Connecting the Extremes -from Farm to Fork- to Achieve a Sustainable Food Production and a Circular Economy

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2021) | Viewed by 5494

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department Agro-food Technology, Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche, Alicante, Spain
Interests: sensory analysis of foods; food quality; food safety; evaluation of volatile compounds of fruits; vegetables and derived products; functionality of fruits and vegetables as affected by different agricultural practices and processing; dehydration of fruits; vegetables; aromatic herbs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Research Group “Food Quality and Safety”, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University, Carretera de Beniel, Km 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Spain
Interests: food quality; food safety; bioactive compounds; sensory analysis; consumer acceptance of food products; almonds; nuts; tropical fruits; water stress; stress markers; water scarcity; deficit irrigation strategies; spray drying; microencapsulation; probiotic bacteria
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleague,

We are pleased to announce this Special Issue focused on the sustainability of natural resources throughout the food production chain.

As the global population is continuously growing, the need for food production is higher and higher; thus, one of the biggest world challenges is to produce more food using less water, less land, and less energy. Besides, these products must be nutrient-dense because healthy people depend on healthy food products and systems.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) define sustainable food production as the “method of production using processes and systems that are non-polluting, conserve non-renewable energy and natural resources, are economically efficient, are safe for workers, communities and consumers, and do not compromise the needs of future generations”.

Thus, to be able to assure all these aspects, we might take urgent actions in agriculture and throughout food supply chain. In this sense, we encourage research dealing with (i) the promotion of a smart, robust, and diversified agricultural sector that guarantees food quality safety and security, together with (ii) the actions to protect the environment (sustainable agricultural practices and water use efficiency) and (iii) their effect on the food product quality.

Prof. Dr. Angel A. Carbonell-Barrachina
Dr. Leontina Lipan
Guest Editors

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. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • common agricultural policy (CAP)
  • smart farming, metanalysis
  • agronomical practices
  • deficit irrigation
  • organic agriculture
  • water scarcity
  • food waste
  • food quality
  • food safety
  • healthy food
  • phytochemicals
  • bioactive compounds
  • sensory analysis
  • consumer opinion and acceptance

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1229 KiB  
Article
“HydroSOStainable” Concept: How Does Information Influence Consumer Expectations towards Roasted Almonds?
by Leontina Lipan, Marina Cano-Lamadrid, Laura Vázquez-Araújo, Hanán Issa-Issa, Agnieszka Nemś, Mireia Corell, David López-Lluch and Ángel Antonio Carbonell-Barrachina
Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2254; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112254 - 08 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2050
Abstract
Water scarcity is one of the top five key global risks over the last years, and agriculture is the major and least efficient user of fresh water. In this scenario, the “hydroSOStainable” concept has been developed and registered to protect fruits and vegetables [...] Read more.
Water scarcity is one of the top five key global risks over the last years, and agriculture is the major and least efficient user of fresh water. In this scenario, the “hydroSOStainable” concept has been developed and registered to protect fruits and vegetables cultivated with a volume of water below the crop evapotranspiration. The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate how the information influence the consumer liking and preference of the roasting almonds labelled as “hydroSOStainable” and “conventional”, although belonged to the same sample. Thus, we explored 300 consumers (Seville, Spain (high levels of water stress) versus Donostia, Spain and Wroclaw, Poland (regions with no water stress)) preference and acceptance of roasted almonds using satisfaction degree, CATA and willingness to pay questions. The present study demonstrated that both location and sociodemographic aspects influenced consumers perception and liking. Consumers living in areas with water restrictions were more susceptible to be influenced by the hydroSOStainable/conventional concept, while consumers from regions without water restrictions would need more information to choose a sustainable product. Both man and women, centennials and millennials scored higher the supposed hydroSOStainable almonds, while generation X was not really influenced by the information effect. Finally, 77% of consumers, regardless of location, were willing to pay a higher price for the almonds labelled “hydroSOStainable”. Consequently, these results provide valuable information for the government and food industry about consumer choice regarding sustainable products, depending on the location, knowledge, and sociodemographic aspects. Full article
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16 pages, 796 KiB  
Article
Quality, Nutritional, Volatile and Sensory Profiles and Consumer Acceptance of Fondillón, a Sustainable European Protected Wine
by Hanán Issa-Issa, Francisca Hernández, Leontina Lipan, David López-Lluch and Ángel A. Carbonell-Barrachina
Agronomy 2021, 11(9), 1701; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11091701 - 26 Aug 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2134
Abstract
Sustainable irrigation strategies in Southeast Spain (one of the most arid regions in Europe) are essential to fight against desertification and climate change mitigation. In this way, Fondillón production is based on rain-based vineyards, over-ripe Monastrell grapes, and non-alcohol fortification. Thus, Fondillón is [...] Read more.
Sustainable irrigation strategies in Southeast Spain (one of the most arid regions in Europe) are essential to fight against desertification and climate change mitigation. In this way, Fondillón production is based on rain-based vineyards, over-ripe Monastrell grapes, and non-alcohol fortification. Thus, Fondillón is a naturally sweet red wine, protected within the Alicante Denomination of Origin, recognized by the European Union in its E-bachus database. The study aim was to evaluate the effect of the aging (solera factor) on Fondillón: (i) basic enological parameters (e.g., total, and volatile acidity), (ii) chromatic characteristics, (iii) antioxidant activity (ABTS•+, FRAP and DPPH), (iv) total contents of condensed tannins and anthocyanins, (v) volatile composition, (vi) sensory profile, and (vii) overall liking. Experimental data proved that the wine (1960 solera) with the highest total contents of condensed tannins and anthocyanins and total antioxidant activity was the most liked by Spanish consumers. Experimental results clearly established a positive relationship among Fondillón chemical composition, its antioxidant activity, and overall consumer liking. Exceptional harvest with grapes having extremely high antioxidant power (e.g., 1960 solera) will result, even more than 50 years later, in high quality wines with high consumer acceptance and a high monetary worth. Full article
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