Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems <p><em>Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems</em><a href="http://journals.cambridge.org/jid-aja" target="-blank">(formerly <em>American Journal of Alternative Agriculture</em>)</a> is a multi-disciplinary open-access journal which focuses on the science that underpins economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable approaches to agriculture and food production. The journal publishes original research and review articles on the economic, ecological, and environmental impacts of agriculture; the effective use of renewable resources and biodiversity in agro-ecosystems; and the technological and sociological implications of sustainable food systems. It also contains a discussion forum, which presents lively discussions on new and provocative topics.</p>
- Water scarcity and consumer behavior: an analysis of diet-related water footprintby Frola, Enrica Nadia on October 31, 2024 at 12:00 am
Within the framework of an increasing water scarcity, fostered by the climate change, in this study we investigate the environmental impact associated with current food consumption by means of the Water footprint indicator focusing on the case of Italy. For the analysis of the real food consumption and its impact, we selected the Mediterranean diet as a benchmark, since previous evidence shows that Italians are shifting their dietary habits away from the traditional Mediterranean Diet in favor of dietary patterns rich in animal-based products, especially meat. To promote more sustainable food choices, we applied a Sustainable Diet Model to analyze alternative diets that can reduce the Water footprint associated with food consumption. The results of the analysis show that by adopting slight changes in the consumption of certain categories of foods, it is possible to reduce the Water footprint of diets. The findings of this research are useful for supporting policies for the promotion of sustainable food consumption that would lead to a reduction in the exploitation of a scarce resource such as water, improving the allocation of this resource and achieving the objectives of the 2030 Agenda.
- Emerging specialty crop farmer perspectives and educational needs related to soil health and nutrient management in the Upper Midwestby Hoidal, Natalie on October 31, 2024 at 12:00 am
Emerging farmers, including immigrant farmers, play an increasingly important role in the food system of the Upper Midwestern United States but face significant barriers to success. One important barrier is the lack of culturally relevant and system-specific training and technical assistance, particularly related to soil health and nutrient management. A team of researchers and farm support professionals was convened to conduct a farmer engagement process consisting of a survey and focus groups to better understand the experiences and wisdom that emerging farmers already have, and their educational needs related to soils. The broader goal was to inform the development of culturally relevant tools and training. Here we identify key takeaways related to content needs and learning style preferences. While emerging farmers are already skilled in assessing physical and biological aspects of soil health, they often need support in understanding chemical properties of soil, how to do soil testing, and how to translate soil test results into actionable practices. Additionally, many emerging farmers have experience in other countries and in agricultural systems based on practices such as shifting cultivation. Supporting farmers as they adapt these practices to a Midwest context requires educators to learn about these systems and value the expertise of farmers from diverse farming backgrounds. There is a particular need for more nuanced and farm scale-specific training about inputs in highly diversified, mostly organic systems, especially related to compost and manure management. In terms of learning styles, farmers preferred hands-on training opportunities with as much mentorship and peer learning as possible. Many Midwestern emerging farmers participate in incubator farm programs for beginning growers. While such programs provide valuable access to land and infrastructure, they often lack the capacity to provide tailored participant mentorship. This leaves program graduates unsure about how to utilize soil health and nutrient management practices when they start their own farms. To improve soil health and nutrient management outcomes for emerging farmers, we propose investing in train-the-trainer type programs for farmer leaders and staff with beginning farmer organizations. These programs should include tailored one-to-one mentorship and peer learning with an emphasis on organic inputs, chemical aspects of soil health, and diversified production systems.
- Seed commodification and contestation in US farmer seed systemsby Isbell, Carina on October 31, 2024 at 12:00 am
Over the last century seed systems have undergone a process of commercialization, resulting in the transformation of seed from a common good into a commodity. Countries such as the United States are dominated by the private seed industry, which has succeeded in reducing crop diversity and increasing farmer dependency on commodity seed (i.e., seed that is bought and sold) through such mechanisms as seed hybridization, intellectual property protections, and the proliferation of genetically engineered crop varieties. Commodity seed has become necessary to support food production, but concurrently has created a positive feedback loop that solidifies corporate control within the seed industry while concurrently disincentivizing traditional agricultural practices such as seed saving. In contestation, growers nationally and globally have called for change both within and outside of market structures – advocating for the revalorization of the vast array of social, cultural, and environmental benefits that seeds have that are not being properly protected by those with the most power in the seed industry. Using insight from 31 semi-structured interviews with growers involved in Vermont's farmer seed systems, this study elucidates some of the non-commodity values that growers hold for the seeds they source from both non-commercial and commercial sources. Our results highlight how growers appreciate such non-commodity values as provenance and diversity and are working to provide a social and environmental safeguard for seeds through seed saving. At the same time, many growers also acknowledge the convenience and modern necessity of commodity seed, highlighting the importance of supporting alternative seed industry structures that are more socially and environmentally responsible. These findings stress the importance of acknowledging the multidimensionality of US farmer seed systems, whereby market and non-market exchanges can coexist and work toward creating more just and sustainable seed systems without ceding to complete commodification devoid of social import.
- Leverage points for increased grain legume consumption: a Swedish case studyby Scheuermann, Mary on October 31, 2024 at 12:00 am
Food production and consumption need to substantially change to meet global environmental and public health goals. Increasing grain legume consumption in most countries is key to providing nourishing food for all while contributing to cropping system sustainability with relatively low environmental impact. But what actions have the potential to increase such consumption? The wide knowledge of how to cultivate grain legumes among Swedish farmers, low current consumption in most of the population, and prior shifts in dietary patterns make Sweden an interesting context for studying the potential increase of grain legumes in diets. We identify system-level actions in peer-reviewed and grey literature with the potential to increase grain legume consumption and apply the leverage points framework to evaluate the transformative potential of these actions for the food system in Sweden. Our findings show that most actions suggested in the literature so far focus on increased production, while fewer suggestions integrate production and consumption. Few actions address the deeper leverage points with most transformative potential compared with those with less transformative potential. We qualitatively analyze the actions and develop a chain of leverage illustrating how several actions together could be combined to support change at the deepest leverage point, creating social norms for the consumption of healthy foods. The chain includes developing new tools, facilities and products; changing standards; building feedback loops; changing the food environment; building new information flows between actors; and reforming the value chain. To implement the actions identified in this analysis, a range of value chain actors and supportive policies at the national and European Union levels will be needed.
- Influence of Trichoderma species on the reduction of heavy metal levels in bean plants irrigated with wastewater: a case study from the Mezquital Valley, Hidalgo, Mexicoby Landero-Valenzuela, Nadia on October 31, 2024 at 12:00 am
Contamination by heavy metals resulting from irrigation with wastewater is an important global concern, as it can lead to crop contamination, posing serious threats to human health. Despite the advances in bioremediation of soils, sustainable strategies that use beneficial microorganisms to reduce the accumulation of heavy metals in contaminated crops remain underexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential reduction of heavy metal concentration in different structures of bean plants cultivated in soils irrigated with untreated wastewater on an agricultural land located in Hidalgo, Mexico, through the inoculation of a ubiquitous soil fungus. Bean plants were inoculated with three Trichoderma spp. and distributed across eight treatments, with an additional untreated control group, following a random full design. The percentage of root colonization and concentration of heavy metals in the leaves, pods, grains, and soil were determined. The results revealed that root colonization exceeded 75%. The treatments T. harzianum + T. asperellum and T. harzianum with 3 × 106 spores ml−1 showed the greatest decrease in Cd (64.7%) and Pb (66.1%) concentrations in the grains. T. viride with 2 × 106 spores ml−1 was the most effective treatment for copper reduction (72.9%) in grains; T. harzianum with 3 × 106 spores ml−1 showed the best performance for chromium reduction (75.7%), which was below the detection limit in leaves. In conclusion, inoculation of bean plants with Trichoderma spp. effectively reduced the accumulation of heavy metals. Future research in this area could contribute to the development of sustainable strategies to mitigate heavy metal contamination in agricultural ecosystems, thereby promoting food and environmental safety.