scholarly journals Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prospects for the Future

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2738
Author(s):  
Prasanna Venkatesh Sampath ◽  
Gaddam Sai Jagadeesh ◽  
Chandra Sekhar Bahinipati
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Sustainable Intensification ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Increase Food Production ◽  
Paddy Cultivation ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic is adversely impacting food and nutrition security and requires urgent attention from policymakers. Sustainable intensification of agriculture is one strategy that attempts to increase food production without adversely impacting the environment, by shifting from water-intensive crops to other climate-resistant and nutritious crops. This paper focuses on the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh by studying the impact of shifting 20% of the area under paddy and cotton cultivation to other crops like millets and pulses. Using FAO’s CROPWAT model, along with monsoon forecasts and detailed agricultural data, we simulate the crop water requirements across the study area. We simulate a business-as-usual base case and compare it to multiple crop diversification strategies using various parameters—food, calories, protein production, as well as groundwater and energy consumption. Results from this study indicate that reduced paddy cultivation decreases groundwater and energy consumption by around 9–10%, and a calorie deficit between 4 and 8%—making up this calorie deficit requires a 20–30% improvement in the yields of millets and pulses. We also propose policy interventions to incentivize the cultivation of nutritious and climate-resistant crops as a sustainable strategy towards strengthening food and nutrition security while lowering the environmental footprint of food production.

scholarly journals Assessment of Glyphosate Impact on the Agrofood Ecosystem

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 405
Author(s):  
Yaxin Sang ◽  
Juan-Carlos Mejuto ◽  
Jianbo Xiao ◽  
Jesus Simal-Gandara
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Regulatory Control ◽  
Biological Pest Control ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
The Impact

Agro-industries should adopt effective strategies to use agrochemicals such as glyphosate herbicides cautiously in order to protect public health. This entails careful testing and risk assessment of available choices, and also educating farmers and users with mitigation strategies in ecosystem protection and sustainable development. The key to success in this endeavour is using scientific research on biological pest control, organic farming and regulatory control, etc., for new developments in food production and safety, and for environmental protection. Education and research is of paramount importance for food and nutrition security in the shadow of climate change, and their consequences in food production and consumption safety and sustainability. This review, therefore, diagnoses on the use of glyphosate and the associated development of glyphosate-resistant weeds. It also deals with the risk assessment on human health of glyphosate formulations through environment and dietary exposures based on the impact of glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA—(aminomethyl)phosphonic acid—on water and food. All this to setup further conclusions and recommendations on the regulated use of glyphosate and how to mitigate the adverse effects.

scholarly journals Examining the impact of COVID-19 and its related lockdown on food security and job losses: A case of Kumasi, Ghana

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Adusei
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Online Marketing ◽  
Time Range ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The COVID-19 and partial lockdown has brought significant effects on the entire economy, especially on food security and job losses. This study was carried out in Asokwa Municipal with the objective of examining the impact of COVID-19 disease and its related lockdown on food and nutrition security and job losses. The study site form part of the cities in Ghana to experience the partial lockdown, hence it qualifies for the selection. Both primary and secondary data were used. By means of purposive sampling technique, fifty respondents were selected as sample size. The study employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive and narrative posture to the presentation, discussion and analysis of data. Open-ended questionnaire and a checklist were used for data collection through semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that, food and nutrition insecurity, job loss and income reductions are still very common, affecting participants livelihood. Disproportionally affected are households whose income comes from farming, transporters, informal labour, as well as marketers.It was concluded that food insecurity is not outside the impact of COVID-19 and its associated partial lockdown. Food and nutrition security are the global concern at present circumstances. The supply chain has been hit hardest by COVID-19, which causes food insecurity of most vulnerable segment of population which put them at risk. And also, most of the migrant, informal, seasonal farm workers were losing their jobs which may affect their demand for food. Therefore, the government should step-up the measures to control the pandemic without disturbing the food supply chain. The development and use of online marketing strategies where people can make orders of various produce and booked for purchases and or deliveries during a stated time range should be promoted.

scholarly journals The impact of agricultural input subsidies on food and nutrition security: a systematic review

Food Security ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1425-1436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen L. Walls ◽  
Deborah Johnston ◽  
Mehroosh Tak ◽  
Jane Dixon ◽  
Johanna Hanefeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Agricultural Input ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Food and Nutrition Security in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania): Status, Challenges and Prospects

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael N.I. Lokuruka
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Educational Achievement ◽  
East African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
East African Community ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Farmer Organizations ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
African Community

Achieving food and nutrition security remains a tall order for developing countries. The FAO, IFPRI, WFP, UNICEF and other international bodies continue to provide active support in order to achieve global food and nutrition security. However, low technological capability, inefficient production, insignificant economic growth, increasing populations and lately climate variability, affect food production, leading to either stagnation or modest gains in food and nutrition security in different regions of the World. For African countries, food and nutrition security continues to improve, albeit at a slow pace, although the recent breakout of COVID-19 is bound to lead to a decline in food production, in the short and mid-term. In the East African Community, political stability, ambitious economic planning, the quest for higher agricultural productivity, improving educational achievement, improving sanitation and health, are contributing to the improving food and nutrition security. To hasten the process, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania embraced Vision 2030, Vision 2040 and Vision 2025, respectively. These grand, socio-economic plans bore Vision 2050 in the East African Community and Vision 2063 for the African Union. This chapter examines food and nutrition security in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and provides country-specific recommendations for achieving it. These include investing in agriculture, decelerating population growth, using adaptive research to solve farmer-problems, strengthening farmer-organizations and the formation of cooperatives.

scholarly journals Food and nutrition security under global trade: a relation-driven agent-based global trade model

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 201587
Author(s):  
Jiaqi Ge ◽  
J. Gareth Polhill ◽  
Jennie I. Macdiarmid ◽  
Nuala Fitton ◽  
Pete Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Global Trade ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Trade Model ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Macro And Micronutrients ◽  
The Impact

This paper addresses the highly relevant and timely issues of global trade and food security by developing an empirically grounded, relation-driven agent-based global trade model. Contrary to most price-driven trade models in the literature, the relation-driven agent-based global trade model focuses on the role of relational factors such as trust, familiarity, trade history and conflicts in countries' trade behaviour. Moreover, the global trade model is linked to a comprehensive nutrition formula to investigate the impact of trade on food and nutrition security, including macro and micronutrients. Preliminary results show that global trade improves the food and nutrition security of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Trade also promotes a healthier and more balanced diet, as countries have access to an increased variety of food. The effect of trade in enhancing nutrition security, with an adequate supply of macro and micronutrients, is universal across nutrients and countries. As researchers call for a holistic and multifactorial approach to food security and climate change (Hammond and Dubé 2012 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 109 , 12 356–12 363. ( doi:10.1073/pnas.0913003109 )), the paper is one of the first to develop an integrated framework that consists of socio-economic, geopolitical, nutrition, environmental and agri-food systems to tackle these global challenges. Given the ongoing events of Brexit, the US–China trade war and the global COVID-19 pandemic, the paper will provide valuable insights on the role of trade in improving the food and nutrition security across countries.

scholarly journals Role of Agriculture in ensuring Food Security

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Malati Kaini
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Structural Problems ◽  
Food And Nutrition

The 2007-2008 food crises and the renewed surge in food prices in 2010-2011 have exposed deep structural problems in the global food system and the need to increase food production. The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing "when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life". Despite Nepal has no worse food and nutrition security situation among SAARC countries, there are some districts where food is always in shortage. The explicit constitutional recognition of the right to food and other related provisions in articles 36 and 42 of the new constitution will be instrumental for implementing food security programs in the country. Food security for poor people is based on sustainable food production. Many proven technologies and improved practices have the promise to boost agricultural production and ensure food security in developing countries like Nepal. Food and Nutrition security program (FANUSEP) is one of the flagship programs of Agriculture Development Strategy 2015-2035 (ADS), which is in the first phase of its implementation. It aims at improving the food and nutrition security of the most disadvantaged groups of the population.

scholarly journals Millets for Food and Nutrition Security in India: Determinants and Policy Implications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahidul Islam ◽  
Varghese Manaloor
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Price Support ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
The Impact

Background: Food security has been a target in India since its independence; the primary aim of food security is to ensure enough staple food for the entire population. Although substantial progress was made through the adoption of green revolution (GR) technologies and implementation of the food public distribution system (PDS), desirable food and nutrition security, as defined by the food and agriculture organization (FAO), is far from being realized. This paper scrutinized the potential contribution of millets in achieving food and nutrition security in India. Methods: The present study was conducted based on the secondary data obtained from FAO Corporate Statistical Database and published literature on food and nutrition security. The impact of the GR technologies and the PDS on food and nutrition security was examined using 58 years of acreage, production, and yield of rice, wheat, and millet, as well as comprehensive information on relevant issues including climate. Results: Both GR technologies and PDS unduly favored two principal crops, namely rice and wheat, marginalizing all other crops cultivated for thousands of years to meet the food and nutrition requirement of mostly developing countries including India. Millets constitute one such neglected group of crops in India, which have tremendous potential for contributing to food and nutrition security. Conclusions: Millets are to be included in the PDS alongside rice and wheat so that they receive an appropriate Minimum Price Support. Appropriate implementation of relevant regulations, continued research and development, and adequate support for cultivation and marketing of millets are necessary in this regard.

scholarly journals Legumes crop rotation can improve food and nutrition security in Nepal

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 123-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Pokhrel ◽  
S Pokhrel
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Cost Controls ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
The Impact

An intensive review of the literatures was made to access the importance of crop rotation for sustainable agriculture in Nepal. Result shows that an appropriate crop sequences improves soil fertility, reduces fertilizer cost, controls soil erosion, makes environment healthy, increases crop yields and develop sustainable crop production in the long run. Based on the study, identification of location specific crop sequences, their extension and evaluation of the impact on food production are recommended. Agronomy Journal of Nepal (Agron JN) Vol. 3. 2013, Page 123-127 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajn.v3i0.9014

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