Advancing Sustainable Agrifood Systems: Interconnections of Energy, Emissions, and Agroecological Pathways

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue advances the understanding of sustainable agrifood systems by examining links between agricultural production, energy use, emissions, ecological pressures, and consumer and governance behaviours. It covers farm practices, supply chains, and policy frameworks, integrating biophysical, technological, socio-economic, and behavioural perspectives. Its purpose is to identify pathways toward resilient, low-carbon, and energy-efficient agrifood systems, emphasizing agroecological and organic practices that reduce environmental impacts while maintaining productivity and ecosystem integrity.

It complements the existing literature by addressing gaps in energy analysis within agroecological transitions, assessing emissions alongside productivity and biodiversity, and evaluating behavioural and socio-economic drivers of sustainable consumption. By uniting multidisciplinary perspectives, it provides a holistic understanding of agrifood sustainability.

Aligned with Sustainability’s aims, the issue defines and quantifies sustainability metrics, including LCA, carbon footprints, and energy balances; advances methods to monitor performance; incorporates governance, market, and behavioural dimensions; and examines integrated approaches such as agroecology, renewable energy adoption, and policy design. It supports evidence-based sustainability policies aligned with SDGs, including zero hunger, clean energy, responsible consumption, climate action, and life on land.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Life Cycle Assessment of energy use and emissions across farming systems
  • Nutritional quality, safety, and environmental performance of organic and agroecological production
• On-farm renewable energy technologies and energy-efficiency strategies
  • Soil carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem services
  • Sustainable supply chains, consumption behaviours, and food waste reduction
  • Policy frameworks, governance dynamics, and socio-economic drivers
  • Consumer behaviour, sustainability labels, and demand for organic and agroecological products.

This Special Issue promotes holistic, empirically grounded approaches that inform both academic debate and real-world sustainability transitions.

Dr. Matheus Koengkan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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