Research

16 pages, 969 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Sustainability Priorities of U.S. Food Hub Managers: Results from a National Survey

by Haniyeh Shariatmadary, Sabine O’Hara, Rebecca Graham and Marian Stuiver

Foods 2023, 12(13), 2458; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12132458 - 23 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1277

Food hubs have emerged as innovative alternatives to the conventional United States food system. As aggregators of small local farms, food hubs hold the potential to transform food production, distribution, and consumption, while fostering environmental sustainability and social equity. However, assessing their contributions [...] Read more.

Food hubs have emerged as innovative alternatives to the conventional United States food system. As aggregators of small local farms, food hubs hold the potential to transform food production, distribution, and consumption, while fostering environmental sustainability and social equity. However, assessing their contributions to environmental sustainability and social equity is challenging due to the diverse structures and practices of U.S. food hubs. This study presents the findings of a national survey of food hub managers conducted in 2022 to assess the sustainability objectives and practices of food hubs across the United States. Our survey questions were designed based on a comprehensive framework of social and environmental sustainability criteria. Our results reveal that food hubs make valuable contributions in supporting small producers and providing healthy local food options. However, there is room for improvement in their environmental sustainability practices, as they only meet 47% of the defined environmental sustainability goals. Addressing food insecurity is a high priority for food hubs, although not their top priority, and many offer fresh food access to low-income households. Food hubs also contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing food transportation, promoting healthy food production methods, and minimizing waste. While food hubs meet 67% of the defined social sustainability goals, there are opportunities for improvement in reaching important institutional stakeholders and enhancing consumer education on healthy nutrition and lifestyles. Expanding technical assistance for farmers is also critical. By addressing these opportunities for improvement, food hubs can drive progress towards a more resilient and equitable food system in the United States. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Production–Consumption Balance: A Growing Challenge under Globalization)

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14 pages, 1500 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Household Dietary Diversity in Herder Communities over the Past 20 Years: Evidence from Xilin Gol Grassland of China

by Wanni Yang, Lin Zhen and Yunjie Wei

Foods 2023, 12(11), 2271; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12112271 - 05 Jun 2023

Viewed by 957

Abstract

Food security is critical for socioeconomic development. In grassland areas, inappropriate food consumption patterns can cause irreversible damage to vulnerable local ecosystems. This study aims to examine the household dietary diversity status and development trend over the past 20 years in Chinese herder [...] Read more.

Food security is critical for socioeconomic development. In grassland areas, inappropriate food consumption patterns can cause irreversible damage to vulnerable local ecosystems. This study aims to examine the household dietary diversity status and development trend over the past 20 years in Chinese herder communities. We draw on a cross-sectional dataset of 230 households involving 652 family members from the Xilin Gol Grassland areas in North China. Household dietary diversity was assessed using the household dietary diversity score (HDDS), which was calculated based on 12 food groups. Results show that HDDS increased from 3.74 in 1999 to 5.92 in 2019, with an annual average growth rate of 2.45% during the past 20 years. The increase in plant-based food scores made a major contribution to the HDDS improvement. The variations in household dietary diversity status between pastoral areas and agro-pastoral areas showed differences among different types of grassland in arid and semiarid transitional zones. It is worth paying more attention to monitoring the main impact factors that affect HDDS and how these changes might impact the local ecosystem, which will benefit regional sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Production–Consumption Balance: A Growing Challenge under Globalization)

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17 pages, 2438 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Crop Production and Security in Ningjin County of the North China Plain

by Shuang Wang, Lin Zhen and Yunfeng Hu

Foods 2023, 12(11), 2196; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12112196 - 30 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1393

Abstract

Stable growth in grain production is a critical challenge to ensure food security in North China Plain (NCP), an area dominated by smallholder farming. Food production and security of NCP largely depend on how smallholders farm their land. This study took Ningjin County [...] Read more.

Stable growth in grain production is a critical challenge to ensure food security in North China Plain (NCP), an area dominated by smallholder farming. Food production and security of NCP largely depend on how smallholders farm their land. This study took Ningjin County of the NCP as an example to describe the characteristics of crop planting structure and the changes in crop production based on household surveys, statistics, various documents, and literature by descriptive statistics, calculation of crop self-sufficiency, and curve fitting, and aimed to reveal crop security and the influencing factors of crop production at the household level. The results were as follows: (1) Wheat and maize sown area accounted for 61.69% and 47.96% of the total sown area of crops during 2000–2020, increasing at a rate of 3.42% and 5.93%, respectively. Their planted areas increased from 27.52% and 15.54% in 2000 to 47.82% and 44.75% in 2020, respectively. (2) The self-sufficiency rate of maize showed a significant upward trend and reached its peak in 2019. the self-sufficiency rate of wheat also showed an increasing trend, from 192.87% to 617.37%, which indicates that wheat and maize can meet food self-sufficiency and the per capita grain yield is in a safe state. (3) The trends on wheat yield and fertilizer initially grew, then decreased, closely resembling an inverted “U”, while the maize yield showed a pattern of increasing first and then basically remaining stable, similar to an “S” shape. A turning point for fertilizer use (550 kg/ha) was identified, indicating the limits of fertilizer use to increase yield. The national agricultural production and environmental protection policies, continuous improvement of crop varieties, as well as the farmers’ traditional practices have significant impacts on crop production. This study will enhance management practices for improved yield, which can support the integrated management of agricultural production in intensive agricultural areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Production–Consumption Balance: A Growing Challenge under Globalization)

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18 pages, 290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Sustainability on Identities and Seafood Consumption: Implications for Food Systems Education for Generation Z

by Kristin E. Gibson, Catherine E. Sanders, Allison R. Byrd, Kevan W. Lamm and Alexa J. Lamm

Foods 2023, 12(10), 1933; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12101933 - 09 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1886

Abstract

Seafood is a vital source of nutrition yet many consumers in the United States have been exposed to competing discourse about the industry’s environmental impacts, influencing consumption habits. Generation Z, a generational cohort whose members value the sustainability of their purchasing decisions, may [...] Read more.

Seafood is a vital source of nutrition yet many consumers in the United States have been exposed to competing discourse about the industry’s environmental impacts, influencing consumption habits. Generation Z, a generational cohort whose members value the sustainability of their purchasing decisions, may have unique opinions regarding sustainable seafood given their sustainability values. This qualitative study explored Generation Z undergraduate students’ experiences with seafood and how they perceive the role of seafood in feeding people while sustaining the future natural environment. Data were collected using 11 focus groups in undergraduate classrooms. Researchers conducted an emergent thematic analysis and sufficient interrater reliability was established. Themes identified based on participants’ experience with seafood included geographic location, experience fishing or with fishermen, and seafood and family, implying place attachment and family identity were intertwined with consumption behaviors. Themes identified based on participants’ perception of seafood’s role in feeding people included sustainability, regulations, limited seafood consumption, and limited knowledge, implying Generation Z’s emerging status as the sustainability generation. Results indicate educators should focus on how sustainability can be emphasized in the classroom with clear actions undergraduate Generation Z students can take to improve sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Production–Consumption Balance: A Growing Challenge under Globalization)

17 pages, 2708 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Measuring the Effectiveness of Food Policy Councils in Major Cities in the United States

by Camille Range, Sabine O’Hara, Tia Jeffery and Etienne C. Toussaint

Foods 2023, 12(9), 1854; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12091854 - 29 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1422

Abstract

The United States food system is comprised of a diversity of stakeholders representing a range of sectors including agriculture, health, hospitality, and other sectors of the economy. Coordinating these wide-ranging aspects of the food system is a challenging responsibility of the United States [...] Read more.

The United States food system is comprised of a diversity of stakeholders representing a range of sectors including agriculture, health, hospitality, and other sectors of the economy. Coordinating these wide-ranging aspects of the food system is a challenging responsibility of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its counterparts at the state and county level. While the USDA acknowledges the institutional importance of diversity, it has only recently begun to meaningfully consider the agricultural needs of urban environments, the unique experiences from communities of color, and opportunities for urban agriculture in its purview. This study provides a framework for food systems leaders, specifically in food policy councils (FPCs) in large urban communities, to assess the visibility and effectiveness of their diversity and inclusion initiatives represented across three key domains: (1) leadership and governance structures, (2) key stakeholder engagement strategies, and (3) advance food justice. A cluster analysis of the study results for FPCs in 19 U.S. cities and metropolitan areas across these three domains revealed four distinct groups of food policy councils. Results from the assessment of the urban FPCs reveal that they succeed in embedding diversity and inclusion in all three diversity measures, with key stakeholder engagement receiving the highest score at 73%. On average, FPCs received a score of 54% when assessing diversity and inclusion in their leadership and governance and a score of 49% in their activities to advance food justice. Results of the analysis also highlights opportunities to improve individual, thematic, and cumulative scores. Participation from food systems leadership groups such as food policy councils will be vital in advocating for equitable food systems through urban producer and consumer programs in the upcoming reauthorization of the U.S. farm bill in 2024. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Production–Consumption Balance: A Growing Challenge under Globalization)

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17 pages, 2370 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Structural Evolution of Global Soybean Trade Network and the Implications to China

by Min Wang, Dong Liu, Zhenxing Wang and Yuetan Li

Foods 2023, 12(7), 1550; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12071550 - 06 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2269

Abstract

China experiences a serious shortage of soybean supplies and relies heavily on international trade with high vulnerability and large uncertainty, which maybe sows food security risks. It is of great significance to analyze the structural evolution of the global soybean trade network and [...] Read more.

China experiences a serious shortage of soybean supplies and relies heavily on international trade with high vulnerability and large uncertainty, which maybe sows food security risks. It is of great significance to analyze the structural evolution of the global soybean trade network and its implications to China for ensuring food security. This paper constructed a global soybean trade network (GSTN) and analyzed the structural evolutionary characteristics of GSTN from 2000 to 2020 using the complex network analysis method and simulated the impact of targeted destruction on China through scenario analysis. The results showed that GSTN was gradually complex exhibiting a small word and a scale-free network property. The global soybean exporter was dominated by some major soybean-producing countries in America. The US played an important role in maintaining GSTN’s robustness. China was the world’s largest soybean importer; unfortunately, its soybean imports relied heavily on a few countries, and the anti-interference ability of China’s soybean trade tended to decline. Therefore, China’s soybean trade was increasingly vulnerable to being tightly controlled by other countries when some uncertain factors occurred, such as trade frictions and changes in policy decisions from importing and exporting countries. The US and Brazil were key countries with significant soybean trade ties to China. To assess the impact of the two countries on China’s soybean trade, targeted destruction method was used through destroying them in the network. Targeted destruction scenario analysis indicated the two countries played important roles in the anti-interference ability of China’s soybean trade. Brazil played a positive role in China’s control of soybean trade flows, while the US did not. Some policies for China’s soybean production and international trade were proposed. A balance between the domestic production and import of soybean is needed. Optimizing the soybean trade import system and seeking more trade partners is crucial. Improving soybean self-sufficiency is the fundamental way to reduce the high-import dependence. The study provided some insights for coping with international market fluctuations and improving the sustainability of China’s soybean trade. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Production–Consumption Balance: A Growing Challenge under Globalization)

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18 pages, 3248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cropland: Surplus or Deficit? From the Perspective of Meeting People’s Grain Requirement

by Yingnan Niu, Caixia Zhang, Gaodi Xie and Huan Niu

Foods 2023, 12(5), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12050964 - 24 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1120

Abstract

The quantity and quality of cropland plays an important role in ensuring food security. In order to explore spatiotemporal patterns of the extent to which cropland satisfies people’s grain need, we integrate multi-source heterogeneous data to investigate in which era, and in which [...] Read more.

The quantity and quality of cropland plays an important role in ensuring food security. In order to explore spatiotemporal patterns of the extent to which cropland satisfies people’s grain need, we integrate multi-source heterogeneous data to investigate in which era, and in which region, the cultivated land can meet people’s food demands. It turns out that in the past 30 years, with the exception of the late 1980s, the amount of cropland could satisfy people’s grain needs at the nation scale. However, more than 10 provinces (municipality/autonomous region), mainly located in western China and southeast coastal areas, have been unable to meet the grain needs of local people. We projected the guarantee rate to the late 2020s. Our study concludes that the guarantee rate of cropland is estimated to be higher than 150% in China. Compared to 2019, except Beijing, Tianjin, Liaoning, Jilin, Ningxia, as well as Heilongjiang in the Sustainability scenario, and Shanghai in the Sustainability and the Equality scenarios, the guarantee rate of cultivated land will increase in every province (municipality/autonomous region) in 2030. This study has reference value for the study of China’s cultivated land protection system, as well as important significance for China’s sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Production–Consumption Balance: A Growing Challenge under Globalization)

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15 pages, 2162 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Increasing Nitrogen Losses Due to Changing Food Consumption Patterns in Bayannur City, China

by Yihang Liang, Yanqin Zhang, Yuyue Wang, Xinggong Kong, Zucong Cai and Yanhua Wang

Foods 2023, 12(4), 752; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12040752 - 08 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1179

Abstract

Increasing urbanization and affluence have led to changes in food consumption patterns. The application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers ensures food security but also leads to environmental pollution due to N losses, through processes such as acidification, eutrophication, and greenhouse gas emissions. To clarify [...] Read more.

Increasing urbanization and affluence have led to changes in food consumption patterns. The application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers ensures food security but also leads to environmental pollution due to N losses, through processes such as acidification, eutrophication, and greenhouse gas emissions. To clarify whether changes in food consumption patterns could increase N losses and to explore sustainable food system pathways, this study integrated the Chinese Food System Dashboard and the Nutrient Flows in Food Chains, Environment and Resources Use model to quantify and compare the link between food consumption and N losses in different agricultural regions using a case study of Bayannur City in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2016. During the study period, Bayannur’s food consumption pattern changed from a “high carbohydrate and pork pattern” to a “high fiber and herbivore pattern”, which represents a shift from low to high N consumption. The per-capita food consumption decreased by 11.55% from 425.41 kg cap⁻¹, whereas the per-capita N losses increased by 12.42% from 35.60 kg N cap⁻¹. The average share of the plant-oriented and animal-oriented food supply in these losses was 53.39% and 46.61%, respectively. There were differences in the food consumption patterns and N losses in Bayannur’s farming, farming–pastoral, and pastoral regions. The changes in N losses were most significant in the pastoral region. The N losses to the environment increased sharply by 112.33% from 22.75 g N cap⁻¹ over the past 16 years. The low level of economic development in Bayannur resulted in a shift in the food consumption pattern to a high N consumption. Four measures to protect food security and reduce the food N cost were proposed: (1) increasing the wheat planting area and maintaining the existing corn one; (2) expanding the scale of high-quality alfalfa planting; (3) enhancing the area of oat grass and wheat replanting; and (4) using modern planting technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Production–Consumption Balance: A Growing Challenge under Globalization)

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11 pages, 2830 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Will the Global Food Landscape Accommodate Developing Countries’ Dietary Change under Urbanization?

by Yali Zhang, Saiya Li, Lu Jin and Feng Wu

Foods 2022, 11(22), 3598; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11223598 - 11 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1570

Abstract

There has been a growing awareness of the dietary shift from traditional staples to animal-derived foods during the urbanization of developing countries. Less discussed is how the global food landscape will accommodate such changes in diet. Our study aims to use the GTAP [...] Read more.

There has been a growing awareness of the dietary shift from traditional staples to animal-derived foods during the urbanization of developing countries. Less discussed is how the global food landscape will accommodate such changes in diet. Our study aims to use the GTAP (Global Trade Analysis Project) model to predict the future food landscape based on the dietary shift in developing countries, represented by China, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, under a 2030 urbanization scenario. The results show that the average global outputs of fish, meat, and dairy products increase by 0.26–2.85%, along with an expansion in their trade volume by 2.10–13.95%, by 2030. To ensure that dietary changes can be met in developing countries, Asia and America need to strengthen their positions with respect to global food production share, while Africa is developing to become a non-negligible growing force. Accordingly, globalized food trade is characterized by a centralized export and, conversely, by a decentralized import, clearly indicating an expanding net-import tendency in populous developing countries. These findings highlight the adaptation scheme of global food production and trade patterns under a 2030 urbanization scenario, as urbanization accelerates dietary change in developing countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Production–Consumption Balance: A Growing Challenge under Globalization)

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