The Role of the Food Banks in Saving Freshwater Resources through Reducing Food Waste: The Case of the Food Bank of Navarra, Spain

In the year 2011, the FAO estimated that food loss and waste reached one third of the total food produced worldwide. Since then, numerous studies have been published characterizing this problem and reflecting on its repercussions, not only social, but also environmental. Food wastage triggers unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation or loss of biodiversity. This study aims to quantify the water-related benefits associated with food loss and waste reduction by studying the Food Bank of Navarra (FBN). For this purpose, the water footprint assessment manual has been followed. First, the water footprint of the activities of the FBN has been analysed for the year 2018 (scenario with the FBN). A comparative analysis has been carried out between the scenario with the FBN and a theoretical scenario without the action of the FBN. This has allowed us to highlight the benefits associated with the activity of this entity. The FBN not only avoided the waste of 2.7 thousand tons of food suitable for consumption in 2018, but also avoided the unnecessary use of more than 3.2 million m3 of freshwater. As a result of the present investigation, it can be stated that promoting food banks, which avoid food waste, would be an effective way to contribute to the protection and conservation of water resources.

A Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Food Loss in Glasshouse-Grown Tomatoes

Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) is one strategy to limit the environmental impact of the food supply chain. Australian data suggest that primary production accounts for 31% of national FLW, but there are no comparable data in New Zealand. This study aimed to measure food loss and explore food loss drivers for one of New Zealand’s largest tomato growers by weighing and visually assessing tomato losses at the glasshouse, packhouse and sales warehouse. Qualitative interviews were also held with the grower (n = 3), employees (n = 10), and key industry stakeholders (n = 8). Total food loss for this greenhouse tomato grower was 16.9% of marketed yield, consisting of 13.9% unharvested tomatoes, 2.8% rejected at the glasshouse and 0.3% rejected at the packhouse. The grower’s tomato loss predominantly resulted from commercial factors such as market price, competitor activity and supply and demand. Similar issues were recognized throughout the New Zealand horticulture sector. Commercial factors, in particular, are challenging to address, and collaboration throughout the supply chain will be required to help growers reduce food losses.

Anthropometric, biochemical, and nutritional risk factors for osteoporosis in Korean adults based on a large cross-sectional study

Background Osteoporosis a common bone disorder characterized by decreases in bone mass, tension, and strength. Although many previous studies worldwide have sought to identify the risk factors for osteoporosis, studies that simultaneously examine a variety of factors, such as biochemical, anthropometric and nutritional components, are very rare. Therefore, the objective of this study was to simultaneously examine the association of osteoporosis with biochemical profiles, anthropometric factors, and nutritional components in a large-scale cross-sectional study. Method This cross-sectional study was based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI-VII) from 2015 to 2018. Based on data from 16,454 participants, logistic regression was used to examine the association between various parameters in a crude analysis and in models adjusted for confounders. Results In men, osteoporosis was significantly associated with the anthropometric variables height and weight; the biochemical components hemoglobin, hematocrit, urea nitrogen and urine pH and creatinine; and the nutritional components total food intake, energy, water, protein, phosphorus, and kalium. However, these associations disappeared in adjusted model 2. In women, osteoporosis was significantly related to the anthropometric measures height, weight, and systolic blood pressure; the biochemical components hemoglobin, hematocrit and urine pH; and the nutritional components total food intake, water, calcium, phosphorus, and kalium. Most of these associations were maintained in the adjusted models. Conclusion Osteoporosis was linked to various anthropometric, biochemical and urine and nutritional components in Korean women, but the association between osteoporosis and risk factors differed according to sex.

Coping strategies for extreme weather in dryland agriculture

Dryland areas account for 48% of area under food crop and 52% under non-food crop cultivation and contribute about 42% of total food grain production in India. Drought is the predominant weather extreme influencing the socio-economic structure of not only dry land regions but also the entire country. Various drought monitoring techniques and mechanisms aim at mitigating the drought impacts at different spatial scales. They are discussed briefly here with strategies to cope up this weather anomaly at different time scales. Dry land districts that are prone to frequent hail episodes are identified and measures to minimize damage to agriculture are also discussed.

Is the healthy start scheme associated with increased food expenditure in low-income families with young children in the United Kingdom?

Background Healthy Start is a food assistance programme in the United Kingdom (UK) which aims to provide a nutritional safety-net and enable low-income families on welfare benefits to access a healthier diet through the provision of food vouchers. Healthy Start was launched in 2006 but remains under-evaluated. This study aims to determine whether participation in the Healthy Start scheme is associated with differences in food expenditure in a nationally representative sample of households in the UK. Methods Cross-sectional analyses of the Living Costs and Food Survey dataset (2010–2017). All households with a child (0–3 years) or pregnant woman were included in the analysis (n = 4869). Multivariable quantile regression compared the expenditure and quantity of fruit and vegetables (FV), infant formula and total food purchases. Four exposure groups were defined based on eligibility, participation and income (Healthy Start Participating, Eligible Non-participating, Nearly Eligible low-income and Ineligible high-income households). Results Of 876 eligible households, 54% participated in Healthy Start. No statistically significant differences were found in FV or total food purchases between participating and eligible non-participating households, but infant formula purchases were lower in Healthy Start participating households. Ineligible higher-income households had higher purchases of FV. Conclusion This study did not find evidence of an association between Healthy Start participation and FV expenditure. Moreover, inequalities in FV purchasing persist in the UK. Higher participation and increased voucher value may help to improve programme performance and counteract the harmful effects of poverty on diet.

FAKTOR YANG BERHUBUNGAN TOTAL FOOD LOSS AND WASTE (FLW) PADA KARYAWAN PT. CAMILOPLAS JAYA MAKMUR SELAMA PANDEMI COVID-19

The implementation of large-scale social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic has made employees do their work at home so they spend more time ordering food online. This will lead to bad habits that cause food loss and waste (FLW) because the food available at home if not consumed will be wasted. This study aims to determine the factors related to total food loss and waste (FLW) in PT Camiloplast Jaya Makmur employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research method is quantitative with a design cross-sectional. Engineering samples total sampling.The analysis of this study used the chi-square. Data were collected using the FLW behavior questionnaire and the form estimated food record 3x24 hours. The results showed that there was a relationship between age (p=0.000, OR=14,385) and gender (p=0.000, OR=20,855) to total food loss and waste (FLW) but there was no relationship between knowledge (p=0,139), income (p=0,826), food selection (p=0,332), lifestyle (p=0,486), frequency of eating (p=0,492) and meal times including breakfast (p=1,000), lunch (p=0,346), and dinner (p=0.476 to the total food loss and waste (FLW). Therefore, employees are expected to be wiser in ordering food online and endeavor to make a list of food to be purchased in order to minimize the occurrence of food loss and waste (FLW).

The impact of shelf tags with Nutri-Score on consumer purchases: a difference-in-difference analysis of a natural experiment in supermarkets of a major retailer in Belgium

Background Delhaize, a major Belgian retailer, started implementing electronic shelf labels (ESL) with Nutri-Score since May 2019. Nutri-Score rates the healthfulness of packaged foods with five colours/letters from red/E (least healthy) to green/A (most healthy). This study evaluated the impact of ESL on consumer purchases, overall, and by food category. Methods For 43 intervention stores (implementing ESL in the period 27 May 2019–19 June 2019), a control store, from the same province and retailer-assigned cluster was matched. There were 14 unique control stores. By store, weekly non-food and food sales for 2018 and 2019 were received by Nutri-Score (A/B/C/D/E) and food category according to a retailer-assigned classification system. The primary outcomes were the proportion of food sales for Nutri-Score A,B,C,D,E. Difference-in-differences regression analysis was conducted to estimate the effect of the ESL intervention on proportion of overall food and food category sales for Nutri-Score A,B,C,D,E, using linear mixed models to account for clustering at store-level. We controlled for store characteristics (region, cluster, non-food sales) and week of the year. Analyses were weighted to re-balance discrepancy between the number of intervention and control stores. To account for multiple testing, a Bonferroni adjustment was applied. Results Comparing pre- and post-intervention periods, difference-in-differences for the proportion of Nutri-Score B and C product sales were more favourable in intervention than control stores (0.11 ± 0.04%, p = 0.007 and − 0.06 ± 0.03%, p = 0.026 respectively), while difference-in-differences for the proportion of Nutri-Score D product sales were less favourable in intervention than control stores (0.12 ± 0.04%, p = 0.002). For 17/58 food categories (representing 29% of total food sales) a positive impact [increase in healthier (Nutri-Score A, B) and/or decrease in less healthy (Nutri-Score D, E) food sales], and for 16/58 categories (representing 24% of total food sales) a negative impact was found. Positive impacts were found for vegetable, fruit and dairy products and confectionery. Negative impacts were found for bread and bakery products. Conclusion The impact of ESL on consumer purchases was mixed. Favourable difference-in-differences were found for Nutri-Score B and C products and unfavourable difference-in-differences for Nutri-Score D products. Shelf labeling on its own is unlikely to significantly influence consumer behaviours.

Big Boro rice harvest during COVID-19 pandemic: an optimism for resilient rice system in Bangladesh

The ‘big Boro rice harvest’ in 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has created new optimism for a resilient rice system in Bangladesh. Boro rice (dry season rice) has appeared as the strategic crop in sustaining resilience in the national rice system and food security with a steady rise in production trend. However, the prospect of Boro rice has been challenged by a myriad of factors such as changing climate, hydrological regimes, value-chain and crop diversification. Any unexpected production loss of Boro rice might bring about a big setback in total food security. Therefore, holistic policy planning and research supports, strong value-chain, efficient procurement system and, farmer’s capacity development have been suggested to sustain the production trend of Boro rice in the year to come.

Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on the livelihood of street vendors in Maharashtra, India

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, the lockdown was implemented as the main preventive measure to contain the spread of the virus across the world. India also went under one of the most stringent nationwide lockdowns which affected the workers of the informal sector the most. This study aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 and lockdown on the livelihood of street vendors in the Maharashtra state, one of the severely affected states, of India.Methods: Telephonic in-depth interviews were conducted from 16th May to 1st June 2020 with 20 street vendors who sold perishable goods for their livelihood. Interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis was used in analysing the data.Results: There were a total of twelve food vendors and eight fruits and vegetable vendors in the study sample. The mean age of food vendors recorded was 36.91 years, the average years of working recorded were 12.25, the mean education level was 7.83, and the average household size recorded was 5.25 (Table 1). Out of the total food vendors, 10 were male and two were females. The majority of the food vendors belong to the Vidarbha region, followed by Khandesh and Western Maharashtra.Conclusions: Findings of the study show that lockdown affected street vendors multidimensionally. Street vendors had to stop working and many had to change their profession to selling fruits and vegetables within a limited time zone with greater livelihood challenges and financial hardships.

A Greater Share of Organic Agriculture in Relation to Food Security Resulting from the Energy Demand Obtained from Food—Scenarios for Poland until 2030

In line with the assumptions of the European Green Deal, it is planned to allocate 25% of agricultural land to organic farming by 2030. However, the question arises: what share of organic farming and under what additional conditions is it able to feed the population of a given country? The aim of the article is to try to answer the above question for the example of Poland. In particular, the authors analyze: the problem of satisfying people’s nutritional needs, reducing food wastage, and finally the relationship between sustainable consumption and increasing the share of organic farming in Poland. Attention was also paid to possible potential changes in the agricultural land area with the growing share of organic farming. The proposed scenarios for the transition to organic farming concern the year 2030. We propose to increase the share in 20%, 40% and 60%, imposing them on changes in sustainable consumption of +/− 25%, +/− 50% and +/− 75%. The available FAOSTAT (Statistic Data of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and Statistics Poland data from 2008–2018 were used for the analysis. The model scenario analysis showed that the total food demand will be met in most of the scenarios. It has also been shown that with a higher level of transition to organic farming, it becomes necessary to reduce food wastage. Changing the consumption style not only creates opportunities for a wider development of organic farming in Poland but can also generate free areas on arable land (e.g., even more than 26% of free area in the +/− 75% scenario). This may create potential opportunities for their use in the production of consumer crops, but also in the protection of the natural and agricultural environment.