Food security and nutrition and sustainable agriculture

Food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture constitute fundamental elements that contribute significantly to the attainment of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are a globally shared blueprint that calls for peace and prosperity for all people and the planet. Focusing on food security and nutrition is directly linked to SDG 2 which seeks to "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture." Beyond SDG 2, these themes also relate to other SDGs such as Goal 3 - Good Health and Well-being, Goal 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production, and Goal 13 - Climate Action. The relationship between sustainable agriculture and these goals is profound; by promoting eco-friendly farming methods, we reduce the environmental footprint, mitigate climate change, and ensure the long-term sustainability of food production systems.

Moreover, sustainable agriculture is vital in fostering biodiversity, improving soil health, and enhancing water use efficiency, which are critical aspects related to Goals 14 and 15 - Life below Water and Life on Land respectively. By safeguarding our ecosystems, we not only ensure food security but also the preservation of the natural environment for future generations. In turn, better nutrition is a conduit to improved health (SDG 3), and it can also influence educational outcomes (SDG 4), given the known links between nutrition and cognitive development.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that the interconnections go beyond these goals. There's an important nexus between sustainable agriculture, food security and issues of poverty (SDG 1), gender equality (SDG 5), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), and economic growth (SDG 8), among others. Sustainable agriculture creates job opportunities, thus reducing poverty levels. By empowering women in agriculture, we can help achieve gender equality. Proper water and sanitation practices in agriculture can prevent contamination, ensuring clean water and sanitation for all. Therefore, the triad of food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture, while being a significant goal in itself, is also a vehicle that drives the achievement of the wider Sustainable Development Goals.

Substitution of beef with alternative proteins is one practical trend taken by industry and consumers to reduce the negative impact of convenience products on the environment. Numerous products based on plant, insect and fungi proteins compete to replace beef burgers in an environmentally friendly and healthy way. At the same time, there is a lack of studies which assess different options from environmental impact perspective but also with consideration of production scales, recipes, nutritional values, and sensory properties.

Using data from Eurobarometer 83.4, this study combines the two branches of research that address climate-related and biodiversity-related opinions and actions of individuals in the EU. The literature shows that the differences between climate-related and biodiversity-related policies correspond, at an individual level, to a person's basic attitudes towards environmental protection and towards nature protection, respectively.

Graphical abstract of article

The performance of probiotic bacterial strains is influenced by the carrier food and its functional components which while buffering the probiotic through the gastro-intestinal tract, contribute to an efficient implantation of bacterial cells and regulate probiotic features. Particularly, plant-based matrices are eligible substrate for hosting and delivering microbial populations because of their richness in nutrients, fibers, vitamins, minerals and dietary bioactive phytochemicals.

Depression is a serious mental and mood disorder with global health and economic burden. Nutrition through the application of necessary food classes or herbs as well as their phytochemicals, may go a long way to effectively manage depression. This nutritional strategy should be given more attention in research, assessment and treatment for those with depression and other mental illness in low income countries, especially in Africa.
Elsevier,

Future Foods: Global Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainability Challenges, 2021, pp 49-79

This chapter aligns with Goal 2: Zero Hunger and Goal 13: Climate Action by projecting how stressors associated with climate change may impact agri-food systems and food security.
This study explores the pathways from a nutrition-sensitive agriculture intervention to improved diets of women and young children. It also tests theoretical agriculture-to-nutrition pathways by comparing the authors' documented pathways with the pathways from the widely used TANDI (Tackling the Agriculture–Nutrition Disconnect in India) framework.
Elsevier,

Emerging Issues in Climate Smart Livestock Production, Biological Tools and Techniques, 2022, Pages 71-90

This chapter covers strategies for greenhouse gas management in livestock production, while maintaining a high-yeild and safe food system.
Elsevier,

Current Research in Microbial Sciences, Volume 2, December 2021

In this review, we explore how agriculture is implementing the use of microbial inoculants (single species or consortia) to improve crop yields, and discuss current strategies to study plant-associated microorganisms and how their diversity varies under unconventional agriculture.
African swine fever outbreak has caused serious economic losses in China. Consequently, pork supply faces huge demand. An effective biosafety procedure was developed for production of pigs in small-scale farms in China.
Fluorescent and non-fluorescent species of Pseudomonas are important for plant growth promotion, phytopathogenic control and plant disease management. Ecologically significant applications of Pseudomonas in biocontrol and bioaugmentation are crucial for maintaining food security.

Pages