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The global existence of small-scale food production at the household level has a wide range in terms of physical appearance and utilization. Household, market, and field gardens can be identified as three types of home food production systems in a village tank cascade system (VTCS) in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The variation in food production systems adapted in VTCS serves differently for the community either by providing nutrient requirements or ensuring financial or food security. It is important to understand the determinants of this variation to support the community to adapt the most suitable food production system for their well-being. Based on random utility theory, this study analyzes the socio-economic and institutional factors affecting the choice of food production system practiced in home gardens in Mahakanumulla VTCS. A revealed preference approach was employed to identify the current home garden choice of households. The decision to have a household garden is more driven by socio-economic and institutional factors rather than market gardens and field gardens. The effect of these factors on the decision to have a field garden is comparatively less. Using these results policymakers can predict farm management decisions of households and plan evidence-based strategic government intervention to meet the daily nutrient requirement, ensure food security, and mitigate food scarcity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were formulated to accomplish highly required overall human development without depleting the environment for future generations. Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) aims for “Zero Hunger” with eight associated targets. These associated targets set in motion the overall development of agriculture that provides healthy food and raises the living standard of smallholder farmers while maintaining the natural base. SDG2 and other SDGs are intertwined, and achieving SDG2 targets will help accomplish other goals that have been weakening due to climate change, carbon emission, excessive use of chemicals, droughts, locust attacks, and pandemics. The essence of achieving SDG2 is directly linked to food production and access. The current food production based on conventional farming harms the environment and is unsustainable in the long run. Thus, the need for an alternative food production system that ensures sustainable development is emphasized. Organic farming is a food production system based on agroecological principles and promotes sustainable development. We reviewed the role of the present organic farming as a food production system to achieve SDG2. We analyzed the four targets of SDG2 and assessed whether organic farming can achieve the sub-targets of SDG2. Besides food security, organic farming ensures economic viability for small farmers, provides nutritious food and promotes biodiversity. Innovative research, practices, stakeholder partnerships, and a comprehensive framework are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne illness is exacerbated by novel and emerging pathotypes, persistent contamination, antimicrobial resistance, an ever-changing environment, and the complexity of food production systems. Sporadic and outbreak events of common foodborne pathogens like Shiga toxigenic E. coli (STEC), Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria monocytogenes are increasingly identified. Methods of controlling human infections linked with food products are essential to improve food safety and public health and to avoid economic losses associated with contaminated food product recalls and litigations. Bacteriophages (phages) are an attractive additional weapon in the ongoing search for preventative measures to improve food safety and public health. However, like all other antimicrobial interventions that are being employed in food production systems, phages are not a panacea to all food safety challenges. Therefore, while phage-based biocontrol can be promising in combating foodborne pathogens, their antibacterial spectrum is generally narrower than most antibiotics. The emergence of phage-insensitive single-cell variants and the formulation of effective cocktails are some of the challenges faced by phage-based biocontrol methods. This review examines phage-based applications at critical control points in food production systems with an emphasis on when and where they can be successfully applied at production and processing levels. Shortcomings associated with phage-based control measures are outlined together with strategies that can be applied to improve phage utility for current and future applications in food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By observing the disturbance of indicators, models, and samples variability to the robustness of low carbon performance evaluation, the importance of random errors and heterogeneity of sample data is clarified. The carbon footprint joint total factor productivity conceptual framework is proposed in this study, then we apply it to a food production system in a region of China to reasonably judge the carbon footprint performance level of peasant households. With regard to the single-output production frontier, the internal method changes did not cause significant changes in the level of crop production technical efficiency in the deterministic and stochastic estimation strategies respectively. Although the results of partial low-carbon economic technical efficiency are consistent in the two estimation strategies, a significant difference is obvious for the low-carbon technical efficiency; The total low-carbon economic technical efficiency is significantly different between deterministic non-parametric slacks-based measure and parameterized random distance function estimation strategies under the framework of the multi-output production frontier; Ultimately, the total factor productivity including the carbon footprint of the food system in our research area close to the technical level of the industry, as well as the technical efficiency of the sample is at an efficient level.

Foodborne illness is exacerbated by novel and emerging pathotypes, persistent contamination, antimicrobial resistance, an ever-changing environment, and the complexity of food production systems. Sporadic and outbreak events of common foodborne pathogens like Shiga toxigenic E. coli (STEC), Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria monocytogenes are increasingly identified. Methods of controlling human infections linked with food products are essential to improve food safety and public health and to avoid economic losses associated with contaminated food product recalls and litigations. Bacteriophages (phages) are an attractive additional weapon in the ongoing search for preventative measures to improve food safety and public health. However, like all other antimicrobial interventions that are being employed in food production systems, phages are not a panacea to all food safety challenges. Therefore, while phage-based biocontrol can be promising in combating foodborne pathogens, their antibacterial spectrum is generally narrower than most antibiotics. The emergence of phage-insensitive single-cell variants and the formulation of effective cocktails are some of the challenges faced by phage-based biocontrol methods. This review examines phage-based applications at critical control points in food production systems with an emphasis on when and where they can be successfully applied at production and processing levels. Shortcomings associated with phage-based control measures are outlined together with strategies that can be applied to improve phage utility for current and future applications in food safety.

FLOCponics is an alternative type of aquaponics that integrates biofloc technology (BFT) with soilless plant production. The aims of this paper are to present a detailed overview of the FLOCponics system's designs and performance, discuss their sustainability, highlight the current challenges, and give directions for future research. Data sources include papers containing the keywords bioflocs and hydroponics, aquaponics and/or plant production. In view of the small number of publications and the lack of standardization in experimental design and system setup, it was concluded that FLOCponics is still in its initial research stage. With respect to the animal and plant yields in FLOCponics, inconsistent results were found. Some investigations presented better or similar yield results in this system compared to traditional cultures, while others found the opposite. One of the key challenges of using FLOCponics is the effective control of solids. Refining the system's design was the main recommended improvement. Moreover, this paper highlights that the commercial application of FLOCponics will require extensive research that clarifies its technical and economic aspects, originating from experimental or pilot‐scale setups with characteristics similar to commercial production. This review provides and discusses information that can be useful for the effective development of FLOCponics, guiding further research to make FLOCponics commercially feasible and thus contributing to sustainable aquaculture production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food production systems have been in the spotlight for a sustainable conversion due to their environmental, economic, and social impacts. On the other hand, the concept of circular economy has been promoted as a promising alternative for various production systems. By decomposing the agri-food supply chain to its core components, i.e. primary production, food processing and distribution, certain interventions may be assessed through the lens of circular economy. In this paper we focus on the stages of food processing and manufacturing in order to analyze how the application of circular economy perspectives in closing material loops contributes towards minimizing the economic and environmental impacts of food production systems, in opposition to the widely applied linear economy model. Moreover, we explore from a managerial perspective the new technological advancements for waste minimization and valorization and critically discuss the new business models that emerge, along with the redefined value chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introductory article presents the three main challenges faced in economics to issues raised by dietary models. The first part of this paper examines the dietary models that maximise the health profile of a population under various constraints, including environmental and agronomic criteria. The second part introduces the possibilities of economic modelling to complement these dietary models, despite the limitations of economic approaches. The third part suggests new research proposals by asserting that overlooked questions deserve further scrutiny. We emphasise that economic models are particularly useful to analyse trade-offs between the various objectives underlying a sustainable food system. However, possible improvements should tackle, first, possible substitutions between food categories by consumers; second, adjustments in supply chains; and third, measures of inequality resulting from significant changes towards sustainability. Such improvements may be difficult to realise but are technically possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One effect of the 2020 global pandemic was market turmoil over the food production system. Such strong market shocks can also affect the environment, for example, through changes in the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity of production. The purpose of this study was to calculate and evaluate comparable GHG emission intensity indicators for food production systems and their production stages in European Union (EU) countries. An index decomposition analysis of the obtained indicators was conducted to determine the structural and intensity effects. The three original contributions of this analysis were index decomposition of emission intensity, consideration of more GHGs, and expansion of the study period to include 2018–2020. The results from the majority of countries confirm the research hypothesis that the emission intensity at the agricultural (on-farm) production stage in EU countries in 2020 increased in relation to the emission intensity of the remaining stages of the food production system. The overall emission intensity of food production systems increased from 0.83 CO 2 -eq per 1 GDP in PPP in 2019 to 0.86 in 2020. However, this was caused solely by the increase in emission intensity at the agricultural production stage, from 2.40 CO 2 -eq per 1 GDP in PPP to 2.65 in 2020. On average, emission intensity did not increase at other stages of the food production systems in EU countries. Our findings indicate the low market resilience of agriculture to the 2020 economic turmoil, causing the low market power of agricultural producers in relation to the remaining stages of the food production value chain. These results were confirmed by the higher intensity index and lower structural index between 2019 and 2020 in the majority of the analyzed countries, caused by the decline in the share of agriculture in the GDP structure of food production, with a simultaneous increase in its intensity over time. • The share of the food production system in EU emissions constantly increases. • Despite the drop in GHG emissions in 2020, food production intensity increased. • Low market resilience of agriculture led to increased emission intensity in 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food production greatly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), but there remain concerns that consuming environmentally sustainable foods can increase the likelihood of nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy. We identified commonly consumed foods of pregnant women and determined the effect of their replacement with environmentally sustainable alternatives on nutrient intake and measures of environmental sustainability. Dietary intake data from 171 pregnant women was assessed and foods that contributed the most to energy and protein intake were identified. Of these, foods producing the highest GHG emissions were matched with proposed environmentally sustainable alternatives, and their impact on nutrient provision determined. Meats, grains, and dairy products were identified as important sources of energy and protein. With the highest GHG emissions, beef was selected as the reference food. Proposed alternatives included chicken, eggs, fish, tofu, legumes, and nuts. The most pronounced reductions in CO2 emissions were from replacing beef with tofu, legumes, and nuts. Replacing one serve per week of beef with an isocaloric serve of firm tofu during pregnancy could reduce GHG emissions by 372 kg CO2 eq and increase folate (+28.1 µg/serve) and fiber (+3.3 g/serve) intake without compromising iron (+1.1 mg/serve) intake. Small dietary substitutions with environmentally sustainable alternatives can substantially reduce environmental impact without compromising nutrient adequacy.

Abstract Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) conceptually has the potential to contribute to the sustainable development goals of achieving zero hunger, reducing land degradation, eliminating poverty, tackling climate change, and promoting gender equality. The scaling-up needed to achieve goals of CSA represents a challenge, as it entails understanding synergies between often opposing socioeconomic and environmental priorities and trade-offs over temporal and spatial scales. In this paper, we tested new approaches to support scaling-up of sustainable food production through investigating the contribution of systems thinking as a conceptual approach and complex adaptive system (CAS) attributes as a framework for analysis of CSA. This was done through examining (i) to what extent CSA represents a CAS and (ii) what contribution systems thinking and CAS attributes can make to understanding and scaling-up sustainable food production systems through CSA. The CSA situation was conceptualized through systems thinking sessions with women farmers in the climate-smart village (CSV) of Doggoh-Jirapa, northern Ghana, and was guided by the Distinctions, Systems, Relationships and Perspectives (DSRP) framework. Systems thinking, and CAS attributes provide system-wide understanding of elements, dynamics and trade-offs over temporal and spatial scale in selected agri-food systems. As such it could aid horizontal and vertical scaling-up by informing policy developoment and selection of a context-specific portfolio of technologies and practices at landscape and farm levels to achieve synergies between goals. In this study, systems thinking enabled women farmers in the CSV to identify income-generating and tree planting activities, with desirable simultaneous system-wide impact. The paper calls for further testing of tools, approaches, and methods that enable dynamic systems thinking to inform scaling-up efforts, while embracing the transdisciplinary nature and complexity of CSA as a constituent of the food production system. Highlights • Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) represents a highly complex adaptive system (CAS). • Systems thinking (ST) allowed "seeing" CSA from the women farmers' perspectives. • ST and CAS supported selecting actions to achieve desirable system-wide impact. • CAS and ST produced evidence as to what worked and why to inform scaling-up CSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food purchasing behaviors are influenced by a range of factors, including health and the environmental impact of unique food production systems. There is ambiguity about the exact long-term large-scale impact of systems utilizing organic methods, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and conventional farming methods. There is a great deal of variance in consumer knowledge because of this ambiguity. This study aimed to assess consumers’ familiarity with these food production systems, to understand the perceived environmental impact of each, and to assess how different perceptions impact food purchasing. A survey administered to 123 New Jersey residents revealed large levels of uncertainty about perceived environmental impact of conventional foods (26.0%) and GMOs (26.8%), with a smaller number of people expressing uncertainty about organic food impact (14.6%). Consumers who believed organic food was beneficial allowed these beliefs to impact purchasing more often than those who were unsure (H(3) = 21.417, p < 0.01). Similarly, those who believed GMOs were harmful to the environment allowed this belief to impact purchasing more than those who believed they have a beneficial effect (p < 0.05), believe they have no effect (p < 0.01), or are unsure of the effect (H(3) = 37.476, p < 0.01). Overall, beliefs about organic food production impacted purchasing more frequently than beliefs about GMO food production (p < 0.01). These findings indicate a need for greater consumer education to eliminate uncertainty, as strong beliefs about environmental impact may have the ability to influence consumer purchasing decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A joint framework of carbon footprint and total factor productivity is proposed. • There is a carbon surplus in the agricultural food production system. • Randomness in the estimation strategy has a significant effect on the results. • Sample heterogeneity leads to variation in carbon footprint performance. • The technical efficiency of the sample data is at an efficient level. By observing the disturbance of indicators, models, and samples variability to the robustness of low carbon performance evaluation, the importance of random errors and heterogeneity of sample data is clarified. The carbon footprint joint total factor productivity conceptual framework is proposed in this study, then we apply it to a food production system in a region of China to reasonably judge the carbon footprint performance level of peasant households. With regard to the single-output production frontier, the internal method changes did not cause significant changes in the level of crop production technical efficiency in the deterministic and stochastic estimation strategies respectively. Although the results of partial low-carbon economic technical efficiency are consistent in the two estimation strategies, a significant difference is obvious for the low-carbon technical efficiency; The total low-carbon economic technical efficiency is significantly different between deterministic non-parametric slacks-based measure and parameterized random distance function estimation strategies under the framework of the multi-output production frontier; Ultimately, the total factor productivity including the carbon footprint of the food system in our research area close to the technical level of the industry, as well as the technical efficiency of the sample is at an efficient level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sub-Saharan Africa, food-related policies such as fertilizer subsidy programs (FSPs) have undergone a revival and triggered a controversy about their impact. In this article I applied a simulation-based approach to examine the FSPs’ short- and long-term potential for increasing maize availability in Zambia. The study revealed that FSPs are an effective policy measure to enhance maize availability in the short-term. However, in the long-term, the food system becomes dependent on the government’s annual expenses. The dependency occurs because FSPs fail to build up adequate stock levels of soil organic matter (SOM), which is an important source of resilience and productivity, and thus represents a long-term leverage point in Zambia’s maize production system. For this reason, alternative policies that combine increasing productivity and building up SOM stock levels were analyzed. They were found to be a viable means for enhancing long-term maize availability. The study concludes that gradually reducing investments in FSPs while simultaneously promoting farming practices that build up SOM stock levels is a promising strategy to enhance maize availability sustainably.In Sub-Saharan Africa, food-related policies such as fertilizer subsidy programs (FSPs) have undergone a revival and triggered a controversy about their impact. In this article I applied a simulation-based approach to examine the FSPs’ short- and long-term potential for increasing maize availability in Zambia. The study revealed that FSPs are an effective policy measure to enhance maize availability in the short-term. However, in the long-term, the food system becomes dependent on the government’s annual expenses. The dependency occurs because FSPs fail to build up adequate stock levels of soil organic matter (SOM), which is an important source of resilience and productivity, and thus represents a long-term leverage point in Zambia’s maize production system. For this reason, alternative policies that combine increasing productivity and building up SOM stock levels were analyzed. They were found to be a viable means for enhancing long-term maize availability. The study concludes that gradually reducing investments in FSPs while simultaneously promoting farming practices that build up SOM stock levels is a promising strategy to enhance maize availability sustainably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare performance of conventional and centralized food production systems in terms of the overall Child Nutrition Program (CNP) goal by using the performance criteria model developed by Hwang and Sneed (2007). By using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), relative performance scores of each production system were calculated based on comparisons made by school food service directors who managed both production systems within the same school district. Results of this study indicate that centralized food production systems may be better for achieving the overall CNP goal regardless of the level of centralization in food production. In addition, performance of the two systems for each performance criterion is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food production greatly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), but there remain concerns that consuming environmentally sustainable foods can increase the likelihood of nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy. We identified commonly consumed foods of pregnant women and determined the effect of their replacement with environmentally sustainable alternatives on nutrient intake and measures of environmental sustainability. Dietary intake data from 171 pregnant women was assessed and foods that contributed the most to energy and protein intake were identified. Of these, foods producing the highest GHG emissions were matched with proposed environmentally sustainable alternatives, and their impact on nutrient provision determined. Meats, grains, and dairy products were identified as important sources of energy and protein. With the highest GHG emissions, beef was selected as the reference food. Proposed alternatives included chicken, eggs, fish, tofu, legumes, and nuts. The most pronounced reductions in CO2 emissions were from replacing beef with tofu, legumes, and nuts. Replacing one serve per week of beef with an isocaloric serve of firm tofu during pregnancy could reduce GHG emissions by 372 kg CO2 eq and increase folate (+28.1 µg/serve) and fiber (+3.3 g/serve) intake without compromising iron (+1.1 mg/serve) intake. Small dietary substitutions with environmentally sustainable alternatives can substantially reduce environmental impact without compromising nutrient adequacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]