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With accelerating globalization, the complexity of the global grain trade network structure is increasing. Traditional network analysis approaches have certain limitations in capturing these dynamic changes and hidden topological structures in data. Based on global import and export trade data for rice, wheat, and corn from 1988 to 2022, this study has proposed a novel method for the topological clustering of temporal multilayer networks based on topological data analysis in order to systematically assess the topological structure evolution of temporal multilayer networks. The results indicate that different agricultural trade networks reveal hidden clustering characteristics in different years. In addition, this study combines principles from landscape ecology to construct a dynamic community spatiotemporal change model of grain trade networks, aiming to comprehensively reveal potential patterns and dynamic trends in grain trade networks and provide valuable information for grain trade decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timely and robust prediction of wheat yield is very significant for grain trade and food security. In this study, the yield prediction model was developed by coupling an ensemble model with multi-source data, including vegetation indices (VIs) and meteorological data. The results showed that green chlorophyll vegetation index (GCVI) is the optimal remote sensing (RS) variable for predicting wheat yield compared with other VIs. The accuracy of the adaptive boosting- long short-term memory (AdaBoost-LSTM) ensemble model was higher than the LSTM model. AdaBoost-LSTM coupled with optimal input data had the best performance. The AdaBoost-LSTM model had strong robustness for predicting wheat yield under different irrigation and extreme weather events in general. Additionally, the accuracy of AdaBoost-LSTM for rainfed counties was higher than that for irrigation counties in most years except extreme years. The yield prediction model developed with the characteristic variables of the window from February to April had higher accuracy and smaller data requirements, which was the best prediction window. Therefore, wheat yield can be accurately predicted by the AdaBoost-LSTM model one to two months of lead time before maturity in the HHHP. Overall, the AdaBoost-LSTM model can achieve accurate and robust yield prediction in large-scale regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Chinese-style modernization gradually deepens, the feed grain industry, through cutting-edge biotechnology, achieves reduction and substitution, quality improvement, and optimization. This effectively promotes the upgrade of the feed grain supply system, providing security for the nation's feed grain supply. Interpreting from the practical perspective of the current foundation, the promotion of the feed grain supply system upgrade under the vision of Chinese-style modernization is a beneficial practice guided by policy documents, supported by scientific and technological innovation, and adjusted in product structure. Analyzing from the perspective of inherent value, upgrading the feed grain supply system in line with the tasks of Chinese-style modernization is conducive to achieving national food security, resolving structural contradictions in the livestock industry, and enhancing the adaptability of the feed industry in the market. Based on this, it is proposed to improve the support and guarantee system, create a favorable development environment, incorporate new scientific and technological advancements, provide comprehensive technological support, and establish cooperative organization alliances to lay the foundation for a strong main body. This proposed path aims to explore the route for the upgrade of the feed grain supply system, thereby enhancing the stability and supply capacity of feed grain production in the era of accelerating Chinese-style modernization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grain industry in Ukraine is the most important component of the agro-industrial complex. At the same time, spring wheat grain production remains low and unstable due to insufficient efficiency of cultivation technology. The purpose of the research was to establish optimal seeding rates for soft spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds of the Shirocco variety. The study of the influence of the seeding rate on the productivity and quality indicators of soft spring wheat was carried out according to the scheme: 3.5 million pcs ha-1, 4.0 million pcs ha-1, 4.5 million pcs ha-1, 5.0 million pcs ha-1; 5.5 million pcs ha-1; 6.0 million pcs ha-1. As a result of the research, it was found that the highest density of standing was obtained on the variant with a seeding rate of 6.0 million pcs ha-1 - 522 pcs m2 with plant preservation during the growing season of 86.8% (453.1 pcs m2). The maximum yield was observed on the variant with a seeding rate of 6.0 million pcs ha-1 - 5.63 t ha-1. At a seeding rate of 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 pcs m2 the yield was 4.07, 4.58, 4.76, 5.00, 5.30 t ha-1, respectively. According to the results of the research, it was studied that at a seeding rate of 6.0 million pcs ha-1, the highest yield of spring wheat grain was obtained - 5.63 t ha-1, and the maximum quality indicators of gluten and protein content at a seeding rate of 5.5 million pcs ha-1 - 25.5, 13.82%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world cereal production and supply as well as their trade, stock and losses are important indicators of the world market of cereals. They play a huge role in ensuring food security. The aim of this research is to identify the relation of the indicators of the world grain crops market (production, supply, losses, trade, stocks) and the level of malnutrition Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU) among the world's population. Based on data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a correlation-regression analysis was conducted between indicators of the global grain crops market, in particular: the wheat market, the fodder market of grain crops, the rice market and PoU of the world population for the period 2013/14 - 2020/2021 marketing years. It has been proven that there is a close, statistically reliable relationship between the above mentioned indicators, except for grain stocks and POU. The analysis of the world cereal market showed that among the indicators characterizing its conditions, the indicator trade in grain crops (r = 0.851; D = 0.724; F = 3.968, (F > F t); z = 1.26; rL = 0.37; rU = 0.97) has the highest level of correlation. It was found that with an increase in the volume of world cereal trade by 1 million tons, the PoU level will increase by 0.018%. A review of literary sources proves that the problem of ensuring food security, in particular with regard to reducing the level of starvation and malnutrition, cannot be solved only by fighting climate change, overcoming socio-economic and military problems, fighting pandemics, etc. Its solution to a large extent depends on fair, uniform export and import of food products, as evidenced by the calculations. A separate direction for solving the problem of the spread of malnutrition is the elimination of the policy of highly developed countries regarding the application of individual sanctions against countries with high PoU values, in particular, the Central African Republic, Madagascar, Haiti, Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Lesotho, Liberia, Mozambique, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The story of the grain export company founded by Léopold Louis-Dreyfus is perhaps as compelling as that of the 17th century East and West Indian state companies. The French trader's adventure seems not to have the denouement of Thomas Mann's novel Buddenbrooks: Decline of a Family (Buddenbrooks: Verfall einer Familie). This article brings to light the organizational capacity and network of the Louis Dreyfus trading house in the Lower Danube throughout its existence, as well as the international context in which the Romanian branch was liquidated. The production of this material is mainly based on the use of archival documents from Brăila (the Romanian headquarters of the company's operations), Bucharest and Paris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In common layer hybrid nutrition, feedstuffs potentially human edible and soybean-based feeds cover most of the diet. The use of alternative energy and protein sources is limited due to insufficient nutrient density. We investigated whether less demanding dual-purpose poultry would better tolerate a diet composed of food industry by-products and grain legumes. Hen types investigated were Lohmann Brown Plus (LB, layer hybrid; n = 10), Lohmann Dual (LD, a dual-purpose hybrid; n = 10), Belgian Malines (BM) and Schweizerhuhn (CH) (both traditional dual-purpose breeds; n = 9). Hens were in late stage of lay. In a cross-over design, hens received for 4 weeks a common layer diet (C; 11.5 MJ/kg N-corrected metabolizable energy (ME) and 4.3 g methionine/kg) or a diet exclusively composed of byproducts and grain legumes (B; 10.4 MJ/kg ME and 2.4 g methionine/kg). Subsequently they stayed for another 8 weeks on the respectively other diet until slaughter. Feed efficiency (g feed/g egg) was better in LB (2.7) and LD (2.8) than CH (4.6) and BM (5.2). Body and carcass weights (kg) were highest in BM (3.4/2.0), followed by CH (2.6/1.6), and lowest in LB and LD (both 1.9/1.1). Feed efficiency was higher in diet C than B, as was egg weight (g; C: 63; B: 59). Diet B adversely affected carcass weight, breast meat yield and meat shear force, but not egg quality. Feed intake (g/day) declined in LB from 121 to 65 and in LD from 102 to 80 when switching from diet C to B. With diet B, laying performance declined from 92 to 53% in LB and from 70 to 50% in LD. Both traits remained unaffected in BM and CH, showing that diet B was sufficient only in these two hen types in late laying. Further studies have to confirm these results with more replicates and different by-product diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat grain is one of the eight traditional crops that needs to be reviewed in terms of its processing, product range, and quality properties of the end products. Considering the Rules of management and organization at grain factories, it can be noted that the recommended raw material for the production of grain products is durum wheat, the processing of which allows obtaining the main assortment of wheat:groats "Poltavski" and "Artek". Today, durum wheat in our country are grown in a small amount compared to soft wheat, which is widely used in flour milling, therefore enterprises of the cereal industry in such conditions must either import significant volumes of durum wheat or use soft wheat as an alternative option, but taking into account the peculiarities of the produced groats and the technological process, which is built for a stronger grain, the processing of soft wheat in such conditions and the production of crushed groats "Poltavski" and "Artek" from it cannot be considered effective. A key factor in the efficiency of soft wheat processing in groats production is also the difference in the chemical composition of two types of wheat, in which soft wheat has, for example, a lower mass fraction of protein compared to durum wheat, which does not allow production from soft wheat modern products of healthy and complete nutrition, the demand for which is only growing every year in the World and Ukraine. Emmer is one of the oldest cereal crops that mankind used for food and fodder needs. Cultivation of emmer began approximately 10,000-8,000 BC on the territories of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Syria, Ethiopia, as well as other countries of Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. On the territory of Ukraine, emmer was grown 5-6 thousand years BC. When processing emmer into groats, the total yield of end whole groats can be obtained at the level of traditional cereals from hulled cultures - up to 70%, and flakes in relation to unprocessed grain 60-65%. That is, it will not be possible to significantly increase the yield of finished products during the processing of emmer, and this is primarily explained by the filminess of this culture, but if compare the quality of the obtained products, the advantage is clearly for products from emmer, which is already a proven fact, for example in the countries of the European Union where the demand for products made from "original" hulled wheat, including emmer, is increasing every year. Our country has all the necessary conditions for the development of this culture and increasing the volume of its cultivation and processing into food products, which in turn can increase the export potential of our country not only in the form of raw materials, but also products from it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Two‐way layouts are common in grain industry research where it is often the case that there are one or more covariates. It is widely recognised that when estimating fixed effect parameters, one should also examine for possible extra error variance structure. An exact test for heteroscedasticity, when there is a covariate, is illustrated for a data set from frost trials in Western Australia. While the general algebra for the test is known, albeit in past literature, there are computational aspects of implementing the test for the two way when there are covariates. In this scenario the test is shown to have greater power than the industry standard, and because of its exact size, is preferable to use of the restricted maximum likelihood ratio test (REMLRT) based on the approximate asymptotic distribution in this instance. Formulation of the exact test considered here involves creation of appropriate contrasts in the experimental design. This is illustrated using specific choices of observations corresponding to an index set in the linear model for the two‐way layout. Also an algorithm supplied complements the test. Comparisons of size and power then ensue. The test has natural extensions when there are unbalanced data, and more than one covariate may be present. Results can be extended to Balanced Incomplete Block Designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food grains and their products must be free of insects, pests, and microbes to be considered safe for human consumption. The limitations associated with the use of harmful chemicals/pesticides for the disinfection of food grains have led to ongoing research into alternative decontamination methods such as ozone. Ozone has enormous potential for ensuring food security in the grain and food industries whilst retaining the functional and nutritional profile and augmenting the shelf life of grains and their products. Research indicates that ozone is an ecologically safe option for disinfecting food items without leaving any toxic residues in the commodities. This chapter highlights the production techniques of ozone, its mechanisms for inactivating various bacteria, insects, mycotoxin, and pesticide degradation along with qualitative changes in grains and their products. The challenges associated with the application of ozone treatment at an industrial scale have been also discussed. Ozone has the potential to be used as a green sanitization technique to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food security doctrine was adopted by the Russian Federation in 2010. Developed under the leadership of President Dmitry Medvedev, it established food security as a central component of national security. The concept emerged as an issue of global public debate in response to the 2006–2008 hunger crisis in the Global South. In Russia though, the initial interpretation of the concept, which emphasised the accessibility of food resources, was transformed into a slogan advocating domestic agri-food production. The article examines the Russian case from 2014 to 2022. It analyses how the narrative on food security constructs common goods such as 'domestic territory' or 'food sovereignty' and its subsequent implications for the prioritisation of certain values (e.g. production, sovereignty), social groups (e.g. producers over consumers), and roles in economic life (e.g. trade). Finally, this article will incorporate an updated analysis of official discourses on food security produced by the government following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common ragweed is an invasive alien species causing severe allergies in urban residents. Understanding its urban invasion pathways is crucial for effective control. However, knowledge is limited, with most studies focusing on agricultural and natural areas, and occurrence record-based studies exhibiting uncertainties. We address this gap through a study in East China cities, combining population genetics and occurrence records. Leaf samples from 37 urban common ragweed populations across 15 cities are collected. Genomic and chloroplast DNA extraction facilitate analysis of spatial genetic patterns and gene flows. Additionally, international grain trade data is examined to trace invasion sources. Results indicate spatial genetic patterns impacted by multiple introductions over time. We infer the modern grain trade between the United States and China as the primary invasion pathway. Also, cities act as transportation hubs and ports of grain importation might disperse common ragweed to urban areas. Invasive species control should account for cities as potential landing and spread hubs of common ragweed. Examination of the spatial genetic pattern of common ragweed plants in urban areas in East China cities and the influence of grain trade between China and the U.S suggestions multiple invasion events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims. Stubble burning is an agricultural practice employed by some grain growers to prepare farmland for sowing and/or to control weeds and pests. Grapegrowers and winemakers have questioned whether the resulting smoke can contaminate grapes in nearby vineyards. This study therefore sought to determine the potential for smoke from three different stubble burns to taint grapes and wine. Methods and Results. Excised bunches of mature Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were exposed to smoke from prescribed burning of wheat, oat, and Balansa clover stubble windrows. Environmental sensors monitored the concentration of particulate matter as a measure of smoke density, while chemical and sensory analysis established the extent to which grapes and wine were tainted by smoke. Only grapes that were positioned among the burning wheat windrows or downwind, but in close proximity (∼200 m) to the oat stubble burn, were exposed to sufficient quantities of smoke to result in a detectable concentration of volatile phenols (up to 12 µg/kg), as chemical markers of smoke taint. These grapes yielded wines with two to threefold higher volatile phenol concentrations (up to 18 µg/L) than other wines, including the control wine, and low intensity, but perceptible smoke-related sensory attributes, indicative of low-level smoke taint. Conclusions. Chemical and sensory analyses suggest the risk of smoke taint from stubble burning is low, except where vineyards are immediately downwind and/or prolonged or repeated smoke exposure occurs. However, stubble moisture content and prevailing weather conditions affect smoke density and dispersion, and will therefore affect the potential for smoke contamination by grapes. Significance of the Study. This study will assist colocated grain growers and grape and wine producers to undertake commercial operations, without negatively impacting one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] It is of great significance to study the supply characteristics and capacity improvement strategies of Sichuan's grain industry to strengthen the construction of Sichuan's comprehensive grain production capacity, improve the level of grain supply, safeguard the national food security and promote the sustainable development of the grain industry. [Method] The study analyzed the supply characteristics of Sichuan's grain industry in recent 10 years in detail from four aspects of the total production, industrial structure, production efficiency and efficiency of the grain industry, and based on the food security of Sichuan in the new era, it studied and judged the weaknesses of the grain industry supply, and then proposed strategies to improve Sichuan's grain supply capacity. [ Result] ( i) In recent 10 years, the total grain production, yield per hectare and sown area of Sichuan showed a slow growth trend, and the grain expansion was weak, and the grain production layout needed to be optimized. (ii) Com, soybean and potato as main grains increased significantly; Under the condition of food security, the tight balance between food supply and demand would exist for a long time. The product structure also needed to adapt to the upgrading of market consumption. ( iii) The grain production efficiency in Sichuan was at a low level or even loss, and the main reason was high labor cost. (iv) The grain land productivity, labor productivity and capital productivity of rice, com and wheat in Sichuan were all lower than the national average level. [Conclusion] The main restriction factors affecting the supply of grain industry in Sichuan include unbalanced regional development of grain, prominent contradiction between supply and demand of production factors, imperfect social service of agriculture, insufficient building of the whole industrial chain and low enthusiasm of grain growers. Therefore, under the new situation, it is necessary to comprehensively improve the supply capacity of Sichuan's grain industry from four aspects: building a new regional development pattern of grain industry, innovating grain science and technology and seed industry, innovating production and management mechanism, and strengthening grain supply system guarantee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: [Objective] The study aimed to explore the spatial distribution of grain production in Yunnan province, so as to provide reference for promoting the high-quality development of plateau characteristic agricultural industry and strengthening the construction of food security in Yunnan province. [ Method] Based on the panel data of grain production of 129 counties in Yunnan province from 2000 to 2020, the evolution path of grain production spatial distribution and the transfer path of the gravity center of Yunnan province were discussed by using the measurement indicators such as the Theil index, the production concentration index, the Herfindahl index, the regional relative specialization index and the center of gravity model. [ Result] In terms of time, the sown area of grain crops of Yunnan province in 2020 increased by 29. 16% compared with that in 2000. The regions with high, medium and low grain production of Yunnan province showed expansion, slight increase and reduction, respectively, In terms of space, the grain yield per unit area of Yunnan province had been rising, but the regional differences had gradually expanded; After 2012, the distribution of grain production in Yunnan province had basically taken shape and maintained stable; The top 40 grain producing counties in Yunnan province determine the grain production distribution of the whole province, but the trend of production specialization was not significant; Grain production in Yunnan province was concentrated in blocks, especially in the east, south and northwest of Yunnan; The grain production center of Yunnan province moved to the southeast as a whole, and the migration speed became slower; Xuanwei city, Zhenxiong county, Huize county, Luoping county, Guangnan county and Yanshan county had advantages both in industrial scale and specialization, and were the core areas of grain production of Yunnan province. [ Conclusion] The spatial distribution of grain production in Yunnan province was obviously different, and its spatial evolution was greatly affected by the regional economic development level, population status and planting conditions. Therefore, optimizing the spatial distribution of grain industry, accelerating the construction of agricultural production service system, and gradually establishing a long-term mechanism of interest compensation for major grain producing counties are important ways to optimize the grain production structure of Yunnan province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dermatophagoides farinae (Acari: Pyroglyphidae) has been regarded as an important source of indoor allergens due to its prevalence and close proximity to humans. This study serves as an introductory probe into the population genetic structure of D. farinae, for which a few related studies of population genetic structure are available. In this study, the genetic structure of seven D. farinae populations in China was investigated based on the 372 bp mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene. A total of 29 haplotypes of the 68 cytb gene sequences were detected. The network diagram could be divided into Branch I (regions north of the Yangtze River: SJZ, CZ, FY and HN) and Branch II (regions south of the Yangtze River: AQ, WX and WH). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) conducted according to the results of the network diagram revealed major genetic differentiation among groups, indicating that a significant genetic structure existed among groups. The results of population genetic structure could be largely attributed to geographical isolation. The existence of gene flow in a few populations may be influenced by grain trade activities. This study may facilitate a better understanding of the population genetic structure of D. farinae and could be utilized as the foundation for the development of efficient management strategies for D. farinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover image: This alien grass is widespread on sandy coasts in Japan. By directly comparing introduction sources and naturalised populations, the authors identified this as Lolium rigidum, introduced as contaminants through the grain trade. Image by Yoshiko Shimono. For full details see pages 2583–2596.. [Extracted from the article]

The text has the central objective of identifying the structures, the geoeconomic strategies of global regionalization of the main tradings companies in the world that operate in the soy and grain chain. Currently, world grain trade is centralized in just five giant companies: Archel Danields Midland (ADM), Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus, the famous ABCD, and the China Oil and Foodstuffs Corporation (Cofco). To achieve this objective, descriptive information was chosen for a quantitative comparison only. Thus, it was possible to state that the geographic detachment of the five big tradings companies and the increase both in the physical ones and in the volume of agricultural commodities traded, for new areas, is not unrelated, among other geoeconomic combinations: from the search for revenues and profits to more installations in economies in the process of productive development or production booms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors affecting fertilizer decisions made by grain growers are changing in the context of changing climatic conditions and growing volatility in global fertilizer and grain markets. To ensure sustainable development of grain industries in light of this uncertainty, research, development, extension, and adoption activities associated with growers' fertilizer decisions need to be focused on factors to which they are most sensitive. The aim of this paper is to understand the factors that have the greatest influence on grain producer's fertilizer strategies, how these factors have changed over recent years, and what is the relative importance of agronomic, socioeconomic, and logistical factors affecting these strategies. A telephone survey of 425 grain-growing businesses in Western Australia was conducted, and survey results were analyzed statistically. We show for the first time that grain growers' fertilizer decisions are most sensitive to agronomic factors (especially the amount and distribution of rainfall). Logistic factors (such as difficulties fertilizing increasing areas in short periods of time) are growing in influence as farm size, cropping areas, and the number of fertilizer applications within seasons increase. Fertilizer decisions have become less sensitive to socioeconomic factors over the last 10 to 15 years. To ensure sustainable development of grain production, research through to adoption activities should focus on agronomic issues (such as seasonal forecasting) and logistic issues (such as improving planning, organizational, and technical capacity for developing and implementing fertilizer strategies). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain is the most basic material condition for human survival and development, and the structure of grain import and export trade has seriously affected national grain security. In this paper, we quantitatively analyze the evolution of international grain (maize, wheat, rice) trade patterns from 1987 to 2019 based on a complex network and entropy methods, and provide some suggestions and references for relevant countries. We measure the ranking of countries by applying various indicators from complex networks to quantify the importance of nodes in international trade networks. Then, we analyze the evolution of trade scale and community structure in different regions. Finally, we analyze the weight structure of the whole network through entropy, revealing the evolution characteristics and mechanism of the system more comprehensively. The results first show that the international grains trade network (IGTN) satisfies the scale-free properties and that global trade volumes are increasing year by year. The distribution of trade volumes in the IGTN follows the 80/20 rule, with less than 20 % of countries accounting for more than 80 % of global trade volumes. Second, countries in the Asian region have gradually increased their position in the grain trade network, while the position of countries in North and South America has declined. Third, the heterogeneity of the topology and weight structure of the international grain trade network is weakened, and the status of hub countries in the IGTN is reduced. The importance gap of nodal connections is narrowing, showing the trend of multilateralization of global trade. Fourth, the world grain export market is highly concentrated. The USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and Russia are the major exporters of grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical aspects of state regulation of the grain market in Ukraine are the basis of the research in the article. The works of domestic and foreign scientists working in the field of research on state regulation of the grain market have been analyzed. The functioning of national regulatory structures of grain markets in grain-producing countries has been studied. The main result of the study is; the grain industry of Ukraine acts as the basis for the formation of the country's GDP, the leader in export potential and, accordingly, the leader in foreign exchange earnings, which requires establishing the state's priority in regulating the domestic grain market. With the beginning of the military intervention of the Russian Federation, the Black Sea ports were blocked, through which the main export of grain cargoes was carried out. Neither market mechanisms nor state structures were ready for such a scenario of events. The alternative options for grain export were logistics chains through the Danube ports: Reni, Izmail, Ust-Dunaysk, and the second logistics chain of export was overland railway and road crossings to neighboring countries: Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, which could not, due to their technical characteristics, accept export consignments of grain. In order to develop and provide recommendations regarding changes in logistics during wartime, a study of the global grain market regulation system has been conducted. The current state and problems of functioning of the grain market of Ukraine require further analysis and research for the successful development of effective organizational and economic measures for the functioning of the grain market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cereals are the most produced commodity worldwide, according to statistical data. Among the top ten countries in the list of the most important producers of corn and wheat respectively, as well as among the largest exporters of these categories of cereals, there are two countries located in the Black Sea basin, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Other important competitors in the region were Romania and Turkey, who took 3rd or 4th place in corn or wheat production. At the same time, Romania occupied the 6th place in the ranking of corn exporters worldwide and 9th in that of wheat exporters in 2021. In addition to the four states mentioned before, in the paper, in the area related to the maritime basin, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Republic of Moldova and Greece were also included. The paper aimed to provide a coherent picture of competitiveness on the grain market, at the Black Sea basin level, and, at the same time, to highlight the position that Romania occupies in the economy of the area and in the world grain trade. For this purpose, the areas cultivated with corn and wheat were presented, as well as the productions obtained in the period 2015-2021 in the countries of the area related to the Black Sea basin, then the value imports and exports of corn and wheat that these countries recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grain transportation system is an important link of China's food security system, of which, sea transportation, as a mode of transportation with large capacity and less pollution, has played an important role in China's foreign trade in grain import and domestic trade in "north grain transported to south". Taking a grain terminal in Nantong Port as an example, based on the prediction of the future demand development of grain, and taking into account the needs of phased construction of the land area of the project and its long-term expansion, optimization is proposed for the layout of the land area in the engineering feasibility study, from the aspects of the general layout and the technological design of the handling technology. Currently, there are fewer studies and examples of the same type of grain terminals. This design scheme is highly targeted and the effect is outstanding, which can provide reference for the design of projects of the same type at home and abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-quality development of grain industry is an inevitable requirement to improve the national food security level and meet the increasing needs of people for a better life. In order to meet the inherent requirements of consumption upgrading and supply-side structural reform of the grain industry in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and to improve the high-quality development and supply chain resilience of the grain industry in the GBA, it is theoretically and empirically analyzed from the perspective of the whole industrial chain of “production, purchase, storage, processing and sales”. and the endowment conditions such as soil, water, light and heat as well as the evolutionary changes of grain production in the GBA are sorted out. Then the current situation and existing problems of the grain industry in the GBA are empirically analyzed based on the situation of consumption, production, processing, storage and transportation. From 2010 to 2020, the reduction rate of cultivated land area in nine mainland cities was about 5%, of which the reduction rates of paddy field and dry land area were 3% and 8%, respectively. The cluster degree of grain production in the GBA was increasing continuously, and the total cultivation area of rice in Zhaoqing, Jiangmen, Huizhou and Guangzhou was increased from 91% in 2005 to 97% in 2020. By analyzing the main influencing factors and logical evolution mechanism of the grain industry in the GBA towards high-quality development, the difficulties and bottlenecks of “production, purchase, storage, processing and sales” were systematically deconstructed, and it was proposed to promote the high-quality development pattern of “great food, big industry, wide market and large circulation” of grain industry in the GBA with the approach of greater food; facilitate the division and deepening of “intra-industry” system - the key to the high-quality development of the grain industry in the GBA, implement the path of excellent production, storage, pricing, and processing of superior grain to build a brand value chain; adhere to the bottom line of ensuring a certain self-sufficiency rate in grain production in the GBA, vigorously develop high-quality flavortype rice on the basis of “superior grain and superior yield”, follow the strategy of differentiation and asymmetry with other major rice-producing provinces, innovatively propose the “selenium-rich rice project” in combination with the endowment conditions of the GBA, and carry out the plan of “double strength of grain production”; set a modernization pilot zone of the whole grain industry chain with Chinese characteristics, establish a grain reserve and emergency support center in the GBA, and create a long-term food security mechanism in the GBA based on the “dual circulation” strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical methods for assessing the quality of food grains are still in vogue, however, these methods are either destructive or time-consuming which demands an alternative. Spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR), Near-infrared (NIR) and Raman spectroscopic techniques are intensively researched in evaluating their efficiency for determining the end-quality of grains and grain-based products. The present review focuses on the working principle of these techniques and their recent applications in grain industry, including authentication and quality discrimination, adulterant and contaminant determination, process optimization, and production monitoring. Furthermore, the challenges, limitations, and advantages along with future trends are also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world's sustainable growth is being severely hampered by the inefficient use of water resources. Despite the widely acknowledged importance of trade in global and regional water and food security, societal reliance on local production, as well as international trade, remains inadequately assessed. Therefore, using South Korea as a case study, this study fills in this research gap by applying the virtual water concept, the logarithmic mean divisia index (LMDI) method, and the Tapio decoupling model. The virtual water concept was used to estimate South Korea's net virtual water trade for major grain crops from 1992 to 2017. Then, the LMDI method was utilized to assess the driving factors causing changes in net virtual water trade. Lastly, the Tapio decoupling model was used to investigate the decoupling relationships between economic growth and the driving factors of net virtual water trade. The results showed that South Korea remains a net importer of virtual water flows with respect to grain crops, with an average import of 16,559.24 million m3 over the study period. In addition, the change in net virtual water trade could be attributed to the water intensity effect, product structure effect, economic effect, and population effect. However, water intensity and economic effects were the major decisive factors for decreases and increases in net virtual water trade, respectively, while the population and product structure effects had minor positive influences on the net virtual water trade. Furthermore, water intensity and economic growth showed a strong decoupling in most periods, while the decoupling state between product structure and economic growth was observed as expansive negative decoupling. Likewise, population size and economic growth showed a weak decoupling in most periods. The results reveal South Korea's status as it concerns the virtual water trade of grain crops, thus providing valuable insights into the sustainability of trade activities for the management of local water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local government and the wealthy class in the Song Dynasty were the two main parties in the rural grain trade. The government relied on its economic and administrative coercive power; and the rich people were active in rural areas, taking advantage of their familiarity with market conditions, wealth and geographical advantages. They cooperated and competed against each other. Usually, the government often permitted the rich to trade grain for their benefits. When there was imbalance between supply and demand in food market, the government would actively intervene in the market to stabilize the market and protect people’s livelihood. They would adopt the policies of market bidding, persuasion and even coercive measures to force the rich to trade grain according to their own social goals, and at the same time proposed some incentives to ease the contradiction and recruit the rich. This shows that the rich class began to become one of the main parts of multi- governance in rural society in the Song Dynasty. The rulers of the Song Dynasty also realized the importance of the wealthy class to the governance at basic level of the country. They strengthened the country with the wealth of the rich, while adopting incentives and appeasement measures to protect them and their development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate on the demographic development in Sweden in the Early Modern Period has a long history. A significant topic concerns how many people in fact lived in the country during the 16th and 17th centuries. This article focuses on the 17th century but leaves aside the question of absolute population numbers or growth rates. Instead, I will try to estimate the availability of grain, a dominant factor determining and limiting population developments in the period. There is a general view among historians that domestic grain production in Sweden stagnated during the 17th century. In this article, I add my voice to those who hold this view. In itself, this could also indicate a stagnant population. However I will show, that domestic production was not the same thing as grain availability. Swedish scholars are unanimous that in c. 1700 the country had c. 1,300,000 inhabitants. Using new source material, I will show that Sweden's foreign grain trade in that period could feed at least 300,000 more people than in c. 1630. Finally, I will try to set Sweden's growing grain trade in context with other developments in Sweden during the period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial pattern of carbon transfer is of practical significance for the responsibility sharing of carbon emission reduction. It is a high demand to explore the inter-provincial collaborative strategies of carbon emission reduction for food security. In this study, the inter-provincial grain trade and the carbon emission were calculated to determine the spatial transfer using the linear programming model of carbon emission in the grain trade. The cross-sectional data was selected from 31 provincial administrative regions in China in 2020. The distribution characteristics were analyzed for the carbon emission responsibility sharing of the grain trade in each province. The results were as follows: 1) In the carbon emission pattern of inter-provincial grain trade, the export areas were mainly distributed in the northeast, north, northwest, and central China, whereas, the import areas were mainly in the southwest, south, and east China. The total amount of grain trade was 1.53×108 t in China in 2020. Among the grain export areas, northeast, north, northwest, and central China transported 71.265 4, 26.173 8, 4.555 1, and 50.697 1 million tons, accounting for 46.7%, 17.1%, 3.0%, and 33.2% of the total trade volume, respectively. 2) The carbon emission of grain trade showed the flow pattern of “North carbon to South and China carbon to the west” in space, indicating the small flow from the south to the north and the east to the west. The national export areas of grain carbon emission included the Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Gansu, Ningxia, and Xinjiang regions. The carbon emission flows of the grain trade in the north-south and east-west directions were 9 119.82×104, and 2 229.49×104 t, respectively. 3) The input area was needed to pay greater responsibility for the carbon emission reduction than the output area in the process of carbon emission transfer of grain trade. Economically developed provinces presented a relatively large share of responsibility, while those with smaller economies were relatively small responsibilities. There were 29.5% and 70.5% average proportions of carbon emission reduction shared by the output and the input area, respectively. 4) In the principle of shared responsibility, there was a low share proportion in Anhui, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Jiangxi, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, and Xinjiang in the export areas, and the high share proportion was in Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, and Ningxia. Influenced by the assistance effect, economically developed provinces provide more assistance to economically underdeveloped provinces and will assume more responsibility for emission reduction. In general, based on the principle of shared responsibility, it is not only conducive to controlling carbon emissions in export and import areas, but also plays a positive role in stabilizing the output of major grain producing areas. Therefore, the study puts forward targeted strategies to ensure regional food security and fair and reasonable distribution of carbon emission reduction responsibilities among regions, so as to achieve the win-win goal of “carbon neutral, carbon peak” strategy and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a southwestern border province of China, Yunnan is featured by the geographical advantage of proximity to the Indo - China Peninsula which is known as World Rice Warehouse, and its capital and technology are ahead of the neighboring countries of China. Therefore, to enhance its support capability in consolidating and improving the national food security strategy, Yunnan should further develop its comparative advantages by building the regional food industry chain and supply chain depending on the province's grain system of production, processing, storage and transportation, as well as its agricultural economic and trade cooperation platforms and channels with the neighboring countries of China. In this study, comparative analysis and related methods were used to systematically analyze the scale of grain production in Yunnan, the proportion of its grain production to the national total amount, the transition of its grain variety structure and the characteristics of its food security system, as well as the grain export trade of the 6 countries in the Indo - China Peninsula from 2010 to 2019. Then, the problems in grain production in Yunnan were clarified, such as the decrease of grain ration production capacity, the decline of comparative benefits of grain production and the insufficient support for agricultural "going global" strategy. Finally, a series of countermeasures were put forward, including further implementing the strategy of "reserving grain in land and technology" to increase Yunnan's production capacity of grain, focusing on agricultural products storage and transportation system to improve the ability to obtain grain from abroad, expanding the border processing and logistics industry, optimizing the policy of agricultural products' import and export, and etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper selects four grain crops of rice, wheat, soybean, and corn, analyzes their foreign trade from 2002 to 2020, and estimates the virtual land resource. The research results show that China's grain has always been in the state of net import. China mainly exports rice and imports soybeans, and the market structure has an obvious trend of simplification. The net import of virtual land resources in China's grain has grown significantly and has outstanding contribution ability. The average annual net import is 62.25 million ha, which is almost equivalent to the arable land area of China's one-cropping area. The net import contribution of soybean virtual land resources is about 101 times of its sown area, while corn, rice, and wheat account for about 10.42, 11.69, and 74.66% of its sown area. The net importers of virtual land resources are relatively concentrated, mainly in Brazil, the US, Argentina, Ukraine, and Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】This paper explored the temporal and spatial expansion characteristics and industrial operation mode of farmers’ cooperatives in different topographical areas of Chongqing, mastered the development law of farmers’ cooperatives in Chongqing and analyzed the differences in the selection of different industrial modes, in order to provide data support for promoting the classified cultivation of cooperatives and the formulation of differentiated support policies.【Method】This paper used 2528 farmers’ cooperatives in Chongqing as a sample, comprehensively used terrain distribution index, standard deviation ellipse and other methods to analyze the temporal and spatial patterns and expansion characteristics of cooperatives of different industrial types in four types of terrain. And combined with the questionnaire survey, combed and refined the cooperative operation mode. 【Result】（i） The development of farmers’ cooperatives in Chongqing showed four growth stages in general, with slow growth from 2002 to 2006, rapid growth from 2007 to 2010, the growth rate slowed down from 2011 to 2014, and the growth rate from 2015 to 2018 has dropped significantly. From the perspective of topographical area, the growth rate of Area Ⅳ is the fastest, followed by Area Ⅱ and Area Ⅰ, and Area Ⅲ had the slowest growth rate.（ii） The growth advantages of cooperatives in different industries vary significantly. The growth advantage zone of livestock and poultry industry was Area Ⅳ. The growth advantage zone of the fruit and vegetable, grain and oil, and comprehensive industries were Area Ⅰ and Area Ⅱ. The growth advantage zone of the flower, tree, tea, and peppercorn industries are Area Ⅱ, the tobacco and Chinese medicinal materials industries are Area Ⅲ and Area Ⅳ.（iii） Except for the grain and oil industry cooperatives in the southeast-northwest direction from 2002 to 2006, the rest of the industrial cooperatives had a southwest-northeast distribution at various stages.（iv） There were six main modes of cooperative industrial operation, the livestock, poultry, fruit and vegetable, flower and tree and grain and oil industries use the ‘company + farmers’ cooperative + base + farmer’ model. The ‘company + farmers’ cooperative + farmer’ model was used by fruits and vegetables, flower and tree, grain and oil industries. The industries that use the ‘farmers’ cooperative + base + farmer’ model include fruit and vegetable, flower and tree industries, and the industries that use the ‘Internet+ farmers’ cooperative + farmer’model include livestock, poultry and other industries. The industries of the ‘farmers’ cooperative + farmer household’ model include fruit and vegetable, grain and oil industries, and livestock industry using the model of ‘company + farmers’ cooperative + base + family farm’. 【Conclusion】The number of farmers’ cooperatives in Chongqing is growing, and the advantageous area of different industries has a difference, and it has evolved in the northeast direction, and the operation mode of each industry is diverse. According to the spatio-temporal expansion characteristics of the cooperative and the local conditions, we should accurately find the mode of industrial operation and promote the steady development of cooperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removing mycotoxins from by-products of corn wet-milling processing presents a critical challenge facing the grain industry. Corn steep liquor (CSL) is rich in protein and other nutrients. However, CSL is usually contaminated by mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN), which can be removed using suitable adsorbents. In this study, the efficiency of modified sodium alginate (SA)/β-glucan/montmorillonite (Mt) (SA/β-glucan/Mt) microsphere adsorbents in moving DON and ZEN from CSL was investigated. For this, the modified SA/β-glucan/Mt microspheres were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The adsorption of microspheres was characterized by physical adsorption and hydrogen bonding analyses. The optimal adsorption conditions (i.e., incubation time, temperature, and dose) of the microspheres were investigated in spiked aqueous solution. An incubation time of 5 min, a temperature of 20 °C, and a ratio of 1:5 wt per volume (w/v) were determined to be the optimum conditions (1 μg/mL of DON and 20 μg/L of ZEN). Subsequently, the microspheres were applied to CSL and showed high adsorption capacity for DON and ZEN. The adsorption rates of mono- and multi-mycotoxin in spiked aqueous solutions using microsphere adsorbents were studied, and a negative interaction effect was observed between DON and ZEN in the CSL system. Moreover, simple and rapid regeneration of the microspheres was achieved, and the removal efficiency of mycotoxin from CSL was almost unaffected. Thus, the low-cost and highly regenerable modified SA/β-glucan/Mt microspheres can be employed as an effective adsorbent for removing both DON and ZEN from CSL. • The novel microsphere adsorbents were used to remove DON and ZEN from the corn steep liquor (CSL). • The adsorption by microspheres is physical adsorption and hydrogen bonding. • The adsorption is affected by a negative interaction effect between DON and ZEN. • The microspheres have lower adsorption in soluble solids of CSL. • The microspheres have good regenerability and hardly affect the adsorption efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop yield prediction before the harvest is crucial for food security, grain trade, and policy making. Previously, several machine learning methods have been applied to predict crop yield using different types of variables. In this study, we propose using the Geographically Weighted Random Forest Regression (GWRFR) approach to improve crop yield prediction at the county level in the US Corn Belt. We trained the GWRFR and five other popular machine learning algorithms (Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Decision Tree Regression (DTR), and Random Forest Regression (RFR)) with the following different sets of features: (1) full length features; (2) vegetation indices; (3) gross primary production (GPP); (4) climate data; and (5) soil data. We compared the results of the GWRFR with those of the other five models. The results show that the GWRFR with full length features (R2 = 0.90 and RMSE = 0.764 MT/ha) outperforms other machine learning algorithms. For individual categories of features such as GPP, vegetation indices, climate, and soil features, the GWRFR also outperforms other models. The Moran's I value of the residuals generated by GWRFR is smaller than that of other models, which shows that GWRFR can better address the spatial non-stationarity issue. The proposed method in this article can also be potentially used to improve yield prediction for other types of crops in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While global food trade has allowed countries to buffer against domestic food production shortfalls and gain access to larger markets, engaging in trade has also opened economies up to shocks and increased extraction of food resources. With this research, we analyze how the global grain network influences country-level nourishment, while controlling for per capita land and food production. First, we model the trade network structure of the global wheat supply chain to measure the centrality or positionality of countries. We use spatial regression analysis to assess the impact of trade networks, volume, purchasing power, production capacity and geography on undernourishment. We find that the six countries most central to the global grain trade by betweenness and eigenvector centralities account for more than half of all wheat exports globally by volume. The centrality of these countries as opposed to volume of wheat produced or traded, determines their influence in the wheat supply chain network. The parametric component of our analysis confirms that trade, and centrality have significant implications for national levels of nourishment. Our findings suggest that for countries with low purchasing power, increasing centrality allows improvements in nourishment levels but for countries with very high purchasing power, increasing centrality can increase hunger outcomes. To counteract perturbations and shortfalls such as those being experienced currently in the globalized food system, local and regional governments may consider refocusing on regional and local based food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Claude-Jacques Herbert's Essay on the general police of grain (Essai sur la police générale des grains) has particular features that could have enabled it to make a crucial contribution to the gradual conversion of French public opinion to free trade at the end of 1753. First, the essay is an explicit criticism of Delamare's Treatise on the police (Traité de la police) and of the French regulations of the grain trade. Against them, Herbert promotes new principles grounded on a specific conception of free trade and on the central role played by prices in economics. Reviewing these elements, we may suppose that the success of Herbert's Essay can also be explained by the conceptions it proposes. These could indeed have been approved both by the proponents of internal and moderate free trade and those of total freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the inhibitory effect of oryzanol on the degradation of tocopherol during heating of rice bran oil at 110 and 170 °C and the oxidation kinetics of rice bran oil. Results demonstrate the degradation of oryzanol and tocopherol in rice bran oils follow the first‐order kinetic models. The higher concentration of oryzanol has no inhibitory effect on the degradation of tocopherol when the concentration of tocopherol in rice bran oil is 500 mg kg−1. However, when the concentrations of tocopherol reach 1500 and 2000 mg kg−1, higher oryzanol concentration make the inhibitory effects on the degradation of tocopherol more pronounced. Compared with rice bran oils containing lower levels of tocopherol and oryzanol, rice bran oils containing higher levels of tocopherol and oryzanol have higher activation energy (Ea), activation enthalpy (ΔH), and activation entropy (ΔS) and a larger temperature acceleration factor (Q10), which indicate that higher levels of oryzanol and tocopherol promote the thermal oxidation of rice bran oil. Therefore, in the compound application of tocopherol and oryzanol in rice bran oil, the influence of its content on the thermal oxidation of oil should be fully considered. Practical Application: This study may be useful for the grain and oil industry because studies on the degradation kinetics of oryzanol and tocopherol during heating of rice bran oil and oxidation kinetics of rice bran oil are still lacking in the literature. The results of this study is valuable for predicting and evaluating the oxidation process and nutritional properties of rice bran oils under various thermal oxidation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the dynamics of food trade, which involves a corresponding virtual trade in environmental resources, is relevant for its effects on the environment. Among the socioeconomic factors driving the international food market, trade agreements play a significant yet poorly understood role in facilitating access to worldwide trade. Focusing on the global trade of grain from 1993 to 2015, we investigate the role of trade agreements in activating new linkages and increasing traded volumes and their environmental implications. Through a data-driven approach, we show that the activation of a trade agreement among countries induces a more than six-fold increase in the probability of establishing a new link. Also, the presence of a trade agreement over time, not just its activation, relates to a more stable market since it reduces the probability of link deactivation by more than half. The trade links covered by agreements show larger flows and smoother inter-annual fluctuations. Furthermore, trade agreements encourage the development of more water-efficient flows by stimulating the exchange of crops with high water productivity values. The average economic water productivity of crops traded under trade agreements increases by 62% when considering total virtual water and even by 93% when focusing on blue water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global gains in food production over the past decades have been associated with substantial agricultural nitrogen overuse and ammonia emissions, which have caused excessive nitrogen deposition and subsequent damage to the ecosystem health. However, it is unclear which crops or animals have high ammonia emission potential, how these emissions affect the temporal and spatial patterns of nitrogen deposition, and where to target future abatement. Here, we develop a long-term agricultural ammonia emission dataset in nearly recent four decades (1980-2018) and link it with a chemical transport model for an integrated assessment of global nitrogen deposition patterns. We found global agricultural ammonia emissions increased by 78% from 1980 and 2018, in which cropland ammonia emissions increased by 128%, and livestock ammonia emissions increased by 45%. Our analyses demonstrated that three crops (wheat, maize, and rice) and four animals (cattle, chicken, goats, and pigs) accounted for over 70% total ammonia emissions. Global reduced nitrogen deposition increased by 72% between 1980 and 2018 and would account for a larger part of total nitrogen deposition due to the lack of ammonia regulations. Three countries (China, India, and the United States) accounted for 47% of global ammonia emissions, and had substantial nitrogen fertilizer overuse. Nitrogen deposition caused by nitrogen overuse accounted for 10 to 20% of total nitrogen deposition in hotspot regions including China, India, and the United States. Future progress toward reducing nitrogen deposition will be increasingly difficult without reducing agricultural ammonia emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the new European growth strategy – the Green Deal in the aspect of its design for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system. The Green Deal’s targets set through the Farm to Fork and the Biodiversity strategies are considered in connection with the arable crops sector. The paper also outlines the link between the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform and the implementation of the Green Deal objectives. This article summarizes the analyses and studies conducted thus far in regard to the Green Deal impacts on the European cereal and oilseed sectors. The European Commission still neglects the need for a thorough and cumulative impact assessment of the Green Deal’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies. Nevertheless, several recently published studies on these strategies indicate that the current targets, if implemented as proposed, will come at a significant cost for the EU farmers and the viability of the entire European agribusiness sector. Furthermore, the paper reviews the current situation of the “green architecture” in the National Strategic Plan of Bulgaria for the new Common Agricultural Policy. The Bulgarian agricultural society also needs certain data and projections about the future agri-food systems development, because the unknown is frightening. The idea behind this research is to open the curtain of possible effects and impacts of the Green Deal through the CAP “green architecture” on the Bulgarian grain production sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The war with Russia has become a real threat of food inflation and famine. Therefore, the issue of the grain market functioning in Ukraine during the war and the development of priority measures for stabilization is extremely important. Based on the forecasts, the key factors in the formation of the cereals and oilseeds crops structure for the harvest of 2022 have been determined, namely the physical unavailability of more than 30 % of the area; difficulties in obtaining seeds of crops; lack of export through ports. Grain stocks have been analyzed and it has been envisaged that a large number of farmers will sell stocks of cereals or oilseeds before spring sowing to replenish working capital. The problem is particularly acute in the areas close to the front line, where trade is very weak; availability of resources - farmers need to use the resources available in their area taking into account logistical issues. The key points of the state's encouragement of farmers to conduct food security campaigns have been identified. Summarizing the estimates and forecasts, we can note: a key factor in shaping the crops structure of cereals and oilseeds for the harvest of 2022 will be the physical unavailability of more than 30 % of the area due to hostilities and their consequences; difficulties in obtaining seeds of crops that depend on imported supplies will lead to an even greater reduction in harvesting of these crops; the lack of exports of corn and sunflower oil through the ports forms significant remnants of these crops in Ukraine in low demand. Cereals include wheat, barley and cereals - buckwheat, peas, oats. Among oil compensatory crops there can be soybeans, flax; also, when forming crops we should take into account the peculiarities of storage of crops that are planned for cultivation to minimize losses. During martial law, the state tries to encourage farmers to conduct food security campaigns. Among the key points are: the Law of Ukraine «On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Creating Conditions for Ensuring Food Security in Martial Law»; a decree simplifying the import of seeds; decisions on temporary abolition of excise duty and reduction of VAT rate on fuel to 7%, access of farmers to credit resources - loans at 0% interest rate, provision of credit lines for Ukrainian farmers. Methodological and practical aspects of studying the functioning problems of the grain market during the war have been further developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the effects of domestic conflict and external shocks on Spanish trade policy in the interwar period. Our account mobilizes a new granular dataset on exports and imports, and good-country level information on tariffs, trade agreements, and quotas. Into the Depression, the mainstay of policy was the tariff. The establishment of the Second Republic in 1931 was a turning point in policymaking. The new regime initiated bilateral trade negotiations. The Republic's dilemma was to find countries willing to exchange market access. In a daunting international environment, the Spanish case offers a poignant reminder of the perils of going against the grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]