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The Economics and Ethics of Sustained Individual and Food System...
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The Economics and Ethics of Sustained Individual and Food System Resilience

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2023) | Viewed by 10792

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Harvey S. James, Jr.

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Applied Social Sciences, University of Missouri 146 Mumford Hall, Columbia, MO, USA
Interests: sustainability; fairness; trust; institutions and governance; market power; consumer and producer well-being; food security

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A great deal has been written about the challenges and opportunities of improving the resilience of individuals and societies with respect to food security and the food system. In fact, there is so much scholarship on food system resilience, food security, and related topics that it can be difficult to determine clearly what we know, what we do not know, and what transformative research has been conducted.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to synthesize and expand the frontiers of scholarship on economic and ethical factors (broadly defined) that advance or impede sustained improvements in individual as well as food-system resilience. In this context, resilience refers to the capacity of individuals or the food system to endure in, adapt to, or recover from challenges affecting the production and consumption of food and fiber. For this Special Issue, original research articles as well as literature reviews are welcome. All articles must focus on some aspect of food resilience and include some discussion relating either to economics, ethics, or both. Any level may be examined (e.g., individual, group, society, system). Research areas may include (but need not be limited to) the following:

  • Tradeoffs among economic, ethical, and other aspects and dimensions of food resilience.
  • New ways of conceptualizing, measuring, or assessing food resilience.
  • Sources of vulnerability, especially among marginalized or disadvantaged groups or individuals.
  • The roles and limitations of government programs and policies.
  • Challenges or opportunities to scaling vertically or horizontally effective programs or practices.
  • Comparative analyses of different regions.
  • The local and global impacts of specific external shocks, such as pandemics or armed conflicts, as well as environmental fluctuations and market volatility.
  • Assessing the economic or ethical implications of (new) food and agricultural production technologies on food resilience.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Harvey S. James, Jr.
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

  • resilience
  • food system
  • food security
  • sustainability
  • agriculture
  • economics
  • ethics
  • policy
  • shocks

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 2511 KiB  
Article
Digitization as an Adaptation and Resilience Measure for MSMEs amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: Lessons from the Food Service Industry for Collaborative Future Engagements
by Tomo Kawane, Bismark Adu-Gyamfi, Yuqiu Cao, Yinjia Zhang, Nanami Yamazawa, Zuquan He and Rajib Shaw
Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1550; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041550 - 12 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1589
Abstract
Restrictions and other stringent countermeasures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have wreaked havoc on many enterprises over the past few years. The effect on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is believed to be far-reaching. In most countries, the MSME sector provides the [...] Read more.
Restrictions and other stringent countermeasures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have wreaked havoc on many enterprises over the past few years. The effect on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is believed to be far-reaching. In most countries, the MSME sector provides the maximum number of jobs, and its resilience is core to the livelihood of that society; Japan is no exception to this. The food service industry was classified as an essential service during the pandemic, and advancements in technology and other digital innovations were seen as revolutionary to many enterprises to diversify their business models to reduce losses. This study reviews how MSMEs in the food service industry utilized technologies and innovations to adapt to the challenges and enhance their resilience. The paper reviews secondary datasets to discuss the perspectives of MSMEs and the impact of the pandemic, as well as utilizing Gotanda Eats as a case example in Japan to understand the method of digital adaption towards resilience. The Gotanda Eats platform was crucial for the survival of the five restaurants involved because it transformed their old business operations into the one that connects them to customers while observing infection prevention protocols. Despite the challenges that are visible in the delivery aspect of the platform, the operation shows that digitization and digital transformation are vital for MSMEs in times of crisis. The World Economic Forum 2021 report has focused on digital power concentration as a new risk, the current study shows that digitization in food-related MSMEs was a critical survival strategy. The study recommends that local authorities take a keen interest in supporting local businesses during hard times. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Economics and Ethics of Sustained Individual and Food System Resilience)
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12 pages, 276 KiB  
Article
Recalibrating Data on Farm Productivity: Why We Need Small Farms for Food Security
by Irena Knezevic, Alison Blay-Palmer and Courtney Jane Clause
Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14479; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914479 - 4 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2081
Abstract
In 2009, the ETC Group estimated that some 70% of the food that people globally consume originates in the ‘peasant food web’. This figure has been both embraced and critiqued, and more recent critiques have focussed on analysing farm productivity to offer some [...] Read more.
In 2009, the ETC Group estimated that some 70% of the food that people globally consume originates in the ‘peasant food web’. This figure has been both embraced and critiqued, and more recent critiques have focussed on analysing farm productivity to offer some more precise estimates. Several analyses suggest that the proportion of small farms’ contributions to total food production is closer to one-third, arguing that the role of small food producers in food security are grossly exaggerated. We challenge this argument by re-tabulating the available farm productivity data to demonstrate that smaller farms continue to provide a significant proportion of food and are consistently more productive than their larger counterparts. We further posit that even our own interpretation falls short of estimating the full extent of small farms’ contributions, including non-monetary ones, like ecosystem services and community life, many of which run counter to the productivist model that drives large-scale industrial agriculture. We conclude that policies that support small farms are a global necessity for food security, as well as for transitions to more sustainable and more equitable food systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Economics and Ethics of Sustained Individual and Food System Resilience)
17 pages, 333 KiB  
Article
The Southern Model Revisited: The Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, Immigration, and Health and Safety in Poultry Processing
by Douglas H. Constance, Jin Young Choi and Mary K. Hendrickson
Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13945; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813945 - 20 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1052
Abstract
This research combines a sociology of agrifood conceptual framework with a commodity systems analysis methodology to investigate the nexus of race, ethnicity, immigration, and health and safety in the US poultry processing industry. The poultry industry was the first agricultural sector to industrialize. [...] Read more.
This research combines a sociology of agrifood conceptual framework with a commodity systems analysis methodology to investigate the nexus of race, ethnicity, immigration, and health and safety in the US poultry processing industry. The poultry industry was the first agricultural sector to industrialize. Through vertical and horizontal integration, the industry is dominated by a few powerful firms. The industry has been criticized for multiple ethical failures regarding contract growers, processing plant workers, and communities. Meat and poultry processing is one of the most dangerous manufacturing jobs in the United States. Poultry processing is especially reliant on a non-union, minority, and immigrant labor force. This “Southern Model” is the preferred model of agrifood globalization. The COVID pandemic brought renewed attention to precarious work in poultry processing and exposed the lack of resilience in the agrifood system in general, and the poultry industry in particular. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Economics and Ethics of Sustained Individual and Food System Resilience)
25 pages, 1258 KiB  
Article
COVID-19 and Microeconomic Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Study on Ethiopian and Nigerian Households
by Damilola Giwa-Daramola and Harvey S. James
Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7519; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097519 - 4 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1362
Abstract
The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall welfare depends on the resilience of microeconomic units, particularly households, to cope and recover from the shocks created by the pandemic. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where the pandemic has been less pervasive, the pandemic is expected [...] Read more.
The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall welfare depends on the resilience of microeconomic units, particularly households, to cope and recover from the shocks created by the pandemic. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where the pandemic has been less pervasive, the pandemic is expected to increase food insecurity, vulnerability, and ultimately poverty. To accurately measure the welfare impact of the pandemic on the macroeconomy, it is important to account for the distributional impact on households and the ability of households to cope with it, which reflects their microeconomic resilience. In this paper, we seek to determine the differential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on household microeconomic resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa. We use direct measurements of economic indicators to measure the impact of the pandemic on 6249 households across Ethiopia and Nigeria. Given that resilience is a latent variable, the FAO’s Resilience Index Measure Analysis (RIMA) framework is utilized to construct the resilience index. We hypothesize that the pandemic created differential economic impacts among households and ultimately household microeconomic resilience. Study findings show that government containment measures improved household microeconomic resilience, while self-containment measures lowered microeconomic resilience. Additionally, households that relied on wage employment and non-farm businesses as their main source of livelihood were found to be more microeconomic resilient. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Economics and Ethics of Sustained Individual and Food System Resilience)
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Review

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15 pages, 1245 KiB  
Review
Resilience of Rural Households: Insights from a Multidisciplinary Literature
by Barituka Bekee and Corinne Valdivia
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5500; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065500 - 21 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1537
Abstract
Due to the increase in both the frequency and severity of shocks and stressors that rural households are faced with, a vast array of studies has emerged in recent times on issues surrounding their resilience. Scholarship in this field has benefitted from insights [...] Read more.
Due to the increase in both the frequency and severity of shocks and stressors that rural households are faced with, a vast array of studies has emerged in recent times on issues surrounding their resilience. Scholarship in this field has benefitted from insights from multiple disciplines including applied economics, disaster risk management, and human ecology, to name a few. These diverse contributions, although beneficial and necessary, have led to what appears to be discrepancies in the research arena. Using a bibliometric approach and thematic clustering, we shed light on the research landscape of rural household resilience. Furthermore, this article synthesizes some of the main contributions from various subfields and offers a systematic way for studies to approach the subject matter. From issues such as the objective and subjective dimensions of resilience characterization and measurement, to the degree of integration of the broader social ecological systems within which, households exist, the systematic classification of related concepts carried out in this article helps to organize knowledge, as well as aims to provide a guiding framework for future research and review efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Economics and Ethics of Sustained Individual and Food System Resilience)
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Other

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17 pages, 2151 KiB  
Systematic Review
Assessment of Impacts and Resilience of Online Food Services in the Post-COVID-19 Era
by Priyanka Mitra, Yanwu Zhang, Bijon Kumer Mitra and Rajib Shaw
Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 13213; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713213 - 3 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2255
Abstract
The expansion of the online food services (collectively referred to as ‘OFS’) sector has been accelerating at high rates worldwide over the last few years. This sector is widely acknowledged, especially by urban consumers, for making life more convenient. During the strict lockdown [...] Read more.
The expansion of the online food services (collectively referred to as ‘OFS’) sector has been accelerating at high rates worldwide over the last few years. This sector is widely acknowledged, especially by urban consumers, for making life more convenient. During the strict lockdown following the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the OFS sector saw major growth, as many restaurants and grocery stores turned to the delivery format. Conversely, the sector has also been facing many challenges, which have lasting social, economic, and environmental impacts. Considering this situation, this study carried out a review of existing literature on the social, environmental, and economic impacts of OFS and explored the resilience gaps of this fast-growing food service business. To achieve this, relevant literature was collected through Elsevier’s SCOPUS database and other sources. The authors have documented specific social, environmental, and economic impacts of OFS on consumers and providers. Furthermore, various changes in this sector following the pandemic have also been underlined in this study. A combination of policy actions at the national, local, private sector, and individual levels is crucial to mitigate the adverse impact of OFS; hence, greater resilience will be ensured. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Economics and Ethics of Sustained Individual and Food System Resilience)
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