Special Issue "Agriculture, Food, and Environment: Farming, Food Systems and Landscape Planning towards Healthy and Environmentally Friendly Productions"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2022.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Simona M. C. Porto
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, via S. Sofia n. 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
Interests: buildings, equipment, and infrastructure for livestock; buildings, equipment, and infrastructure for vegetable farms; classification, rehabilitation, and enhancement of rural buildings; survey, representation, analysis, modeling, and planning of the territory
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Agatino Russo
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, food and environment, University of Catania, 9523 Catania, Italy
Interests: faunistic and systematic scale insects; monitoring and control of stored food pests; applications of biological and integrated control in agricultural and forest ecosystems
Dr. Teresa Graziano
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, food and environment, University of Catania, 9523 Catania, Italy
Interests: urban geography/geography of territorial processes: gentrification, urban renewal, and tourist practices; smart city/smart village; urban green and the right to the sustainable city; consumptionscapes and territorial structures; territorial effects of migratory flows; food geography, foodscapes, local food systems
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last few decades, growing emphasis has been placed on the need for a comprehensive multi-actor strategy to tackle the challenges that our planet has to face from an environmental point of view. Since the launch of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (205), embedded in the conceptual–operational framework stemming from the 1992 Rio Conference, a variegated repertoire of actions, policies, and programs at different scales have been supporting environmental, social, and economic sustainability in a cohesive, integrated, and measurable way.

In the context of a global-scale environmental degradation, in terms of loss of biodiversity and growing anthropic rates, sustainability has become a blueprint in several territorial agendas, particularly in those sectors directly involved in environmental protection, such as agriculture, food production, and landscape planning.

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore research perspectives and scientific approaches put forward to identify current challenges for achieving a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future, by harmonizing the three main pillars of economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. The main research topics include:

-    Sustainable natural resource management;

-    Sustainable agriculture;

-    Ecosystem services and rural–urban connections;

-    Landscape protection and planning;

-    Territorial food systems;

-    Bioeconomy, circular economy.

This Special Issue is also open for the publication of original articles that report results obtained from experimental degree theses conducted at the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Environment (Di3A) of the University of Catania (Sicily, Italy). The Di3A (https://www.di3a.unict.it/en) “aims to support and enhance sustainability, efficiency and productivity in agriculture, food production and environment protection, particularly in the Mediterranean basin, through impactful cutting-edge research and high-level education”.

The objective is to demonstrate the importance of transferring scientific knowledge in teaching activities to train technicians who have the skills to carry out their work according to the paradigm of sustainability.

Prof. Dr. Simona M. C. Porto
Prof. Dr. Agatino Russo
Dr. Teresa Graziano
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 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 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 1900 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

  • agri-food systems
  • sustainable agricultural activities
  • sustainable production
  • participatory planning
  • landscape analysis

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

Article
Effect of the Milking Frequency on the Concentrations of Ammonia and Greenhouse Gases within an Open Dairy Barn in Hot Climate Conditions
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9235; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169235 - 17 Aug 2021
Viewed by 269
Abstract
Knowledge of how different management strategies affect gas production from livestock buildings can be helpful for emission predicting purposes and for defining mitigation strategies. The objective of this study was to statistically assess whether and how measured concentrations of ammonia (NH3), [...] Read more.
Knowledge of how different management strategies affect gas production from livestock buildings can be helpful for emission predicting purposes and for defining mitigation strategies. The objective of this study was to statistically assess whether and how measured concentrations of ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) were influenced by milking frequency. Concentrations of gases were measured continuously by using infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy in the breeding environment of an open dairy barn located in Sicily in hot climate conditions. Data were acquired by specific in-field experiments carried out in 2016 and 2018, when milking sessions occurred twice a day (2MSs) and three times a day (3MSs), respectively. The number of the milking cows was 64 in both 2MSs and 3MSs. The results showed that concentrations of NH3, CH4 and CO2 were statistically influenced by the number of milking sessions. From 2MSs to 3MSs, NH3 concentrations were enhanced (p < 0.001) due to the higher cow’s activity. Conversely, gas concentrations of CH4 and CO2 were lower for 3MSs compared to those for 2MSs due to the effect of the different feeding frequency. Overall, the milking frequency influenced barn management and cow behaviour by modifying the level of gas concentrations in the barn environment. Full article
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

1. Development and Characterization of Flour Made from the By-Products of Two Different Artichoke Variety for the Bio Fortification of Gluten-Free Dough

Rosa Palmeri, Lucia Parafati *, Lucia Fidelio, Giovanni Mauromicale, Cristina Restuccia, Biagio Fallico

2. Effect of the Milking Frequency on the Concentrations of Ammonia and Greenhouse Gases within an Open Dairy Barn in Hot Climate Conditions

Provvidenza Rita D’Urso, Claudia Arcidiacono*

3. Investigating Morphological and Physical Features of Sheep Wool for a Sustainable Reuse

Giusi Midolo, Monica Parlato*, Giovanni Cascone, Simona M.C. Porto

4. Landscape Sustainability of Greenhouses Systems: A Viewshed Analysis-Based Method to Integrate Landscape Character Assessment

Antonio Mazzeo, Claudia Arcidiacono, Francesca Valenti, Mariagrazia Leonardi, Simona M.C. Porto*

5. Liquid Nitrogen as a Sustainable Method for Almond’s Peeling

Palmeri Rosa*, Pesce Fabiola, Parafati Lucia, Distefano Gaetano, Fallico Biagio

6. Monitoring of Phytophthora in Protected Natural Areas

Federico La Spada, Francesco Aloi, Mario Riolo, Rossana Parlascino, Antonella Pane, Santa Olga Cacciola*

7. Present and Future of Madrid Green Railway Corridor. Sustainable Public Uses of Cultural and Natural Landscape

Graziella Trovato, Mariagrazia Leonardi*, Isabel Rodríguez de la Rosa

8. Socio-Economic Valorisation of the Terraced Wine-Growing Landscape in the North-East of Mount Etna

Sabrina Toscano, Gioacchino Pappalardo, Biagio Pecorino*

9. Using the Welphi Platform to Assess Sustainability of Agricultural Products Based on New Breading Techniques

Vindigni Gabriella*, Federica Consentino, Daniela Spina

10. Up-Cycling Materials for Extensive Green Roofs

Carmela Winter, Chiara Catalano*, Salvatore Pasta

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