Sustainable Urban Food Systems: Pathways to the Future
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2026 | Viewed by 2199
Special Issue Editors
Interests: food safety; novel food; food processing; food preservation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Rapid urbanization and changing dietary habits have intensified demand for sustainable, nutritious, and resource-efficient foods. Urban food systems face major challenges related to food security, environmental sustainability, and the generation of large amounts of food waste. In this context, developing innovative food products and reformulated recipes that valorize by-products and alternative raw materials from other industries represents a promising strategy for reducing waste, enhancing nutritional quality, and supporting circular bioeconomy principles. The integration of sustainable technologies and responsible consumption patterns is essential for shaping healthier and more resilient urban diets.
This Special Issue, titled “Sustainable Urban Food Systems: Pathways to the Future”, will gather cutting-edge research focused on developing sustainable food products, optimizing nutritional quality, and improving resource efficiency across the urban food chain. This Special Issue aligns closely with the journal’s mission to promote scientific solutions for environmental sustainability, public health, and food innovation. It will bridge food science, nutrition, and sustainability research to provide practical, evidence-based strategies for the transition toward more circular and climate-resilient food systems.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Reformulated food products using upcycled or alternative ingredients;
- Innovative and sustainable food processing technologies;
- Nutritional optimization and functional enhancement of food formulations;
- Urban dietary patterns and consumer acceptance of sustainable foods;
- Reduction and valorization of food waste and by-products;
- Environmental and life-cycle assessment of sustainable food production.
We look forward to receiving your contributions, which will advance knowledge and innovation in the field of sustainable urban food systems.
Prof. Dr. Elena Pogurschi
Dr. Marius Ciobanu
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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
- urban diets
- food reformulation
- food waste valorization
- functional foods
- upcycled ingredients
- optimized nutrition
- urban dietary behaviors
- pathways to sustainable food futures
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