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Most studies assessing food self-sufficiency look at calories and neglect nutrient gaps. Comparing food demand and potential food production under land and water constraints, this study quantifies 9 key nutrient gaps for each of African’s 54 countries.
This study uses remote sensing and meteorological observations to assess the impact of the 2015 drought on rice in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and in the Republic of Korea. The results show how energy shortages, intensified by trade sanctions, reduced irrigation capacity and led to crop yield loss.
Menu manipulation is a promising strategy to increase environmental and health benefits of food choices. Drawing on data from a UK university residence, this study illustrates such potential.
Greenhouse gas emissions of major commodity field crops are of increasing interest to diverse stakeholders. A carbon footprint analysis following the ISO 14067 standard reveals key drivers of, and differences in, emissions for selected field crop production and transport to market between Canada and other countries.
Accurate data collection remains challenging in fragile contexts, which are prone to food insecurity. Remote sensing, survey data and deep learning can generate poultry–fish sector production estimates and contribute towards long-term food security monitoring.
Understanding recent trends in agricultural productivity and climate can inform mitigation and adaptation strategies. Based on satellite imagery, this study shows that yields have stagnated in much of southern Africa despite moderate climate trends over the past 20 years.
Recent global disruptions have revived the food self-sufficiency debate. This study analyses countries’ trade dependencies and the discrepancy between their domestic food production and guidelines for a healthy and sustainable diet across seven essential food groups.
Combining existing databases, this study estimates global phosphorus stocks in croplands and grasslands that are not readily available to plants. The reserves represent 146–186 years of the 2020 mass of phosphorus fertilizer applied annually.
Strategies to change meat consumption patterns remain poorly understood. Using decomposition analysis, this study shows that the decline in UK meat consumption is driven by the consumption of smaller portions of meat, followed by reducing the number of days and occasions on which meat is consumed.
Nutrition profiling systems inform nutritional and health policies to prevent disease and promote health. This study presents a revised version of the Food Compass nutrient profiling system that incorporates the latest evidence linking diet and health—and which has been validated against health outcomes in a US population.
Trees are an important source of food. Combining household surveys with high-resolution land-cover data, a causal mediation analysis shows how sourcing food from on-farm trees mediates the positive effect of tree cover on micronutrient adequacy in Malawi.
High-resolution global maps of yield potential were created through crop modelling and machine learning. These maps can help orient agricultural research and development programmes and assess food security and land use from local to regional levels.
Data on chemical concentrations in commonly recommended diets are sparse. This study estimates the association between adherence to three dietary patterns considered healthy and exposure to environmental chemicals in a multi-racial pregnancy cohort, underscoring the need for increased regulation and monitoring of environmental contaminants.
The transition towards plant-based diets requires supportive market and policy instruments. This study investigates how and the extent to which public funds support animal agriculture by tracking subsidy flows related to the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy across global food supply chains.
Temperature increases of 1 °C and 3 °C arising from climate change will likely increase risks for tropical sheep production with negative impacts on ewe fertility, milk production and lamb survival rates.
The UK Government aims to reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases by one-third by 2030 (SDG 3). Using life table methodology and data from the UK Biobank, this study indicates that sustained dietary changes—from median or unhealthy to a longevity-associated dietary pattern or to the Eatwell Guide recommendations—could lead to substantial life expectancy gains.
Global wheat trade data for 2022 show substantial disparities in how different countries altered their trade network and diversified import sources in response to Ukrainian wheat shortages.
Genome assemblies, genetic variations, and metabolome and metal ion profiles were generated for diverse pigmented Asian rice varieties. An early maturing, shorter-stature black rice variety was created using CRISPR–Cas9-mediated genome editing, providing insights for improving Asian pigmented rice.
Consumption patterns indicate that millets, rice, cassava and tubers are more important than imported wheat for the poorest Nigerians. Policy must reflect this by supporting coarse grain and rice production rather than any trade policy path for dislodging wheat imports.
