Volume 3 Issue 8, August 2022

Few microbiome-based solutions for agricultural productivity, food processing and human nutrition have been successfully commercialized. A systems-based approach that considers the ecology of microbial communities may help finetune extant tools to increase their reliability while promoting innovation and greater adoption.

In every country, a clear national strategy, goals and metrics are needed to end hunger, improve nutrition, reduce diet-related diseases and create a just, sustainable and equitable food system. We identify six policy domains where real change can be made to deliver this vision in the United States.

Nuclear weapons obliterate targets. The soot ejected into the stratosphere spreads, changing global weather patterns. When weapons are especially high yielding, the resultant soot could trigger global famine.

The discovery of a natural variation in an ancient rice variety shows the way to reduce the harmful element cadmium in a key food without sacrificing yield and concentrations of other essential nutrients.

Simulation studies can provide valuable input to governance actors when choosing which measures to adopt in the pursuit of food security. However, such studies often neglect spillover effects and rarely simulate the targeted nature of governance interventions or factor in value-chain dynamics.

A realist review of 20 voluntary actions by the food and beverage industry in low- and middle-income countries analyses the implications of these actions for public health and policy. This realist review reveals that voluntary actions often aim to protect industry interests rather than improve public health.

Conventional nitrogen fertilizers are costly for human and environmental health. This Perspective discusses barriers and opportunities in designing enhanced-efficiency fertilizers and incorporating these alternative technologies into policy- and decision-making.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Finite marine resources have the potential to limit the growth of salmon aquaculture. A more judicious use of fish oil and fish meal in aquafeeds could sustain sector growth until 2100 and beyond.

Voluntary actions by the food and beverage industry are often adopted in lieu of public health policies. The realist review methodology here evaluates the context, mechanisms and outcomes of voluntary actions against unhealthy diets in low- and middle-income settings.