scholarly journals Food Loss–Food Waste–Food Security: A New Research Agenda

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4642
Author(s):  
Fabio Gaetano Santeramo ◽  
Emilia Lamonaca
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Food Loss ◽  
Publication Patterns ◽  
Scenario Analyses ◽  
New Research ◽  
Bibliometric Approach

The food loss and waste (FLW)–food security nexus is a relevant issue in the societal debate, in that it contributes to understanding the challenges posed by a continuous and unsustainable development of agri-food systems and supply chains. An overview on the state-of-the-art academic research on the implications of FLW on food security is provided. The aim is to identify publication patterns and inform on key topics emerging from the literature on the FLW–food security nexus. Based on a systematic and a bibliometric approach, the analysis concludes that “Water-Energy-Food Security nexus” and “Reduction of FLW” are the dominant thematic areas within the literature on the nexus between FLW and food security. Future research should explore the FLW–food security nexus through evidence-based and scenario analyses, informing stakeholders about nexus interactions and highlighting synergies between different resource uses in a circular and green economy perspective.

scholarly journals The Tipping Point in the Status of Socially Responsible Consumer Behavior Research? A Bibliometric Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Nova-Reyes ◽  
Francisco Muñoz-Leiva ◽  
Teodoro Luque-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Consumer Attitude ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Socially Responsible Consumer ◽  
New Research ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Responsible Consumer

Looking at the impact of society on the environment or, as we write this manuscript in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the scenes of consumers hoarding products, we wonder if consumers really do exhibit socially responsible consumer behaviors (SRCB). An initial literature review showed that few studies have addressed this issue, which creates opportunities for the development of new research lines. Furthermore, no study had examined the conceptual evolution or whether SRCB is a developed or fragmented theme from an exhaustive compilation of all previous academic research. To address the proposed research questions, we conducted a bibliometric analysis applied to a corpus of manuscripts on SRCB indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) bibliographic database, from its inception in 1991 up to 2019. Co-word analysis provided a structure of conceptual sub-domains classified based on their density and centrality. In addition, thematic networks were extracted that showed the important associations between the main issues that the SRCB community has addressed, which enabled the authors to examine the subject’s intellectual structuring over almost three decades. The findings showed that the research, over time, has focused most on corporate social responsibility (CSR), this being a motor theme between 2013 and 2016. In general, SRCB has been a very fragmented field of study, however in the last three years, it has developed into a distinct entity; in the past, it was basically addressed through CSR. The most productive thematic areas during the last 30 years have been: (a) Research into consumer attitude, (b) research on CSR, and (c) research on social and sustainable consumption behavior. In response to calls for greater theoretical clarification of the SRCB discipline, the authors providing experts and novices with a better understanding of the current state of the art and suggest future research directions.

scholarly journals Prioritizing Achievable Goals for Food Security in the Developing World

2021 ◽  
pp. 11-25
Author(s):  
Sanjaya Rajaram ◽  
Maarten van Ginkel
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Rapid Responses ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
New Research ◽  
The Impact

Many solutions have been proposed to address food security. We present here a prioritized set of actions achievable within the next 2–10 years. By taking a systems approach we follow the impact pathway backwards starting from the needs and desires of the end-users to eventually define the research agenda that will exactly address those targeted solutions with positive impacts. The following actions emerge as high-priority and achievable in the near future: new research tools to study food systems; dis-aggregated intra-household surveys to reveal within-family inequalities in food access; increased scientific consensus on climate change impacts in sub-Saharan Africa; rapid response measures to address sudden emergencies, such as capturing excess rainfall water; financial tools to enable rapid responses with recovery measures afterwards; consideration of restrictions that excess heat and humidity impose on human productivity; secure land ownership and tenure rights to encourage long-term agricultural investment; mechanization at all stages along the food system.

scholarly journals Assessing nitrogen dynamics in European ecosystems, integrating measurement and modelling: conclusions

2004 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 846-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Wade ◽  
C. Neal ◽  
D. Butterfield ◽  
M. N. Futter
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Nitrogen Dynamics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
New Developments ◽  
Scenario Analyses ◽  
New Research ◽  
Research Initiatives

Abstract. This contribution closes this special issue of Hydrology and Earth System Sciences concerning the assessment of nitrogen dynamics in catchments across Europe within a semi-distributed Integrated Nitrogen model for multiple source assessment in Catchments (INCA). New developments in the understanding of the factors and processes determining the concentrations and loads of nitrogen are outlined. The ability of the INCA model to simulate the hydrological and nitrogen dynamics of different European ecosystems is assessed and the results of the first scenario analyses investigating the impacts of deposition, climatic and land-use change on the nitrogen dynamics are summarised. Consideration is given as to how well the model has performed as a generic tool for describing the nitrogen dynamics of European ecosystems across Arctic, Maritime, Continental and Mediterranean climates, its role in new research initiatives and future research requirements. Keywords: nitrogen, nitrate, ammonium, phosphorus, catchments, streams, rivers, river basins

scholarly journals An environment for sustainable research software in Germany and beyond: current state, open challenges, and call for action

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 295
Author(s):  
Hartwig Anzt ◽  
Felix Bach ◽  
Stephan Druskat ◽  
Frank Löffler ◽  
Axel Loewe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Research ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Knowledge ◽  
Research Software ◽  
Current State ◽  
Software Engineers ◽  
Selection Research ◽  
New Research

Research software has become a central asset in academic research. It optimizes existing and enables new research methods, implements and embeds research knowledge, and constitutes an essential research product in itself. Research software must be sustainable in order to understand, replicate, reproduce, and build upon existing research or conduct new research effectively. In other words, software must be available, discoverable, usable, and adaptable to new needs, both now and in the future. Research software therefore requires an environment that supports sustainability. Hence, a change is needed in the way research software development and maintenance are currently motivated, incentivized, funded, structurally and infrastructurally supported, and legally treated. Failing to do so will threaten the quality and validity of research. In this paper, we identify challenges for research software sustainability in Germany and beyond, in terms of motivation, selection, research software engineering personnel, funding, infrastructure, and legal aspects. Besides researchers, we specifically address political and academic decision-makers to increase awareness of the importance and needs of sustainable research software practices. In particular, we recommend strategies and measures to create an environment for sustainable research software, with the ultimate goal to ensure that software-driven research is valid, reproducible and sustainable, and that software is recognized as a first class citizen in research. This paper is the outcome of two workshops run in Germany in 2019, at deRSE19 - the first International Conference of Research Software Engineers in Germany - and a dedicated DFG-supported follow-up workshop in Berlin.

scholarly journals Community Food

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan Leacox
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Food System ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The Many ◽  
Ecologically Sustainable

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 revealed vulnerabilities in industrial food systems, particularly in relation to food security. In this thesis I explore small-scale, local, and ecologically sustainable forms of agriculture (Small Ag) that are frequently presented as options enabling communities to achieve increased food security. This concept of Small Ag deserves closer investigation. This thesis describes an ethnographic pilot study of Small Ag I conducted in Boise, Idaho during the 2020 pandemic. Using remote digital research methods to conduct surveys and interviews, I investigated the beliefs, motivations, and behaviors of participants in Small Ag. I sought to answer basic questions: What does Small Ag look like as a food production system? How do individuals become involved in Small Ag? Why do they persist? What sustains a vibrant local community of participants? I learned that participants in Small Ag emphasize self-reliance and informality. While these ideals are not inherently bad, they can become barriers limiting the coordination of Small Ag as a more widely applicable food system. Increased coordination is needed to grow Small Ag as a resilient community-level food system. My research suggests that when third-party facilitators help coordinate and organize collaborations between the many aspects of Small Ag, the possibility for broader community-level engagement with local foods increases. Future research should focus on understanding how such facilitation might be strengthened.

scholarly journals An environment for sustainable research software in Germany and beyond: current state, open challenges, and call for action

F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hartwig Anzt ◽  
Felix Bach ◽  
Stephan Druskat ◽  
Frank Löffler ◽  
Axel Loewe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Research ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Knowledge ◽  
Research Software ◽  
Current State ◽  
Software Engineers ◽  
Selection Research ◽  
New Research

Research software has become a central asset in academic research. It optimizes existing and enables new research methods, implements and embeds research knowledge, and constitutes an essential research product in itself. Research software must be sustainable in order to understand, replicate, reproduce, and build upon existing research or conduct new research effectively. In other words, software must be available, discoverable, usable, and adaptable to new needs, both now and in the future. Research software therefore requires an environment that supports sustainability. Hence, a change is needed in the way research software development and maintenance are currently motivated, incentivized, funded, structurally and infrastructurally supported, and legally treated. Failing to do so will threaten the quality and validity of research. In this paper, we identify challenges for research software sustainability in Germany and beyond, in terms of motivation, selection, research software engineering personnel, funding, infrastructure, and legal aspects. Besides researchers, we specifically address political and academic decision-makers to increase awareness of the importance and needs of sustainable research software practices. In particular, we recommend strategies and measures to create an environment for sustainable research software, with the ultimate goal to ensure that software-driven research is valid, reproducible and sustainable, and that software is recognized as a first class citizen in research. This paper is the outcome of two workshops run in Germany in 2019, at deRSE19 - the first International Conference of Research Software Engineers in Germany - and a dedicated DFG-supported follow-up workshop in Berlin.

scholarly journals AN INTEGRATED ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH: SYNERGIES AND TRADE-OFFS

2011 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDY JARVIS ◽  
CHARLOTTE LAU ◽  
SIMON COOK ◽  
EVA WOLLENBERG ◽  
JAMES HANSEN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Global Food Security ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Adaptation And Mitigation

SUMMARYGlobal food security is under threat by climate change, and the impacts fall disproportionately on resource-poor small producers. With the goal of making agricultural and food systems more climate-resilient, this paper presents an adaptation and mitigation framework. A road map for further agricultural research is proposed, based on the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. We propose a holistic, integrated approach that takes into account trade-offs and feedbacks between interventions. We divide the agenda into four research areas, three tackling risk management, accelerated adaptation and emissions mitigation, and the fourth facilitating adoption of research outputs. After reviewing specific technical, agronomic and policy options for reducing climate change vulnerability, we acknowledge that science and good-faith recommendations do not necessarily translate into effective and timely actions. We therefore outline impediments to behavioural change and propose that future research overcomes these obstacles by linking the right institutions, instruments and scientific outputs. Food security research must go beyond its focus on production to also examine food access and utilization issues. Finally, we conclude that urgent action is needed despite the uncertainties, trade-offs and challenges.

scholarly journals At the crossroads: new paradigms of food security, public health nutrition and school food

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1020-1027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah M Ashe ◽  
Roberta Sonnino
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Public Health Nutrition ◽  
School Food ◽  
Poor Countries ◽  
New Research

AbstractPublic health nutrition sits at the nexus of a global crisis in food, environmental and health systems that has generated – along with numerous other problems – an urgent and changing problem of food insecurity. The ‘new’ food insecurity, however, is different from the old: it is bimodal, encompassing issues of both under- and over-consumption, hunger and obesity, quantity and quality; it has assumed a decidedly urban dimension; and it implicates rich and poor countries alike. The complexity of the expressions of this challenge requires new approaches to public health nutrition and food policy that privilege systemic, structural and environmental factors over individual and mechanistic ones. In this context, the current paper argues that school food systems rise with buoyant potential as promising intervention sites: they are poised to address both modes of the food security crisis; integrate systemic, structural and environmental with behavioural approaches; and comprise far-reaching, system-wide efforts that influence the wider functioning of the food system. Based on a discussion of Bogotá and other pioneering policies that explicitly aim to create a broader food system with long-term foundations for good public health and food security, the paper suggests a new research and action agenda that gives special attention to school food in urban contexts.

Researching (with) Major Food Retailers

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Evans
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Major Food ◽  
Food Retailers ◽  
Food Retailer ◽  
The One ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Opening Up

This paper considers the relationship between social science and the food industry, and it suggests that collaboration can be intellectually productive and morally rewarding. It explores the middle ground that exists between paid consultancy models of collaboration on the one hand and a principled stance of nonengagement on the other. Drawing on recent experiences of researching with a major food retailer in the UK, I discuss the ways in which collaborating with retailers can open up opportunities for accessing data that might not otherwise be available to social scientists. Additionally, I put forward the argument that researchers with an interest in the sustainability—ecological or otherwise—of food systems, especially those of a critical persuasion, ought to be empirically engaging with food businesses. I suggest that this is important in terms of generating better understandings of the objectionable arrangements that they seek to critique, and in terms of opening up conduits through which to affect positive changes. Cutting across these points is the claim that while resistance to commercial engagement might be misguided, it is nevertheless important to acknowledge the power-geometries of collaboration and to find ways of leveling and/or leveraging them. To conclude, I suggest that universities have an important institutional role to play in defining the terms of engagement as well as maintaining the boundaries between scholarship and consultancy—a line that can otherwise become quite fuzzy when the worlds of commerce and academic research collide.

Does Recent Academic Research Support Changes to Audit Reporting Standards?

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Bédard ◽  
Paul Coram ◽  
Reza Espahbodi ◽  
Theodore J. Mock
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Support ◽  
The Public ◽  
Market Participants ◽  
Information Gap ◽  
Public Company ◽  
Reporting Process

SYNOPSIS The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), and the U.K. Financial Reporting Council (FRC) have proposed or approved standards that significantly change the independent auditor's report. These initiatives require the auditor to make additional disclosures intended to close the information gap; that is, the gap between the information users desire and the information available through the audited financial statements, other corporate disclosures, and the auditor's report. They are also intended to improve the relevancy of the auditor's report. We augment prior academic research by providing standard setters with an updated synthesis of relevant research. More importantly, we provide an assessment of whether the changes are likely to close the information gap, which is important to financial market participants and other stakeholders in the audit reporting process. Also, we identify areas where there seems to be a lack of sufficient research. These results are of interest to all stakeholders in the audit reporting process, as the changes to the auditor's report are fundamental. Additionally, our summaries of research on the auditor's report highlight where there is limited research or inconsistent results, which will help academics identify important opportunities for future research.

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