Journal of Agriculture and Food Research最新文献

{"title":"Agroforestry practices, adoption factors, and livelihood contributions among smallholder farmers in Didu district, southwestern Ethiopia","authors":"Alemayehu Abera ,&nbsp;Elias Bojago ,&nbsp;Mamush Masha ,&nbsp;Teshome Lidatu","doi":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102052","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102052","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agroforestry (AF) has the potential to deliver for rural livelihoods, environmental sustainability, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Little attention has been paid to smallholder farmers' perceptions, adoption levels with barriers, and influencing factors. This study examines how adoption is determined and the livelihood contribution of AF practices among smallholder farmers in Didu District, Southwestern Ethiopia. This study employed a mixed-method cross-sectional design. Using a multi-stage sampling procedure, 296 respondents (174 adopters and 122 non-adopters) were selected. The collected data were analyzed using thematic, descriptive, and inferential methods. Farmers adopted various AF practices in different home gardens (36 %), scattered trees in croplands (29.71 %), boundary tree planting (16 %), and hedgerows (2.29 %). The major barriers to AF adoption were the lack of extension services (98.3 %), limited land (97 %), and inaccessible markets (94 %). A binary logistic regression analysis was adopted, and it was positively influenced by wealth level (<em>p &lt; 0.01</em>), level of education, size of the farm, slope of the farmland, extension relations, and farming experiences (<em>p &lt; 0.05</em>) and negatively by distance from home to farmland (<em>p &lt; 0.05</em>). Analysis of the net profit margin also showed that practice adopters had higher profitability rates than non-adopters (16.54 % vs. 9 %), and the AF reported economic benefits to smallholder farmers in the study area. The results showed that the diversified nature of smallholder farmers’ livelihoods in the area was largely supported by AF practices. Through AF practices, society has experienced diminished poverty levels together with enhanced food accessibility, and farmers have achieved better earnings and living conditions. This study proposes strategies to enhance AF as a base for enduring socioeconomic progress and supervision of natural resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34393,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 102052"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144168597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of the storage period on the suppressive capacity of composts enriched with Trichoderma atroviride","authors":"Luísa Coelho ,&nbsp;Mário Reis ,&nbsp;Lídia Dionísio ,&nbsp;Carlos Guerrero","doi":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Composts can be used to improve soil fertility while controlling soil diseases, contributing to the circular economy in agriculture. Biological control of soil diseases may be achieved by the activity of antagonistic microorganisms, that, by different ways, prevent the development of phytopathogenic microorganisms, being <em>Trichoderma</em> spp. one of the best-known antagonistic fungi.</div><div>In this work, the evolution of the suppressive capacity during a storage period of one year, was evaluated on two composts enriched with <em>Trichoderma atroviride</em>, against <em>Rhizoctonia solani</em>, <em>Clarireedia</em> spp. and <em>Sclerotium rolfsii</em> in turfgrass (<em>Agrostis stolonifera</em>). Both composts, obtained from agro-industrial residues, were enriched with <em>T. atroviride</em>, and stored at room temperature, in the dark. The composts were tested <em>in vivo</em>, at 0, 6 and 12 months of storage, as substrates for turfgrass (<em>Agrostis stolonifera</em> L. cv. T1) grown in pots. Plants were inoculated with the above-mentioned pathogenic fungi and the incidence and the severity of the diseases, AUDPC and BCI, were determined during the storage period. The highest biological control performance was achieved after 6 months of storage, especially on the composts enriched with <em>Trichoderma atroviride</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34393,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 102048"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144177536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exogenous hydroxyapatite and silicon nanoparticles mitigate salinity and lead (Pb) stress in coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) by adjusting growth and biochemical attributes","authors":"Mehrdad Ataei Kachoie","doi":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.101988","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.101988","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heavy metals and salinity represent two of the most eminent challenges facing agriculture. Recently, there has been a lot of interest in silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HAP NPs) for managing abiotic stress. Their comparative application in salinity and lead (Pb) stress, however, has not received much attention. Therefore, the current study was carried out to determine the effects of HAP and Si NPs on mitigating Pb and salinity stress in coneflower (<em>Echinacea angustifolia</em>) through physiological and biochemical attributes. The plants were sprayed with HAP and Si NPs at 200 mg L⁻¹ and exposed to Pb (600 mg kg⁻¹ of soil) and salinity (100 mM NaCl). The results showed that Pb and salinity respectively lowered shoot weight (29 % and 36 %), root weight (20 % and 23 %), chlorophyll (Chl) a+b (31 % and 35 %), relative water content (RWC, 16 % and 19 %), total phenolic content (TPC, 5 % and 14 %), total flavonoid content (TFC, 11 % and 25 %), essential oil (EO) content (14 % and 26 %), EO yield (39 % and 52 %), but increased malondialdehyde (MDA, 43 % and 66 %) and proline (11 % and 18 %) in plants without NPs application. The use of Si and HAP NPs modulated Pb and salinity as their combination increased shoot weight (30 %), root weight (13 %), Chl a+b (17 %), RWC (15 %), proline (40 %), TPC (17 %), TFC (37 %), EO content (29 %), EO yield (68 %), but lowered MDA (24 %) in salt-exposed plants. The heat map showed that EO yield exhibited the greatest variability among the traits. The use of combined HAP and Si NPs suggests the potential of this combined treatment to mitigate salinity and Pb stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34393,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101988"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144114981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Natural polyphenols as a promising aquatic food preservative: A concurrent review","authors":"Ghulam Mustafa Kamal ,&nbsp;Jalal Uddin ,&nbsp;Mufarreh Asmari ,&nbsp;Ayesha Noreen ,&nbsp;Atif Liaqat ,&nbsp;Asma Sabir ,&nbsp;Jallat Khan ,&nbsp;Rabia Iqbal ,&nbsp;Aanchal Sharma ,&nbsp;Gulzar Ahmad Nayik ,&nbsp;Robert Mugabi ,&nbsp;Syed Ghulam Musharraf","doi":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fish and aquatic foods are rich sources of high-quality proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, essential amino acids, etc., making them vital for human nutrition. However, these are prone to deterioration during storage and processing due to microbial and chemical activities, resulting in rancid odors, unpleasant flavors, and texture changes. Proper additives can mitigate these issues, with natural preservatives being preferred over synthetic ones due to safety concerns. Among natural options, polyphenols derived from plants, beverages, and seaweed exhibit strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, making them effective and safer alternatives to synthetic preservatives like sulfating agents. Extracts and essential oils from sources such as tea, rosemary, grape seed, ginger, and clove have demonstrated their efficacy in preserving aquatic food quality. Polyphenols present in these plants donate an electron or a hydrogen atom to neutralize the free radicals. These also deactivate reactive oxygen species or suppress the formation of free radicals. Acting as radical scavengers or chain breakers, these stop the oxidation chain reactions. In addition, polyphenols also form metal chelates. The presence of a hydroxyl group in polyphenols is associated with the anti-microbial activities against foodborne pathogens. This interacts with the cell membrane of bacteria and causes its disruption, which results in the loss of cellular content. This review highlights the potential of polyphenols as natural additives to enhance the safety, extend the shelf life, and improve the nutritional profile of aquatic food products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34393,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 102046"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tree rows and grass-strips increase water availability in fruit tree-crop agroforestry systems on sloping land","authors":"Huu Thuong Pham ,&nbsp;Jennie Barron ,&nbsp;Göran Bergkvist ,&nbsp;Ingrid Öborn ,&nbsp;Nguyen La ,&nbsp;Rachmat Mulia ,&nbsp;A. Sigrun Dahlin","doi":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102045","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102045","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil water conservation in upland areas characterised by slopes is extremely challenging. Information about soil water availability and variability, which can guide appropriate soil water management, is often lacking, including for agroforestry (AF) which is considered a sustainable farming practice in these regions. This study aims to describe how soil water is distributed and how it impacts crop growth and yield in an agroforestry system.</div><div>Investigations were carried out in 2022–2023, in year 6 and 7 of an experiment wherein a fruit tree (mango and longan)-maize-grass treatment was compared to sole-maize in four replicates. Nine slope positions in each AF-plot were defined based on their distance from the tree rows, whilst three positions along the slope were selected in the sole-maize.</div><div>Available soil water content (ASWC) down to 60 cm depth varied between 14 and 141 mm and was up to 28 mm higher in the AF system than the sole-maize following rain events. Generally, the ASWC was lower downslope than upslope of the tree rows and declined more rapidly after rain events. During the early dry season, ASWC was higher in mango-AF but lower in longan-AF compared to sole-maize, whereas the opposite was true late in the dry season. Maize grain yield was consistently lower in the zone immediately downslope (1.0 ton ha⁻¹) than upslope (3.2 ton ha⁻¹) of tree rows, but the yield-reducing effect downslope decreased with increasing distance from the tree rows and grass-strips. Water was generally not limiting maize yields.</div><div>To conclude, ASWC was higher in AF than in sole-maize and increased more upslope than downslope of tree rows and grass strips immediately after rain events. The choice of tree species influenced ASWC in the dry season.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34393,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 102045"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of foam-mat drying to produce field crab powder: Foaming process optimization, drying kinetics, and final product characterization","authors":"Nguyen Minh Thuy ,&nbsp;Ngo Ngoc Nhut Minh ,&nbsp;Nguyen Hoang Kha ,&nbsp;Bui Thi Bich Thuy ,&nbsp;Tran Ngoc Giau ,&nbsp;Hong Van Hao ,&nbsp;Vo Quang Minh ,&nbsp;Ngo Van Tai","doi":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102047","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102047","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study used foam-mat drying to make powder from field crab meat for the first time. In which, the effect of foaming conditions [egg albumin (EA, 7.96–16.44 %) and xanthan gum (XG, 0.04–0.44 %)] and drying temperature (65–80 °C) on powder quality were examined. With appropriate EA and XG levels of 13.16 % and 0.30 %, foam density and foam expansion were 0.395 g/mL and 279.78 %, respectively. The total energy required and specific energy consumption decreased. In contrast, thermal efficiency and energy efficiency rose with drying temperature, reaching 2.494–4.452 %, and 1.419–1.879 %, respectively. Temperature affects effective moisture diffusion coefficient according to the Arrhenius equation with an activation energy of 39.33 kJ/mol. Fitting experimental data to seven thin-layer drying models and an ANN model. The Aghbashlo model scored best, with the highest correlation coefficient. Nevertheless, the ANN model demonstrated slightly superior accuracy compared to the Aghbashlo model, indicating the potential for industrial system control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34393,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 102047"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling and optimization of yield and physiological indices of fodder maize (Zea mays L.) under the influence of vermicompost and irrigation percentage using response surface methodology (RSM)","authors":"Isa Hazbawi,&nbsp;Ahmad Jahanbakhshi,&nbsp;Behnam Sepehr","doi":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Today, balanced and optimal use of fertilizer and water are considered to be the most important factors in increasing the production of agricultural products. Drought is one of the most important factors limiting corn production in the world. The use of renewable resources and inputs such as vermicompost is one of the principles of sustainable agriculture. In this experimental study, the effect of vermicompost and irrigation on the yield and physiological indices of fodder maize was investigated. In the present study, RSM was used to model and optimize the yield and physiological indices of fodder maize under different conditions (fertilizer and water consumption). Three different amounts of vermicompost fertilizer (0, 2.5, and 5 tons/ha) and three different levels of irrigation (50, 75, and 100 %) were evaluated as independent variables on yield and physiological indices of fodder maize. The process variable was significant (P ≤ 0.01) in the form of a regression model for the response. By increasing irrigation rate from 50 to 100 % and vermicompost fertilizer from 0 to 5 tons/ha, the yield and physiological indices of fodder maize increased. The maximum fodder maize yield (79.50 tons/ha) was obtained in the treatment of 100 % irrigation and 5 tons of vermicompost fertilizer per hectare. The results showed that RSM was effective as an efficient method in modeling and optimizing fodder maize yield under the influence of vermicompost fertilizer and irrigation percentage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34393,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 102043"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bridging agriculture and food: Aqueous ozone treatment optimizes wheat flour chracteristics and dough rheology to enhance bread quality in Iranian cultivars","authors":"Elmira Bamyar ,&nbsp;Seyed Hadi Peighambardoust ,&nbsp;Mehrtash Ahsan Ghaziani","doi":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the impact of aqueous ozone (AO) treatment during tempering on the physicochemical, rheological, and breadmaking properties of two Iranian wheat cultivars, Hamedan (weak) and Shiraz (strong), at 72 % and 90 % extraction rates. Wheat samples were treated with AO at 0, 2, 4, and 8 mg/L, and the resulting flours were analyzed. AO treatment significantly affected flour color, increasing whiteness, particularly at 8 mg/L. For example, the whiteness index increased significantly (<em>p &lt; 0.05</em>) in 72 % extraction flour. Moderate AO concentrations (2–4 mg/L) improved gluten quality in the weak cultivar; the gluten index of W-72 increased from 52.6 % (control) to 58.1 % at 2 mg/L ozone, but higher concentrations deteriorated the gluten network, decreasing back to 52.8 % at 8 mg/L. Falling number increased with AO treatment, indicating reduced alpha-amylase activity. Farinograph analysis revealed that dough stability for S-72 increased from 5.95 min (control) to 6.95 min at 4 mg/L ozone, indicating a strengthened gluten network, while Extensograph data showed that at 8 mg/L ozone, resistance to extension (R_max) for S-72 at 45 min decreased from 293 BU (control) to 281 BU, suggesting gluten weakening. Breadmaking results revealed that 2–4 mg/L AO improved loaf volume and height, especially in the strong cultivar (S-72 loaf volume: 211.7 ± 2.9 cm³ at 2 mg/L ozone vs. 190.5 ± 3.2 cm³ in the control, p &lt; 0.05), but 8 mg/L negatively impacted crumb firmness, increasing it to 5.00 N on Day 3, as compared to 0.60–0.93N in all other ozone treatments (p &lt; 0.05), and accelerated staling. These results highlight the potential of AO treatment to modify flour properties and bread quality, emphasizing the importance of optimizing AO dosage to avoid detrimental effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34393,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 102036"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144168650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multivariate optimization of Selaginellae Herba carbonization processing and its comparative analysis of antioxidant activity between crude and processed products","authors":"Wenting Zhong ,&nbsp;Xi Wang ,&nbsp;Hui Wang ,&nbsp;Feng Gao ,&nbsp;Menghua Wu ,&nbsp;Zhiguo Ma ,&nbsp;Tulin Lu ,&nbsp;Hui Cao ,&nbsp;Ying Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102030","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102030","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To optimize Selaginellae Herba Carbonisata (SH-Ca) processing using Box-Behnken Design Response Surface Methodology (BBD-RSM) combined with Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Entropy Weight Method (EWM), and comparatively evaluate its antioxidant enhancement over crude herb (SH-Cr)</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Processing parameters (input quantity, temperature, time) were optimized via BBD-RSM-AHP-EWM, with quality assessed by carbon adsorption capacity (CAC), total flavonoid content (TFC), chromatic aberration value (CAV), and appearance characteristics scoring (ACS). Additionally, the antioxidant capacities of SH-Cr and SH-Ca were evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging activity, OH radical scavenging activity, ABTS-based total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and FRAP-based T-AOC assays.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>AHP and EWM were applied to assign appropriate weights to these indicators, with ACS (58.27 %) being the most critical parameter, followed by TFC (24.33 %), CAV (13.54 %), and ACS (3.86 %). Model validation confirmed that the optimized conditions (an input quantity of 28 g, a temperature of 315 ± 15 °C, a processing time of 9.5 min) produced consistent results. While SH-Cr showed superior DPPH radical scavenging at high concentrations, SH-Ca exhibited more stable but generally lower scavenging activity across all tested concentrations. In contrast, SH-Ca displayed significantly enhanced OH radical scavenging activity (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and FRAP-based T-AOC compared to SH-Cr (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), with its most notable advantage in ABTS-based T-AOC (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) at high concentrations.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The integrated BBD-RSM-AHP-EWM approach enabled optimal processing of SH-Ca, with comparative analysis revealing that SH-Ca exhibited superior efficacy against radical-induced oxidative damage whereas SH-Cr showed stronger direct radical quenching capacity. These findings provide insights for developing natural antioxidants with customized properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34393,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 102030"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144243275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From deficiency to demand: Consumer preferences for zinc-biofortified rice in Colombia","authors":"Sara Oswalt ,&nbsp;Alvaro Durand-Morat ,&nbsp;Tatiana Rivera ,&nbsp;Sonia Gallego ,&nbsp;Robert Andrade ,&nbsp;Brandon McFadden ,&nbsp;Michelle Bonatti","doi":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102034","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102034","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Undernourishment caused by micronutrient deficiencies (hidden hunger) remains a critical global challenge affecting billions worldwide. Approximately 25 % of the population in Colombia has inadequate zinc intake. Biofortification of staple crops, such as rice, offers a promising solution to address this problem. However, changes in the physical and culinary attributes due to biofortification may hinder consumer acceptance and limit the benefits of this approach. This study assesses the impact of zinc fortification, information, and consumer nutrition knowledge on consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for rice in Cartagena, Colombia. We used a non-hypothetical experimental auction including 400 consumers. The results indicate that, without labelling and information treatment, zinc-biofortified rice is priced equal to premium-quality rice, and at an 18.8 % premium relative to standard-quality rice, highlighting that the high zinc content did not affect rice quality. Labelling results in an increase in WTP for both zinc-biofortified and premium-quality rice but not for standard-quality rice. Information about the benefits of zinc and the problems of zinc deficiency increases the WTP for zinc-biofortified rice by 8.2 % premium relative to premium-quality rice and a 43.8 % premium relative to standard-quality rice, which was reinforced by participants' nutrition knowledge. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders aiming to address malnutrition effectively, suggesting the implementation of targeted educational initiatives to enhance consumer acceptance, as well as the rice industry and retailers hoping to produce and market biofortified staple crops.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34393,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Food Research","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 102034"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}