Well). In addition, surface water irrigation also sharply declined, losing its importance due to lack of new surface irri-gation project and the ineffectiveness of earlier project. Groundwater covered 77 percent of total irrigated area and major (62%) extractions occurred through Shallow Tube Wells (STWs). The rapid expansion of ground water irrigation in respect to STWs irrigation was due to government’s withdrawal on restrictions on tube well setting rule, encouraging private sector and the cost effectiveness of Chinese engine which have been affordable to the small and medium farmers. Irrigated area thus, increased by about three times and cropping intensity also increased from 154 to 176 percent. Boro rice, an irrigated crop, consumed 73 percent of the total crop irrigation and contributed to a greater extent in total rice production in Bangladesh. Boro rice alone contributed to 55 percent of total food grain and was also highest (3.44 MT per hectare) compared to aus rice (1.66 MT per hectare) and aman rice (1.99 MT per hectare) per unit production. Consequently, the cultivated area of boro rice increased by 1168 to 4068 thousand hectares. The higher productivity of boro rice has almost helped the nation to meet her food requirements (about 24 Million MT). Boro rice production was highly correlated (r = .978) with irrigated area. Expansion of one hectare of irrigated area added 3.22 MT of boro rice in Bangladesh. Finally, the study suggested for expansion of irrigated areas (ground water and surface water), adoption of modern technologies and formulation of farmers’ friendly policy.

Strengthen Farmland Quality Construction and Build a Strong Foundation for Food Security

As a carrier for food production, protection of arable land quantity and quality is the basis of quality and high yield agriculture. In recent years, with the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization, arable land red line is at risk, and the quality of arable land has been declining, which are not conducive to the sustainable development of agriculture, but also threaten ＂the food problem＂ of the country＇s 1.3 billion people. This paper attempts to analyze the current situation of arable farmland quality, reasons for the arable farmland quality decline and its impact on food security in China, and explore effective measures to improve the quality of cultivated land.

Exploring the Cornerstone Factors That Cause Water Scarcity in Some Parts of Africa, Possible Adaptation Strategies and Quest for Food Security

Water scarcity is significantly increasing water stress in Africa and some parts of the world. This is due to human-induced factors such as climate change, human population increase that raises demand for food availability, and put great changes on land use which results in changes of hydrological mechanics and water availability as a whole. The investigation of this paper was based on a literature review and the examination of water scarcity in different African regions, and the major factors that result in this menace. Some possible strategies that can be employed to manage water scarcity at the domestic and national levels in the agricultural sector were described in this paper.

Relevance of Advanced Plant Disease Detection Techniques in Disease and Pest Management for Ensuring Food Security and Their Implication: A Review

Plant diseases and pests present significant challenges to global food security, leading to substantial losses in agricultural productivity and threatening environmental sustainability. As the world’s population grows, ensuring food availability becomes increasingly urgent. This review explores the significance of advanced plant disease detection techniques in disease and pest management for enhancing food security. Traditional plant disease detection methods often rely on visual inspection and are time-consuming and subjective. This leads to delayed interventions and ineffective control measures. However, recent advancements in remote sensing, imaging technologies, and molecular diagnostics offer powerful tools for early and precise disease detection. Big data analytics and machine learning play pivotal roles in analyzing vast and complex datasets, thus accurately identifying plant diseases and predicting disease occurrence and severity. We explore how prompt interventions employing advanced techniques enable more efficient disease control and concurrently minimize the environmental impact of conventional disease and pest management practices. Furthermore, we analyze and make future recommendations to improve the precision and sensitivity of current advanced detection techniques. We propose incorporating eco-evolutionary theories into research to enhance the understanding of pathogen spread in future climates and mitigate the risk of disease outbreaks. We highlight the need for a science-policy interface that works closely with scientists, policymakers, and relevant intergovernmental organizations to ensure coordination and collaboration among them, ultimately developing effective disease monitoring and management strategies needed for securing sustainable food production and environmental well-being.

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.