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This study presents a machine learning-based methodology to estimate the current state of food insecurity globally using secondary data on economic shocks, extreme weather events and conflicts. By predicting the prevalence of people with insufficient food consumption or at-crisis or above-crisis food-based coping levels when primary data are not available, the proposed model is a valuable tool for food aid efforts.
A global meta-analysis identifies the key predictors of compost on crop yield, soil organic carbon and nitrous oxide emissions. The proposed precision compost strategy has the technological potential to increase the production of major cereal crops by 4% and restore 26.5% of current topsoil soil organic carbon stocks on a global scale.
Low cadmium (Cd) accumulation in a rice cultivar is shown to be due to duplication of the manganese/cadmium transporter gene. Introgression of this allele into an elite rice cultivar lowered Cd accumulation in rice grain without penalty of grain yield and eating quality when grown in Cd-contaminated soil.
The sustainability effects of agricultural development and market integration on African food systems are varied and complex. Using an integrated modelling framework, this study investigates the impact of both continental free trade and agricultural development on African food imports and exports, undernourishment and sectoral greenhouse gas emissions until 2050.
The complex nature of food supply chains makes it a crucial exercise to estimate the impacts of disruptions caused by climate disasters. By applying an integrated modelling framework to Australia and considering heatwaves, cyclones and other climate events, this study presents novel ways of quantifying regional and sectoral spillover effects—including job and income losses, food and nutrient availability, and diet quality.
Calorie availability and extent of food shortages for each nation are estimated following regional or global nuclear war, including impacts on major crops, livestock and fishery production.
Ex-ante assessments of the impacts of governance measures are key to achieving food security. A systematic review of 110 peer-reviewed studies based on simulation models and scenario analysis reveals how food security governance has been represented in this type of research and what measures hold the greatest promise for a food-secure future.
Shifting from cattle farming to camels and goats could deliver more sustainable milk production under climate-change-induced heat stress and resource scarcity in the drylands of north sub-Saharan Africa.
Current cropping calendar management erodes wheat yield potential in the rice–wheat cropping system of eastern India. By combining field and household survey data, time series of remotely sensed information and dynamic crop simulations, this study shows that exploitable wheat yield gaps could increase by 69% through planting date adjustments that enhance climate resilience.
The role of social resilience in mitigating hunger related to climate change is explored in North Korea, South Korea and China, regions with similar climatic conditions but varying levels of economic development.
Micronutrient availability is key to future global food security. A macroanalysis reveals how sources of micronutrients and countries of origin have varied in the United Kingdom over the six decades before Brexit. Through scenario analysis, the effects of trade and dietary choices on nutrient supply and demand are also explored.
The wheat genetic yield gap globally ranges from 30% to 70%, indicating current wheat yields are substantially below achievable genetic yield potentials. There is potential to close the existing genetic yield gap with crop genetic improvement and adaption.
Coupling a two-step electrochemical system that converts CO2 to acetate with photovoltaics increases solar-to-food energy conversion efficiency, providing an alternative route to produce food from carbon dioxide and electricity, independent of biological photosynthesis.
The concept of ‘less but better’ meat lacks clarity. A shared vision of livestock systems and meat consumption needs to be outlined to guide decision-makers towards food system sustainability.
The contribution of transportation to food systems’ total carbon footprint varies widely depending on calculation methods, indicating different priorities for climate change mitigation in the sector. Here, a global multi-region accounting framework that estimates food-miles and associated emissions over the whole supply chain shows the benefits of localizing food production.
A scalable, sustainable and cost-effective approach was developed to synthesize non-toxic, biodegradable pullulan fibres containing naturally derived antimicrobial agents. This food packaging system was tested on avocado and shows potential to enhance food safety while reducing food waste.
The projected increase in temperature will decrease processing tomato production in the three main producing countries by 2050. Temperature increases and water resource constraints in the future might change the main processing tomato growing regions and shift the value chain in the coming decades.
A physics-based digital twin simulating the physical, physiological and microbiological behaviour of citrus fruits shipped at sub-zero temperatures reveals that half of the shipments lie outside the ideal trade-off range between maintaining quality, killing fruit flies and avoiding chilling injury.
The extent to which policy-induced changes in food demand patterns help address environmental and health challenges remains poorly understood. Using a survey-based, randomized controlled experiment with almost 6,000 respondents from the United Kingdom, this study assesses the impacts on food purchases, greenhouse gas emissions and dietary health of applying carbon and/or health taxes, information provision and a combination of both tax and information strategies.
Biochemical reaction networks that characterize living organisms have a universality that enables the prediction of the chemical composition of food. A mathematical rationale is provided here for quantifying nutrient concentrations in food and imputing missing quantities in food composition databases.