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Sustainable Agri-Food Networks

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 23833

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Markus Keck

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Climate Resilience, Universität Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Germany
Interests: agri-food studies, climate resilience, socionatures, speculative futures, urban infrastructure

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Our current agri-food networks cause severe environmental, socioeconomic, and health-related problems. The ways we produce, market, and consume food are leading causes of severe environmental degradation and climate change. At the same time, large-scale profit-oriented food industries help in intensifying socioeconomic divides and deprivation in our societies, accompanied by increasing rates of malnutrition and ill health through unbalanced diets. Against this background, business as usual is no longer an option. Change is needed, and this change must necessarily be based on economic transformation. This Special Issue has been established to collect meaningful contributions in finding solutions for overcoming the key barriers of the much-needed transformation of agri-food networks—be they rooted in consumption routines, underdeveloped technologies, institutional inertia, or political ignorance.

We read the term “sustainable” as covering all those measures that are “life-supporting” in the broadest possible sense. We welcome papers on how to unfold opportunities for creating agri-food networks which foster biodiversity in such ecosystems as fields, forests, waterbodies, and soils; which provide employees and the numerous self-employed in small-scale businesses with decent income and foster the social prestige of jobs in the agri-food sector; and which enable consumers to access balanced diets at reasonable prices while hindering allergies and the spread of pandemic viruses. We welcome theoretically informed and empirically grounded papers from all relevant disciplinary backgrounds that deal with innovative approaches and develop new insights, especially in the fields of circular agri-food systems, agroecology, packaging and food waste, solidary food networks, and the transformation of consumption practices with regional foci in the global North and South.

Prof. Dr. Markus Keck
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • circular agri-food systems
  • agroecology
  • packaging and food waste
  • solidary food networks
  • transformation of consumption practices

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

5 pages, 198 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue: Sustainable Agri-Food Networks
by Markus Keck
Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10782; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710782 - 30 Aug 2022
Viewed by 1094
Abstract
Our current agri-food networks cause severe environmental, socioeconomic, and health-related problems [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food Networks)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

15 pages, 2256 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Nutrient Supply Options: Strategies to Improve Soil Phosphorus Availability in the Rice-Wheat System
by Sunita Kumari Meena, Brahma Swaroop Dwivedi, Mahesh Chand Meena, Saba Prasad Datta, Vinod Kumar Singh, Rajendra Prasad Mishra, Debashish Chakraborty, Abir Dey and Vijay Singh Meena
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8629; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148629 - 14 Jul 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1901
Abstract
The indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers can deteriorate soil, grain, and environmental quality; still, these can be restored if integrated nutrient management options with inclusion of legumes in the cropping system are adopted. A long-term (19 year) rice-wheat system experiment was examined to [...] Read more.
The indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers can deteriorate soil, grain, and environmental quality; still, these can be restored if integrated nutrient management options with inclusion of legumes in the cropping system are adopted. A long-term (19 year) rice-wheat system experiment was examined to find out the best nutrient management practices (BNMP) through recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), integrated plant nutrition system (IPNS), soil test crop response (STCR), farmyard manure (FYM), along with the inclusion of pulses (berseem and cowpea). Seven nutrient management practices were applied in combination of organic and chemical fertilizer in the rice-wheat system. Results showed that a significant variation was seen in phosphorus (P) fractions among the treatments and soil depths. The results showed a significantly (p < 0.05) higher contribution to phosphorus availability by Residual-P followed by NaHCO3-Po > NaOH-Pi > NaOH-Po > HCl-P > NaHCO3-Pi > available P and lowest in WSP under different long-term management options in rice-wheat system after completing 19 crop cycles. Variations in soil P-fractions with depth were compared to different treatment combination, and a considerable increase in all the major P-fractions was noticed. The continuous application of various IPNS options as organic farming (OF), RDF, STCR, and the inclusion of pulses (berseem and cowpea) significantly improved all P fractions in the soil system and offered an added benefit in terms of sustainability of production and soil health compared to the solo application of chemical fertilizers. Overall, results showed that IPNS options (berseem and cowpea) showed its superiority over the rest of the treatment. This study suggests that the inclusion of pulses would increase P-availability in soil system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food Networks)
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17 pages, 3174 KiB  
Article
Organic Cocoa Value Chain Sustainability: The Perception of São Tomé and Príncipe’s Stakeholders
by Ibrahim Prazeres, Maria Raquel Lucas and Ana Marta-Costa
Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010136 - 23 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3859
Abstract
Cocoa farming in São Tomé and Príncipe (STP) faces several challenges due to its poor socioeconomic context, the adverse impact of climate changes, the complex and limited access to global value chains, and worldwide demand pressure for higher cocoa quality and productivity. This [...] Read more.
Cocoa farming in São Tomé and Príncipe (STP) faces several challenges due to its poor socioeconomic context, the adverse impact of climate changes, the complex and limited access to global value chains, and worldwide demand pressure for higher cocoa quality and productivity. This exploratory research investigates potential pathways to a more sustainable organic cocoa (OC) production in STP by mapping the perceptions of the stakeholders involved in its value chain. Qualitative interviews, field observation, and focus group discussions were applied to understand how sustainability dimensions, drivers, impacts, and challenges of OC are perceived and how these three dimensions can be improved and balanced. The gathered perceptions are rather diverse, reflecting the stakeholders’ position and knowledge of the specific contexts and processes. Producers do not perceive how governance is adopting new organizational structures or practices that allow for an effective sustainability improvement. Most stakeholders recognize that market-related factors drive the sustainability adoption and that financing-related constraints challenge their wide implementation. There are trade-offs and power asymmetries in the OC value chain, which manifest differently, due to the governance approaches, processes, overall regulations, and training of producers. An alignment of perceptions and activities as well as a stronger cooperation between cooperatives, private firms, and public institutions is strongly recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food Networks)
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14 pages, 573 KiB  
Article
Towards More Sustainable Diets: Investigating Consumer Motivations towards the Purchase of Green Food
by Min-Yen Chang, Lin-Jyun Huang and Han-Shen Chen
Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 12288; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112288 - 7 Nov 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3109
Abstract
The concept of green consumption has become an environmental topic that draws worldwide attention. In order to mitigate environmental damage, it is imperative to increase the recyclability of the food system, and therefore, novel, sustainable, and produced foods need to be supplied to [...] Read more.
The concept of green consumption has become an environmental topic that draws worldwide attention. In order to mitigate environmental damage, it is imperative to increase the recyclability of the food system, and therefore, novel, sustainable, and produced foods need to be supplied to the food system. Among such foods, precooked plant-based foods (PPBFs), which feature health, convenience, and functionality, have become a new trend of the food culture. This study uses the value–attitude–behavior (VAB) model as the theoretical framework and incorporates research variables, such as “environmental concern”, “time pressure”, and “cooking habit”, so as to discuss consumers’ behavioral intention toward PPBFs. The research results reveal the following: (1) consumers’ health value and interest in PPBFs will significantly affect their behavioral intention; (2) there is a significant relationship between environmental concern and behavioral intention; and (3) time pressure and cooking habits indicate an insignificant relationship with behavioral intention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food Networks)
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17 pages, 2078 KiB  
Article
Constraints to Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) Production and Farmers’ Approaches to Striga hermonthica Management in Burkina Faso
by Armel Rouamba, Hussein Shimelis, Inoussa Drabo, Mark Laing, Prakash Gangashetty, Isack Mathew, Emmanuel Mrema and Admire Isaac Tichafa Shayanowako
Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8460; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158460 - 29 Jul 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3967
Abstract
Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a staple food crop in Burkina Faso that is widely grown in the Sahelian and Sudano-Sahelian zones, characterised by poor soil conditions and erratic rainfall, and high temperatures. The objective of this study was to document [...] Read more.
Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a staple food crop in Burkina Faso that is widely grown in the Sahelian and Sudano-Sahelian zones, characterised by poor soil conditions and erratic rainfall, and high temperatures. The objective of this study was to document farmers’ perceptions of the prevailing constraints affecting pearl millet production and related approaches to manage the parasitic weeds S. hermonthica. The study was conducted in the Sahel, Sudano-Sahelian zones in the North, North Central, West Central, Central Plateau, and South Central of Burkina Faso. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and focus group discussions involving 492 participant farmers. Recurrent drought, S. hermonthica infestation, shortage of labour, lack of fertilisers, lack of cash, and the use of low-yielding varieties were the main challenges hindering pearl millet production in the study areas. The majority of the respondents (40%) ranked S. hermonthica infestation as the primary constraint affecting pearl millet production. Respondent farmers reported yield losses of up to 80% due to S. hermonthica infestation. 61.4% of the respondents in the study areas had achieved a mean pearl millet yields of <1 t/ha. Poor access and the high cost of introduced seed, and a lack of farmers preferred traits in the existing introduced pearl millet varieties were the main reasons for their low adoption, as reported by 32% of respondents. S. hermonthica management options in pearl millet production fields included moisture conservation using terraces, manual hoeing, hand weeding, use of microplots locally referred to as ‘zaï’, crop rotation and mulching. These management techniques were ineffective because they do not suppress the below ground S. hermonthica seed, and they are difficult to implement. Integrated management practices employing breeding for S. hermonthica resistant varieties with the aforementioned control measures could offer a sustainable solution for S. hermonthica management and improved pearl millet productivity in Burkina Faso. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food Networks)
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20 pages, 359 KiB  
Article
Agri-Food Markets towards Agroecology: Tensions and Compromises Faced by Small-Scale Farmers in Brazil and Chile
by Estevan Felipe Pizarro Muñoz, Paulo André Niederle, Bernardo Corrado de Gennaro and Luigi Roselli
Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3096; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063096 - 11 Mar 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3804
Abstract
One of the main dilemmas faced by small-scale farmers’ movements advocating for agroecology in Latin America lies in the trade-offs between the economic opportunities arising from the organic food market expansion, and the political principles at the core of their action. To provide [...] Read more.
One of the main dilemmas faced by small-scale farmers’ movements advocating for agroecology in Latin America lies in the trade-offs between the economic opportunities arising from the organic food market expansion, and the political principles at the core of their action. To provide insights on this issue, a survey was performed in Brazil and Chile. Between March 2016 and December 2018, data were collected through direct and participant observation, documentary analysis, and interviews conducted to peasant organizations’ leaders, technicians and policymakers. In Brazil, the research focused on the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (The Landless Movement); while in Chile, due to the absence of such a national social movement, it considered a wider set of actors, including the Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Agropecuario (National Institute for Agricultural Development). The results show how social movements are navigating between the mainstreaming pressures of the conventional markets, dominated by the leading agri-food corporations, and the political efforts they have been doing to build civic food markets as alternatives to conventionalization patterns. Finally, we argue that social scientists should better explain the tensions and compromises the social movements go through in order to coordinate different and complementary marketing strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food Networks)
16 pages, 599 KiB  
Article
Adopting Environmentally Friendly Farming Practices and the Role of Quality Labels and Producer Organisations: A Qualitative Analysis Based on Two European Case Studies
by Sabine Duvaleix, Marie Lassalas, Laure Latruffe, Vasilia Konstantidelli and Irene Tzouramani
Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10457; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410457 - 14 Dec 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5061
Abstract
Various drivers behind the adoption of environmentally friendly practices have been investigated at the farm level in the literature, e.g., farmers’ motivations and attitudes, farms’ structure, and management or policies. Yet, the way in which quality labels and producer organisations influence the adoption [...] Read more.
Various drivers behind the adoption of environmentally friendly practices have been investigated at the farm level in the literature, e.g., farmers’ motivations and attitudes, farms’ structure, and management or policies. Yet, the way in which quality labels and producer organisations influence the adoption of environmentally friendly practices by farmers is still under-researched. We contribute to this topic and present the results of qualitative interviews with producer organisations, conducted in 2019 in two contrasting case studies: the pig sector in Brittany (western France), and the olive oil sector in Crete (Greece). Our study shows that economic actors of food supply chains in these two case studies use European quality labels, a couple of national schemes, and a proliferation of private quality labels (in Brittany’s pig sector). Our interviews reveal that many quality labels, for which agricultural farming systems must comply with a set of rules, are not specifically aimed at improving environmental impacts. In the Cretan olive oil sector, we observe several European public labels. In the French pig sector, many quality labels do not include requirements for practices aiming at improving the environment, but instead focus on other practices that matter for society, namely improving animal welfare. However, advisory services provided by the producer organisations can play a key role in the adoption of environmentally friendly practices. They include research programmes and agronomic events. In Crete, producer organisations are able to offer technical assistance thanks to European support programmes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agri-Food Networks)
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