scholarly journals Integrating Omics and Gene Editing Tools for Rapid Improvement of Traditional Food Plants for Diversified and Sustainable Food Security

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 8093
Author(s):  
Ajay Kumar ◽  
Thattantavide Anju ◽  
Sushil Kumar ◽  
Sushil Satish Chhapekar ◽  
Sajana Sreedharan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Traditional Food ◽  
Rapid Improvement ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Sustainable Food Production

Indigenous communities across the globe, especially in rural areas, consume locally available plants known as Traditional Food Plants (TFPs) for their nutritional and health-related needs. Recent research shows that many TFPs are highly nutritious as they contain health beneficial metabolites, vitamins, mineral elements and other nutrients. Excessive reliance on the mainstream staple crops has its own disadvantages. Traditional food plants are nowadays considered important crops of the future and can act as supplementary foods for the burgeoning global population. They can also act as emergency foods in situations such as COVID-19 and in times of other pandemics. The current situation necessitates locally available alternative nutritious TFPs for sustainable food production. To increase the cultivation or improve the traits in TFPs, it is essential to understand the molecular basis of the genes that regulate some important traits such as nutritional components and resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. The integrated use of modern omics and gene editing technologies provide great opportunities to better understand the genetic and molecular basis of superior nutrient content, climate-resilient traits and adaptation to local agroclimatic zones. Recently, realizing the importance and benefits of TFPs, scientists have shown interest in the prospection and sequencing of TFPs for their improvements, cultivation and mainstreaming. Integrated omics such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and ionomics are successfully used in plants and have provided a comprehensive understanding of gene-protein-metabolite networks. Combined use of omics and editing tools has led to successful editing of beneficial traits in several TFPs. This suggests that there is ample scope for improvement of TFPs for sustainable food production. In this article, we highlight the importance, scope and progress towards improvement of TFPs for valuable traits by integrated use of omics and gene editing techniques.

scholarly journals Linking Omics and Gene Editing Tools for Rapid Improvement of Traditional Food Plants for Diversified Foods and Sustainable Food Security

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Kumar ◽  
Anju T ◽  
Sushil Kumar ◽  
Sushil Satish Chhapekar ◽  
Sajana Sreedharan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Traditional Food ◽  
Rapid Improvement ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Sustainable Food Production

The indigenous communities across the globe especially in the rural areas consume locally available plants known as Traditional Food Plants (TFPs) for their nutritional and health-related needs. Recent research shows that many of the traditional food plants are highly nutritious as they contain health beneficial metabolites, vitamins, mineral elements and other nutrients. Excessive reliance on the mainstream staple crops has its own disadvantages. TFPs are nowadays considered important crops of the future and can act as supplementary foods for the burgeoning global population. They can also act as emergency foods in times of pandemics and other situations like COVID-19. The current situation necessitates locally available alternative nutritious TFPs for sustainable food production. To increase the cultivation or improve the traits in TFPs, it is essential to understand the molecular basis of the genes that regulate some important traits such as nutritional components and resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. The integrated use of modern omics and gene editing technologies provide great opportunities to better understand the genetic and molecular basis of superior nutrient content, climate-resilient traits and adaptation to local agroclimatic zones. Recently, realising the importance and benefits of TFPs, scientists have shown interest in the prospection and sequencing of traditional food plants for their improvements, further cultivation and mainstreaming. Integrated omics such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and ionomics are successfully used in plants and have provided a comprehensive understanding of gene-protein-metabolite networks. Combined use of omics and editing tools has led to successful editing of beneficial traits in few TFPs. This suggests that there is ample scope of integrated use of modern omics and editing tools/techniques for improvement of TFPs and their use for sustainable food production. In this article, we highlight the importance, scope and progress towards improvement of TFPs for valuable traits by integrated use of omics and gene editing techniques.

scholarly journals Actions on sustainable food production and consumption for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. eabc8259
Author(s):  
Izabela Delabre ◽  
Lily O. Rodriguez ◽  
Joanna Miller Smallwood ◽  
Jörn P. W. Scharlemann ◽  
Joseph Alcamo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Transformative Change ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Sustainable Food Production ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Barriers And Opportunities ◽  
Sustainability Standards

Current food production and consumption trends are inconsistent with the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 2050 vision of living in harmony with nature. Here, we examine how, and under what conditions, the post-2020 biodiversity framework can support transformative change in food systems. Our analysis of actions proposed in four science-policy fora reveals that subsidy reform, valuation, food waste reduction, sustainability standards, life cycle assessments, sustainable diets, mainstreaming biodiversity, and strengthening governance can support more sustainable food production and consumption. By considering barriers and opportunities of implementing these actions in Peru and the United Kingdom, we derive potential targets and indicators for the post-2020 biodiversity framework. For targets to support transformation, genuine political commitment, accountability and compliance, and wider enabling conditions and actions by diverse agents are needed to shift food systems onto a sustainable path.

scholarly journals Balancing production and culture: Sustainable agriculture in the Amazon

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Gandarilla ◽  
Giovanni A Carosso ◽  
Mohammed A Mostajo-Radji
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Sustainable Food Production ◽  
Indigenous Groups ◽  
Transgenic Seeds ◽  
The World ◽  
Single Exception

Sustainable food production in developing countries is challenging, as it requires balancing scalability with respect for local culture and traditions. Bolivia represents a particularly interesting example; with over 36 recognized indigenous groups encompassing over 70% of the country’s population in a relatively small territory, Bolivia is considered one of the most diverse countries in the world (Ferreira et al., 2019). Agriculture in Bolivia employs over 5% of the country’s population and represents over 14% of its GDP. Yet, the introduction of new agribusiness approaches has often been met with resistance by the local communities. For example, the use of transgenic seeds in Bolivia is forbidden by law, with a single exception in soybean production (Avila and Izquierdo, 2006). As result, Bolivia is at a disadvantage in relation to its neighbors in agricultural production. In addition, high costs of transport and export of produce due to the landlocked nature of the country, compounded by logistic difficulties of exporting through a third country, highlight the need of policies that facilitate a larger and more efficient food production.

Direct Distribution of Organic Produce: Sustainable Food Production in Industrialized Countries

1995 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Powell
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Sustainable Food Production ◽  
Marketing Systems ◽  
Organic Produce ◽  
Opening Up ◽  
Direct Distribution

There is growing interest in local organic food nowadays, prompted by concerns about health, care of the environment and excessive transportation and packaging of produce. But conventional marketing systems are not really able to cater for such demands, because they operate on too large a scale. In recent years a solution to the problem has appeared: direct links between growers and consumers, within the same local area. Some of these are growing rapidly, opening up exciting possibilities for the development of sustainable food production and marketing, and for building new links between cities and the countryside.

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