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Food security issues have become a critical concern and top priority for developing countries, particularly Ethiopia. To this end, the main objective of this study was to analyze the food security situation of households and their coping strategies among rural households in the Kembata Tembaro Zone, Kedida Gamela district. A systematic random sampling technique was used to collect data from 150 randomly selected sample households in the study area. This study used primary and secondary data collected through interview schedules, focus group discussions (FGD), key informant interviews (KII), and a review of various documents. Descriptive statistics and data analysis econometric methods were employed. Descriptive statistics revealed that 43.33% of the households had food security, while the remaining 56.67% were food-insecure. In addition to this, the results of this study revealed that households in the study area used different coping strategies in the time of food shortages, including the sale of livestock, the sale of productive assets, the receipt of remittances or food aid, the participation in small trade, the reduction in the number of meals, temporary migration, etc. Furthermore, the results of the binary logit model indicated that education level, sex of the household, age of the household head, cultivable land size, access to extension services, livestock ownership, and credit services were found to positively and significantly determine the food security of the household in the study area. To strengthen their resilience to food insecurity, households should be encouraged to diversify their income sources and generate both capital and social assets.

The article focuses on the complex debate surrounding the classification and response to severe food insecurity crises, particularly in Gaza and Sudan. It explores how the official criteria for declaring a famine, as set by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), might delay critical aid because organizations and governments often wait for an official famine declaration before acting.

Droughts have severely affected Afghanistan over the last four decades, leading to critical food shortages where two-thirds of the country's population are in a food crisis. Long years of conflict have lowered the country's ability to deal with hazards such as drought which can rapidly escalate into disasters. Understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of droughts is needed to be able to respond effectively to disasters and plan for future occurrences. This study used Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at monthly, seasonal and annual temporal scales to map the spatiotemporal change dynamics of drought characteristics (distribution, frequency, duration and severity) in Afghanistan. SPEI indices were mapped for river basins, disaggregated into 189 sub-catchments, using monthly precipitation and potential evapotranspiration derived from temperature station observations from 1980 to 2017. The results show these multi-dimensional drought characteristics vary along different years, change among sub-catchments, and differ across temporal scales. During the 38 years, the driest decade and period are 2000s and 1999–2022, respectively. The 2000–01 water year is the driest with the whole country experiencing 'severe' to 'extreme' drought, more than 53% (87 sub-catchments) suffering the worst drought in history, and about 58% (94 sub-catchments) having 'very frequent' drought (7 to 8 months) or 'extremely frequent' drought (9 to 10 months). The estimated seasonal duration and severity present significant variations across the study area and among the study period. The nation also suffers from recurring droughts with varying length and intensity in 2004, 2006, 2008 and most recently 2011. There is a trend towards increasing drought with longer duration and higher severity extending all over sub-catchments from southeast to north and central regions. These datasets and maps help to fill the knowledge gap on detailed sub-catchment scale meteorological drought characteristics in Afghanistan. The study findings improve our understanding of the influences of climate change on the drought dynamics and can guide catchment planning for reliable adaptation to and mitigation against future droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrobiological surveys (plankton and benthos, including snow crab) were carried out in the southwestern region of the Chukchi Sea in the summer of 2003–2020. At the western, eastern, and northern edges of C. opilio distribution area in the Chukchi Sea, the abundance of crabs was five to ten times lower due to the limit of the species tolerance to hydrological factors and shortage of food resources, low mass of zoobenthos. Aggregations of snow crab C. opilio in northern regions of the Chukchi and the East Siberian seas can be considered dependent on replenishment from southern regions of the Chukchi Sea. The southern regions of the Chukchi Sea are some kinds of the nursery for development and growth of snow crab larvae and juveniles until 1–2 years age, from where they migrate into northern deeper regions of the Chukchi Sea, and then farther to the northeastern region of the East-Siberian Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is facing the global challenges of insecurity, poverty and climate change, which can impede food availability, production and nutritional security. Due to these factors, the production and availability of crop species such as legumes, pulses and cereals are declining, while some are gradually becoming extinct, which affects consumption. To meet global food demands, efforts should be geared towards promoting the cultivation and utilization of underexploited and neglected crops, which have the potential to improve food and nutrition security. However, the exploitation and utilization of crops mostly depend on existing knowledge. Therefore, this review gives an overview of the current knowledge regarding lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus L.), an underutilized legume that can serve as a promising potential food crop. While there are some studies on lima beans, they cannot compare to the abundance of studies on other legumes. It is essential to exploit the nutritional and health properties of this crop, as well as to explore processing techniques such as cooking, soaking, fermentation and germination for transforming them into other food forms. Despite the dearth of information on this crop compared to other legumes, there is a case for the promotion of lima beans, especially where there are incessant food shortages, as they will allow for dietary diversity. This is vital considering the vulnerability of world food systems, coupled with an ever-growing population, necessitating a focus on other neglected crops to improve food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulsed resources have prominent effects on community and ecosystem dynamics; however, there is little research on how resource pulses affect human–wildlife interactions. Tree masting is a common type of pulsed resource that represents a crucial food for many species and has important bottom‐up effects in food webs. In anthropogenic landscapes, years of food shortage after mast years can have negative outcomes for both people and wildlife, for instance when an increased use of anthropogenic foods by animals exacerbates human–wildlife conflicts. Here, we used novel remote sensing indicators of forest productivity and phenology, together with weather cues and ground measures of mast production, to assess whether years of masting and crop failures lead to changes in human–wildlife conflict occurrence. We used a unique 14‐year dataset including the production of European beech Fagus sylvatica seeds and brown bear Ursus arctos damage in the northeastern Carpathians as our model system. Linking these data in a panel regression framework, we found that temporal fluctuations in damage occurrence were sensitive to the year‐to‐year variation in beechnut production. Specifically, the number of damages during bear hyperphagia (i.e., September to December, when bears need to accumulate fat reserves prior to hibernation) was significantly higher in years with low beechnut production than in normal or mast years. Furthermore, we provide evidence that beech masting and failure can be predicted through a combination of remote‐sensing, weather, and field indicators of forest productivity and phenology. We demonstrate how pulsed resources, such as tree masting, can percolate through food webs to amplify human–wildlife conflict in human‐dominated landscapes. Given the recent range expansion of large carnivores and herbivores in many regions, including Europe, predicting years of natural food shortage can provide a pathway to proactive damage prevention, and thus to foster coexistence between wildlife and people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing survey information obtained from five irrigation schemes in southeastern Africa, we investigated the influence of agricultural innovation platforms (AIPs) and monitoring tools on a range of farm and household outcome indicators. Doubly robust estimation was used to measure the effects of these interventions, with a variety of other methods used for robustness checks. Involvement in AIP activities and using monitoring tools was found to be statistically associated with increased on-farm income together with an increased capacity to fund child education. Participation in AIPs also had a significant positive influence on off-farm income and reduced food shortages. Moreover, spillover effects were accounted for in the estimations and statistically significant positive effects were found regarding on-farm income for non-participants. These findings suggest that interventions with strong agricultural innovation system approaches in irrigation schemes in Africa could provide significant societal benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is a major challenge in the Sahel region of West Africa. Water scarcity in combination with prevalent soil degradation has severely reduced the land productivity in the region. The decrease in resiliency of food security systems of marginalized population has huge societal implications which often leads to mass migrations and conflicts. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and development organizations have made major investments in the Sahel to improve resilience through land rehabilitation activities in recent years. To help restore degraded lands at the farm level, the World Food Programme (WFP) with assistance from USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance supported the construction of water and soil retention structures called half-moons. The vegetation growing in the half-moons is vitally important to increase agricultural productivity and feed animals, a critical element of sustainable food security in the region. This paper investigates the effectiveness of interventions at 18 WFP sites in southern Niger using vegetative greenness observations from the Landsat 7 satellite. The pre - and post-intervention analysis shows that vegetation greenness after the half-moon intervention was nearly 50% higher than in the pre-intervention years. The vegetation in the intervened area was more than 25% greener than the nearby control area. Together, the results indicate that the half-moons are effective adaptations to the traditional land management systems to increase agricultural production in arid ecosystems, which is evident through improved vegetation conditions in southern Niger. The analysis shows that the improvement brought by the interventions continue to provide the benefits. Continued application of these adaptation techniques on a larger scale will increase agricultural production and build resilience to drought for subsistence farmers in West Africa. Quantifiable increase in efficacy of local-scale land and water management techniques, and the resulting jump in large-scale investments to scale similar efforts will help farmers enhance their resiliency in a sustainable manner will lead to a reduction in food security shortages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harsh environmental conditions in form of low food availability for both offspring and parents alike can affect breeding behavior and success. There has been evidence that food scarce environments can induce competition between family members, and this might be intensified when parents are caring as a pair and not alone. On the other hand, it is possible that a harsh, food‐poor environment could also promote cooperative behaviors within a family, leading, for example, to a higher breeding success of pairs than of single parents. We studied the influence of a harsh nutritional environment on the fitness outcome of family living in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. These beetles use vertebrate carcasses for reproduction. We manipulated food availability on two levels: before and during breeding. We then compared the effect of these manipulations in broods with either single females or biparentally breeding males and females. We show that pairs of beetles that experienced a food‐poor environment before breeding consumed a higher quantity of the carcass than well‐fed pairs or single females. Nevertheless, they were more successful in raising a brood with higher larval survival compared to pairs that did not experience a food shortage before breeding. We also show that food availability during breeding and social condition had independent effects on the mass of the broods raised, with lighter broods in biparental families than in uniparental ones and on smaller carcasses. Our study thus indicates that a harsh nutritional environment can increase both cooperative as well as competitive interactions between family members. Moreover, our results suggest that it can either hamper or drive the formation of a family because parents choose to restrain reproductive investment in a current brood or are encouraged to breed in a food‐poor environment, depending on former experiences and their own nutritional status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study sought to establish the effect of food shortage caused by displacement of farmers in Benue state and the support services offered by libraries during the emergency circumstances of displaced farmers in Nigeria and Benue State in particular. This study sought to establish the effect of food shortage in Benue state caused by displacement of farmers. The study proposes that libraries cannot afford to close down their services of providing information to the users about the plights of farmers and the effect of these crises on food shortage. During displacement, libraries can provide mobile services and relevant information sources that would satisfy the information needs of internally displaced farmers. The study findings established that food shortage in Benue State was as a result displacement of people who are mostly farmers. The study reviewed Strategies which librarians can adopt to remain relevant in the face of food shortage caused by displacement of farmers. Majority, of the studies were conducted in other fields, thus creating a gap in research of the role of librarians on this matter. We conclude that, while food systems were exempt, they were not immune to the fact that food shortage is caused by displacement, protecting food supplies should be a priority alongside the displacement of the farmers involved. Based on the findings, strategies such as Creation of sensitization, Use of Social media networks, engaging relevant stake holders, were identified as ways in which librarians can adopt to reach out to displaced farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological conditions experienced by wildlife reservoirs affect infection dynamics and thus the distribution of pathogen excreted into the environment. This spatial and temporal distribution of shed pathogen has been hypothesised to shape risks of zoonotic spillover. However, few systems have data on both long‐term ecological conditions and pathogen excretion to advance mechanistic understanding and test environmental drivers of spillover risk. We here analyse three years of Hendra virus data from nine Australian flying fox roosts with covariates derived from long‐term studies of bat ecology. We show that the magnitude of winter pulses of viral excretion, previously considered idiosyncratic, are most pronounced after recent food shortages and in bat populations displaced to novel habitats. We further show that cumulative pathogen excretion over time is shaped by bat ecology and positively predicts spillover frequency. Our work emphasises the role of reservoir host ecology in shaping pathogen excretion and provides a new approach to estimate spillover risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect consumption provides a solution to the issue of decreasing food security. Despite these benefits, their acceptance by some consumers as a source of human food remains the main obstacle to their consumption. The present study focuses on three locations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (provinces of Kinshasa, Grand Bandundu and Kongo Central) in a context of food shortage. We examined the socio-demographics, socio-cognitive (Theory of Planned Behaviour, TPB), determinants of intentions and insect consumption, and the additional contribution of emotional associations in a sample of 537 participants (mean age = 34.88, SD = 12.39, 47% females). There was a higher consumption in Kinshasa (M = 4.58; SD = 1.62) and in Grand Bandundu (M = 4.36; SD = 1.54), as compared with Kongo Central (M = 2.29; SD = 1.45). Greater insect consumption was associated with a lower education level, when living in Kinshasa or Kongo central, when attitudes, perceived control and intentions to consume were higher, and when participants experienced lower levels of fear and repulsion towards insects. The results provide insights to better understand the determinants of low consumption in Kongo Central. They also suggest that most TPB dimensions could be potential targets for future interventions that aim to increase insect consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ryukyu-ayu population on Okinawa-jima Island went extinct suddenly in the late 1970s, but the cause remains unclear. Reports say that genetic diversity was not responsible, so we investigated food shortage as a probable driver. We examined pre-extinction specimens to look for territorial individuals, which have unique morphological characteristics and occur only in food-affluent conditions. We found that 42.1% (n = 45) of individuals possessed longer dorsal fins than non-territorial fish. Combining this with another key characteristic (blackened membrane at posterior dorsal fin ray), we found that territorial fish probably constituted 35.5% which fell in the range of the expected proportion for territorial fish in the nominotypical subspecies and higher than that observed in the extant population on Amami-oshima Island. These findings imply that the food resources in the riverine environments of Okinawa-jima Island before the extinction event might be sufficient for Ryukyu-ayu to establish feeding territories. Therefore, food shortage did not cause this population extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of WISTA Wirtschaft und Statistik is the property of Statistisches Bundesamt and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Neglected and underutilized plant species (NUS) in Tanzania are maintained by socio-cultural preferences. However, a majority remains inadequately characterized and neglected by research and conservation initiatives. Over long time ago, the NUS have been part of the major component in the food systems of local communities especially in the dryland areas to overcome challenges brought about by uncertain climatic conditions. This study documents the NUS diversity and indigenous knowledge on their availability, agronomic and cultural practices in the Semi-arid zones of Tanzania to verify their economic potentials and promote their sustainable utilization for climate change adaptation as well as natural resources conservation. The study involved field plant identification, quantification and participatory rural appraisals (PRAs). The results indicate that the study regions have very rich diversity of NUS contributing significantly to the people's adaptation to drought conditions and food shortages in the areas. The NUS in the studied regions had varied uses including food and medicine. A majority of the consulted farmers in the study area indicated that the NUS utilized in the areas were either minimally cultivated on farms, freely obtained from the wild or grew as weeds in the farmlands. Despite the potentials for NUS in contributing to climate change adaptation in the areas, so far there have been no efforts geared towards their sustainable utilization and conservation. It is observed that promotion of NUS through improved packaging and marketing could contribute to the economy of the local people who have access to NUS in the area and therefore enhance resilience of semi-arid communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional is the property of Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Portal de Periodicos Eletronicos Cientificos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

High yielding crop varieties are the need of time as the population is accelerating with an exponential rate. Genetic variability can be exploited to screen improved crop varieties to address the scarcity of food. We investigated the agro-morphology in seven bread wheat genotypes collected from International Wheat and Maize Improvement Centre Mexico (CIMMYT); Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (NIA) Tando Jam and Wheat and Research Institute (WRI) Sakrand. The experimental study was conducted at Wheat Research Institute (WRI), Sakrand Sindh, Pakistan. The agro-morphological study of wheat is important for the enhancement of yield production. Phenotypic correlation was calculated in all traits. Results indicated the number of grains per spike had positive and significant correlation to grain yield per spike. The days for maturity showed positive and significant correlation with plant height. The grain filling period indicated positive and non-significant correlation to days for maturity, spike length, grain yield per spike, plant height, number of grains per spike. Grain yield per spike had negatively non-significant correlation to harvest index. It is concluded from this study that most promising genotypes ESWYT-136, ESWYT-104, ESWYT-123, and SKD-1 were morphologically different from each other and are recommended for breeding programs and cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arxiu d'Etnografia de Catalunya is the property of Universitat Rovira I Virgili and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The original intention of virtual water trade (VWT) is to help water-scarce areas adjust the crop trade structure to alleviate the water shortage problem. However, China's existing virtual water trade (VWT) must effectively alleviate the problem. This paper's structural features and stability of the VWT network (VWTN) in China's major crop trade between 2000 and 2017 were characterized using complex network theory. The results in terms of time scale showed that the total content of VW in China's major crops increased by ~23.6% for 18 years. Trade relations among most regions remained stable, whereas a few areas changed: Jilin, Henan, and Heilongjiang played essential roles in the output network, and so did Guangdong, Shanghai, and Fujian in the input network. Attributed to policy adjustment, Henan and Jilin became more prominent in the output network with the gradual decline of Jiangsu's position. Regarding spatial scale, the cumulative distribution of degrees consistent with the power–law relationship showed high variability and vulnerability of China's VWTN, especially when nodes were weighted. Since areas with more VWT partners/content provided connectivity to those with fewer partners/content, it is worthwhile to focus on developing protection policies for critical areas. The virtual water trade from North China (water-poor) to South China (water-rich) is contrary to the distribution of water resources. A similar situation showed in a global world that the long-term supply relationship would aggravate the water resources shortage and food security. Furthermore, we suggest combining network theory and VWT to lay the foundation for the invulnerability research of VWTN and the optimal regulation of crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world faces numerous problems and two of them are global food shortages and the dwindling number of pollinating insects. Plant products that do not arise from pollination are plant galls, which as in the case of oak apples, can resemble fruits and be the size of a cherry. It is suggested that once research has understood how chemical signals from gall-inducing insects program a plant to produce a gall, it should be possible to mimic and to improve nature and "bioengineer" designer galls of different sizes, colorations and specific contents to serve as food or a source of medicinally useful compounds. To achieve this objective, the genes involved in the formation of the galls need to be identified by RNA-sequencing and confirmed by gene expression analyses and gene slicing. Ultimately the relevant genes need to be transferred to naïve plants, possibly with the aid of plasmids or viruses as practiced in crop productivity increases. There is then even the prospect of engineered plant galls to be produced by plant tissue culture via genetic manipulation without the involvement of insects altogether. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food scarcity is a non-military threat that potentially abrupts the internal state stability. Regional and international dynamics are also accelerating its possibility. However, issues regarding the food sector and national defense are one of the rarest topics studied by the Indonesian community. As an agrarian country, this topic should be considered urgent to be discussed among scholars and authorized in facing food scarcity. Thus, it is necessary to scrutinize this topic using the economic and state defense framework. This research aims to find the links between the Indonesian food sector with the national defense sector. The quantitative method had been done used the Input-Output Table from the year 2016 was obtained from Indonesia Statistic Bureau (Badan Pusat Statistik). The result shows that there is a link between the food and defense sector, but the value of each sector is not significant. The defense sector has a higher value than the food sector in terms of total forward and backward linkage. The defense sector also has a higher multiplier output value than the food commodities listed in this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food safety issue is often overlooked in countries where food shortages, natural disasters, political tensions, and other major concerns dominate government and media agendas. As a result, the current study sought to assess food safety practices and associated factors among food handlers at Woldia University's student cafeteria. An institutional cross-sectional study was conducted between May and July 2021, and a sample of 291 subjects was recruited through a simple random sampling technique. Questionnaires, focus group discussions, interviews, and observation methods were used as data collection tools. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 software. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine the effect of various factors on the outcome variable and control for confounding effects. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. However, some variables are significant even at p < 0.001. The results were described by frequencies and percentages. The current study found that the factors of not having had food hygiene training (AOR = 2.111 , 95% CI = 1.029 − 4.428 ), less than or equal to one year of work experience (AOR = 3.070 , 95% CI = 2.020 − 10.246 ), poor knowledge (AOR = 1.285 , 95% CI = 0.125 − 0.849 ) and poor attitude (AOR = 1.190 , 95% CI = 1.361 − 9.393 ), not keeping cooked food at a safe temperature (AOR = 3.037 , 95% CI = 1.021 − 12.096 ), failure to respect the safety of cooking utensils and surfaces (AOR = 2.022 , 95% CI = 1.551 − 9.689 ), insufficient cleanliness of eating areas (AOR = 2.430 , 95% CI = 1.983 − 6.217 ), not covering hair when cooking food (AOR = 5.903 , 95% CI = 2.243 − 9.621 ), and not washing hands before starting to handle food (AOR = 10.019 , 95% CI = 4.031 − 24.063 ) were statistically associated with unhygienic food handling practices. The results of this study indicated that the state of food safety practices was poor. Therefore, food safety assurance must comply with modern food safety frameworks such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). In addition, addressing knowledge and skill gaps among food handlers, regular inspection services, and effective enforcement of food safety regulations are extremely essential. Finally, future studies should focus on enumerating bacteria and protozoa in unsanitary foods and utensils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 1929, Dr Friedrich Ritter and Dore Strauch left their spouses and the turmoil of post–World War I Germany for the remote, uninhabited, and rugged volcanic island of Floreana in the Galapagos archipelago. Their dream was to live self-sufficiently in an idyllic tropical setting unspoiled by civilization. Wealthy yachters stopping at Floreana in the early 1930s reported on the couple's pioneering enterprise to the outside world. The news created a sensation that subsequently attracted other settlers, including a mysterious Viennese faux baroness who quickly sowed discord on the island. Not all the participants in this drama survived though. A prolonged drought gripped the island from 1933 to 1935 leading to food shortages that ultimately claimed the life of Dr. Ritter, a vegetarian who unwittingly ate tainted chicken out of desperation. The bizarre intrigues and struggles to endure on Floreana were chronicled in Dore Strauch's 1936 memoir Satan Came to Eden and a 2013 Hollywood documentary based on it. A story that has not been told is how an extended period of cold La Niña conditions in 1933–35 led to the drought that caused the food shortages. We use an atmospheric reanalysis and other data sources to describe these cold conditions and how they affected the human drama that unfolded on Floreana Island. The protracted La Niña impacted other parts of the globe and in particular was a major influence on development of the 1930s Dust Bowl in the southern plains of the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food insecurity is one of the rising problems in Bangladesh, and it is severely prevalent among informal migrant workers. In this case, the COVID‐19 pandemic has multiplied the food insecurity of informal migrant workers. This study explores and synthesizes the COVID‐19 induced food insecurity impact among informal migrants and recommends policy actions to tackle the COVID‐19 led food crisis in Bangladesh. A qualitative research approach, including in‐depth interviews, four FGDs, and participant observation, has been applied to data collection from different parts of Dhaka city. A thematic approach to interpretive phenomenological analysis is followed in this study. The results show that COVID‐19 induced lockdown significantly affects informal migrants' household food security. Most participants report severe complications due to food insecurity like consuming less food, price hiking, no fish or meat, potato, and vegetable. Food insecurity leads to migrant's chronic food shortage, starvation, malnutrition of mother and children, and unhealthy food. As a result, the way of life of informal migrants has been directed to more fragility and vulnerability during the pandemic; even they are not affordable to maintain a minimal level of family affairs and necessity. The findings of this study would be essential guidelines for the governmental and non‐governmental organizations and development practitioners to address the food insecurity situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Together with climate change, both the geopolitical events in Ukraine and social disruptions in supply chains from the COVID-19 pandemic could produce global food shortages or even mass starvation events. Promising new interventions include vaccines to prevent infectious causes of malnutrition or infections disproportionately causing death among the malnourished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this forum I provide a response to the infant formula shortage crisis in the U.S. ongoing since May. I argue that government supported monopoly control of the infant formula market is a geopolitics that has nothing to do with infant feeding and everything to do with profit. I suggest that a diversity of strategies as well as a diversity of feeding options must be undertaken to avoid such human-caused crises in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify the most characteristic trends in the area of fodder production and the use of fodder as factors in the development of animal husbandry in Ukraine under conditions of war as the modern challenge for these industries. Russian military aggression is a powerful challenge for the economy of Ukraine, including its fodder production, as well as other countries of the world, reflecting on the aggravation of global problems of food shortages and food security. The effect of the mentioned challenge in Ukraine is superimposed on the identified negative trends and situation, which were formed before the beginning of 2022. Calculations based on them show that the occupation of large areas of Ukraine by Russian aggressors and hostilities caused a significant decrease in the production of livestock products due to a 13–17% decrease in the number of animals. Accordingly, consumption of fodder at the expense of these regions decreased by 16%. However, the situation is very dynamic as the war continues. Given the limitations of state support for the industry, until the end of the war the main efforts to improve fodder production in Ukraine should objectively be related to the maximum optimization of the structure of fodder rations by increasing the share of less energy-intensive forages. Every challenge creates new opportunities, therefore the post-war development of fodder production and use in Ukraine will become highly innovative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All living organisms need food and nutrients for survival and health. The extensive growth in human population and industrial activities has led to significant food, environmental and economic challenges, encompassing the shortage of food, depletion of energy and water reservoirs, elevated carbon emissions, and increased economic cost. Addressing these issues demands innovative solutions including consideration of blue food. Among the blue foods, Spirulina is a nutrient-rich microalgae with rapid growth, adaptability and safety with vast applications in functional foods, and therapeutics. Spirulina 's dual nature as a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution for carbon neutrality and bioproduct generation makes it a valuable contributor to sustainability in the food and health industries. This review investigates Spirulina 's nutritional, and therapeutical potentials, accompanying related challenges and opportunities, signifying its ability to improve nutritional and therapeutic aspects. Among the blue foods, humans have practiced Spirulina , as a food and medicine. It has a high concentration of vitamins, minerals, phenolics, vital fatty acids, amino acids, and colors, making it a valuable supplement to human diet, functional foods, aquaculture, and livestock feed. The high nutritious and curative effects make it a versatile element in the human diet, ranging from beverages to confectionery. Ongoing exploration is uncovering further therapeutic potential, fostering its integration into dietary strategies for disease prevention and vitality promotion with a hope to replace synthetic or plant derived counterparts and contribute to health and food sustainability. Multi-omics approaches are recommended for comprehensive understanding of Spirulina 's therapeutic and nutritional potential. • Comprehensive review of Spirulina's nutritional composition & bioactive components. • Exploration of the therapeutic potential of Spirulina for health improvement. • Challenges and opportunities associated with Spirulina's production, and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background On 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. From that date until the UK left the EU in January 2021, there were frequent warnings from industry and government sources of potential disruption to the food supply chain and possible food shortages. Over this period, the media had an important role in communicating on the potential impacts of Brexit. This study examines how food supply and demand, in the context of Brexit, was portrayed by the British media. Methods The study consisted of two components: (1) a quantitative analysis measuring frequency of reporting and information sources for articles on food supply and demand in the context of Brexit, in three daily newspapers, between January 2015 and January 2020; and (2) a content analysis exploring key themes and media framing of relevant issues in a subset of articles. Results Reports by the media about the impact of Brexit on the UK food system were largely absent in the six months before the UK voted to leave the EU in June 2016, increasing in frequency from mid-2018 onward, peaking in mid-2019 following the appointment of Boris Johnson as prime minister. Five themes were developed from included articles: food shortages/panic buying (appearing in 96% of articles); food chain disruption (86%); economic impacts (80%); preparation and stockpiling by the government/food sector (63%) and preparation and stockpiling by individuals (22%). Conclusion Government messaging sought to reassure the public that even under a worst-case scenario there would be no food shortages. These messages, however, contradicted warnings in the media of disruption to the food supply chain and food shortages. The media further reinforced this narrative of potential food shortages by reporting on the experiences of those preparing for Brexit by stockpiling food. The media must consider the impact of their messaging on public behaviour, as even imagined food shortages can instigate stockpiling and panic buying behaviour, as observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper examines the impacts of structural oil shocks, namely, the index of industrial production, world production of oil, and spot crude oil prices on the food prices in Saudi Arabia between 1986 and 2020 using nonlinear autoregressive distributed lags (NARDL) and Structural Vector Autoregressive (S-VAR) models to capture both short- and long-run asymmetries between these variables. The asymmetry between industrial production and food price in the short- and long-run was revealed and the impact of negative shocks of industrial production on the food prices was dominant. This implies that lower economic activities result in declined industrial production and food shortage which exerts a hike in food prices. With respect to Saudi Arabia, a significant relationship between negative shocks in crude oil prices and food prices was found in short- as well as long-run periods. The estimations also reveal that increases in oil supply result in a decline in food prices decrease in both periods of time. Similarly, a positive association between GDP growth and food prices was found. Finally, the oil supply shocks are found as the main factor, followed by the oil demand shocks and crude oil prices, causing the food price variation in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of the international food crisis, many countries are paying more attention to food self-sufficiency to protect themselves from instability in the global food markets. Western Balkan region and the rest of the world are facing an array of challenges, including inflation and rising food prices. Recognizing the importance of producing sufficient food to cover a country's needs in circumstances of increasing risk of trade disruptions due to war or political tensions, this article aims to find the level of food self-sufficiency in the Western Balkan countries. The self-sufficiency ratio is calculated for different food groups and individual products over a 14-year period (2006–2019) based on the FAO data and calculation method. Also, using panel data, the impact of different factors—arable land, rural population, fertilizers efficiency, temperature change, precipitation, and GDP per capita change—on cereals self-sufficiency is estimated. Results showed that in the covered pre-crisis period, the Western Balkans achieved a satisfactory level of food self-sufficiency, suggesting that the region is ready to respond to future challenges. Four indicators positively and significantly affect cereal self-sufficiency: arable land, rural population, fertilizers efficiency and GDP per capita change, while one indicator—temperature change—had a negative and significant effect. This article can serve as a basis for post-crisis research on the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phaseolus vulgaris L., known as common bean, is one of the most important grain legumes cultivated around the world for its immature pods and dry seeds, which are rich in protein and micronutrients. Common bean offers a cheap food and protein sources to ameliorate food shortage and malnutrition around the world. However, the genetic basis of most important traits in common bean remains unknown. This study aimed at identifying QTL and candidate gene models underlying twenty-six agronomically important traits in common bean. For this, we assembled and phenotyped a diversity panel of 200 P. vulgaris genotypes in the greenhouse, comprising determinate bushy, determinate climbing and indeterminate climbing beans. The panel included dry beans and snap beans from different breeding programmes, elite lines and landraces from around the world with a major focus on accessions of African, European and South American origin. The panel was genotyped using a cost-conscious targeted genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) platform to take advantage of highly polymorphic SNPs detected in previous studies and in diverse germplasm. The detected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were applied in marker-trait analysis and revealed sixty-two quantitative trait loci (QTL) significantly associated with sixteen traits. Gene model identification via a similarity-based approach implicated major candidate gene models underlying the QTL associated with ten traits including, flowering, yield, seed quality, pod and seed characteristics. Our study revealed six QTL for pod shattering including three new QTL potentially useful for breeding. However, the panel was evaluated in a single greenhouse environment and the findings should be corroborated by evaluations across different field environments. Some of the detected QTL and a number of candidate gene models only elucidate the understanding of the genetic nature of these traits and provide the basis for further studies. Finally, the study showed the possibility of using a limited number of SNPs in performing marker-trait association in common bean by applying a highly scalable targeted GBS approach. This targeted GBS approach is a cost-efficient strategy for assessment of the genetic basis of complex traits and can enable geneticists and breeders to identify novel loci and targets for marker-assisted breeding more efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: This paper assesses the effect of land ownership on household food security through its productivity enhancement effect in rural Burkina Faso. Design/methodology/approach: As the link between land tenure security and productivity is indirect, the study relies on a complex mixed process regression model with robustness to assess the effect of land ownership on household productivity. Then, an instrumental variable (IV) approach is followed to investigate the association between household productivity and food security. The rural development program survey data collected from 1,892 households in 2017 are used. Findings: The complex mixed process estimation results are robust and show that land ownership has a positive effect on household productivity. From the IV results, it is found that productive households spend more on food, have a low share of expenditures on food and are less likely to experience severe food shortages, implying an improvement in their food security status. This highlights a positive association between land ownership and food security. Originality/value: Unlike previous studies that only focused on the effect of land ownership on land-related investments and agricultural productivity, this study deepens the analysis and sheds light on how land ownership, agricultural production and food security are related. It gives empirical evidence on the importance of land policies in the struggle against food insecurity in agrarian economies. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-11-2021-0658. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aging of societies and the quality of life of the elderly may be accompanied by food insecurity. The aim of the study was to find the relationships between the perceptions of various causes of food insecurity, i.e., financial, social, health, and spatial, and then between those and the selected sociodemographic characteristics. The survey was conducted in late 2018 and early 2019 among 760 people aged 65 and older in two regions of Poland. Factor analysis with the use of principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the main causes of the prevalence of food insecurity. Cluster analysis using Ward's hierarchical classification and logistic regression analysis were used to assess the relationship between the identified reasons for food insecurity, demographic characteristics, and socioeconomic status (SES). Two groups of causes that favor the experience of food insecurity among the elderly were identified, i.e., economic–social reasons and spatial–health reasons. They relate to such situations of food insecurity as concerns about food shortages, lack of staple foods, limited size or frequency of meals, and skipping meals. The high importance of economic–social (HE-S) reasons was associated with the low importance of spatial–health (LS-H) reasons, and conversely, the high importance of spatial–health (HS-H) causes was associated with the low importance of economic–social (LE-S) causes. HE-S and LS-H reasons were combined with low SES and residence in a city of more than 100,000 inhabitants. HS-H causes, on the other hand, were associated with LE-S causes and living in rural areas or towns of fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, as well as high SES. This specificity should be considered in the development of strategies and interventions aimed at reducing the phenomenon of experiencing food insecurity in the elderly population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Bangladesh, many people are being displaced in riverine island (char) areas every year due to climate change and its associated natural catastrophes. This study intends to investigate the impact of climate change on internally displaced char people's lives and livelihoods along with local adaptation strategies and hindrances to the coping mechanism. Data have been collected from 280 internally displaced households in two sub-districts. A mixed-method approach has been considered combined with qualitative and quantitative methods. The results disclose that frequent flooding, riverbank erosion, and crop loss are the leading causes for relocation, and social relations are impeded in the new place of residence. Increasing summer and winter temperatures, recurrent flooding, severity of riverbank erosion, and expanding disease outbreaks are also important indicators of climate change identified by displaced people, which are consistent with observed data. This study also reveals that almost all households come across severe livelihood issues like food shortage, unemployment and income loss, and housing and sanitation problems due to the changing climate associated with disasters in the former and present places. In response to this, the displaced people acclimatize applying numerous adaptation strategies in order to boost the livelihood resilience against climate change. However, fragile housing, financial conditions, and lack of own land are still the highest impediments to the sustainability of adaptation. Therefore, along with the government, several organizations should implement a dynamic resettlement project through appropriate scrutiny to eradicate the livelihood complications of internally displaced people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Folate is an essential nutrient fundamental to human growth and development. Human milk maintains high folate content across the maternal folate status range, suggesting buffering of milk folate with prioritized delivery to milk at the expense of maternal depletion. We investigated whether and how the extent of this buffering may diminish under prolonged nutritional and/or disease stress, while taking into consideration infants' varying vulnerability to malnutrition‐related morbidity/mortality. Methods: A cross‐sectional study analyzed milk specimens from northern Kenyan mothers (n = 203), surveyed during a historic drought and ensuing food shortage. Multiple regression models for folate receptor‐α (FOLR1) in milk were constructed. Predictors included maternal underweight (BMI < 18.5), iron‐deficiency anemia (hemoglobin <12 g/dl and dried‐blood‐spot transferrin receptor >5 mg/L), folate deficiency (hyperhomocysteinemia, homocysteine >12 or 14 μmol/L), inflammation (serum C‐reactive protein >5 mg/L), infant age and sex, and mother‐infant interactions. Results: In adjusted models, milk FOLR1 was unassociated with maternal underweight, iron‐deficiency anemia and inflammation. FOLR1 was positively associated with maternal folate deficiency, and inversely associated with infant age. There was interaction between infant age and maternal underweight, and between infant sex and maternal folate deficiency, predicting complex changes in FOLR1. Conclusions: Our results suggest that mothers buffer milk folate against their own nutritional stress even during a prolonged drought; however, the extent of this buffering may vary with infant age, and, among folate‐deficient mothers, with infant sex. Future research is needed to better understand this variability in maternal buffering of milk folate and how it relates to folate status in nursing infants. Research highlights: Human mothers might have the capacity to buffer milk nutrient content against undue fluctuations under nutritional or disease stress. In the case of the micronutrient folate, this buffering is most apparent for younger infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]