Women play a fundamental role in agricultural and livestock production in rural areas of Loja; however, the extent of their participation varies according to the tasks they perform, their access to technology, and prevailing social norms. This study examined rural livelihoods, agricultural practices, and community dynamics across an altitudinal gradient in Loja Province, southern Ecuador, encompassing low (<1,000 m a.s.l.), lower-intermediate (1,000–1,500 m a.s.l.), upper-intermediate (1,500–2,000 m a.s.l.), and high-elevation zones (>2,000 m a.s.l.). Data from 338 semi-structured surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square (χ2) tests to identify associations between altitudinal zones and socioeconomic, household, agricultural, and community-related variables. The findings reveal that the study area encompasses diverse production systems and livelihood strategies shaped by contrasting environmental and socioeconomic conditions. Agricultural activities included crop cultivation, harvesting, fertilization, and livestock care, while household responsibilities and family participation in decision-making were important across the study zones. Perceptions of organizational support varied along the gradient and were generally limited, particularly at elevations above 2,000 m a.s.l. Although most respondents perceived agricultural decisions as involving the family, significant differences among altitudinal zones were identified in perceptions of decision-making over agricultural and livestock production. These findings highlight the importance of considering territorial variation when designing rural development initiatives. Policies and programs should be adapted to local production systems and socioeconomic conditions to strengthen institutional support, access to productive resources, market opportunities, and livelihood diversification across the altitudinal gradient.
IntroductionRubia cordifolia L. is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, whereas closely related Rubia species are difficult to distinguish visually and authentic material varies across producing regions.MethodsThis study combined hyperspectral imaging with machine learning for authenticity discrimination among three Rubia species and geographical-origin classification of R. cordifolia from six regions. Conventional machine-learning and deep-learning models were compared using region-of-interest (ROI) mean spectra. Training and test data were separated by collection batch, and evaluation was repeated across ten random partitions.ResultsSupport vector machines coupled with standard normal variate transformation (SNV-SVM) achieved the highest mean ROI-level test accuracies of 97.7% and 97.0% for species and origin classification, respectively. Successive projections algorithm, competitive adaptive reweighted sampling, and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) were compared for wavelength reduction. Sixty wavelengths ranked using training-derived SHAP values reduced the input by 84.8% while retaining test accuracies of 94.0% and 89.7%, respectively. SHAP identified 751.72 and 979.26 nm as the most influential wavelengths.DiscussionThese regions may reflect overlapping X-H absorptions, water-related responses, and tissue optical effects. The results demonstrate spectral differentiation of the collected materials using batch-separated evaluation. Additional batches, external validation, and reference chemical measurements are needed to assess transferability and test the proposed spectral associations. These findings provide candidate wavelengths for further development of rapid, non-destructive screening approaches for Rubia-derived medicinal materials.
Food waste represents a fundamental sustainability challenge with significant environmental, economic, and social consequences. Although considerable attention is paid to the prevention of food waste, reliable monitoring of actual food waste production remains challenging, particularly at the household level, where a substantial fraction of discarded food is channeled into residual municipal solid waste (RMSW) streams. This study examines RMSW as an empirical indicator of hidden household food waste streams and evaluates its relevance for food waste prevention strategies and the implementation of a circular economy. Detailed composition analyses of RMSW were conducted in six municipalities in the Czech Republic, representing various settlement characteristics. Representative waste samples of 500 kg were manually sorted into 23 material categories with a special focus on biodegradable materials and food waste fractions. Food waste was further classified according to prevention potential into avoidable and unavoidable fractions. To account for biological degradation and water evaporation during containment, an ex-ante moisture loss correction model was established and applied. To evaluate consumer wasting behavior independently of total municipal mass balances, we introduce a Screening Index of Food Waste in Residual Municipal Solid Waste (IwRMSW), defined as the ratio of avoidable to unavoidable food waste fractions within the RMSW stream. The results show that RMSW in all examined municipalities remains a vast repository of organic matter, with food waste accounting for up to 33% of household waste. Avoidable fractions constituted a substantial share of the discarded organic matter, accounting for up to 23.41% of the total RMSW mass. The Screening Index of Food Waste in RMSW (IwRMSW), was highest for the municipality of Lipno nad Vltavou at 4.35, which operates under a zero-waste fee system. During late summer campaigns, the town of Slaný exhibited an extreme peak in the amount of avoidable food waste of 33.38%, leading to an IwRMSW of 27.82, signaling severe seasonal failures in food management. The findings of the analyses indicate a substantial prevention potential through behavioral interventions, improved household food management, and targeted municipal programs. The outcomes further demonstrate that existing separate collection systems alone do not fully prevent the disposal of food waste through RMSW. This study highlights the importance of integrating RMSW’s composition analyses into food waste monitoring frameworks. Combining physical waste data with behavioral approaches and circular economy principles can improve the evidence base for food waste prevention policies and support the transition to sustainable food systems. The results provide practical implications for municipalities and policymakers striving to achieve European goals in reducing food waste and improving resource efficiency.
We argue in this paper that we cannot understand or change seafood systems if we do not look specifically at the history of industrial seafood processing in the U.S. Seafood is a vital part of human food systems that are imbricated with economic, social, and ecological processes, all of which have consequences for individual and collective culture, nutrition and health. Fisheries render seafood into food by capturing/harvesting, processing, and transporting it for human consumption, all within the context of policy and regulatory regimes and market imperatives. Seafood systems are implicated in the reproduction (or potentially, we argue, in the interruption) of social processes that result in food insecurity. Seafood is also culturally significant and similar to farming; fishing evokes a specific trope in the north American imagination. However, when asked to think about fishing or seafood, most people will likely think of men in boats catching fish. Some will think of the fish/seafood they buy at the grocery store, often frozen or in a can, or possibly fresh. Very few will think about what happens in between - how the seafood gets from the ocean, lake, or tank/cage to the grocery store. Thus, stories about seafood systems, the process of getting seafood from water into bellies, often ignores a vital link - seafood processing. Understanding seafood processing is vital because it highlights global flows of capital, products, labor, and fish. It also highlights how these flows are shaped by different policies and practices, which shape whether and how people are fed and are made vulnerable by the climate crisis. What would it mean for communities’ access to fish if fish, people, and capital could flow in different ways? What would this mean for seafood systems and how they could address food sovereignty and climate change?
IntroductionThe education curriculum in any milieu is dynamic and a continuous, evolving process. However, the influence of Western philosophy on educational curricula raises concerns about the harmful impact of crime and food insecurity on Nigeria's food sustainability.MethodsA cross-sectional research method was adopted to investigate participants’ perceptions of the potential of a decolonised curriculum to contribute to food security and crime reduction. A survey was administered to 105 Nigerian university agricultural academic staff via Google Forms to conveniently maximise participant accessibility. Quantitative data were analysed using percentages, mean scores, and an ordinal logistic regression model, while general strain, material deprivation, and educational inequality theories underpinned the study's findings.Results and discussionFindings indicate the faculty’s perception of adopting an African-driven, epistemology-based educational curriculum as a means of curbing crime and reducing food insecurity. It thus proposed incorporating local pedagogies into the teaching curriculum to help mitigate feelings of structural marginalisation. The study advocates a holistic, faculty-led approach to mitigating crime and food insecurity in Nigeria, emphasising an ongoing process of reflection, adaptation, and stakeholder collaboration to decolonise the agricultural education curriculum and foster a sustainable food system.
