scholarly journals Organic Agroforestry Long-Term Field Experiment Designing Trough Actors’ Knowledge towards Food System Sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5532
Author(s):  
Corrado Ciaccia ◽  
Elena Testani ◽  
Angelo Fiore ◽  
Ileana Iocola ◽  
Marta Di Pierro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Local Actors ◽  
System Sustainability

The implementation of agroecology principles within organic farming research is a crux to redesign sustainable agri-food systems. To govern this transition, the local research demand should be addressed by direct engagement of all stakeholders in the research process. The first step is the involvement of farmers and technicians, with the aim of restoring their decision-making role, switching governance to local scale. The co-design/co-management of Long-Term Experiments (LTEs) can be crucial to govern the above-described transition through networking and participatory activities. In this study, we report the experience of co-designing a new LTE in Southern Italy by local actors and scientists. Through a participatory action research methodology, an LTE was considered as a biophysical component of an agroecological living lab, a public–private environment aimed to design a local food system. The setup of parallel field trials in satellite farms stands for the other biophysical component, whereas the stakeholder platform represents the social one. Through definition of common objectives, a step-by-step process is presented, which highlights the interest of local organic actors to share ideas and perspectives for the territory, pointing out the inclusion of end-users (the consumers) in the process to complete the transition to sustainable food systems.

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 The case for a Canadian national school food program

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberley Hernandez ◽  
Rachel Engler-Stringer ◽  
Sara Kirk ◽  
Hannah Wittman ◽  
Sasha McNicholl
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Dietary Behaviour ◽  
School Food ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Food Literacy ◽  
National School ◽  
Good Nutrition ◽  
System Sustainability

Canada is one of the only member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) without a national school food program. Good nutrition impacts children’s health, wellbeing, and learning; and school food environments offer an important setting to promote health and other food system sustainability behaviours that can last a lifetime. We present an overview of national and international evidence, with a focus on promising practices that support the establishment of a national school food program in Canada. School food programs have been shown to benefit health and dietary behaviour and critical food literacy skills (learning, culture, and social norms) that support local agriculture and promote sustainable food systems. Finally, we make recommendations for key elements that should be included in a national school food program for Canada.

scholarly journals Local Solutions for Sustainable Food Systems: The Contribution of Orphan Crops and Wild Edible Species

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Borelli ◽  
Danny Hunter ◽  
Stefano Padulosi ◽  
Nadezda Amaya ◽  
Gennifer Meldrum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
System Transformation ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Orphan Crops ◽  
Edible Species ◽  
Market Opportunities

Calls for a global food system transformation and finding more sustainable ways of producing healthier, safe and nutritious food for all have spurred production approaches such as sustainable intensification and biofortification with limited consideration of the copious amounts of orphan crops, traditional varieties and wild edible species readily available in many countries, mostly in and around smallholder farmers’ fields. This paper explores the potential role of locally available; affordable and climate-resilient orphan crops, traditional varieties and wild edible species to support local food system transformation. Evidence from Brazil, Kenya, Guatemala, India, Mali, Sri Lanka and Turkey is used to showcase a three-pronged approach that aims to: (i) increase evidence of the nutritional value and biocultural importance of these foods, (ii) better link research to policy to ensure these foods are considered in national food and nutrition security strategies and actions, and (iii) improve consumer awareness of the desirability of these alternative foods so that they may more easily be incorporated in diets, food systems and markets. In the seven countries, this approach has brought about positive changes around increasing community dietary diversity and increasing market opportunities for smallholder growers, as well as increased attention to biodiversity conservation.

Fijian youth entrepreneurs: championing health through sustainable food systems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cath Conn ◽  
Radilaite Cammock ◽  
Losi Sa’u Lilo ◽  
Shoba Nayar
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Small Business Development ◽  
Pacific People ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Sustainable Food System

Summary The health of Pacific people is known to be at risk because of the onset of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes. The scale of the problem requires innovative approaches to bring about change. One such approach is the development of a sustainable food system in combination with the leadership of Pacific youth. This study sought to engage Pacific youth as part of the solution to reducing NCDs through social enterprise and championing of sustainable food systems. Four young Fijian vegetable and fruit entrepreneurs shared their stories as part of a participatory action research of Talanoa/storytelling, with social media workshops, networking and promotional opportunities. Findings revealed that youth entrepreneurs are passionate about food and health, family and tradition; some are already food influencers and champions and they are keen to grow their businesses. Yet, there is limited support for small business development with a social purpose and youth-led campaigns. The study indicates a growing potential to develop local youth-led social entrepreneurship and innovation to address NCDs in exciting new ways. There is an urgent need to support innovation interventions to advocate for sustainable food systems for the Pacific, that promote positive human health needs and address, more broadly, climate change effects.

scholarly journals Cultivating Pedagogy for Transformative Learning: A Decade of Undergraduate Agroecology Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine E. Horner ◽  
Cheryl Morse ◽  
Nell Carpenter ◽  
Karen L. Nordstrom ◽  
Joshua W. Faulkner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Course Evaluation ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Most Significant Change ◽  
Pedagogical Innovations ◽  
Transformative Approach

Existing scholarship on agroecology and food systems education within U.S. colleges and universities has focused primarily on preparing students to be professionals working in agrifood systems. Developing students' skills and competencies, though vitally important, may not suffice for supporting transformative learning. Transformative learning shifts students' perceptions and awareness and informs future actions, constituting a potential avenue for leveraging education to support transformations toward more socially just and ecologically viable agrifood systems. It is unclear, however, what pedagogies and educational practices enable transformative learning. This paper explores the integration of multiple pedagogical innovations within an advanced agroecology course taught at the University of Vermont. Over a decade, the teaching team has made iterative adjustments to course content and pedagogies with the goal of catalyzing action toward transforming agrifood systems. In this paper, we evaluate our pedagogical approach, asking: (1) How well do course content and pedagogy align with our definition of transformative agroecology as transdisciplinary, participatory, action-oriented, and political? (2) How well does our approach enable transformative agroecological learning, and how is that identified? We present our course evaluation as a case study comprising qualitative analyses of course syllabi, student comments on University-administered course evaluations, and most significant change (MSC) reflections. MSC reflections proved to be a valuable method for identifying and assessing transformative learning. Through a curricular review, we found that substantial changes to course content and evaluative assignments between 2010 and 2020 align with a transformative approach to agroecology. This is validated in students' MSC reflections, which provide evidence of transformative learning. In sharing evaluative results, processes, and insights, we aim to contribute to a broader movement of scholar educators committed to iteratively and collaboratively developing transformative pedagogies within agroecology and sustainable food system education. We contend that reflexive practice among educators is necessary to leverage education for transforming agrifood systems.

scholarly journals TOWARDS DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Rodante Parillas Avila
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Education Curriculum ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Learning Competencies ◽  
Sustainable Food System

This paper focuses on how to develop s sustainable food system education curriculum in Elementary school in Philippines. Lack of food sovereignty has been one of the Philippines’ perennial problems. Due to inadequacy of food supply, the needs or demands of the people could not be met, and the problem leads to the poverty of the nation and the malnutritionof its people. So the purpose of this research is to find out the opportunities and suggestways to develop sustainable food system education curriculum in elementary education. Method of research uses Participatory Action Research (PAR) is an approach to research in communities that emphasizes participation and action. It seeks to understand the worldby trying to change it, collaboratively and following reflection. Findings are among otherthe curriculum for Sustainable Food System can be observed with the disciplinal subjects of Agriculture and Home Economics in the elementary level. The learning competencies provide the learners basic know how and strong connection of sustainable food system. While the weaknesses: availability of school backyard for gardening sites. Most of the central schools don’t have available gardening sites for hands-on experience of the learners.

scholarly journals What is the real cost of our food? Implications for the environment, society and public health nutrition

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle O'Kane
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Real Cost ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Social Environmental

AbstractThe current, globalised food system supplies ‘cheap’ food to a large proportion of the world's population, but with significant social, environmental and health costs that are poorly understood. The present paper examines the nature and extent of these costs for both rural and urban communities, by illustrating the financial pressures on food producers and manufacturers to produce cheap food, the disconnection people experience with how and where their food is produced, and the rise in obesity levels that plague the globe. The paper then proposes that community food systems may play an important role in mitigating the adverse environmental, economic and social effects of the dominant food system, by the use of more sustainable food production methods, the development of local economies and enabling closer connections between farmers and consumers. There are many opportunities for public health nutritionists to contribute to the local food system literature to ascertain whether these systems improve inequities, provide better access to healthy food and help stem the tide of rising global obesity levels. Public health nutritionists can play a key role in supporting people to become food citizens and to advocate for democratic and sustainable food systems.

The compliance of French purchasing behaviors with a healthy and sustainable diet: a 1-yr follow-up of regular customers in hypermarkets

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Anthony Fardet ◽  
Marion Desquilbet ◽  
Edmond Rock
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Index Set ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Food Ingredients ◽  
Food Purchasing ◽  
System Sustainability ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Food Offerings

Abstract In France, hypermarkets are the main shopping sites for food products. Therefore, the food-purchasing profiles of their regular customers may be a relevant indicator of the sustainability and health potentials of consumed diets. Knowing this information can be a step to address the issue of global health. The main objective of this study was to assess the sustainability and health potential of food-purchasing behaviors among regular adult customers, with or without children, of a leading French retailer. Secondarily, the cost of a sustainable food shopping cart was evaluated as regards the regular one, as calculated in this study. Purchasing receipts corresponding to 38,168 different food products were collected during one consecutive month for each four seasons in 2019 to assess compliance with a newly developed holistic indicator of food system sustainability, i.e., the 3V rule, recommending food consumption to be ‘Vegetal’/plant-based (≈15% animal calories/day), ‘Vrai’/real (max. 15% ultra-processed food calories/day, UPF) and ‘Varié’/varied. Participants were 708 regular buyers (aged ≥18 with different socio-economic profiles, with and without children) in 122 French hypermarkets. The plant rule was based on the animal and plant origin of food ingredients, including mixed products; the ‘real’ rule was evaluated with the Siga score according to the degree of processing to identify UPFs. The varied rule was defined based on a combination of food ‘categories × families’. The effect of children and season on the purchased animal and UPF calories and on the variety index was also evaluated. Multivariate and decision tree analyses were applied to compare consumers for their 3V rule profile similarities and differences, and to look for impacts of the presence or absence of children. Customers' purchases were far from the 3V rule, with a median of 41% animal and 61% UPF calories and a median variety index of 25% (compared to the consumer with the highest index set to 100%). There was no difference in purchased animal and UPF percentages neither according to seasons nor the presence of children. However, the presence of children was associated with a higher variety index (+33%, P < 0.05). Finally, the more the consumers purchased varied, the less they purchased UPFs. Compared to the average food basket, a 3V-based basket would cost 4.6% less. To make this basket accessible to everyone and to orientate consumer's purchasing behaviors toward more sustainable and healthier products, and hence food systems, hypermarkets should promote healthy eating and reassess their food offerings.

scholarly journals Agri-Food Markets in Qatar: Drivers, Trends, and Policy Responses

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarek Ben Hassen ◽  
Hamid El Bilali ◽  
Mohammed Al-Maadeed
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Markets ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Policy Responses ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
System Sustainability

Agri-food markets are vital in achieving food security, especially for resource-poor, food-importing countries such as Qatar. The paper provides an overview of the evolution of agri-food markets in Qatar and explores the implications of past and ongoing changes in terms of food security and food system sustainability. In particular, the review analyzes drivers of changes, trends, and challenges as well as policy responses to address the emerging challenges while ensuring the country’s food security. It draws upon a systematic review of scholarly literature indexed in the Web of Science as well as data from gray literature (e.g., reports) and databases (e.g., FAOSTAT). Different drivers (e.g., population growth with huge expatriate inflow, urbanization, income increase) affected the functioning of agri-food markets as well as the structure of the food chain (viz. production, processing, distribution, consumption) in Qatar. In addition to drivers, the food-related trends were also shaped by numerous environmental (e.g., land/water scarcity), economic, health, and trade challenges. To ensure long-term food and nutrition security for its population, Qatar implemented various policies and strategies (e.g., National Food Security Strategy 2018–2023). In this context, agri-food markets, as functional links between production and consumption, can foster transition towards sustainable food consumption and production patterns in Qatar.

The public plate in the transnational city: Tensions among food procurement, global trade and local legislation

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-42
Author(s):  
Jennifer Sumner ◽  
Hayley Lapalme
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
Global Trade ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Playing Field

Local food systems are crucial to sustainability, and one of the most effective ways to develop them is to harness the buying power of large public institutions, such as hospitals and universities.  Steering public funds toward local food systems, however, is not as easy as it might appear.  Institutions must navigate a maze of regulations that can become significant barriers to effecting change.  In Ontario, for example, public institutions are squeezed between two contradictory policies: the Broader Public Sector Directive, which mandates a level playing field and prohibits preferential buying based on geography, and the Local Food Act, which aims to increase the consumption of local food (with a specific focus on procurement in Ontario public institutions) and to foster successful and resilient local food economies and systems.  Adding to this tension, global trade treaties are drilling down to the local level, proscribing preferential procurement of local food as “protectionist” and a barrier to trade.    Public institutions are caught in the middle, wanting to purchase more local products but unwilling to risk reprisals.  This paper investigates these tensions by reporting on a recent study of institutional buyers and government officials in the Toronto area to understand more thoroughly these barriers to operationalizing a local food system, while recognizing that sustainable food systems require a judicious combination of ‘local and green’ and ‘global and fair’ (Morgan 2008).

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