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42. Review of the sustainability of food systems and transition using the Internet of Food
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Holden, Nicholas M. (author), Lange, Matthew C. (author), White, Eoin P. (author), and Oldfield, Thomas L. (author)
- Format:
- Article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-10-09
- Published:
- UK: Springer Nature
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 207 Document Number: D13074
- Journal Title:
- Science of Food
- Journal Title Details:
- V.2
- Notes:
- 7 pages, Many current food systems are unsustainable because they cause significant resource depletion and unacceptable environmental impacts. This problem is so severe, it can be argued that the food eaten today is equivalent to a fossil resource. The transition to sustainable food systems will require many changes but of particular importance will be the harnessing of internet technology, in the form of an ‘Internet of Food’, which offers the chance to use global resources more efficiently, to stimulate rural livelihoods, to develop systems for resilience and to facilitate responsible governance by means of computation, communication, education and trade without limits of knowledge and access. A brief analysis of the evidence of resource depletion and environmental impact associated with food production and an outline of the limitations of tools like life cycle assessment, which are used to quantify the impact of food products, indicates that the ability to combine data across the whole system from farm to human will be required in order to design sustainable food systems. Developing an Internet of Food, as a precompetitive platform on which business models can be built, much like the internet as we currently know it, will require agreed vocabularies and ontologies to be able to reason and compute across the vast amounts of data that are becoming available. The ability to compute over large amounts of data will change the way the food system is analysed and understood and will permit a transition to sustainable food systems.
43. Ethnobotany for food security and ecological transition: wild food plant gathering and consumption among four cultural groups in Kurram District, NW Pakistan
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Hussain, Sayed Taufiq (author), Muhammad, Sayed (author), Khan, Sheharyar (author), Hussain, Wahid (author), and Pieroni, Andrea (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2023-09-01
- Published:
- United Kingdom: BioMed Central
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 206 Document Number: D12948
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
- Journal Title Details:
- V.19, N.35
- Notes:
- 15 pages, Background In traditional food systems, especially those of rural populations around the world, wild food plants remain crucial. These resources need to be urgently documented to lay the foundations for sustainable livelihoods and food security. Methods In the present field study, we gathered information about wild food plants and mushrooms consumed by four ethnic groups (Turis, Khushis, Hazaras, and Christians) living in Kurram District, NW Pakistan, by conducting semi-structured interviews and holding group discussions. Results A total of 57 wild edible plants and mushrooms were reported, with the documented taxa belonging to 50 genera and 34 families. Turis reported the highest number of wild food plants (41), followed by Hazaras (37), Khushis (35), and then Christians, who reported only 11 plants. The most dominant families were Rosaceae, followed by Polygonaceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Moraceae, and Plantaginaceae. The comparative analysis we conducted with the pre-existing Pakistani ethnobotanical studies revealed that 23 wild edible plants have not been previously reported as food items in the area under study, which included Fragaria nubicola, Lepidium draba, Pinus wallichiana, Podophyllum emodi, Prunus jacquemontii, Sambucus nigra, Sideroxylon mascatense, and Thymus linearis. Four wild edible mushrooms are also reported for the area for the first time: Calvatia gigantea, Morchella esculenta, Pisolithus albus, and Tulostoma squamosum. The cross-cultural analysis of wild edible plants and their uses revealed remarkable similarity between Khushis and Hazaras. The overlapping pattern of wild edible plant use among these two groups, as well as Turis, confirms the existence of cross-cultural interactions among these communities, which have shared the same environmental and socio-cultural space for several decades. Food heritage and some unique dishes are linked to wild edible plants in the area, such as Zamda, prepared by Turis, and Saba, famous among Khushis and Hazaras. Conclusion This study suggests that some wild edible plants could be cultivated to protect a few threatened species from overexploitation, while the overall wild food plant heritage should be promoted and revitalized; for example, within educational platforms aimed at improving the wellbeing of local communities and the global ecological transition we must deal with.
44. Assessing the effectiveness of Nigerian agricultural promotion policy thrusts in achieving a sustainable food system
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Ike, Chinweoke Uzoamaka (author), Tranter, Richard (author), and Gadanakis, Yiorgos (author)
- Format:
- Conference paper
- Publication Date:
- 2021-03-29
- Published:
- UK: Agricultural Economics Society, The
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 207 Document Number: D13166
- Notes:
- 14 pages, To diversify the Nigerian economy and reduce dependency on food import, the Agricultural promotion policy (APP) was developed and implemented in 2016. This policy aims to move Nigerian agriculture to a commercial sector to ensure the creation of sustainable jobs and wealth. However, little is known about the effects of the policy on biodiversity, dietary diversity, and employment and income of the small-scale farmers who form the greater proportion of the food producers. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of APP in achieving social justice particularly for small-scale farmers, environmental sustainability and economic viability through sustainable agriculture. To assess the effectiveness of APP, focus groups discussions were held in six local governments in the North East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. APP food security thrusts of strategic national food reserve, proper use of agrochemicals and tractors, focus on forest food harvest and government support for large scale and specialised farms are very effective for securing food price stability. Moreover, food crop fortification is very effective in providing income support for households as it is the focus on forest food harvest, and access to credit and labour subsidies for small farmers. Encouraging organic farming is very effective in securing access to and availability of diversity of food, biodiversity and employment. Food diversity, soil fertility, biodiversity and employment also benefited from the provision of credit and labour subsidies. The outcome of this discussion is important for shaping the Nigerian food system. Though the APP thrusts are geared towards achieving sustainable development, Nigerian policy authorities should focus more on encouraging organic farming, credit and labour subsidies for the smallholder farmers, creating balance diet awareness, and forest preservation and food harvest to achieve food security, environmental sustainability and employment.
45. "We need to look at food as a global system"
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Jackson, Janine (author) and Bell, Beverly (author)
- Format:
- Interview
- Publication Date:
- 2015-10-22
- Published:
- International
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 168 Document Number: D08693
- Notes:
- Transcript posted on the website of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), New York City, New York. Interview of Beverly Bell, coordinator of Other Worlds, a "women-led and movement-building collaborative." 6 pages.
46. We need to look at food as a global system
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Jackson, Janine (author)
- Format:
- Interview
- Publication Date:
- 2015-10-22
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 153 Document Number: D07404
- Notes:
- Online from Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), New York City, New York. 8 pages.
47. Agricultural value chain development in nepal: understanding mechanisms for poverty reduction
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Kafle, Kashi (author), Songsermsawas, Tisorn (author), and Winters, Paul (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-01-12
- Published:
- United States: Wiley Online
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12452
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Economics
- Notes:
- 18pgs, This analysis investigates the potential mechanisms and the practical significance of agricultural value chain development in a geographically challenging rural area of a developing country. Using data from a carefully designed primary survey administered in a hill and mountainous region in Western Nepal, we show that linking small-scale producers to regional and local traders can help increase income. Analysis of impact pathways shows that the positive impact on household income emerges through higher agricultural income, driven by higher sale volume at lower prices. Focusing on high value commodities in rural areas, where arable land is not always fully exploited or utilized, appears to lead to acreage expansion and some crop switching, contributing to higher supply albeit at lower prices. The positive impact on household income is practically significant; it helps improve household food security and asset accumulation. These findings are robust to alternative specifications. Targeted value chain interventions that strengthen and stabilize small-scale producers’ access to markets can contribute to rural poverty reduction via increase in agricultural income.
48. The importance of the public acceptance theory in determining the success of the vertical farming projects
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Kalantari, Fatemeh (author), Tahir, Osman Mohd (author), Akbari Joni, Rahele (author), and Aminuldin, Nur Azemah (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-03
- Published:
- International
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 93 Document Number: D10856
- Journal Title:
- Management Research and Practice
- Journal Title Details:
- 10(1) : 5-16
- Notes:
- Via UIUC online collection., "Existing empirical studies mostly focus on the construction technology or the agricultural technique of Vertical Farming. So far, no research addressed the factors contributing to the acceptance or rejection of Vertical Farming. ... A comprehensive literature reviewed on public acceptance of Vertical Farming in relation to the food security." ... "Public perception will be a key factor predicting the success of a project."
49. Invisible livestock'- on the central roles of working horses, donkeys and mules on the smallholder farms that feed the world
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Karaimu, Paul (author)
- Format:
- Online article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-01-29
- Published:
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) News
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 208 Document Number: D13326
- Notes:
- 3 pages
50. Food delivery apps deliver, but at what cost?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Karst, Tom (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-07-22
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11926
- Journal Title:
- Packer
- Notes:
- Online from publication. 4 pages., Report about a panel presentation at a meeting of the Produce Marketing Association. Panelist moderator reported that food delivery services such as Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates can charge restaurants 20-35 percent commission per order, in addition to the monthly fee for the service. Customers typically pay a delivery fee, a driver tip, and sales tax. The moderator urged restaurants, "Be smart about where your money is spent, and be firm, and try and make it a good experience for yourself and your customers."