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Prof. Dr. Iain Gordon

Deputy Vice Chancellor, Tropical Environments & Societies, James Cook University, Townsville Qld 4811, Australia
Website | E-Mail
Phone: +61-7-478-16514
Interests: agricultural sustainability; community based conservation; restoration ecology; wildlife/livestock interactions; sustainable development; science/policy interface

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the global population currently over seven billion, and expected to increase to over nine billion in the next 30 years, the race is on to find ways to feed, and provide water and clothes to the citizens of the planet. Food security is high on both national and international agendas, with a push to increase the production of food by up to 70% in the next 30 years. Increased agricultural production may have both direct and indirect effects on wildlife species, however, other species may be affected by perverse outcomes of the food security agenda that have not yet been addressed. Reductions in waste from agricultural production and food systems is one such issue. This Special issue will highlight the potential impact on species that have become reliant on food waste. These species may be seen currently as pests or vermin, however, the consequences of a reduction in food waste could not only affect them directly but might also have significant systemic effects with repercussions across food webs and the environment.

Prof. Iain Gordon
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 papers will be 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 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 1400 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

Food security
agriculture
nature conservation
pollution
pests
food webs

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Open AccessCommunication The Effects of Food Waste on Wildlife and Humans

by Thomas M. Newsome and Lily M. van Eeden

Sustainability 2017, 9(7), 1269; doi:10.3390/su9071269

Received: 28 April 2017 / Revised: 29 June 2017 / Accepted: 7 July 2017 / Published: 19 July 2017

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Abstract

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A reduction in the loss and waste of human food is a global issue for addressing poverty and hunger in poorer nations, and for reducing the environmental footprint of the agriculture sector. An emerging issue, however, is that food wasted by humans is often accessible to wildlife, affecting wildlife ecology and behaviour, as well as ecological processes and community dynamics. Here we highlight the extent of such impacts, drawing on examples from mammalian predators and other taxonomic groups. We then develop two conceptual models. The first shows how wildlife access to food waste can exacerbate human-wildlife conflicts. The second highlights that when food waste is removed, the effects on wildlife and ecosystem processes should be monitored. The conceptual models are important when considering that large quantities of food waste are intentionally and unintentionally provided to wildlife around the world. We conclude there is an urgent need to change the way people currently manage the food we produce. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reducing Agricultural and Food Waste: Implications for Biodiversity and the Environment)

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Open AccessArticle A Quantitative Assessment of Causes of Bovine Liver Condemnation and Its Implication for Food Security in the Eastern Cape Province South Africa

by Ishmael Festus Jaja, Borden Mushonga, Ezekiel Green and Voster Muchenje

Sustainability 2017, 9(5), 736; doi:10.3390/su9050736

Received: 14 February 2017 / Revised: 27 April 2017 / Accepted: 29 April 2017 / Published: 3 May 2017

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Abstract

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Food production needs to double, with minimum waste, if hunger and poverty is to be alleviated in South Africa. The condemnation of liver during meat inspection represents a huge waste of a protein food resource. This paper measures the quantity of liver condemned in three abattoirs in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and assesses the causes and the monetary loss associated with these condemnations. A retrospective study (RS) (n = 51 302) involving the use of abattoir slaughter records from 2010–2012 and a post-mortem meat inspection (PMMI) (n = 1374) was conducted from July to December 2013. The RS revealed the leading cause of liver wastage as fasciolosis (5.95%, 4.48%, and 2.7%), fibrosis (2.74%, 2.37%, and 1.0%), and abscessation (1.11%, 2.78%, and 1.5%) for the 2010, 2011, and 2012 respectively. During the PMMI, the same factors caused liver condemnation in addition to calcification (8.3%, 6.8%, and 3.2%), Cysticercosis bovis (1.7%, 2.4%, and 1.3%) and improper evisceration (4.8%, 12.4%, and 27.1%) for the abattoirs X, Y, and Z respectively. A total of R 343, 330 (USD 45,271.07) was lost due to the condemnation of liver between 2010 and 2012. The further loss of 3290.4 kg of liver was calculated for the six month in 2013, and its financial value was R 59, 227.2 (USD 5889.82). The result of this study provide baseline information on major causes of liver wastage in cattle slaughtered in South Africa as well as the direct financial losses and demonstrate the huge waste of ideal protein food source. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reducing Agricultural and Food Waste: Implications for Biodiversity and the Environment)

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