Improved crop varieties have been crucial in enhancing productivity, food security and resilience against biotic and abiotic stressors. While this has been investigated in annual staple crops, empirical evidence on the effectiveness of vegetative propagation methods such as grafting remains scarce. This paper presents the first empirical evidence on the yield performance of grafting in coffee, one of the most traded commodities globally, which supports the livelihood of millions of smallholder farmers. We estimate a log-linearized Cobb-Douglas production function using plot-level data from 1,321 coffee plots in four provinces in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. To address potential selection bias in adoption, we apply an instrumental variable approach. The results show that coffee grafting increases yield by 61
Climate change challenges continue to intensify agricultural vulnerabilities across Sub-Saharan African countries (SSA), however, the extent to which gender-inclusive governance strengthens agricultural climate resilience remains poorly understood in the region. This research explores the relationships between gender inclusive governance, women’s economic empowerment, and climate-resilient agricultural outcomes among ten SSA countries from 2005 to 2024. Guided by participatory governance theory as well as feminist political ecology, the study integrates governance processes with gendered adaptation dynamics. Employing the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) ARDL estimator, the analysis identifies both short- and long-run effects of women’s legal rights, and educational inclusion, and labour participation on agricultural resilience indicators. The results indicate that women’s legal rights and labour force participation significantly increase short-run resilience, but female educational attainment has stronger long-run effects. The finding also highlights continuous structural constraints, where improvements in food security do not outrightly mean translation into resilient systems when gendered resource inequality persists. The study however contributes new multi-country quantitative based evidence on the governance gender resilience relationships and provides desirable insights relevant to SDGs 2, 5, and 13 accordingly.
Abstract Background Perceived risks associated with food production are a major concern among European consumers and strongly influence debates on sustainable agricultural practices. In particular, the adoption of precision-bred (gene-edited) crops and the use of alternative pesticide strategies raise questions about consumer acceptance and regulatory alignment. This study examines consumer perceptions of precision-bred watermelon and different pesticide strategies, including conventional pesticides, organic-certified pesticides, and zero-residue pesticides, with the aim of assessing perceived risks and implications for sustainable agriculture in Europe. Results A discrete choice experiment was conducted with 1,218 consumers from Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The results show that between 22 and 27% of consumers across these countries reject precision-bred watermelon. Concerns related to gene editing and conventional pesticide use frequently overlap among consumers, indicating a broader sensitivity to production-related risks. However, conventional pesticides are generally perceived as riskier than precision breeding technologies. In addition, consumers show a stronger preference for zero-residue pesticides compared to organic-certified alternatives, suggesting that residue-related concerns play a key role in shaping preferences. Overall, acceptance levels of precision-bred crops are relatively similar across countries, despite differences in regulatory frameworks. Conclusions The findings indicate relatively stronger consumer rejection of conventional pesticide use compared with alternative technological options, suggesting potential opportunities to expand the adoption of precision breeding technologies while addressing consumer risk perceptions and sustainability objectives. From a policy perspective, promoting zero-residue pesticide strategies and reconsidering regulatory approaches to gene editing, particularly within the European Union, may help align legislation with consumer preferences and sustainability goals. This study contributes novel empirical evidence to ongoing discussions on agricultural biotechnology, pesticide reduction, and sustainable food production in Europe.
Abstract Globally, child undernutrition remains a primary health concern. Climate change will aggravate undernutrition and food insecurity, particularly in subsistence farming households in sub-Saharan Africa. Home gardening could serve as an adaptation strategy for vulnerable households, especially those with children under five years. Here, we present the experiences and perceptions of beneficiaries and stakeholders, contributing to the co-design of an intervention with home gardening and nutrition counselling in rural Burkina Faso. This qualitative study recruited caregivers of children below 5 years of age living in the Nouna area and local stakeholders from national and international organizations. We conducted and recorded interviews using two interview guides. These were transcribed and analysed using content analysis. In total, 43 interviews were conducted (32 caregivers, 11 stakeholders). All caregivers were women and all but one stakeholder were men. The primary motivators for home gardening were to increase food, health and finances. Dissuaders included the difficulty of establishing and maintaining the garden and uncertainty around the garden’s productivity. Caregivers highlighted environmental, financial and sociocultural barriers, whereas stakeholders emphasized the importance of community-centred approaches for a successful intervention. Our findings emphasize that long-lasting garden initiatives in rural Burkina Faso require external support backed by institutional and social structures. Sustained behaviour change in this context requires climate-friendly and affordable inputs. In addition, home gardening should be paired with the promotion of nutrition literacy and fluency to create climate resilience along with food and nutrition security at household level.
Balancing income generation with food security remains a persistent challenge for smallholder farmers in tropical regions. In India, especially in Kerala, cocoa-cashew intercropping has emerged as a strategy that promises both economic returns and ecological sustainability, yet its impacts remain empirically unexplored. The study examines the cocoa-cashew intercropping system in Kerala and evaluates its economic benefit, determinants of adoption, and structural barriers. A multiple regression model was applied using a survey of 412 smallholder farmers from five districts to quantify its impact. The results confirm that intercropping is significantly associated with household income and food security, primarily because of technical training, cooperative membership, and market price stability. Additionally, socioeconomic benefits included higher household income, food access, and cooperative-led training benefits, while environmental impacts involved improved soil health, reduced erosion, and decreased pesticide reliance marking cocoa-cashew intercropping as a dual pathway for inclusive resilience and ecological balance in Kerala. Remarkably, land tenure security, education, and credit access had no significant impact however, restricted market access and high initial investment costs are limiting factors to large-scale adoption. Using Propensity Score Matching (PSM), the study further finds that intercropping is statistically associated with higher household income and improved food security outcomes. To scale up intercropping adoption, policymakers have to enhance farmer training programs, improve cooperative-based marketing, invest in rural infrastructure, and introduce focused financial incentives. By addressing these structural challenges, intercropping can become a transformative pathway for improving smallholder resilience, economic security, and food sustainability.
Climate change threatens global food security by disrupting temperature and rainfall patterns, increasing the risk of reduced crop yields. While extensive research has explored these impacts worldwide, limited studies have quantified the combined effects of climate change and management strategies on maize productivity in Pakistan’s Peshawar region. This study addresses this gap by simulating maize yield predictions using the decision support system for agrotechnology transfer (DSSAT) cropping system modeling (CSM) CERES module integrated with real-time environmental data and advanced crop modeling techniques. We conducted a two-year field experiment (2020–21) calibrating and evaluating leaf area index (LAI), leaf weight (kg ha−1), pods weight (kg ha−1), aboveground biomass (AGB, kg ha−1), and yield (kg ha−1) in Peshawar, Pakistan. Two maize hybrids, hybrid-1 (SB92-K97) and hybrid-2 (SB-909), were evaluated. Climate change scenarios were constructed from five global climate models (GCMs) under representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5, and comprehensive simulations tracked yield performance across baseline, near-, mid-, and far-future time periods (2006–2100). This process involved the development of an iterative recalibration module that adjusted model parameters in response to environmental feedback loops, resulting in refined predictions of anthesis, maturity, and yield, particularly under nitrogen (N)-limited scenarios. Our findings demonstrate that the model showed acceptable calibration, with RMSEs of 397 kg ha−1 for hybrid-1 and 411 kg ha−1 for hybrid-2, and accurate yield predictions with RMSEs of 68 kg ha−1 and 79 kg ha−1, respectively. The implementation of dynamic recalibration led to predictions of yield declines of 14
Foodborne illness and nutritional insecurity remain pressing challenges among smallholder farmers in Southwest Nigeria, yet little is known about how socioeconomic conditions and HRB (HRB) shape their willingness to pay (WTP) for safe and nutritious food. This study explores how socioeconomic factors and health-related behaviour (HRB) interact to shape willingness to pay (WTP) for safe and nutritious food among smallholder farmers in Southwest Nigeria. Guided by Dual System Theory, a cross-sectional survey design was employed, collecting 294 responses from Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti states. Data were gathered using structured questionnaires, including an adapted Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile and Gabor-Granger-based WTP tiers. Analytical methods included Analysis of Variance and ordinal regression with interaction terms. Results show income as the strongest predictor of WTP (Wald χ²=87.969, p < 0.001), with lower-income groups having near-zero odds of paying premiums. HRB had no main effect (OR = 1.589, p = 0.210) but significantly moderated the influence of age (OR = 2.228, p < 0.001) and education (OR = 0.251, p = 0.023). Household size was positively associated with WTP (OR = 1.245, p = 0.009). Policy recommendations include tiered subsidies targeting HRB-rich households, mobile food safety alerts, and experiential learning tools like vendor-rating apps. Theoretically, this study extends Becker’s model by highlighting HRB as a conditional driver, operating independently and interactively with income. These insights support tailored, behaviour-sensitive food safety interventions for nutritionally vulnerable farming populations.
The related literature in self-sufficiency is less informative about the ability of domestic farmers in small countries—which are usually net food importers and more prone to food insecurity—to compete in prices with imports. To increase self-sufficiency in a small country, agricultural goods could substitute imports at different stages of the supply chain. We use Puerto Rico as our case study, where we collected new private price data at different stages along the supply chain that were not previously available. We found that domestic farmers had lower prices than import costs for 30 of 74 agricultural goods. If this economy managed to become self-sufficient in only five of those items, it could have added more than 118 million to its annual gross national product. There were 52 goods that domestic farmers could competitively sell to supermarkets and 22 goods at the restaurant stage. They could also provide 24 imported goods at the family market level. Another alternative was direct marketing, where farmers could compete in almost all the items surveyed. We end up with policy recommendations. JEL classification: Q11, Q12, Q13, Q18.
Dietary diversity is widely recognized as a key element of food and nutrition security. However, its influence on health outcomes in different national development stages remains underexplored. We use FAOSTAT Food Balance Sheet data on national per-capita food availability, WHO health indicators such as prevalence of undernutrition, obesity, diabetes, life expectancy, and World Bank income group categories from 2011 to 2022, and panel and cross-sectional regression models to study how diet diversity, measured with the Simpson, Shannon, and Count indices, impacts health. The findings reveal complex and context-dependent relationships. In low-income countries, increased dietary diversity is associated with decreased life expectancy and an increased prevalence of obesity and diabetes. In lower-middle-income countries, increased diversity significantly is related to the prevalence of underweight and is positively associated with life expectancy. Upper-middle-income countries show mixed results, with diversity linked to both health indicators and rising obesity rates, highlighting a transitional dietary shift. In high-income countries, dietary diversity is correlated with improved health outcomes, including a lower prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Additionally, we examined the relationship between dietary diversity and plant-based calorie intake shares and found that plant-dominated diets do not consistently improve diversity or nutritional adequacy, particularly in lower-income settings. These findings emphasise the need for context-specific dietary guidelines and a policy shift from focusing on ‘green’ diets to prioritising actual nutritional quality. Methodologically, future studies should consider (nutrient-) ‘rich diet diversity’ measures, giving more weight to nutritious food items than to empty calorie providers.
Abstract Background The sustainability of food systems, especially of those sourcing and supplying meat, is a major global concern, due to their significant contribution to negative outcomes such as global warming, air and water pollution, and outbreaks of zoonosis. Ontologies are essential to effectively address those issues, by standardizing knowledge of food systems into consistent vocabularies and structured representations. To date, however, no ontology models sustainable food systems involving meat sourcing and supplying, and only limited and siloed efforts have been made regarding designing ontologies for sustainability in food systems in general. Results In this paper, we introduce a Sustainable Meat Systems Ontology (SuMSO). SuMSO focuses on bovine-derived meat as an initial use case. In Sect. “Background”, we briefly assess existing ontological resources addressing meat systems and related sustainability, and available ontology design methodologies. In Sect. “Methods”, we outline the approach adopted to develop SuMSO. In Sect. “The Sustainable Meat Systems Ontology”, we describe SuMSO. In Sect. “Discussion”, we discuss limitations of this work and provide considerations regarding ontology applicability. In Sect. “Conclusions”, we conclude by presenting future directions for implementation. Conclusions SuMSO was designed to be compatible with: the Sustainability Core Ontology (SCO), as a more general sustainability ontology; with Basic Formal Ontology (BFO), as a top-level ontology; with ontologies within the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology (OBO) Foundry, and with Common Core Ontologies Suites (CCO). SuMSO will support implementations of applications, such as interactive dashboards, to monitor, collect, share, and integrate data on meat systems and sustainability, as well as construct effective catalogs of sustainability Indicators and metrics, ultimately contributing to projects that seek to strengthen sustainability across local and global meat systems.
With the escalating impacts of climate change, drought stress (DS) is significantly decreasing water accessibility and availability, causing substantial direct and indirect economic repercussions within agricultural systems. Addressing the needs of a growing global population necessitates urgent advancements in breeding DS-tolerant crops while maintaining high yields. This urgency demands a fast and adaptable defensive strategy to mitigate the adverse effects of DS on crop productivity. Accelerating such developments requires leveraging advanced omics-assisted breeding (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics), genetic engineering (e.g., transgenic technology, and genome editing), machine learning, precise phenotyping, crop wild relatives, and speed breeding. These fast-forward methods present highly promising avenues for the design of future crops that can withstand DS pressures. In summary, we propose an innovative approach termed the “OGS trio,” which encompasses omics integration, genetic engineering, and speed breeding. This trio stands composed to transform efforts against DS, offering significant potential for developing drought-tolerant crops to achieve and food security amidst climate change.
Abstract Food security in Somalia remains a critical concern due to prolonged conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability. Recurrent droughts and floods have disrupted agricultural production, while insecurity has restricted access to markets and humanitarian assistance, resulting in widespread food shortages and high malnutrition rates. This study examines the dynamic relationship between foreign aid, climate variables, conflict, and food security in Somalia using annual time-series data from 1990 to 2020. The study employs several econometric models, such as an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL), Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS), and Canonical Cointegrating Regression (CCR). The long-run empirical findings indicate that food aid, average rainfall, and conflict have significantly undermined food security, whereas humanitarian aid significantly enhances food security. Average temperature shows an insignificant effect. In the short run, rainfall and conflict significantly worsen food security, while food aid, humanitarian aid, and temperature remain statistically insignificant. The results highlight the importance of reforming food aid modalities, strengthening humanitarian assistance, addressing conflict, and promoting climate-resilient agricultural strategies to enhance food security in Somalia.
Lathyrus species are important for food, fodder, and resilience under adverse climatic conditions. In India, Lathyrus sativus L.suits rice fallows, but scientific practices are poorly adopted by tribal farmers.This study evaluated the effectiveness of a mobile-based digital extension tool, Lathyrus Info, in enhancing farmers’ knowledge of Scientific Lathyrus Production Technologies (SLPTs) in Kasdol block of Baloda Bazar district, Chhattisgarh. The study was conducted on a sample of 100 tribal farmers selected through multi-stage purposive sampling from five village clusters. A pre and post exposure research design was adopted. Farmers’ knowledge levels were assessed before and after exposure to the mobile application using a structured and pre-tested knowledge test. Data were analysed using non-parametric tests, correlation analysis, and binary logistic regression in R to examine knowledge gain and its socio-economic determinants. The findings revealed a significant improvement in knowledge following exposure to the mobile application. The median knowledge score increased from 41.4 in the pre-test to 66.64 in the post-test, with reduced variability among participants. The mean knowledge score increased from 13.77 to 19.22, a 21.80
We investigate how fluctuations in staple prices affect expenditure on food groups, food security, and dietary diversity in both rural and urban areas. We utilize three waves of the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS) data as well as data from other national sources in Ethiopia. Our findings show that an increase in per-unit consumer prices of teff, sorghum, and maize increases the expenditure share of cereals in urban-, but not in rural-, households. However, we find opposite effects for dietary diversity between the two types of households. Dietary diversity, as measured by a household dietary diversity score, decreases for rural households when per-unit consumer prices of maize, sorghum, wheat, and barley increase. However, dietary diversity decreases when maize and teff prices increase, but price changes in other staples show no statistically significant association with dietary diversity, for urban households. Our findings emphasize the importance of both rural and urban consumers’ welfare as well as their dietary diversity towards either food security or improved diets in developing countries.
Abstract Food security (FS) remains a pressing issue at the global scale. Current literature about FS points to a plethora of causes of food insecurity, among which climate change and the loss of biodiversity are critical to all facets of food security. Building on this notion, we advocate for a comprehensive understanding of drivers of food security, thus contributing by examining climate change and biodiversity as drivers of food security. The interest in this subject stems not only from the scientific community, but also from practitioners and policymakers. However, holistic encapsulation of the relevant literature addressing this subject is currently lacking. This review systematically analyses and categorises the drivers of FS induced by climate change and biodiversity. Following the Systematic Literature Review approach, 342 peer-reviewed studies were selected and synthesised. Our findings identified 11 categories of climate change drivers and 9 categories of biodiversity drivers of FS. These drivers were found to impact the habitats, phenology, physiology, behaviours, and resilience of crops and animals, which are key for food production and, subsequently, FS. The impacts of these drivers are discussed, linking them to the four pillars of FS, including availability, accessibility, utilisation, and stability. Findings from the literature strongly indicate adverse impacts from various climate change drivers, notably increased temperature, precipitation changes, and increased sea temperature. On the other hand, biodiversity drivers are found to be beneficial to food security when adopted to the current food system. The literature highlights diversity in plants and crops, diversity in soil biota, and agroforestry as some important drivers. Moreover, we found that the availability and accessibility pillars of FS are most mentioned in the reviewed studies, whereas the stability and utilisation pillars can be further investigated.
In the context of climate change and extreme weather events that significantly impact agricultural production, smart agriculture has emerged as an important entry point for increasing the resilience of agricultural households. This study examines the relationship between climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices and food security among maize-growing households in Uganda, utilizing data from three waves of the Uganda National Panel Survey collected by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. A two-step analytical approach was employed. In the first stage, a panel logistic regression model was employed to understand the factors influencing the adoption of CSA practices. While in the second stage, random and fixed effects panel data analysis methods were applied to assess the effects of CSA on food security indicators -Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), Food Consumption Score (FCS), and Months of Adequate Household Food Provisioning (MAHFP) among maize farmers. Our findings reveal a strong association between the adoption of all four studied CSA practices and household dietary diversity scores (HDDS). The number of months of adequate food provisioning was significantly influenced using fertilizers and pesticides, whereas the food consumption score (FCS) was affected primarily by legume intercropping and the use of fertilizers. Although there were modest associations between the independent use of CSA practices and food security, bundling CSA practices showed a stronger association with HDDS and FCS and a weaker association with months of adequate household food provisioning. The findings of this study suggest important policy implications for providing maize farmers with effective CSA practice packages that maximize food security benefits while promoting environmental sustainability.
Abstract The South Caucasus is recognized as one of the primary centres of grapevine domestication and harbours an extraordinary wealth of wild and cultivated grapevine diversity. Understanding the genetic structure and relationships of this germplasm is essential both for conservation and for the valorisation of local varieties in viticulture, wine making and breeding. The objectives of the present study consisted of the exploration of grape genetic diversity and the investigation of genetic relationships existing in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Germplasm studied included 425 non-redundant accessions, genotyped using 24 nSSR-markers, from these three countries and from Western to Eastern Europe. The total sample set included 366 Vitis vinifera subsp. sativa varieties, 50 Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris individuals and 9 interspecific crosses. A Bayesian clustering analysis and diversity parameters revealed that Armenia and Azerbaijan share a common gene pool, whereas the Georgian gene pool is mainly independent, with few intermixes. First-order parentage analysis identified 208 first-degree relationships with 196 grape varieties (46%) being involved, while 231 genotypes (54%), respectively 180 (42%) sativa and 51 (12%) sylvestris did not show any genetic relatedness. Two reconstructed genetic profiles are proposed, suggesting that these are likely key ancestors within the Georgian gene pool. This treasure of genetic diversity from one of the cradles of wine culture holds immense potential for research and breeding with an unique cultural-historical background. Therefore, further surveys and research are essential for the conservation, sustainable management, and utilization of the grapevine genetic biodiversity of the South Caucasus.
Agricultural pests have long been central targets of crop protection, and recent climatic trends have raised concerns that elevated temperatures may have created more favorable conditions for outbreaks. We employed an empirical dynamic modeling (EDM) framework and applied it to exceptionally long‑term monitoring records of major Japanese insect rice pests to assess their temporal dynamics. We then quantified the impacts of climate change, as well as those of management interventions in paddy fields, over time. Across multiple regions of Japan, insect rice pests showed overall long‑term declines, with species‑specific temporal fluctuations. These declines were mainly associated with agricultural management practices, particularly pesticide use (notably neonicotinoids), and to land consolidation for infrastructure improvement, which appear to exert ancillary management effects. Increases in temperature generally showed negative associations with insect rice pests, although these effects were weaker than those of pesticides and land consolidation. Although some agricultural pests may increase in abundance under global warming, our results indicate that crop‑management practices such as appropriate pesticide selection and land consolidation play a more dominant role in maintaining pest populations at low densities in Japan. We anticipate that integrated pest management (IPM), which combines physical pest‑prevention measures with adaptive pesticide use guided by regular monitoring, will continue to mitigate widespread pest outbreaks in the future.
Abstract Background Household food insecurity remains a critical public health issue in low- and middle-income countries, contributing to undernutrition and overweight. Senegal is undergoing a nutrition transition, with regions experiencing varying degrees of food insecurity and nutritional outcomes. This study examines the association between household food insecurity and adult nutritional status across five ecologically distinct regions of Senegal. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2024 involving 1,965 adults from 1,253 households in Boundou, Bedik/Bandafassi, Senegal River Valley, Lower Casamance, and Dakar regions. Household food insecurity was assessed using the validated Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, while body mass index (BMI) was calculated from measured weight and height. Associations between food insecurity, socioeconomic factors, and BMI categories were analyzed using multilevel ordinal logistic regression with region-stratified analyses conducted to evaluate context-specific relationships. Results Findings revealed significant geographic variation in food security and nutritional outcomes. Over 50% of households in Boundou and Bedik/Bandafassi were severely food insecure, while Lower Casamance had the highest food security levels. Underweight was most prevalent in food-insecure rural regions like Boundou, whereas overweight and obesity were concentrated in urban areas like Dakar and Lower Casamance. Food insecurity was significantly associated with higher BMI in Boundou and overweight in Dakar, supporting the food insecurity-obesity hypothesis. However, no significant association emerged between food insecurity and underweight in the overall model, suggesting that broader ecological and health-related factors may drive undernutrition. Conclusion The study highlighted the context-specific and regionally differentiated relationships between food insecurity and nutritional status in Senegal. These findings underscore the need for locally tailored, multisectoral interventions that address the dual burden of malnutrition by improving both food access and diet quality.
