8pgs, This paper addresses the impulse to render systemic food systems issues into stories in light of ongoing challenges such as food scares, food fraud, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Such stories about food systems are seen as embodying the ideal of supply chain transparency currently in vogue and regarded as key to solving food system inequities by shedding light on them. Read in the context of documentary cinematic unveilings of unethical production practices, transparency initiatives of various types, particularly those dependent on the real-time, crypto-ensured storytelling of blockchain and digital twinning technology, would seem to provide a new model of indexicality, a new contract with social reality. However, such tracing systems and the questions they raise instead describe the way in which food—and the land, people and animals who are involved in its production—becomes fodder for various power plays.
12 pages, Current food systems fail to directly link urban consumers with rural producers. City-regional strategies need to reconnect consumers with producers through sustainable local food systems. This research developed and distributed a survey questionnaire to 400 consumers in Bangkok. Findings prove that there is a statistically significant association between urban-rural relation and sustainable urban consumer behavior (Pearson’s Chi-square test for independence resulting in a significance level of p < 0.05). Sustainable consumer behavior is influenced by environmental, sociocultural, economic and health drivers, while lack of food traceability, lack of rural experience, lack of access to rural communities and negative social perception disrupt consumer-producer links. Community-based gastrotourism emerges as one of the best practices to link urban consumers with rural producers and plan sustainable food systems in mega-cities like Bangkok.
21pgs, The concept of a regenerative city goes far beyond a sustainable one. The regenerative approach is to think of urban green space as a productive landscape, a source of food, and a support for biodiversity. In this approach, the so-called urban wastelands have a positive significance. Urban agriculture (UA) has become a commonly discussed topic in recent years with respect to sustainable development. Therefore, the combination of urban fabric and local food production is crucial for ecological reasons. The key issues are the reduction of food miles and the demand for processed food, the production of which strains the natural environment. At the same time, UA enables regeneration and restoration. An original methodological approach was used in the study following the mixed-method research concept: literature survey, case studies, and comparative analysis of objects. A review of UA architecture (UAA) projects was carried out to supplement the knowledge acquired during the bibliometric analysis. In sum, 25 existing projects, including allotment gardens, community gardens, and urban farms in the global north, were compared in this study. As a result of the analyses carried out, the breakdown of urban agriculture was developed into the following categories: (i) architectural–urban, (ii) ecological, (iii) social, and (iv) economic, including the impact of UA on physical activity and social interaction. UA is also a factor shaping the urban landscape. In conclusion, agrarian practice in urban environments has led to the creation of a new type of space, known as UAA. Production in the context of UA exceeds private goods, such as food produced for sale or for individual use. Additional goods include public goods. The review shows that UA fulfills economic, social, and environmental functions, thus falling under the concept of sustainable development.
16 pages, Producing sufficient food to satisfy nutritional needs is imperative for building a prosperous society. This study examined trends in agricultural yields, water and sanitation services, and nutrition indices in Nigeria. Secondary data from the FAO-FAOSTAT (2000–2020) were utilized and analyzed using descriptive statistics, the respective coefficients of variation and determination, the Mann-Kendall trend test, the Pearson correlation and multivariate regression for statistical inferences. The results show trends for data on several variables. GDP per capita and population numbers were positively correlated with the number of children under five years of age who were stunted, and the proportion of population and number of people using safely managed and at least basic drinking water and sanitation services. A major result was the significant positive relationship between cassava yield and number of children under five who were stunted. Also, there was the negative influence of population numbers on cassava and maize yields. If not attended to, the outcomes of these relationships are expected to exacerbate nutrition insecurity and stunting in children under five. An improvement in the national indices on agricultural yields and nutrition security is imperative for the accelerated attainment by 2030 of the national nutrition security targets and the SDGs.
19 pages, A study of 1,558 US households in June 2020 evaluated utilization of online grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, influences on utilization, and plans for future online grocery shopping. Nearly 55 percent of respondents shopped online in June 2020; 20 percent were first-timers. Cragg model estimates showed influences on online shopping likelihood and frequency included demographics, employment, and prior online shopping. Illness concerns increased likelihood, while food shortage concerns increased frequency of online shopping. A multinomial probit suggested 58 percent respondents planned to continue online grocery shopping regardless of pandemic conditions.
18 pages, The donation of unharvested or unsold crops to rescue organizations has been promoted as a strategy to improve healthy food access for food insecure households while reducing production-level food loss and waste (FLW). In this study, we aimed to assess the motivations, barriers, and facilitators for crop donation as a FLW reduction strategy among Maryland farmers. We interviewed 18 Maryland-based food producers (nine frequent crop donors and nine infrequent, by self-report) in 2016 – 2017, soliciting their perspectives on crop donation motivators, process feasibility, and interventions aimed at increasing crop donation. The interviews were thematically coded. All respondents were aware of crop donation as an option, and most expressed interest in reducing FLW by diverting crop surpluses for human consumption. While financial barriers represented one aspect influencing donation decisions, respondents also cited convenience, process knowledge, and liability as key considerations. In contrast to frequent donors, many of whom considered donation a moral imperative, some infrequent donors questioned the expectation that they would donate crops without compensation. Both frequent and infrequent donors were aware of pro-donation tax incentives, and infrequent donors reported being unlikely to use them. This research demonstrates that crop donation motivations, barriers, and facilitators can be diverse. Given the existence of crop surpluses and their potential benefits as emergency food, our results suggest that multiple interventions and policies may contribute to incentivizing and facilitating crop donation (or enabling the purchase of surplus crops) rather than one-size-fits-all approaches. Our findings also highlight a need to prioritize crop recovery methods that enhance growers’ financial stability.
