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.

This book chapter addresses goals 7, 9 and 12 by providing detail to help solve the problem of the sustainable conversion of the available feedstock to ecofuels
Despite a major, policy-driven increase in research on the food–energy–water (FEW) nexus in recent years, research addressing the required changes in policy structures and processes for an effective, integrated governance of FEW nexus resources is still in its infancy. This paper adapts the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework to the requirements and challenges of FEW nexus governance and sets a special focus on action situations, actors, and institutions. The analysis thus contributes to the debate about the practicality and benefits of a comprehensive FEW nexus policy approach.
Elsevier,

Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 34, October 2018, Pages 33-42.

This article contributes to goal 15 by arguing that the SDG portfolio can trigger a major step towards more holistic land use perspectives at the agriculture-forestry interface. This, in turn, has the potential to initiate institutional change to enhance dynamic sustainability.
The chapter advances goal 2 by discussing the need for a shift in dietary patterns from animal-derived protein to plant-based protein, particularly in the more developed economies.
Elsevier,

Reference Module in Food Science, Encyclopedia of Food Security and Sustainability, Volume 1, 2019, Pages 128-134

This chapter supports SDGs 2, 3 and 16 by providing an overview of food operations in wars and conflicts, which are likely to continue as the primary cause of humanitarian need worldwide.
There is overwhelming evidence that the national food system in South Africa is in crisis. This chapter contributes to goals 2 and 10 by outlining some of the key interventions that are attempting to increase food equity and sustainability.
Elsevier,

Insects as Sustainable Food Ingredients, Production, Processing and Food Applications, 2016, Pages 1-27.

This chapter addresses goal 2 by demonstrating the feasibility and value of insects as a sustainable commodity for food, feed and other applications.
Elsevier,

Food Industry Wastes, Assessment and Recuperation of Commodities, 2013, Pages 17-36.

This chapter advances goal 12 by examining the development of green food production strategies; these take a holistic approach while applying principles of industrial ecology and maintaining the integrity of the biosphere.
This chapter explores goals 1 and 10 by examining whether the social sustainability enjoyed by sugar industry employees can be maintained given expanding beet production, falling world prices, promotion of healthy diets and the development of sugar alternatives.
Producing enough food of sufficient quality to feed an ever increasing population faces many challenges. This will require higher yields from agricultural production to meet the demands of changing population demographics using the limited natural resources available. Crop protection chemicals, developed by the agrochemical industry, are used by growers to ensure that consistently high yields are obtained, provide ease and reliability of harvest and to maintain excellent quality of produce from the crops they grow.

Pages