The nature of agricultural systems: food security and environmental balance

Food Policy ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 439-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.G. Cassman ◽  
R.R. Harwood
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Environmental Balance

scholarly journals Nanomaterials and nanotechnology for the delivery of agrochemicals: strategies towards sustainable agriculture

2022 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Changcheng An ◽  
Changjiao Sun ◽  
Ningjun Li ◽  
Bingna Huang ◽  
Jiajun Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Labor Cost ◽  
Small Particle Size ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
The Stability ◽  
New Applications ◽  
Chemical Pesticides ◽  
Improve Food Security

AbstractNanomaterials (NMs) have received considerable attention in the field of agrochemicals due to their special properties, such as small particle size, surface structure, solubility and chemical composition. The application of NMs and nanotechnology in agrochemicals dramatically overcomes the defects of conventional agrochemicals, including low bioavailability, easy photolysis, and organic solvent pollution, etc. In this review, we describe advances in the application of NMs in chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which are the two earliest and most researched areas of NMs in agrochemicals. Besides, this article concerns with the new applications of NMs in other agrochemicals, such as bio-pesticides, nucleic acid pesticides, plant growth regulators (PGRs), and pheromone. We also discuss challenges and the industrialization trend of NMs in the field of agrochemicals. Constructing nano-agrochemical delivery system via NMs and nanotechnology facilitates the improvement of the stability and dispersion of active ingredients, promotes the precise delivery of agrochemicals, reduces residual pollution and decreases labor cost in different application scenarios, which is potential to maintain the sustainability of agricultural systems and improve food security by increasing the efficacy of agricultural inputs. Graphical Abstract

Agricultural diversification and food security in low- and middle-income countries: Where is the evidence?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Waha ◽  
Francesco Accatino ◽  
Cecile Godde ◽  
Cyrille Rigolot ◽  
Jessica Bogard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Agricultural Diversification ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Food Utilisation ◽  
Farm Scale

<p>Diversity and diversification in agricultural systems are often presented in the literature as having multiple benefits such as enhancing resilience, increasing food production and decreasing risks in production systems and is often postulated to benefit food and nutrition security in low- and middle-income countries. Our study aims to provide an overview of the potential for agricultural diversification to improve food security status as reported in recently published research articles analysing the diversity-food security relationship. We consider results for different scales, from individual to global and for different food security dimensions: availability, access, stability and utilisation.</p><p>We carried out a literature review that includes exhaustive, comprehensive searching. We search for peer-reviewed publications in the Web of Science core collection (v.5.32) written in English, between 2010 and February 2020 on the association between diversity in agricultural systems and at least one dimension or measure of food security. From the original list of articles we exclude all publications that (1) focus on a study area outside a low- to middle income country; (2) do not include at least one metric of farm-, regional-, or global-level diversity as specified with the search terms; (3) do not explicitly measure at least one food security dimension, or (4) were exclusively focussed on describing drivers and trends in diversity or food security.</p><p>We find that a total number of 87 research articles assessed a total of 328 diversity-food security relationships using one or more statistical modelling approach. About half of them are positive (54%) and mostly refer to the diversity-food access relationship on the individual, household and farm scale as this was the food security dimension and spatial scale most analysed. Of all results for food access 60% were positive relationships and only 4% were negative relationships with the remainder having no or ambiguous relationships. Twenty-nine studies used household dietary diversity as a measure of food access and 10 studies used at least one food access indicator that is a validated proxy for nutrient adequacy. Positive relationships were more often reported for food availability (65%) than for food utilisation (33%) also because for food utilisation there are a lot of mixed findings for different measures of anthropometric and nutritional status. The most common spatial scale assessed was the household and farm scale (58%).</p><p>There is no food security dimension that primarily has a negative relationship with agricultural diversity but there is a considerable number of relationships that are found to be neutral or ambiguous. Diversity can be an important driver of food security, but the magnitude of the contribution depends on the  socio-economic and biophysical characteristics of the local farming system. We conclude that farmers mostly see diversification as a potential strategy to improve livelihoods, agricultural production and/or food and nutrition security where other strategies are more expensive but not as a desirable characteristic of the agricultural systems at all costs especially in the presence of other strategies that can achieve the same outcome.</p>

scholarly journals Urban sprawl, food security and agricultural systems in developing countries: A systematic review of the literature

Cities ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 94 ◽  
pp. 129-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assem Abu Hatab ◽  
Maria Eduarda Rigo Cavinato ◽  
August Lindemer ◽  
Carl-Johan Lagerkvist
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Urban Sprawl ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Review Of The Literature

scholarly journals Root traits for low input agroecosystems in Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mame Sokhatil Ndoye ◽  
Jimmy Burridge ◽  
Rahul Bhosale ◽  
Alexandre Grondin ◽  
Laurent Laplaze
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Nutrient Uptake ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Root Traits ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Low Input ◽  
Small Holder ◽  
New Cultivars

In Africa, agriculture is largely based on low-input and small-holder farming systems that use little inorganic fertilizers and have limited access to irrigation and mechanization in comparison to modern agricultural systems. Improving agricultural practices and developing new cultivars adapted to these low-input environments, where production already suffers from climate change, is a major priority for ensuring food security in the future. Root phenes improving water and nutrient uptake could represent a solution toward achieving these goals. In this review, we illustrate how breeding for specific root phenes could improve crop adaptation and resilience in Africa using three case studies covering very contrasted low-input agro-ecosystems. We conclude with a discussion on how these phenes could be validated and made available to breeders and agronomists.

scholarly journals Resilience analysis for agricultural systems of north China plain based on a dynamic system model

2011 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongjun Li ◽  
Zhijun Liu ◽  
Li Zheng ◽  
Yuping Lei
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
System Model ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Time Step ◽  
The North ◽  
Labor Transfer ◽  
Main Components ◽  
The Cost

This paper presents a case study of resilience theory to understand agricultural systems in the Luancheng County of the North China Plain. A dynanic system model coupled with social, economic and ecological subsystems of agriculture for the Luancheng County was constructed with a time step of one month. The model includes five main components, water resources, profitability, irrigation, crop yield and area. The simulated groundwater table, wheat area and yield, maize area and yield, and rural labor transfer reflected the general trend of the observed data, with calculated determination coefficients higher than 0.88. Resilience of agricultural systems, as indicated by agricultural profitability and food security, were explored for the Luancheng County. Initially, investments in agriculture increased its resilience rapidly. However, with the degradation of resources and the increases in agricultural investment, the cost of agricultural production became too high to gain profit. The rise in population increases the risk of food security. As a result, the resilience of agricultural systems decreased gradually. The Luancheng County is now in the conservation phase of the adaptive cycle. Partial adjustments should be introduced to enhance its resilience and promote the continuing development of the agricultural systems.

scholarly journals Defining Key Determinants of the Strategic Economic Security of the Agro-Industrial Complex in Terms of Stabilizing Political Course

2020 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 01105
Author(s):  
Yulia V. Melnikova ◽  
Elena A. Posnaya ◽  
Boris A. Bukach ◽  
Anna V. Shokhnekh ◽  
Sergey V. Tarasenko
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Uneven Development ◽  
The State ◽  
Industrial Complex ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Crop Failure ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Systemic Component ◽  
Functional Actions

The key determinants of the strategic economic security of the agro-industrial complex in the conditions of a stabilizing political course on food security ensure the state of the facility in which it is possible to carry out conceptual and functional actions built on goals and principles. The composition and structure of the agro-industrial complex of the state is multicomponent and systemic, it contains many internal connecting blocks and interdependent structures. The uneven development of some agricultural systems occures in the lag of technologies and assortment content. Disruptions in supply and marketing, as well as emergency circumstances cause crop failure, cattle death, which significantly affects the systemic component of economic security. A decrease in food security leads to a decrease in the country’s food security due to the decline in the development of an entire industry.

scholarly journals Innovative, sustainable, and circular agricultural systems for the future

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerold Rahmann ◽  
Khalid Azim ◽  
Irena Brányiková ◽  
Mahesh Chander ◽  
Wahyudi David ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Broad Array ◽  
Global Population

AbstractThis special issue presents the outcomes from “Designing sustainable and circular agricultural systems for the year 2100,” the joint scientific workshop of ISOFAR, the Thünen-Institute, and INRA-Morocco, which was held from November 14 to 16, 2019 in Marrakesh, Morocco. Nineteen scientists from a broad array of background and nationalities came together with the understanding that food security globally is at risk, especially in the post-2050 timeframe. Current concepts, strategies, measures, and scientific efforts carried out by governments, NGOs, businesses, and societies do not deliver satisfying solutions for how to sustainably produce enough healthy and affordable food to support the global population. With the economic and social impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, it became even more evident that food security is a challenge. This workshop took an innovative approach to addressing the challenges of future agriculture by considering sustainable, circular agricultural systems. Participants presented research results on algae-based food, edible insects, mushrooms, novel concepts for nutrient management, bioreactor-based farming, sustainable food culture, as well as sensor- and remote-controlled automatic food production. This special issue presents the papers contributed to the workshop and the results of the discussions.

scholarly journals Food security outcomes in agricultural systems models: Case examples and priority information needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 188 ◽  
pp. 103030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles F. Nicholson ◽  
Emma C. Stephens ◽  
Birgit Kopainsky ◽  
Philip K. Thornton ◽  
Andrew D. Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Systems Models

scholarly journals Modalities for Scaling up Implementation of Innovations and Best Practices for Resilient Agricultural Systems in Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evans Kituyi
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Implementation Of Innovations

Climate change is already impacting negatively on Africa’s agriculture and threatens to significantly reverse the gains realized in food security as the 1.5 degC warming threshold set by the Paris Agreement fast approaches. This is happening at a time when a wide range of tested and viable technologies, innovations and best practices exist with the potential to scale up climate resilient food production across the region’s diverse agricultural systems. A framework and modalities are proposed to support stakeholders in identifying and scaling up appropriate technologies, innovations and best practices for climate-resilient food production in different farming systems. These provide a much needed solution for Africa’s policymakers who are currently grappling with options to meet their citizens’ food security today even as they ponder over how they will feed their rapidly growing populations, expected to reach 2 billion by 2030 under worsened climate conditions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document