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Food System and Climate Change: The Global Challenges for Transforming a More Sustainable Model

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2024) | Viewed by 16019

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maria Carmela Aprile

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Economic Studies and Legal, University of Naples ‘Parthenope’, 80133 Naples, Italy
Interests: food systems transformation; climate change; environmental sustainability; climate-resilient and low emissions practices; food loss and waste

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The growing requests for food system transformation are particularly relevant in the context of climate change, due to the two-way interaction between the food system and climate change. The food system is widely recognized as a major contributor to climate change due to global greenhouse gas emissions from production, distribution and consumption activities. At the same time, the growth of agricultural production is severely threatened by climate change, with severe consequences for millions of small farms around the world. Furthermore, the current food systems are unable to produce sufficient quantities of foods to feed a growing world population and meet their nutritional needs. Social and economic inequalities contribute to the coexistence of issues of malnutrition and the overconsumption of foods, respectively. Millions of people are undernourished in developing countries, while obesity is on the rise in developed countries, even though a large amount of the food produced is wasted. Therefore, systemic and transformative solutions for the food system are needed to address the global challenges related to building a more sustainable model based on limited energy and water resources, reduced emissions from value chains, decreased crop diversity, healthy and climate-friendly diets, and to face the diet-related health problems and persistent undernutrition. The complex nature of the problems related to the transformation of food systems requires a global approach in which concepts may be investigated from different perspectives. Food security, adaptability in the face of sudden shocks and gradual pressures, innovation processes aimed at implementing climate-resilient and low-emission practices, human nutrition, waste reduction and agro-food production policies are just some of the perspectives to be considered in the studies on the sustainable transformation of the food system. The aim of this Special Issue is to understand how to transform the current food systems in a way that is consistent with the objectives of environmental sustainability and resilience to the growing pressure of climate change. It is considered appropriate to investigate the various aspects related to the transformation of the food system from interdisciplinary perspectives in order to identify appropriate solutions to face global challenges and realise the benefits for the environment and human well-being.

Looking forward to your contributions.

Dr. Maria Carmela Aprile
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

  • food systems transformation
  • knowledge and innovations
  • environmental sustainability
  • climate change
  • climate-resilient and low emissions practices
  • food loss and waste
  • food security
  • healthy and sustainable diets
  • agro-food policy

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 751 KiB  
Article
Investigating Antecedents of Intention to Use Green Agri-Food Delivery Apps: Merging TPB with Trust and Electronic Word of Mouth
by Kamel Mouloudj, Maria Carmela Aprile, Ahmed Chemseddine Bouarar, Anuli Njoku, Marian A. Evans, Le Vu Lan Oanh, Dachel Martínez Asanza and Smail Mouloudj
Sustainability 2025, 17(8), 3717; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083717 - 20 Apr 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1029
Abstract
The rapid expansion of digital platforms has significantly influenced consumer purchasing behaviors, particularly in the agri-food sector. Therefore, this paper investigates the key factors driving customers’ intention to use green agri-food delivery apps (GAFDAs) by integrating trust and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) [...] Read more.
The rapid expansion of digital platforms has significantly influenced consumer purchasing behaviors, particularly in the agri-food sector. Therefore, this paper investigates the key factors driving customers’ intention to use green agri-food delivery apps (GAFDAs) by integrating trust and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) into the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework. Additionally, this study examines gender as a moderating variable, assessing whether its influence alters the relationships between key determinants and behavioral intention. Data were collected from 252 Algerian consumers, and the proposed model was tested using SmartPLS 4 and SPSS 26.0. The results confirm that attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), trust, and eWOM positively and significantly influence the intention to use GAFDAs, with PBC emerging as the strongest predictor. Moreover, gender moderates the effect of trust on behavioral intention, with trust significantly influencing men’s adoption decisions but not those of females. In contrast, subjective norms and PBC are stronger predictors for female consumers. These findings highlight the importance of gender-specific marketing strategies to enhance GAFDA adoption. This study contributes to the literature by extending TPB with trust, eWOM, and gender moderation, offering valuable insights for marketers, policymakers, and app developers promoting sustainable food consumption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food System and Climate Change: The Global Challenges for Transforming a More Sustainable Model)
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14 pages, 2478 KiB  
Article
Education to Promote Healthy and Sustainable Eating Habits: A Bibliometric Analysis
by Nuno Aluai Carvalho and Maria da Conceição Martins
Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 9750; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229750 - 8 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1737
Abstract
Food production accounts for a substantial part of human activities’ negative impact on planetary environmental stability. Although environmental education and education for sustainable development could both promote changes in this area, research often does not focus on their potential to build healthy and [...] Read more.
Food production accounts for a substantial part of human activities’ negative impact on planetary environmental stability. Although environmental education and education for sustainable development could both promote changes in this area, research often does not focus on their potential to build healthy and sustainable eating habits. Here, a bibliometric map of the scientific literature is outlined, revealing trends and opportunities for research on this topic. The SPAR-4-SLR protocol was used to collect a large sample (RQ1 sample: n = 2067) and, subsequently, a narrow sample (RQ2 sample: n = 256) of research works on this topic. The sampling process and data treatment were undertaken in RStudio. The bibliometric analysis shows that scientific research in this area is increasing exponentially in quantity (R2 = 0.926). However, the model also indicates that quality standards have been decreasing (β = −0.951 p < 0.001), with a high adjustment (R2 = 0.803). Cross-statistical corroboration points in the same direction (r = −0.541 p < 0.01). Authorship quality has low consistency among publications focused on eating-habit education from an environmental sustainability perspective. The emerging topics are meat consumption, behavior, attitudes, and the Mediterranean diet. This research unveils gaps to be explored in future research on education for sustainable development (and environmental education) to foster healthy and sustainable eating habits, and contributes to the discussion on the quality standards of scientific research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food System and Climate Change: The Global Challenges for Transforming a More Sustainable Model)
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24 pages, 5714 KiB  
Article
Multi-Dimensional Impacts of Climate Change on China’s Food Security during 2002–2021
by Huanhuan Zhou, Ning Cao, Lihua Yang and Jianjun Xu
Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2744; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072744 - 26 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1718
Abstract
Climate change poses a significant threat to food security, necessitating a thorough examination across multiple dimensions. Establishing appropriate food security evaluation indicators that align with the evolving concept of food security is imperative. This study enhances food security evaluation by designing a multi-dimensional [...] Read more.
Climate change poses a significant threat to food security, necessitating a thorough examination across multiple dimensions. Establishing appropriate food security evaluation indicators that align with the evolving concept of food security is imperative. This study enhances food security evaluation by designing a multi-dimensional framework and analyzing the impact of climate variations across various regions from 2002 to 2021. By constructing a food security evaluation system that encompasses the production quantity and quality, sustainability, affordability, and resources, and utilizing the entropy method for accurate weighting, the impacts of climate variations on food security are accessed using a climate–economic model. The food security structure in China largely mirrors the regional division of grain, with the production quantity being the primary contributor. Overall, China’s food security has generally demonstrated improvements across various dimensions, with the exception of production quality. Regarding climate change, which encompasses variations in mean states and climate extremes, the panel regression analysis uncovers a negative linear relationship between food security and temperature. Conversely, the impact of precipitation on food security is non-linear, manifesting as inverse U-shaped patterns. In regions with balanced production and consumption, both accumulated temperatures and extreme high temperatures have a negative linear effect on food security. On the other hand, both accumulated and extreme precipitation exhibit inverse U-shaped non-linear impacts on food security in the main production and main consumption regions. These findings highlight the intricate interplay between climate change, regional disparities, and food security in China, emphasizing the need to consider multi-dimensional factors and regional variations in addressing food security challenges. These insights are invaluable for policymaking and planning aimed at enhancing food security in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food System and Climate Change: The Global Challenges for Transforming a More Sustainable Model)
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Review

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21 pages, 664 KiB  
Review
Food System vs. Sustainability: An Incompatible Relationship in Mexico
by Fatima Ezzahra Housni and Mariana Lares-Michel
Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2811; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072811 - 28 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3554
Abstract
The Mexican food system has suffered deep transformations due to multiple technological advances and political and free trade agreements, transiting from a food system for self-consumption to a system based on exports and imports that has resulted in excessive agricultural activity intensification, leading [...] Read more.
The Mexican food system has suffered deep transformations due to multiple technological advances and political and free trade agreements, transiting from a food system for self-consumption to a system based on exports and imports that has resulted in excessive agricultural activity intensification, leading to environmental deterioration. Our species’ survival will depend on our capacity to manage systems, considering all ecosystems, especially the climate and food systems. International organizations insist that sustainable food systems could be a useful strategy to address malnutrition and hunger while respecting the environment. However, the food system in Mexico needs to be connected to the environmental, social, health, and food security dimensions. Sustainability in Mexico synthesizes the contradictions of agriculture and the Mexican diet, not only in its economic and productive dimensions but also in the social and environmental ones. Public policies in all sectors of the country must be interconnected and organized to guarantee the sustainability of a system that benefits the environment and population health while respecting the related economic and social elements. This review aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of the Mexican food system’s history and current situation and analyze proposals for its sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food System and Climate Change: The Global Challenges for Transforming a More Sustainable Model)
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22 pages, 2251 KiB  
Review
A Scoping Review of Food Systems Governance Frameworks and Models to Develop a Typology for Social Change Movements to Transform Food Systems for People and Planetary Health
by Vivica I. Kraak and Kim L. Niewolny
Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1469; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041469 - 9 Feb 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 7016
Abstract
Effective governance is essential to transform food systems and achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Different political ideologies and paradigms inhibit or drive social change movements. This study examined how food systems governance has been described. Thereafter, we reviewed graphic [...] Read more.
Effective governance is essential to transform food systems and achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Different political ideologies and paradigms inhibit or drive social change movements. This study examined how food systems governance has been described. Thereafter, we reviewed graphic frameworks and models to develop a typology for civil society actors to catalyze social change movements to transform food systems for people and the planet. The scoping review involved (1) formulating research questions; (2) developing a search strategy to identify evidence from four English-language electronic databases and reports, 2010–2023; and (3–4) selecting, analyzing, and synthesizing evidence into a narrative review. Results yielded 5715 records, and 36 sources were selected that described and depicted graphic frameworks and models examined for purpose, scale, political ideology, paradigm, discourse, principles, governance, and democracy. Evidence was used to develop a graphic food systems governance typology with distinct political ideologies (i.e., neoliberal, reformist, progressive, radical); paradigms (i.e., maintain, reform, transition, transform); discourses (i.e., food enterprise, food security, food justice, food sovereignty); types of governance (i.e., multistakeholder, shared, self); and democracy (i.e., representative, participatory, deliberative). This proof-of-concept typology could be applied to examine how change agents use advocacy and activism to strengthen governance for sustainable diets, regenerative food systems, and planetary health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food System and Climate Change: The Global Challenges for Transforming a More Sustainable Model)
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