Volume 2 Issue 6, June 2021

Land use change, livestock production and human encroachment into wildlife habitats drive zoonotic emergence. Quantitative analyses of horseshoe bat populations provide evidence for how food systems may contribute to hotspots of potential zoonotic spillover.

A global analysis of consumer expenditure along the food supply chain indicates the importance of post-farmgate activities and how socioeconomic indicators may affect it.

Efficient use of light can improve crop yields and qualitative performance for controlled-environment agriculture. A spectral-shifting, unidirectional light-extracting photonic thin film has the potential to boost photosynthesis to improve greenhouse lettuce yield.

Metrics and methodologies to characterize food environments of school-age children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries are explored here, with a view to inform priorities and actions for policy towards healthy, nutritious diets.

Corporate concentration and power can shape markets, technology and innovation agendas, and policy and governance frameworks. Issues, implications and mitigating measures to take in food systems are discussed here using the agricultural inputs industry as an example.

A quantitative analysis of human encroachment into wildlife habitats highlights that horseshoe bats occur in hotspots of forest fragmentation, livestock density and human populations—particularly in China—increasing the risk of SARS-related zoonotic pathogen spillover.

The distribution of consumer food expenditures across value-added activities on farms and in the post-farmgate value chain, although important, has been overlooked. Building on a global food dollar series, this study shows how the farm and post-farmgate shares of consumer food expenditures evolve in response to changing economic, demographic and agricultural conditions in different regions.

China’s feed imports have global sustainability implications. This study uses crop simulations based on current and attainable farmers’ yields to estimate the country’s potential to meet its own demand for maize and soy, as well as associated benefits for GHG emissions and nutrient use efficiency.

A unidirectional light-extracting fluorescent film was designed for passive augmentation of photosynthesis and biomass production for leafy green lettuces grown indoors and in greenhouse facilities. The batch-processed films have a total light extraction efficiency of 89%, with a majority of the converted light directed towards lettuce crops. This film demonstrates application potential in greenhouses and other protected environments to increase crop production efficiency.

The current expansion of oil palm in India is occurring at the expense of biodiversity-rich landscapes. This study shows that on the national scale India has the potential to become self-sufficient in palm oil production without compromising either its biodiversity or its food security, while economic, social, political and nutritional factors will require attention at finer spatial scales.