scholarly journals Experiences and Lessons from Agri-Food System Transformation for Sustainable Food Security: A Review of China’s Practices

Foods ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Yujia Lu ◽  
Yongxun Zhang ◽  
Yu Hong ◽  
Lulu He ◽  
Yangfen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Food System ◽  
Security Studies ◽  
System Transformation ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Healthy Diets ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
Production Technologies ◽  
Food Reserves

Food system transformation has been a widely discussed topic in international society over time. For the last few decades, China has made remarkable achievements in food production and has contributed greatly to the reduction in global hunger and poverty. Examining experiences and lessons from China’s food security practices over the years is helpful to promote a national food system transformation for China, as well as other developing countries. This study systematically reviews the literature on Chinese food security studies, with the aim of assessing China’s food security achievements and examining the remaining and emerging issues in the pursuit of food system transformation. The results show that China has continuously promoted food system transformation in land consolidation, agri-food production technologies, management and organization modes, food reserves, trade governance, and food consumption. These transformations ensure not only food availability, timeliness, and nutrition, but also in terms of the ecological, social, and economic sustainability, feasibility, and justice of food security. However, China is also confronting new challenges in food security, for example, malnutrition, environmental unsustainability, and reductions in diversified agri-food. In the future, China is expected to be committed to promoting healthy diets, sustainable agricultural production, climate change mitigation, and the reduction of food waste and loss to enhance its agri-food system’s resilience.

“It's not as simple as something like sugar”: values and conflict in the UK meat tax debate

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippa Simmonds ◽  
Signild Vallgårda
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food System ◽  
Media Analysis ◽  
System Transformation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
Liberal Ideology ◽  
The Uk

PurposeThis paper qualitatively explores arguments in the UK meat tax debate, including how they align with values from specific political ideologies and perspectives on sustainable food security.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a scoping media analysis of articles published over 1 year in six leading UK newspapers, followed by semi-structured interviews with ten key stakeholders in late 2019. The authors identified categories of arguments, distilled the core conflicts and analysed how arguments reflected different ideas about human nature, the role of the state and solutions to food system challenges.FindingsArguments were categorised into five major topics: climate change and environment; human health; effects on animals; fairness; and acceptability of government intervention. Pro-meat tax arguments often aligned with modern liberal ideology, and sometimes echoed demand restraint or food system transformation perspectives on sustainable food security. Arguments against meat taxes were more likely to align with the efficiency perspective or classical liberal ideology.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first interpretive analyses of this controversial suggested policy. Despite having similarities with other debates around taxation – particularly taxes on sugar sweetened beverages – the meat tax debate contains unique complexities due to the prominence of environmental arguments, and differing values pertaining to animal welfare and rights. This study highlights the need for policy research exploring values, in addition to quantitative evidence.

scholarly journals Integrating Agricultural Diversification in China’s Major Policies for Sustainable and Resilient Crop Production

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Wanger ◽  
Xueqing He ◽  
Wolfgang Weisser ◽  
Yi Zou ◽  
Shenggen Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Food System ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Scientific Progress ◽  
Agricultural Diversification ◽  
Small Fields ◽  
Production Areas

Abstract Agricultural diversification of intensified farming systems is being proposed as a solution for achieving both food security and agricultural sustainability, but so far there has been little implementation of such policy at a larger scale. In China, major policies promote the “High-standard farmland consolidation” (HSFC) strategy to improve productivity and reduce environmental degradation in the world’s largest food production areas by simplifying instead of diversifying landscapes on large instead of small fields. As China’s Central government is asking for scientific innovations to improve its sustainable development strategy, we argue that China can become a role model to integrate agricultural diversification in its major policies, if HSFC builds on five decades of diversification research to achieve the national food security and sustainable development goals. We use text mining to analyze the past 17 years of China’s most important agricultural policy, the No. 1 Central Documents (1CD) policy and show that agricultural diversification at the field and supply chain level has received limited attention. Based on global synthesis studies covering five decades of research, we provide practical recommendations of how to integrate agricultural diversification in the China’s major policies from the national (the National 5-Year Plan and 1CD) to the provincial level. We use the major agricultural commodities rice, tea, wheat, and rapeseed in Zhejiang province as a case study to discuss how diversification can help to reach China’s sustainable agriculture targets. Diversification of China’s major food production areas on small fields could be an important example globally of how scientific progress informs policy and facilitates the food system transition.

scholarly journals Food security issues in the economic security system of the Republic of Armenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 08004
Author(s):  
M.G. Manucharyan
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Food System ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Security Level ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
The Republic

One of the most important components of national security is food security. The country's food security is mainly ensured through the development of agriculture, food production and food import systems. The main problems of the development of the agri-food system of the republic were the increase of the level of provision of the population with food, the increase of the level of economic protection of the country, which, first of all, requires an increase of agricultural production to provide the population with locally produced food products, raw materials to the processing industry as much as possible, as well as to increase export volumes. The main goal of the research is to develop and outline the ways of further development of the RA food self-sufficiency based on the development of agricultural production. Based on the analysis of the current situation in the agricultural market, to propose a set of economic development measures, which will contribute to the increase of the food security level, the development of the agri-food system, the reduction of the poverty level of the rural communities. The research substantiated the preconditions for further growth of agricultural production, as a result of comprehensive studies and analyzes, the main directions of improving food production and increasing efficiency were outlined, which conditioned the scientific novelty.

Agricultural and Food Policy

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Abiodun Elijah Obayelu ◽  
Simeon Olusola Ayansina
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Policy Intervention ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Adequate Food ◽  
System Sustainability ◽  
Sustainable Food System

Policy plays significant role in defining the food system of any country, and a sustainable food system is necessary for food security. This chapter maps out the causal interactions between food systems, food security and policy, and the challenges in transition to a sustainable food system while respecting the rights of all people to have access to adequate food in Nigeria. Explicit, rigorous, and transparent literature search was undertaken and many articles were assessed and reviewed. Although the results established a mutual relationship between food system and food security, existing literature have widely failed to take interactions between food systems, food security and policy into account. While food production is used as an entry point to improving food system sustainability, the quest for food security are undermining transition towards sustainable food systems. It was found that without right policies in place, it may be difficult to have food systems that are sustainable and ensure food security. This chapter provides a useful contribution to policy, and research on transitions towards sustainable food system. Any policy intervention to address one part of the food systems will impact on other parts and will determine whether a country is food secure or not. Enabling policy environment is therefore essential in ensuring a sustainable food system and for the attainment of food security.

scholarly journals Healthy Diets and Reduced Land Pressure: Towards a Double Gain for Future Food Systems in Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzana Smeets-Kristkova ◽  
Thom Achterbosch ◽  
Marijke Kuiper
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Leverage Points ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Healthy Diets ◽  
The Impact

Nigeria is one of the most dynamic economies in Africa. Strong GDP and population growth coupled with urbanization trends place tremendous pressures on natural resources and the food systems that are dependent on them. Understanding the impact of these “mega trends” is important to identify key leverage points for navigating towards improved nutrition and food security in Nigeria. This paper contributes to the Foresight Project of the Food Systems for Healthier Diets which aims to analyse how the food system in Nigeria is expected to transform in the next decades, and to identify the leverage points for making sure that the transformation contributes to balanced consumer diets. For the food systems foresight, a well-established global economy-wide model, MAGNET, is applied that enables to capture the interlinkages among different food industry players in one consistent framework. By linking MAGNET to the GENUS nutritional database, it is further possible to relate the developments occurring on a macro-level with detailed macro and micronutrient consumption. Model projections suggest that a process of intensification of agriculture in combination with land substitution appears critical for the evolution of food and nutrition security, and for shifts towards healthy diets for the population. Intensification results in greater diversity of the production systems, which in turn cascades into positive effects on the diversity in the food supply and better food security outcomes.

Energy efficiency in small-scale biointensive organic onion production in Pennsylvania, USA

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen R. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Food System ◽  
Energy Output ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Efficiency Ratio ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Fossil Energy ◽  
Sustainable Food System

AbstractModern agriculture relies heavily on fossil energy for food production. Reducing fossil energy and replacing that energy with renewable energy is critical in attaining a sustainable food system. Hand-scale intensive food production offers a reduction in fossil energy and an increased use of renewable human-based energy. Using biointensive production techniques, onions (Allium cepa) were grown in Pennsylvania, USA. A life-cycle analysis was performed to monitor energy utilization. Individual human labor tasks were evaluated using the factor method. This method accounts for the type and duration of physical activity. The average yield of eight onion varieties utilizing biointensive production in standard-sized beds (9.3 m2;100 ft2) was 160.2 kg. The US average for mechanical onion production is 46.1 kg/9.3 m2 (100 ft2). The energy efficiency ratio, specific energy and energy productivity were 51.5, 0.03 MJ kg−1 and 32.2 kg MJ−1 (MJ=megajoule), respectively. When defined within common boundaries, these three relationships: energy input, energy output and yield productivity allow researchers, farmers and policy-makers to select production systems and/or practices that better manage fossil and renewable energy for food production. Current mechanized agriculture has an energy efficiency ratio of 0.9. With most energy being supplied by fossil fuels. The energy efficiency for biointensive production of onions in our study was over 50 times higher than this value (51.5) and 83% of the total energy required is renewable energy. Biointensive production offers a viable energy use alternative to current production practices and may contribute to a more sustainable food system.

scholarly journals Factors Impeding Food Security in Akutupa-Kiri, Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
OLORUNFEMI Samuel Oluwaseyi
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Agricultural Policies ◽  
Road Transportation ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
The Government ◽  
Household Heads ◽  
Food Reserves ◽  
Global Food

<p>There has been refurbished interest in food security related issues in many developing countries of the world. In fact, the concern about the eradication of poverty and hunger form a major objective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet poverty and hunger still persist due to food shortage and insecurity as a result of increased global food demand, diminishing global food reserves, erratic climatic condition, and increased cost of transportation among others. Before now, various agricultural policies measures have been formulated to curb food security challenges in Nigeria. Unfortunately, these policies have not produced the desired results of the increase in food production. This study examined the factors impeding food security in Akutupa-Kiri, Nigeria. A structured and self-administered questionnaire using systematic sampling technique was used to collect data from a total of 194 (one hundred and ninety-four) household heads farmers representing 2% of the entire population in the study area. The data were presented using descriptive statistics in the form of frequency and percentages. Weighted means were used to determine the predominant factors impeding food security in the study area. Findings revealed that poverty (M.W=5.00), poor road transportation (M.W=5.00), inadequate social amenities (M.W=5.00) and lack of government support and assistance (M.W=5.00) were the most significant factors impeding food security in Akutupa-Kiri. The study recommends that there is a need for improvement in sustainable food security in the study area and Nigeria at large through the provision of adequate road transportation. Effort should be made by the government to render substantial support to the peasant farmers and as well ensure that agricultural policies formulation target these peasants farmers and their rural environments for the purpose of sustainable food security in the nation.</p>

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