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Ema NR, Mithu MAH, Sayem A. Exploring driving factors in employing waste reduction tools to alleviate the global food security and sustainability. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28192. [PMID: 38560263 PMCID: PMC10979280 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
To align with the SDG 12.3 target and ensure global food security and sustainability, it is crucial to prioritize the reduction of food loss and waste. This paper aims to synthesize previous research on waste reduction tools like lean manufacturing in the agro-food processing industry and identify areas that require further investigation to assurance worldwide food security and promote sustainability. The study uses a systematic literature review that was proposed by Denyer and Tranfield. This research work provides a descriptive analysis of the evolution of lean manufacturing in agro-food processing and identifies research gaps. The review highlights the importance of demand forecasting, managing variable raw materials and products, increasing management involvement, promoting partnership among supply chain members, and addressing supply and demand seasonality and uncertainty to apply the approach to food waste reduction. Based on the findings, the paper suggests further research areas for future investigation that will help create a more sustainable and equitable food system. Reducing food loss and waste can ensure that everyone has access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food while protecting the planet's resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This study may contribute to the theory of waste minimization, specifically in post-harvest food loss and waste minimization. The findings will help researchers conduct research work interested in minimizing food loss and waste to ensure global food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- N R Ema
- Industrial and Production Engineering, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, 3114, Bangladesh
| | - M A H Mithu
- Industrial and Production Engineering, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, 3114, Bangladesh
| | - Ahmed Sayem
- Industrial and Production Engineering, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, 3114, Bangladesh
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2
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Chao K. Family farming in climate change: Strategies for resilient and sustainable food systems. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28599. [PMID: 38571580 PMCID: PMC10988049 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Family farming plays a pivotal role in ensuring household food security and bolstering the resilience of food systems against climate change. Traditional agricultural practices are evolving into context-specific, climate-resilient systems such as family farming, homestead gardening, and urban agriculture. This study examines the ways in which family farming can foster climate-resilient food systems amidst climate vulnerabilities. A systematic literature review spanning the past 22 years was undertaken to develop a conceptual framework. From this review, 37 pertinent documents were identified, leading to the creation of a context-specific, climate-resilient food system framework. The research posits that family farming facilitates easy access to food and nutrition by capitalizing on family-sourced land, labor, and capital, and by securing access to technology and markets. Each facet of family farming is intricately linked with sustainability principles. Local adaptation strategies employed by climate-vulnerable households can diminish their vulnerability and augment their adaptive, absorptive, and transformative capacities, enabling them to establish a climate-resilient food system. The research further reveals that farming families employ a myriad of strategies to fortify their food systems. These include crop diversification, adjusting planting times, cultivating high-value crops and fish, planting fruit trees, rearing poultry and livestock, and leveraging their land, labor, and resources-including their homesteads-to access food and nutrition. This study endorses the climate-resilient family farming framework and offers multiple metrics for assessing the resilience of family farming in developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Chao
- School of Economics and Management, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, 641199, China
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3
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Baker K, Burd L, Figueroa R. Consumer nutrition environment measurements for nutrient-dense food availability and food sustainability: a scoping review. Arch Public Health 2024; 82:7. [PMID: 38225657 PMCID: PMC10789067 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-023-01231-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Consumer nutrition environments are defined as places in which consumers interact with the food they eat; these food choices can impact human and planetary health. Assessment measures for consumer nutrition environments are numerous, and vary widely on what, and how, they assess the food environment. The objective of this scoping review was to synthesize existing evidence on nutrition environment measurements and their capacity to assess nutrient-dense food access and food sustainability capacity. Eligibility criteria were developed to capture relevant peer-reviewed literature about auditing measures designed to assess nutrient-dense foods and food sustainability capacity in the consumer nutrition environment. A search strategy was conducted to collect articles published between January 1, 2002-June 4, 2022, using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO and the Cochrane library electronic databases. After screening 2457 manuscripts, 58 met inclusion criteria. Study aims, funding source(s), types of retailers assessed, assessment format and name, constructs measured, food categories measured, assessment of validity and/or reliability, and other relevant data were extracted from each manuscript. Results showed that most measures use checklists, surveys, questionnaires or similar methods to assess availability, quality, and price of select food items as assessment constructs. Most do not assess nutrient-dense food availability, and even fewer assess food sustainability. Development of comprehensive, reliable, and valid consumer nutrition environment measures that assess nutrient-dense food availability and food sustainability is important for research, planning, evaluation and advocacy aimed at improving consumer food environments for human and planetary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Baker
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Sol Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Laura Burd
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Roger Figueroa
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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4
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Brzezowska J, Hendrysiak A, Wojdyło A, Michalska-Ciechanowska A. Extraction-depended and thermally-modulated physical and chemical properties of powders produced from cranberry pomace extracts. Curr Res Food Sci 2023; 8:100664. [PMID: 38259423 PMCID: PMC10801205 DOI: 10.1016/j.crfs.2023.100664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Recovering bioactives from botanical by-products in the form of powders has been attempted through a number of multidirectional approaches. Yet understanding the processing of such plant formulations requires dedicated research owing to the manifold factors shaping the quality of powders. Therefore, the study aimed at production of cranberry powders from pomace extracts and to evaluate how different solvent type, carriers and drying techniques modulate their physico-chemical properties. Freeze- and vacuum drying significantly differentiated samples in terms of physical properties, while the extraction solvent and carrier type had substantial impact on chemical ones. For carrier-added products pomace extraction with acidified 50% ethanol resulted in the highest content of identified phenolics in powders (up to 5.87 g · 100 g-1 dry matter), while 30% acetone in the lowest (on average, 3.94 g · 100 g-1 dry matter). Acetone extraction strengthened the formation of hydroxymethyl-L-furfural that was higher when compared to acidified 50% ethanol, while trace amounts were reported for non-acidified counterpart. Similar observation was made in the case of flavan-3-ols. Addition of carriers during powders production led to the lower hydroxymethyl-L-furfural formation even down to 74% with regard to carrier-free samples. The study confirmed feasibility of managing cranberry pomace into high-value powders in extraction-depended and thermally-modulated quality matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Brzezowska
- Department of Fruit, Vegetable and Plant Nutraceutical Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 37, 51-630, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Hendrysiak
- Department of Fruit, Vegetable and Plant Nutraceutical Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 37, 51-630, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Aneta Wojdyło
- Department of Fruit, Vegetable and Plant Nutraceutical Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 37, 51-630, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Anna Michalska-Ciechanowska
- Department of Fruit, Vegetable and Plant Nutraceutical Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 37, 51-630, Wrocław, Poland
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5
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Tan JD, Lee CP, Foo SY, Tan JCW, Tan SSY, Ong ES, Leo CH, Hashimoto M. 3D printability and biochemical analysis of revalorized orange peel waste. Int J Bioprint 2023; 9:776. [PMID: 37457944 PMCID: PMC10339448 DOI: 10.18063/ijb.776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Orange peels are often discarded as food waste despite being a nutritious source of vitamins and antioxidants. These orange peel wastes (OPW) are produced in millions of tons globally every year; discarding them results in detrimental environmental and economical impacts. This paper discusses the application of 3D printing technology to effectively upcycle the OPW into edible, healthy snacks for consumption. We aimed to develop a method to enable OPW to formulate 3D-printable inks for direct ink writing (DIW). Using DIW 3D printing, we successfully created edible constructs of rheologically modified inks containing OPW. The formulated ink possessed an initial viscosity of 22.5 kPa.s, a yield stress of 377 Pa, and a storage modulus of 44.24 kPa. To validate the method, we conducted a biochemical analysis of the OPW at each stage of the fabrication process. This study suggested that our ink formulation and 3D printing process did not affect the content of bioflavonoids and antioxidants of the OPW. The cell viability test using human dermal microvascular endothelium (HMEC-1) suggested that the OPW did not exhibit cytotoxicity throughout the entire process of the ink manipulation. Overall, this study has highlighted a potential scenario to revalorize food waste into the food value chain using 3D printing toward more sustainable and circular food manufacturing and consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Da Tan
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 487372, Singapore
| | - Cheng Pau Lee
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 487372, Singapore
| | - Su Yi Foo
- Science, Math & Technology, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 4787372, Singapore
| | - Joseph Choon Wee Tan
- Science, Math & Technology, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 4787372, Singapore
| | - Sakeena Si Yu Tan
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 487372, Singapore
| | - Eng Shi Ong
- Science, Math & Technology, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 4787372, Singapore
| | - Chen Huei Leo
- Science, Math & Technology, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 4787372, Singapore
| | - Michinao Hashimoto
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 487372, Singapore
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6
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Goyette JO, Botrel M, Billen G, Garnier J, Maranger R. Agriculture specialization influence on nutrient use efficiency and fluxes in the St. Lawrence Basin over the 20th century. Sci Total Environ 2023; 856:159018. [PMID: 36167139 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Increasing the overall use efficiency of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resources in food production while minimizing losses to the environment are required to meet the dual challenge of food security and sustainability. Yet studies quantifying the overall performance of different agro-system types and how these have changed over time remain rare, although they are essential to propose solution pathways. Here, we reconstructed fluxes of N and P within 78 watersheds of the St. Lawrence Basin (SLB) of eastern Canada between 1901 and 2011, using the Generalized Representation of Agro-Food System model (GRAFS). This analysis allowed us to classify different agro-food system types and to evaluate how agricultural specialization influenced nutrient efficiencies and potential losses to the environment over time. Using a cluster analysis, we identified four agro-food system types with different overall outcomes in efficiencies and losses. We show that agricultural practices in the SLB were similar until the 1950's and deemed unsustainable in several watersheds by depleting agricultural soils of their nutrients (particularly N). With the advent of manufactured fertilizers and the intensification of livestock farming, the SLB then rapidly shifted through the 1970s and 1980s to more intensified and highly unsustainable agro-food system types, where, in 2011, ~77 % of N and ~ 94 % of P inputs were lost to the environment. We also show that nutrient pollution continued to increase despite gains in the nutrient use efficiency of animal farming due to higher nutrient throughput from intensive production. The increased proportion of confined animals, disconnected from croplands, indeed resulted in inefficient nutrient recycling. While nutrient use efficiency may mitigate nutrient pollution, reducing the absolute nutrient flux through agro-food systems should be a priority, likely through a reconnection of crop and animal farming and an overall reduction of meat production, specifically from concentrated, intensive livestock systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- J O Goyette
- Université de Montréal, Département de sciences biologiques, Complexe des sciences, 1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada; Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Campus MIL, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
| | - M Botrel
- Université de Montréal, Département de sciences biologiques, Complexe des sciences, 1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada; Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Campus MIL, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - G Billen
- Sorbonne Université CNRS EPHE, UMR 7619 METIS, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - J Garnier
- Sorbonne Université CNRS EPHE, UMR 7619 METIS, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - R Maranger
- Université de Montréal, Département de sciences biologiques, Complexe des sciences, 1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada; Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Campus MIL, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
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7
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Dagenais B, Marquez A, Lavoie J, Hunter B, Mercille G. Adopting Sustainable Menu Practices in Healthcare Institutions: Perceived Barriers and Facilitators. CAN J DIET PRACT RES 2022; 83:120-127. [PMID: 35503900 DOI: 10.3148/cjdpr-2022-007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: The healthcare sector is an important area for sustainable food initiatives, given its inherent mission to heal and its substantial impact on the food system. Foodservice managers can take part in these initiatives by using sustainable menu practices (SMPs). This study aimed to explore managerial perceptions of barriers and facilitators to adopting SMPs in Québec healthcare institutions.Methods: Seventeen foodservice managers were recruited through purposeful sampling to participate in a qualitative semi-structured interview. The Diffusion of Innovations theory was used to assess the main determinants of the diffusion of an innovation (SMPs) through a complex social system (healthcare organization).Results: Participants reported more barriers than facilitators. Lack of support at many levels was recognized as a major hindrance to SMP adoption, as were shortfalls in political directives. Increased collaboration between all food system actors and better communication in healthcare were perceived as needed for increased SMP adoption.Conclusions: This research contributes to an in-depth understanding of managerial experiences in SMP adoption in various regional and healthcare settings. Findings suggest the need for support and strategies that would remove important barriers for foodservice managers and contributed to the development of a guide to support foodservice managers in implementing SMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Béatrice Dagenais
- Department of Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC.,TRANSNUT, WHO Collaborating Centre on Nutrition Changes and Development, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC
| | - Annie Marquez
- CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC
| | | | - Beth Hunter
- JW McConnell Family Foundation, Montréal, QC
| | - Geneviève Mercille
- Department of Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC.,TRANSNUT, WHO Collaborating Centre on Nutrition Changes and Development, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC.,Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique, Université de Montréal et CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC
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8
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Hirth S, Bürstmayr T, Strüver A. Discourses of sustainability and imperial modes of food provision: agri-food-businesses and consumers in Germany. Agric Human Values 2021; 39:573-588. [PMID: 34629729 PMCID: PMC8487446 DOI: 10.1007/s10460-021-10269-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
It is widely accepted that overcoming the social-ecological crises we face requires major changes to the food system. However, opinions diverge on the question whether those 'great efforts' towards sustainability require systemic changes or merely systematic ones. Drawing upon Brand and Wissen's concept of "imperial modes of living" (Rev Int Polit Econ 20:687-711, 2013; The imperial mode of living: everyday life and the ecological crisis of capitalism, Verso, London/New York, 2021), we ask whether the lively debates about sustainability and 'ethical' consumption among producers and consumers in Germany are far reaching enough to sufficiently reduce the imperial weight on the environment and other human and nonhuman animals. By combining discourse analysis of agri-food businesses' sustainability reports with narrative consumer interviews, we examine understandings of sustainability in discourses concerning responsible food provision and shed light on how those discourses are inscribed in consumers' everyday food practices. We adopt Ehgartner's discursive frames of 'consumer sovereignty', 'economic rationality', and 'stewardship' to illustrate our findings, and add a fourth one of 'legitimacy'. Constituting the conditions under which food-related themes become sustainability issues, these frames help businesses to (1) individualise the responsibility to enact changes, (2) tie efforts towards sustainability to financial profits, (3) subject people and nature to the combination of care and control, and (4) convey legitimacy through scientific authority. We discuss how these frames, mirrored in some consumer narratives, work to sideline deeper engagement with ecological sustainability and social justice, and how they brush aside the desires of some ostensibly 'sovereign' consumers to overcome imperial modes of food provision through much more far reaching, systemic changes. Finally, we reflect on possible paths towards a de-imperialised food system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Hirth
- RCE Graz-Styria – Centre for Sustainable Social Transformation, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 18, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Alliance Manchester Business School, Sustainable Consumption Institute, The University of Manchester, Booth Street West, Manchester, M15 6PB UK
| | - Theresa Bürstmayr
- Department of Geography and Regional Science, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 36, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Anke Strüver
- RCE Graz-Styria – Centre for Sustainable Social Transformation, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 18, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Department of Geography and Regional Science, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 36, 8010 Graz, Austria
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9
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Bajželj B, Quested TE, Röös E, Swannell RPJ. The role of reducing food waste for resilient food systems. Ecosyst Serv 2020; 45:101140. [PMID: 32834962 PMCID: PMC7392851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Food waste undermines long-term resilience of the global food system by aggravating ecosystem damage. The global community must therefore work to reduce the amount of food that gets wasted. However, we should be mindful of some potential conflicts between food waste reduction and food system resilience. Over-production and over-supply are a contributing cause of waste, yet they also provide resilience in the form of redundancy. In this paper, we examine individual interventions designed to minimise food waste by scoring their impact on different aspects of resilience. We find that there are strong synergistic elements and interventions that support short- and long-term resilience, such as improved storage, which reduces the need to provide a constant flow of 'surplus food' and replaces it with a stock of 'spare' food. Some interventions carry a risk of trade-offs due to possible losses of redundancy, and investment lock-in that may reduce the ability of farmers to adapt by changing what and where they farm. Trade-offs do not mean that those interventions should not be pursuit, but they should be recognised so that can be adequately addressed with complimentary actions. This review underlines the necessity of food-systems thinking and joined-up policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bojana Bajželj
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Energy and Technology, Box 7032, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
- WRAP, Blenheim Court, 19 George Street, Banbury OX16 5BH, UK
| | | | - Elin Röös
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Energy and Technology, Box 7032, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
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10
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Mert-Cakal T, Miele M. 'Workable utopias' for social change through inclusion and empowerment? Community supported agriculture (CSA) in Wales as social innovation. Agric Human Values 2020; 37:1241-1260. [PMID: 32836765 PMCID: PMC7433275 DOI: 10.1007/s10460-020-10141-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The focus of this article is community supported agriculture (CSA) as an alternative food movement and a bottom-up response to the problems of the dominant food systems. By utilizing social innovation approach that explores the relationship between causes for human needs and emergence of socially innovative food initiatives, the article examines how the CSA projects emerge and why, what is their innovative role as part of the social economy and what is their transformative potential. Based on qualitative data from four different models of CSA case studies in different regions of Wales, UK, and by using concepts from an alternative model for social innovation (ALMOLIN) as analytical tool, the article demonstrates that the Welsh CSA cases play distinctive roles as part of the social economy. They satisfy the needs for ecologically sound and ethically produced food, grown within communities of like-minded people and they empower individuals and communities at micro level, while at the same time experiment with how to be economically sustainable and resilient on a small scale. The paper argues that in order to become 'workable utopias', the CSA initiatives need to overcome the barriers that prevent them from replicating, participating in policies and decision-making at macro level, and scaling up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tezcan Mert-Cakal
- Cardiff University Alumna, School of Geography and Planning, Glamorgan Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WA Wales UK
| | - Mara Miele
- School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, Glamorgan Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WA Wales UK
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11
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Movilla-Pateiro L, Mahou-Lago XM, Doval MI, Simal-Gandara J. Toward a sustainable metric and indicators for the goal of sustainability in agricultural and food production. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2020; 61:1108-1129. [PMID: 32319311 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1754161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper reviews the state of the art in agricultural and food sustainability with special emphasis on metrics for monitoring progress toward their accomplishment, and with a view to assisting stakeholders in facing the challenges involved. Priorities, bottlenecks, alternatives, conclusions and recommendations are considered. Finding long-lasting solutions in this scenario will inevitably require revising rural development and smallholder agriculture, and bringing about structural changes for the benefit of the poorer stakeholders. Better farming systems, new technologies, quality education and effective business models can be useful toward creating decent jobs, solving resource constraints, expanding market participation, and alleviating physical hardship in the agricultural sector -particularly among women and young people. Agriculture in industrialized countries will additionally require restructuring with new policies aimed at favoring low- and medium-income countries. On the other hand, high-income countries will have to face pressing challenges including unhealthy diets, food waste generation, balancing food and biofuel production, and developing fair agricultural policies. In addition, the richer should lead the way to higher levels of productivity, resource efficiency, food safety and traceability, and environmental friendliness in order to provide useful lessons for technological development and policing in developing countries. This is why, after presenting the actual world status of food sustainability and how its global governance is linked to environmental, economic and social dimensions, some measures and indicators for monitoring progress are reviewed with the final aim of providing solutions and recommendations for the sustainability of the food production and consumption system.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Movilla-Pateiro
- Department of Public Law, Faculty of Legal and Labor Sciences, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - X M Mahou-Lago
- Department of Sociology, Political Science and Public Administration and Philosophy, Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - M I Doval
- Department of Didactics, School Organization and Research Methods, Faculty of Education Science, University of Vigo, Ourense, Spain
| | - J Simal-Gandara
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical and Food Chemistry, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Vigo, Ourense, Spain
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Li S, Zhilyaev S, Gallagher D, Subbiah J, Dvorak B. Sustainability of safe foods: Joint environmental, economic and microbial load reduction assessment of antimicrobial systems in U.S. beef processing. Sci Total Environ 2019; 691:252-262. [PMID: 31323571 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Various antimicrobial interventions are applied sequentially in the beef processing industry to reduce microbial load on beef products by using intensive inputs (e.g., chemicals, energy), high strength wastewater, and potentially result in meat discoloration. This study serves as the first analysis to jointly evaluate environmental and economic assessment with its microbial load reduction of proposed antimicrobial systems in the U.S. beef processing industry to identify relatively sustainable systems that minimize environmental and economic impacts while providing microbial safe meat. Specifically, forty potential sequential antimicrobial systems were proposed and evaluated from three perspectives: microbial load reduction, environmental, and economic impacts, by meta-analysis, life cycle assessment, and operational cost analysis orderly. The results show that the antimicrobial systems applying steam pasteurization during the main intervention offer high microbial load reduction (>4.2 log CFU/cm2 reduction from a hypothetical initial contamination at 5.0 log CFU/cm2). Human health impact (31.0 to 65.6%) and ecosystem toxicity (3.6 to 12.5%), eutrophication (11.9 to 15.5%) and global warming (6.4 to 22.2%) are the main contributors to the overall environmental single score among the forty antimicrobial systems. Antimicrobial chemicals (up to 82.8%), wastewater treatment (up to 12.7%), and natural gas (up to 10.7%) are the three major drivers of operational cost for sanitizing 1000 kg hot standard carcass weight (HSCW). Devalued (discolored) meat due to contact with heat from steam pasteurization or hot water wash has a considerable increase in economic ($4.5/1000 HSCW) and environmental (especially at farm stage) impacts. Certain antimicrobial systems (e.g., water wash followed by steam pasteurization) were found to be more promising with satisfactory effectiveness, better environmental and cost performance under uncertainty (1000 Monte Carlo simulations). Results from this study can guide the U.S. beef processing industry to advance sustainability while protecting human health from foodborne illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaobin Li
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Samson Zhilyaev
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Daniel Gallagher
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Jeyamkondan Subbiah
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Bruce Dvorak
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
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Mackenzie SG, Davies AR. SHARE IT: Co-designing a sustainability impact assessment framework for urban food sharing initiatives. Environ Impact Assess Rev 2019; 79:106300. [PMID: 31787793 PMCID: PMC6876643 DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2019.106300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Urban food systems must undergo a significant transformation if they are to avoid impeding the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals. One reconfiguration with claimed sustainability benefits is ICT-mediated food sharing - an umbrella term used to refer to technologically-augmented collective or collaborative practices around growing, cooking, eating and redistributing food - which some argue improves environmental efficiencies by reducing waste, providing opportunities to make or save money, building social networks and generally enhancing well-being. However, most sustainability claims for food sharing have not been evidenced by systematically collected and presented data. In this paper we document our response to this mismatch between claims and evidence through the development of the SHARECITY sustainability Impact assessment Toolkit (SHARE IT); a novel Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) framework which has been co-designed with food sharing initiatives to better indicate the impact of food-sharing initiatives in urban food systems. We demonstrate that while several SIA frameworks have been developed to evaluate food systems at the urban scale, they contain few measures that specifically account for impacts of the sharing that initiatives undertake. The main body of the paper focuses on the co-design process undertaken with food sharing initiatives based in Dublin and London. Attention is paid to how two core goals were achieved: 1) the identification of a coherent SIA framework containing appropriate indicators for the activities of food sharing initiatives; and 2) the development of an open access online toolkit for in order to make SIA reporting accessible for food sharing initiatives. In conclusion, the co-design process revealed a number of technical and conceptual challenges, but it also stimulated creative responses to these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen G. Mackenzie
- Department of Geography, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Agovino M, Cerciello M, Gatto A. Policy efficiency in the field of food sustainability. The adjusted food agriculture and nutrition index. J Environ Manage 2018; 218:220-233. [PMID: 29680754 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.04.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This work introduces a revised version of the Food Sustainability Index, proposed by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition in 2016. Our Adjusted Food Sustainability Index features two important advantages: 1) it employs the Mazziotta-Pareto method to compute weights, hence granting an objective aggregation criterion and 2) it does not take policy variables into account, thus focusing on the status quo. The policy variables are aggregated into the Policy Index, measuring the quality of the food sustainability policies. We compute the two indices for 25 countries worldwide, then we use the Data Envelopment Analysis to evaluate policy efficiency. Our results show that country-level variation in policy efficiency is wide and policies affect food sustainability significantly, especially when they target nutritional challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Agovino
- Department of Economic & Legal Studies, University of Naples Parthenope, Room 510, Palazzo Pacanowski, Via Generale Parisi, 13 80132, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Massimiliano Cerciello
- Department of Economic & Legal Studies, University of Naples Parthenope, Room 510, Palazzo Pacanowski, Via Generale Parisi, 13 80132, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Andrea Gatto
- Department of Economic & Legal Studies, University of Naples Parthenope, Room 510, Palazzo Pacanowski, Via Generale Parisi, 13 80132, Napoli, Italy.
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Morawicki RO, Díaz González DJ. Food Sustainability in the Context of Human Behavior. Yale J Biol Med 2018; 91:191-196. [PMID: 29955224 PMCID: PMC6020726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The long-term goal of food sustainability is to produce enough food to maintain the human population. The intrinsic factors to guarantee a sustainable food system are a fertile land, water, fertilizers, a stable climate, and energy. However, as the world population grows, the volume of food needed in the future will not depend just on these intrinsic factors, but on human choices. This paper analyzes some of the human actions that may affect the sustainable future of the food supply chain, including diet, obesity, food miles, food waste, and genetically modified organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben O. Morawicki
- To whom all correspondence should be addressed: Ruben O. Morawicki, 2650 N. Young Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72703; Tel: 479-575-4923, Fax: 479-575-6936,
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Garcia-Garcia G, Woolley E, Rahimifard S, Colwill J, White R, Needham L. A Methodology for Sustainable Management of Food Waste. Waste Biomass Valorization 2017; 8:2209-2227. [PMID: 32010409 PMCID: PMC6961471 DOI: 10.1007/s12649-016-9720-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
As much as one-third of the food intentionally grown for human consumption is never consumed and is therefore wasted, with significant environmental, social and economic ramifications. An increasing number of publications in this area currently consider different aspects of this critical issue, and generally focus on proactive approaches to reduce food waste, or reactive solutions for more efficient waste management. In this context, this paper takes a holistic approach with the aim of achieving a better understanding of the different types of food waste, and using this knowledge to support informed decisions for more sustainable management of food waste. With this aim, existing food waste categorizations are reviewed and their usefulness are analysed. A systematic methodology to identify types of food waste through a nine-stage categorization is used in conjunction with a version of the waste hierarchy applied to food products. For each type of food waste characterized, a set of waste management alternatives are suggested in order to minimize environmental impacts and maximize social and economic benefits. This decision-support process is demonstrated for two case studies from the UK food manufacturing sector. As a result, types of food waste which could be managed in a more sustainable manner are identified and recommendations are given. The applicability of the categorisation process for industrial food waste management is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Garcia-Garcia
- Centre for Sustainable Manufacturing and Recycling Technologies (SMART), Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire UK
| | - Elliot Woolley
- Centre for Sustainable Manufacturing and Recycling Technologies (SMART), Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire UK
| | - Shahin Rahimifard
- Centre for Sustainable Manufacturing and Recycling Technologies (SMART), Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire UK
| | - James Colwill
- Centre for Sustainable Manufacturing and Recycling Technologies (SMART), Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire UK
| | - Rod White
- Molson Coors, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire UK
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Ranke TD, Mitchell CL, St. George DM, D’Adamo CR. Evaluation of the Balanced Menus Challenge: a healthy food and sustainability programme in hospitals in Maryland. Public Health Nutr 2015; 18:2341-9. [PMID: 25543666 PMCID: PMC10335773 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980014002936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Revised: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Balanced Menus Challenge (BMC) is a national effort to bring the healthiest, most sustainably produced meat available into health-care settings to preserve antibiotic effectiveness and promote good nutrition. The present study evaluated the outcomes of the BMC in the Maryland/Washington, DC region. DESIGN The BMC is a cost-effective programme whereby participating hospitals reduce meat purchases by 20 % of their budget, then invest the savings into purchasing sustainably produced meat. A mixed-methods retrospective assessment was conducted to assess (i) utilization of the BMC 'implementation toolkit' and (ii) achievement of the 20 % reduction in meat purchases. Previous survey data were reviewed and semi-structured interviews were conducted. SETTING Hospitals located in the Maryland/Washington, DC region, USA, that adopted the BMC. SUBJECTS Twelve hospitals signed the BMC in the Maryland/Washington, DC region and six were available for interview. RESULTS Three hospitals in the Maryland/Washington, DC region that signed the BMC tracked their progress and two achieved a reduction in meat procurement by ≥20 %. One hospital demonstrated that the final outcome goal of switching to a local and sustainable source for meat is possible to achieve, at least for a portion of the meal budget. The three hospitals that reduced meat purchases also received and used the highest number of BMC implementation tools. There was a positive correlation between receipt and usage of implementation tools (r=0·93, P=0·005). CONCLUSIONS The study demonstrates that hospitals in the Maryland/Washington, DC region that sign the BMC can increase the amount of sustainably produced meat purchased and served.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarah D Ranke
- Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 520 W. Lombard Street, East Hall, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - C Louise Mitchell
- Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 520 W. Lombard Street, East Hall, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Diane Marie St. George
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher R D’Adamo
- Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 520 W. Lombard Street, East Hall, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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