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Sustainable Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 16201

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Veera Gnaneswar Gude

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Guest Editor

Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Interests: N–E–W (nutrient–energy–water) nexus; biofuels; desalination and wastewater treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Mark Zappi

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemical Engineering and Energy Institute of Louisiana， University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA
Interests: biofuels; biorefineries; FEW nexus; sustainable chemical engineering and process development

Prof. Dr. Todd French

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Guest Editor

Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering and Renewable Fuels Laboratory, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Interests: biofuels; biorefineries; FEW nexus; industrial microbiology; oleaginous microorganisms; renewable fuels; sustainability

Prof. Dr. Rafael Hernandez

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor

Department of Chemical Engineering and Energy Institute of Louisiana， University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA
Interests: biorefineries; chemical engineering and process technology; oleaginous microorganisms; reaction kinetics; renewable fuels; wastewater treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current nexus of food, energy, and water systems is quite complex. The FEW nexus depends on regional needs affected by population density, resource availability, and management of these resources. For this reason, the FEW nexus needs to be studied at local, regional, national, and international levels. There is also a large water, energy, and resource footprint imbalance across nations due to increasing import and export activities, affected by changing climate and extreme weather events. On the other hand, water and food production systems are constantly exposed to numerous emerging pollutants (i.e., microplastics, PFAS, and PPCPs). Scientific and technological advances alone cannot solve these issues. Management and policy amendments are also critical to proper implementation of the novel synergies in energy generation, water, and food production systems. Proper monitoring and modeling of these complex systems is critical to the development of sustainable F–E–W systems.

This Special Issue welcomes submissions from (but not limited to) the following areas:

Water–energy nexus
Water–energy–environment nexus
Food–energy–water nexus
Modeling and monitoring of FEW systems
Urban FEW systems
Rural FEW systems
Climate change and FEW nexus
Water impacts on FEW nexus
Energy impacts on FEW nexus
Policy and management strategies for FEW nexus
Scientific advances towards FEW nexus
Novel synergies for FEW nexus
FEW sustainability issues

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Veera Gnaneswar Gude
Prof. Dr. Mark Zappi
Prof. Dr. Todd French
Prof. Dr. Rafael Hernandez
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. 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–energy–water nexus
sustainability
climate change
emerging pollutants
modeling
monitoring
systems perspective
water and wastewater infrastructure
agriculture

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 3546 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experiential Graduate Course Prepares Transdisciplinary Future Leaders to Innovate at the Food-Energy-Water Nexus

by Rianna Teresa Murray, Gili Marbach-Ad, Kelsey McKee and Amy Rebecca Sapkota

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1438; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031438 - 29 Jan 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2386

Abstract

Food, energy and water (FEW) systems are critically stressed worldwide. These challenges require transformative science, engineering and policy solutions. However, cross-cutting solutions can only arise through transdisciplinary training of our future science and policy leaders. The University of Maryland Global STEWARDS National Science Foundation Research Traineeship seeks to meet these needs. This study assessed a foundational component of the program: a novel, experiential course focused on transdisciplinary training and communication skills. We drew on data from the first two offerings of the course and utilized a mixed-method, multi-informant evaluation that included validated pre–post surveys, individual interviews and focus groups. Paired Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon tests were used to compare pre- and post-means. After the course, students reported improvements in their ability to identify strengths and weaknesses of multiple FEW nexus disciplines; articulate interplays between FEW systems at multiple scales; explain to peers the most important aspects of their research; and collaborate with scientists outside their field. Students also reported improvements in their oral and written communication skills, along with their ability to critically review others’ work. Our findings demonstrate that this graduate course can serve as an effective model to develop transdisciplinary researchers and communicators through cutting edge, experiential curricular approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus)

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27 pages, 17775 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Framework for Water Management in the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus in Mixed Land-Use Watersheds in Colombia

by Camilo Torres, Margaret Gitau, Jaime Lara-Borrero and Diego Paredes-Cuervo

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10332; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410332 - 10 Dec 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2242

Abstract

The food-energy-water (FEW) nexus approach has emerged as an alternative for managing these resources more efficiently. Work from studies conducted in the FEW nexus in Latin America is scarce in the scholarly literature. This study aims to develop a framework for water management at the FEW Nexus, with a focus on Colombia. The study focuses on a typical mixed land-use watershed in the Andean region with specific objectives being to: (1) characterize the watershed with respect to land use, climate, water resources, and other factors pertinent to the nexus; (2) explore the relationship between factors in the FEW nexus that may affect water management in terms of quality and availability; and (3) propose a methodology for conducting a FEW Nexus analysis for watersheds located in the Andean region. The results indicate that the Pereira/Dosquebradas urban area has a significant impact on the FEW nexus components in the Otun River Watershed (ORW). Subsequently, an urban FEW nexus framework is proposed for its implementation at the watershed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus)

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22 pages, 4124 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Historical Trends in New Mexico Forage Crop Production in Relation to Climate, Energy, and Rangelands

by Ashraf J. Zaied, Hatim M. E. Geli, Mohammed N. Sawalhah, Jerry L. Holechek, Andres F. Cibils and Charlotte C. Gard

Sustainability 2020, 12(5), 2051; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12052051 - 06 Mar 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2784

Abstract

This study was conducted within the context of providing an improved understanding of New Mexico’s food, energy, water systems (FEWS) and their behavior under variable climate and socioeconomic conditions. The goal of this paper was to characterize the relationships between production and prices of some forage crops (hay, grain sorghum, and corn) that can be used as feed supplements for beef cattle production and the potential impacts from a changing climate (precipitation, temperature) and energy inputs (crude oil production and prices). The analysis was based on 60 years of data (1958–2017) using generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity models. Hay production showed a declining trend since 2000 and in 2017, it dropped by ~33% compared to that of 2000. Crude oil production (R² = 0.83) and beef cattle population (R² = 0.85) were negatively correlated with hay production. A moderate declining trend in mean annual hay prices was also observed. Mean annual range conditions (R² = 0.60) was negatively correlated with mean annual hay prices, whereas mean annual crude oil prices (R² = 0.48) showed a positive relationship. Grain sorghum production showed a consistent declining trend since 1971 and in 2017, it dropped by ~91% compared to that of 1971. Mean annual temperature (R² = 0.58) was negatively correlated with grain sorghum production, while beef cattle population (R² = 0.61) and range conditions (R² = 0.51) showed positive linear relationships. Mean annual grain sorghum prices decreased since the peak of 1974 and in 2017, they dropped by ~77% compared to those of 1974. Crude oil prices (R² = 0.72) and beef cattle population (R² = 0.73) were positively correlated with mean annual grain sorghum prices. Corn production in 2017 dropped by ~61% compared to the peak that occurred in 1999. Crude oil production (R² = 0.85) and beef cattle population (R² = 0.86) were negatively correlated with corn production. Mean annual corn prices showed a declining trend since 1974 and in 2017, they dropped by ~75% compared to those of 1974. Mean annual corn prices were positively correlated with mean annual precipitation (R² = 0.83) and negatively correlated with crude oil production (R² = 0.84). These finding can particularly help in developing a more holistic model that integrates FEWS components to explain their response to internal (i.e., management practices) and external (i.e., environmental) stressors. Such holistic modeling can further inform the development and adoption of more sustainable production and resource use practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus)

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17 pages, 987 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

An Evaluation of Historical Trends in New Mexico Beef Cattle Production in Relation to Climate and Energy

by Ashraf J. Zaied, Hatim M.E. Geli, Jerry L. Holechek, Andres F. Cibils, Mohammed N. Sawalhah and Charlotte C. Gard

Sustainability 2019, 11(23), 6840; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236840 - 02 Dec 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3081

Abstract

In support of Food-Energy-Water Systems (FEWS) analysis to enhance its sustainability for New Mexico (NM), this study evaluated observed trends in beef cattle population in response to environmental and economic changes. The specific goal was to provide an improved understanding of the behavior of NM’s beef cattle production systems relative to precipitation, temperature, rangeland conditions, production of hay and crude oil, and prices of hay and crude oil. Historical data of all variables were available for the 1973–2017 period. The analysis was conducted using generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity models. The results indicated declining trends in beef cattle population and prices. The most important predictors of beef cattle population variation were hay production, mean annual hay prices, and mean annual temperature, whereas mean annual temperature, cattle feed sold, and crude oil production were the most important predictors for calf population that weigh under 500 lb. Prices of beef cattle showed a strong positive relationship with crude oil production, mean annual hay prices, rangeland conditions, and mean annual precipitation. However, mean annual temperature had a negative relationship with mean annual beef prices. Variation in mean annual calf prices was explained by hay production, mean annual temperature, and crude oil production. This analysis suggested that NM’s beef cattle production systems were affected mainly and directly by mean annual temperature and crude oil production, and to a lesser extent by other factors studied in this research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus)

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Review

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18 pages, 1922 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

A Bibliometric Analysis of Food-Energy-Water Nexus Literature

by Adenike K. Opejin, Rimjhim M. Aggarwal, Dave D. White, J. Leah Jones, Ross Maciejewski, Giuseppe Mascaro and Hessam S. Sarjoughian

Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 1112; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12031112 - 04 Feb 2020

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 4859

Abstract

Rapid growth in the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus literature calls for an assessment of the trajectory and impacts of this scholarship to identify key themes and future research directions. In this paper, we report on a bibliometric analysis of this literature that focuses on (1) examining publication trends and geographic focus of research, (2) identifying research hotspots and emerging themes, (3) assessing the integrated nature of research, and (4) reflecting on major developments and ways forward. We used Elsevier’s SCOPUS database to search for publications from January 2011 to May 2018 on the FEW nexus, and analyzed the final sample of 257 publications using BibExcel and Vosviewer software tools. The analysis showed steady growth in publications since 2011 with a sharp upturn in 2015 and 2016, coinciding with major funding calls. Thematic analysis of abstracts revealed a strong focus on quantitative resource interlinkages with limited attention to qualitative institutional capacities and intersectoral governance challenges. Term co-occurrence network map showed the term “investment” connected with a large number of frequently cited terms, while the term “governance” demonstrated much weaker links. We reflect on how these findings may help us better understand and address the enduring challenge of transitioning from nexus thinking to action. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus)

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