Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems最新文献

{"title":"Effects of short-term drought, nitrogen application and their interactions on the composition and functional genes of soil microbial communities in alfalfa grassland on the Loess Plateau","authors":"Ruobing Wang, Jingui Zhang, Tao Ma, Wenqiang Lv, Zhixin Zhang, Yuying Shen, Qian Yang, Xianzhi Wang, Jiaxuan Li, Qian Xiang, Long Lv, Jianjun Zhang, Jingyong Ma","doi":"10.3389/fsufs.2023.1332683","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1332683","url":null,"abstract":"Drought and nitrogen addition are important factors influencing soil microorganisms and changes in the soil environment. In the future, droughts will become more frequent, shorter, and more severe. However, little is known about the soil organic carbon components, enzyme activity, and composition, structure, and functional genes of soil microbial communities under short-term drought and nitrogen application conditions. In this study, we used metagenomics sequencing technology to explore the changes in the composition and functional genes of soil microbial communities under short-term drought, nitrogen application, and their interactions in the artificial grasslands of the Loess Plateau. The results indicated that (I) short-term drought, nitrogen application, and their interactions all increased the particulate organic carbon (POC) content. (II) Short-term drought increased the contents of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), as well as soil enzyme activity. (III) Short-term drought significantly increased the bacterial alpha diversity, whereas the interactions of short-term drought and nitrogen application enhanced the fungal alpha diversity. (IV) The interactions of short-term drought and nitrogen application inhibited Fusarium to prevent plant diseases. (V) Short-term drought enriched the relative abundance of genes related to carbon cycling and amino acid metabolism, while nitrogen application reduced genes related to carbon cycling but enriched genes related to glycan biosynthesis and metabolism. These results clearly showed that, short-term drought altered the composition and functional genes of soil microbial communities. Our research suggests that in the event of frequent short-term droughts in the future, nitrogen addition can be considered to maintain the diversity of soil microbial communities and sustain soil carbon and nitrogen cycling.","PeriodicalId":36666,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems","volume":"51 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138949574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Endophytic fungi: versatile partners for pest biocontrol, growth promotion, and climate change resilience in plants","authors":"Tarekegn Fite, Erana Kebede, T. Tefera, Z. Bekeko","doi":"10.3389/fsufs.2023.1322861","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1322861","url":null,"abstract":"Plant-associated endophytic fungi (EFs) are emerging as a promising solution to advancing modern agriculture and fostering environmental sustainability, especially in the face of climate change scenarios. These fungi, either naturally residing in plants or introduced through artificial inoculation techniques, improve agricultural production due to their various roles in protecting and supporting host plants. The majority of EFs serve as natural biocontrol agents for a variety of agricultural pests, such as insects, phytopathogens, nematodes, and weeds. Notably, EFs produce secondary metabolites, trigger immune responses, modify plant defense gene expression, confer host plant resistance and/or tolerance, and regulate pest growth, populations, and survival to combat agricultural pests. Beyond controlling pests, EFs promote optimal plant growth, development, and resilience by aiding in the synthesis of vital compounds such as phytohormones and bioactive metabolites, nutrient acquisition, and fortifying plants against environmental stresses and climatic changes. Moreover, the mostly nonpathogenic nature of EFs, coupled with their high yield potential, environmental safety, and cost effectiveness, positions them as eco-friendly and economically viable alternatives to synthetic agrochemicals amidst rapid climate change scenarios. As a result, the promising horizon of EFs in agricultural production necessitates interdisciplinary study and microbial modulation approaches to optimize symbiotic plant-EF relationships and their potential for improved productivity. This review provides current and comprehensive insights into the practical applications and multifaceted benefits of EFs in pest management, plant growth promotion, and climate change resilience for future agricultural production improvements. The analysis reveals the potential of developing EFs into innovative bioformulations such as biofertilizers, biostimulants, and biopesticides, thereby paving the way for their integration into a sustainable and more resilient future agricultural system.","PeriodicalId":36666,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems","volume":"44 20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138952514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can environmentally themed music increase consumers' willingness to pay for low-carbon food? A discrete choice experiment method","authors":"Zuoyi Wang, Kai Li","doi":"10.3389/fsufs.2023.1302511","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1302511","url":null,"abstract":"Transitioning to low-carbon food consumption is indispensable for adapting to and mitigating climate change. Nevertheless, altering dietary habits presents a host of formidable challenges. To explore the role of environmentally themed music in promoting low-carbon food consumption, we conducted a discrete choice experiment, incorporating Michael Jackson's renowned “Earth Song” in the background information. The results revealed the following key insights: Firstly, consumers show concerns about food safety, nutrients, and unnaturalness of the cell-cultured beef, demonstrating the existence of food neophobia or distrust of novelties in cell-cultured beef. Secondly, while the inclusion of environmentally themed music did not completely eliminate consumers' food neophobia, it undeniably played a pivotal role in significantly improving their willingness to pay (WTP) for cell-cultured meat. This effect was achieved by effectively conveying environmental information, stimulating guilt and responsibility, and igniting consumers' enthusiasm for environmental protection. Thirdly, the introduction of “Earth Song” caused a crowding-out effect on eco-friendly packaging and carbon labeling, and reshaped trust in distribution channels. These impacts are all related to the high price of low-carbon food. All these conclusions underscore the substantial role that environmentally themed music can play in promoting low-carbon foods and valuable insights for policymakers and low-carbon food producers.","PeriodicalId":36666,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems","volume":"23 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139166310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The double burden of COVID-19 and a major volcanic eruption on local food production and food security in a Small Island Developing State","authors":"E. Augustus, M. Murphy, C. Guell, Karyn Morrissey, Dan Ramdath, Mark Woodward, Simon G Anderson, N. Unwin","doi":"10.3389/fsufs.2023.1268330","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1268330","url":null,"abstract":"Small Island Developing States have disproportionately high food insecurity rates, related to complex challenges and vulnerabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that within these settings, crises often overlap. We aimed to assess the impact of the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic and volcanic eruption on food production and security in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).An interpretive mixed-methods study was conducted among a convenience sample of consenting adults ≥18 years from 100 households in SVG through a cross-sectional survey and participant interviews (10 households) between September 2021 and March 2022. Food insecurity prevalence over the past year was assessed using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES; Rasch modeling) and impacts to livelihoods from the pandemic and volcanic eruption was assessed using an adapted Caribbean COVID-19 Food Security and Livelihoods Impact Survey (Caribbean COVID-19 FS&L Survey). Data were analyzed using logistic regression.During the pandemic, 59% of the participants reported decreased income, 63% had no access to markets, 81% had no access to food aid; 34% of the participants had a change in food sources, and 81% reported that food production was negatively impacted by the volcanic eruptions, of which 68% reported decreased food production. The interviews highlighted that access to markets were restricted by fear of leaving home and contracting the COVID-19 virus, and participants who received food aid stated that the number of items were not sufficient for larger families. Almost half of the participants were severely food insecure [48% (95% C.I. 31.2,57.8)]; almost two thirds were moderately to severely food insecure [64% (95% C.I. 50.0, 74.2)]; mean FIES score 5.31 (95% C.I. 5.0,5.6). After adjusting for gender, age, education, and household size, moderate to severe food insecurity was associated with no access to food aid during the pandemic and post-eruptions (odds ratio 3.7; 95% confidence interval 1.5, 9.1; p = 0.004).Food insecurity rates were high during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by volcanic eruptions and insufficient access to food aid. Our results suggest the need for the development of strategies and interventions aimed at increasing the resilience of food systems to mitigate the effects of future disasters.","PeriodicalId":36666,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems","volume":"83 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138956793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Threat or opportunity? An analysis of perceptions of cultured meat in the UK farming sector","authors":"Louise Manning, John J. Dooley, Illtud Dunsford, Michael K. Goodman, Tom C. MacMillan, Lisa C. Morgans, David C. Rose, Alexandra E. Sexton","doi":"10.3389/fsufs.2023.1277511","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1277511","url":null,"abstract":"The environmental and social impacts of cultured meat, and its economic viability, are contingent on its implications for food production and for agriculture. However, the implications of cultured meat production for farmers have not yet been thoroughly investigated and are poorly understood. The aim of this research was to engage with the farming sector in critically assessing cultured meat as a technology which could profoundly affect future farm livelihoods, land use, rural and farming communities and agricultural value chains. Ensuring farmers’ voices, and potential ‘counter-narratives’ inform the development of cultured meat is not only inclusive, but could identify unexpected impacts of this emerging technology and contribute to the framing of the social license of the industry developing them.Six focus groups were undertaken with 75 UK farmers from a variety of farming sectors and regions. Questions focused on what the term ‘cultured meat’ means to farmers, the potential impacts of cultured meat, and potential business scenarios arising for farmers. All meetings were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.Farmers expressed complex and considered reflections on cultured meat, raising several perceived opportunities and risks associated with the themes of ‘ethics and affective’ narratives, ‘environment-based’ narratives, and ‘socio-economic’ narratives. Aspects of foci of power, food system control and transparency associated with cultured meat emerged from the conversations, as well as cultured meat’s potential impacts on the environment and on jobs, farming/rural communities and connecting with the land.Globally, meat production underpins the livelihoods of many rural communities, so a transition to cultured meat is likely to have deep-seated ethical, environmental, and socio-economic impacts. Within the discourse on cultured meat the voices of farmers are often lost. While not claiming to be representative of all UK farming, this study engaged UK farmer perspectives as a way of starting the substantive process of greater stakeholder inclusion in cultured meat innovation pathways, and which should underpin responsible technology transitions in agriculture.","PeriodicalId":36666,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems","volume":"82 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138957926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dealing with food safety concerns among urban poor when eating out: social practices in Dhaka, Bangladesh","authors":"Md. Latiful Haque, Peter Oosterveer, Raffaele Vignola, Sabrina Rasheed","doi":"10.3389/fsufs.2023.1248638","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1248638","url":null,"abstract":"The article explores eating-out practices among poor urban consumers in Bangladesh and their strategies to cope with food safety concerns. Using social practice theory, we implemented interviews and a household survey to analyse the eating-out practices of adult slum dwellers in Dhaka, Bangladesh and their food safety coping strategies. We identified two different dominant eating out practices: ‘snacking’ and ‘having a complete meal’. By reviewing the food safety concerns and coping strategies, we found that despite varying concerns, coping strategies are broadly similar across these two practices. The concerns include food presentation, unhygienic conditions, and unknown processing, while searching for information, using heuristic tools, and avoidance are the main coping strategies. These strategies are applied in both practices and do not exhibit significant differences in socioeconomic considerations and safety concerns. This indicates that the urban poor lack the resource and competencies to manage their concerns. The conclusion section presents a conceptual framework for future research on food safety coping strategies in urban eating-out practices. We also underline the need for context-specific policy interventions to ensure food safety in the urban food system of the global south.","PeriodicalId":36666,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems","volume":"128 31","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138953489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainability of one-time seed distributions: a long-term follow-up of vegetable seed kits in Tanzania","authors":"Rosina Wanyama, Henry Mvungi, Ritha Luoga, Maria Mmasi, Ernest Zablon, S. N’Danikou, P. Schreinemachers","doi":"10.3389/fsufs.2023.1281692","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1281692","url":null,"abstract":"The one-time distribution of vegetable seed kits containing small (2 grams) samples of improved varieties of traditional and exotic vegetables can potentially increase vegetable production and consumption among poor rural households, but evidence is lacking. This study therefore analyzed the extent to which recipients of vegetable seed kits in Tanzania have sustained the use of introduced vegetable varieties. Data came from a random sample of 796 households who directly or indirectly received seed kits between 2012 and 2018, complemented with 10 focus group discussions among seed kit recipients. The results show that 24% of direct recipients are still reproducing the seed of introduced vegetable varieties after a period of 5–10 years, with variation across varieties and the time seed was introduced. The success rate was higher for traditional vegetables than exotic vegetables and higher for women than men. Reasons for not continuing seed use were the lack of knowledge on seed saving, problems with pests and diseases, and reduced germination. Hence, the sustainability of small seed kit distributions can be enhanced by accompanying them with adequate training on seed saving and seed storage.","PeriodicalId":36666,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems","volume":"36 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139169316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of the green development efficiency of marine fish culture in China","authors":"Longqi Sun, Zhengyong Yang, Qiang Wang, Lewei Peng, Zhiyi Zhang, Dong Liu, Simin Li","doi":"10.3389/fsufs.2023.1274224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1274224","url":null,"abstract":"Green development efficiency (GDE) is an important criterion for measuring the level of green development. GDE considers not only economic development efficiency but also environmental costs. In China, marine fish culture, as one of the pillar industries of mariculture, promotes green development and industrial transformation and upgradation. Based on data from the field surveys of marine fish farmers (2017–2019) and the China Fishery Statistical Yearbook (2018–2020), this study establishes an evaluation index system and uses the super-slack-based measure model (Super-SBM) to evaluate the GDE of marine fish culture. The results show that the average GDE of marine fish culture in China was 0.9529, which was in an inefficient state. As for culture species, golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) and cobia (Rachycentron canadum) were the two species farmed in an efficient state, with a GDE of 1.2107 and 1.0659, respectively. Regarding culture modes, green modes (offshore cage aquaculture, industrial recirculating aquaculture, and engineering pond aquaculture) were in an efficient state, with a GDE of 1.2310, 1.0827, and 1.0401, respectively. Traditional modes (industrial flow-through aquaculture, ordinary cage aquaculture, and ordinary pond aquaculture) were in an inefficient state, with their GDE being 0.9884, 0.8746, and 0.8248, respectively. Green modes have higher GDE than traditional modes. In contrast, the production and culture areas of green modes were less than those of traditional modes because the profits of the same species in green modes were lower than those in traditional modes. The results of this study present an objective assessment of the GDE of marine fish culture in China and provide valuable insights for analyzing the mechanisms to improve the GDE of marine fish culture.","PeriodicalId":36666,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems","volume":"97 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138954116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Labor transfer, market development, and the outsourcing of forestry production by farmers: a case study in Fujian, China","authors":"Yaping Wen, Liangming Feng, Weiping Liu","doi":"10.3389/fsufs.2023.1282444","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1282444","url":null,"abstract":"The outsourcing of forestry production is an important form in the development of forestry specialization and is the compromise result of economic incentives, factor optimization and risk diversification for farmers. It can facilitate the collaboration between internal and external resources to improve the efficiency of resource allocation and promote the combination of small farmers and the high-quality development of modern forestry.In this research, we have analyzed the extrusion effect, the substitution effect, and the income effect of labor transfer on the outsourcing of forestry production by farmers based on the theory of farmers’ behavior. In addition, we have constructed an influence mechanism for the development of the outsourcing services market according to the theory of division of labor. Moreover, we analyzed research data from farmers in Fujian Province using a probit model to determine the effect of labor transfer and market development on the outsourcing of forestry production by farmers.The conclusions showed that several factors have a significant impact on the outsourcing of forestry production. These factors include labor transfer, market development, income level in the village, smaller machinery numbers, amount of forestry subsidies, extent of forest road construction to meet production demands, and degree of forest land fragmentation. We have discussed topics of the distribution of labor value, market structure cultivation, and forestry costs on conclusion.We propose increasing farmers’ income through labor transfer, fostering the market for outsourcing services in forestry production, and promoting the new classification of forestry.","PeriodicalId":36666,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems","volume":"114 44","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138958416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Personal and community values behind sustainable food consumption: a meta-ethnography","authors":"Muriel Lamarque, Pedro Tomé-Martín, Lourdes Moro-Gutiérrez","doi":"10.3389/fsufs.2023.1292887","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1292887","url":null,"abstract":"Various aspects of sustainable food consumption have been studied within the Social Sciences in the last years. Specifically, the analysis of motivations and determinants behind alternative economic practices has gained prominence in disciplines such as Sociology, Psychology, Economics and Marketing, seeking to understand, measure and calculate consumers’ decision-making processes and actions through the application of cognitive theories and qualitative predictive models. Anthropology—more specifically through the practice of ethnography—, has also made significant contributions, mostly toward the analysis and description of contemporary cooperative experiences, both in rural and urban settings. However, within this field, few studies have focused on the underlying values, as well as the symbolic, emotional/affective, and identity-based incentives that exist behind the participation in sustainable, pro-environmental, organic, and fair-trade food initiatives. This kind of perspective might help in comprehending how different people or social groups conceptualize their habits and link them to certain representations or beliefs. At the same time, it can provide information about the way in which action-related values appear in discourse and become embodied, whether they are uniform, conflicting, precede practice or emerge as a post-personal reflection of those involved. Through a review, synthesis, and analysis of qualitative literature—meta-ethnography—this paper seeks to present an overview of available academic work on the social, political, personal, material, and ethical reasons associated with partaking in alternative food networks. The findings will be analyzed and discussed in relation to a constructivist perspective, as well as debates around identity, social distinction, and gender.","PeriodicalId":36666,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems","volume":"112 45","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138959747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}