Search Results (145)

Produce supply chains play a critical role in ensuring fruits and vegetables reach consumers efficiently, affordably, and at optimal freshness. In recent decades, hub-and-spoke network models have emerged as valuable tools for optimizing sustainable cold food supply chains. Traditional optimization efforts typically focus on removing inefficiencies, minimizing lead times, refining inventory management, strengthening supplier relationships, and leveraging technological advancements for better visibility and control. However, the majority of models rely on deterministic approaches that overlook the inherent uncertainties of crop yields, which are further intensified by climate variability. Rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, along with shifting temperature patterns and extreme weather events, have a substantial effect on crop productivity and availability. Such uncertainties can prompt distributors to seek alternative sources, increasing costs due to supply chain reconfiguration. This research introduces a stochastic hub-and-spoke network optimization model specifically designed to minimize transportation expenses by determining optimal distribution routes that explicitly account for climate variability effects on crop yields. A use case involving a cold food supply chain (CFSC) was carried out using several weather scenarios based on climate models and real soil data for California. Strawberries were selected as a representative crop, given California’s leading role in strawberry production. Simulation results show that scenarios characterized by increased rainfall during growing seasons result in increased yields, allowing distributors to reduce transportation costs by sourcing from nearby farms. Conversely, scenarios with reduced rainfall and lower yields require sourcing from more distant locations, thereby increasing transportation costs. Nonetheless, supply chain configurations may vary depending on the choice of climate models or weather prediction sources, highlighting the importance of regularly updating scenario inputs to ensure robust planning. This tool aids decision-making by planning climate-resilient supply chains, enhancing preparedness and responsiveness to future climate-related disruptions. Full article

Japan’s 8.5 million vacant homes (Akiyas) represent a paradox of scarcity amid surplus: while rural depopulation leaves properties abandoned, housing shortages and bureaucratic inefficiencies hinder their reuse. This study proposes AKI2ALL, an AI-blockchain framework designed to automate the circular repurposing of Akiyas into ten high-value community assets—guesthouses, co-working spaces, pop-up retail and logistics hubs, urban farming hubs, disaster relief housing, parking lots, elderly daycare centers, exhibition spaces, places for food and beverages, and company offices—through smart contracts and data-driven workflows. By integrating circular economy principles with decentralized technology, AKI2ALL streamlines property transitions, tax validation, and administrative processes, reducing operational costs while preserving embodied carbon in existing structures. Municipalities list properties, owners select uses, and AI optimizes assignments based on real-time demand. This work bridges gaps in digital construction governance, proving that automating trust and accountability can transform systemic inefficiencies into opportunities for community-led, low-carbon regeneration, highlighting its potential as a scalable model for global vacant property reuse. Full article

The future of marine sustainability depends on public understanding and trust in the policy recommendations that emerge from scientific research. For common pool marine resource decisions made by the people who depend on these resources for their food, employment, and economic future, understanding the current status of these marine systems and change is essential to ensure these resources will persist into the future. As such, the informal learning infrastructure is essential to increasing marine science literacy in a changing world. This mixed-methods research study analyzed the distribution and accessibility of marine science education and research across Alaska’s five geographic regions. Using the PRISMA framework, we synthesized data from 198 institutions and analyzed peer-reviewed literature on marine ecosystems to identify geographic and thematic gaps in access to informal science learning and research focus. In parallel, we undertook geospatial analysis and resource availability to describe the distribution of resources, types of informal learning infrastructure present across the state, regional presence, and resources to support informal marine science learning opportunities. Findings from this multifactor research revealed a concentration of resources in urban hubs and a lack of consistent access to learning resources for rural and Indigenous communities. The configurative literature review of 9549 publications identified topical underrepresentation of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, as well as a lack of research on seabirds across all regions. Considered together, these results recommend targeted investments in rural engagement with marine science programming, culturally grounded partnerships, and research diversification. This review concludes that disparities in learning resource support and government-funded priorities in marine wildlife research have created conditions that undermine the local people’s participation in the sustainability of sensitive resources and are likely exacerbating declines driven by rapid change in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. Full article

Apple pomace, a by-product from the production of concentrated juice, is a major contributor to global food waste. Despite its beneficial nutritional profile, apple pomace is predominantly disposed of in landfills. Rapid fermentation and spoilage caused by microorganisms are compounding factors in this demise, despite significant research into upcycling strategies. Thus, there is an unmet need for economical approaches that allow for the preservation of pomace during storage and transportation to centralized processing facilities from regional hubs. To address this challenge, we investigated the potential of different preservatives for preventing microbial growth and the spoilage of apple pomace, including antimicrobials (natamycin and iodine), polysaccharides (chitosan and fucoidan), and acetic acid. Spread plates for total microbial and fungal counts were employed to assess the effectiveness of the treatments. High concentrations (10,000 ppm) of chitosan were effective at reducing the microbial load and inhibiting growth, and in combination with antimicrobials, eliminated all microbes below detectable levels. Nevertheless, acetic acid at an equivalent concentration to commercial vinegar displayed the highest economic potential. Apple pomace submerged in 0.8 M acetic acid (3 kg pomace per liter) resulted in a five-log reduction in the microbial colony-forming units (CFUs) out to 14 days and prevented fermentation and ethanol production. These results provide a foundation for the short-term storage and preservation of apple pomace that could contribute to its upcycling. Full article

Mediterranean countries represent a dynamic hub of cultural exchange, where wild plants play a significant role in culinary traditions. A substantial number of these plants belong to the Asteraceae family. The climate similarities across the region contribute to the common distribution ranges of the plants. While many species are widely distributed, others are confined to specific subregions, such as the western Mediterranean, eastern Mediterranean, or North Africa. Only six taxa of the traditionally consumed wild Asteraceae plants are endemic to just one country. This review focuses on wild plants from the Asteraceae family traditionally used as food across 13 study sites, comprising 11 countries in the Mediterranean and adjacent territories, including both mainland areas and three islands. The objective is to identify and analyze patterns of native distribution in relation to actual consumption. As a result, 167 edible wild plants from the Asteraceae family were identified. Their patterns of distribution and consumption are described and analyzed. The highest number of these edible wild plants from the Asteraceae family is consumed in Spain (n = 65), followed by southern Italy (n = 44) and Morocco (n = 32). A similar pattern of consumption is seen in Turkey (n = 24), Sicily (n = 23), Jordan and Palestine (n = 21), and Bulgaria (n = 21). It is notable that 106 plants are used as food in one particular country only, although most of them are distributed in several other countries. Many of the species consumed in certain countries are not used by neighboring populations, highlighting a limited cross-border transmission of ethnobotanical knowledge. The findings from a Jaccard index statistical analysis are discussed. Full article

This work presents a Computer Vision (CV) platform for Food Waste (FW) detection in canteen plates exploring a research gap in automated FW detection using CV models. A machine learning methodology was followed, starting with the creation of a custom dataset of canteen plates images before and after lunch or dinner, and data augmentation techniques were applied to enhance the model’s robustness. Subsequently, a CV model was developed using YOLOv11 to classify the percentage of FW on a plate, distinguishing between edible food items and non-edible discarded material. To evaluate the performance of the model, we used a real dataset as well as three benchmarking datasets with food plates, in which it could be detected waste. For the real dataset, the system achieved a mean average precision (mAP) of 0.343, a precision of 0.62, and a recall of 0.322 on the test set as well as demonstrating high accuracy in classifying waste considering the traditional evaluation metrics on the benchmarking datasets. Given these promising results and the provision of open-source code on a GitHub repository, the platform can be readily utilized by the research community and educational institutions to monitor FW in student meals and proactively implement reduction strategies. Full article

Background/Objectives: In the context of accelerating climate change and growing food insecurity, improving crop resilience to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heat, and cold is a critical agricultural and scientific challenge. Understanding the biochemical mechanisms that underlie plant stress responses is essential for developing resilient crop varieties This review aims to provide an integrative overview of how metabolomics can elucidate biochemical mechanisms underlying stress tolerance and guide the development of stress-resilient crops. Methods: We reviewed the recent literature on metabolomic studies addressing abiotic stress responses in various crop species, focusing on both targeted and untargeted approaches using platforms such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We also included emerging techniques such as capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry (CE-MS), ion mobility spectrometry (IMS-MS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and data-independent acquisition (DIA). Additionally, we discuss the integration of metabolomics with transcriptomics and physiological data to support system-level insights. Results: The reviewed studies identify common stress-responsive metabolites, including osmoprotectants, antioxidants, and signaling compounds, which are consistently linked to enhanced tolerance. Novel metabolic biomarkers and putative regulatory hubs are highlighted as potential targets for molecular breeding and bioengineering. We also address ongoing challenges related to data standardization and reproducibility across analytical platforms. Conclusions: Metabolomics is a valuable tool for advancing our understanding of plant abiotic stress responses. Its integration with other omics approaches and phenotypic analyses offers promising avenues for improving crop resilience and developing climate-adaptive agricultural strategies. Full article

The Bay of Bengal (BoB) is a global hub for marine elasmobranchs, particularly sharks and rays. These apex predators maintain and structure the balanced marine ecosystem and food webs. Marine elasmobranchs in Bangladesh are under-researched and under-managed, and face threats such as habitat degradation, global warming, pollution, illegal fishing, and overexploitation. This study aimed to evaluate the stock status of marine elasmobranches in the Bay of Bengal (BoB), Bangladesh. This research used catch and effort (CE) data for a period of 21 years (2002–2022). Both the Monte Carlo CMSY and BSM models were applied to assess biomass, exploitation rates, and sustainable yields. The BSM estimated a maximum carrying capacity (k) of 134,000 mt, which is larger than the CMSY estimate of 119,000 mt. The estimated intrinsic annual growth (r) from CMSY was 0.282. The MSY values ranged from 5110 mt (BSM) to 8420 mt (CMSY), with BSM indicating overexploitation, as the 2022 catch (7017 mt) exceeded the BSM-derived MSY. Both models suggested depleted and overfishing stock conditions, with B/B_MSY ratios < 1.0 and F/F_MSY ratios > 1.0. Effective management is crucial to prevent overfishing and ensure sustainable practices. Elasmobranch catches must be kept below the BSM-estimated maximum sustainable yield (MSY) of 5110 metric tons with fishing pressure maintained at or below F/F_MSY = 1.0. It is vital to regulate illegal and unlicensed fishing activities. Because of the aggregation of CE data, the results should be interpreted cautiously and never serve as a substitute for species-level assessments. Full article

Digital transformation is increasingly relevant in food certification systems, improving processes, coordination, and data accessibility. In state-led certification systems, public entities hold a political mandate to promote digital transformation, yet little is known about digital maturity in these systems or how to assess it. This study assesses the digital maturity of a state-led food certification system in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, focusing on private sector stakeholders involved in its administration. Additionally, it examines potential measures that the governing public entity can take and evaluates the suitability of the methods used. A total of 25 out of 43 organisations were surveyed using the Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA) framework validated for the European Union (EU). Six dimensions were analysed: Digital Business Strategy, Digital Readiness, Human-Centric Digitalisation, Data Management, Automation and Artificial Intelligence, and Green Digitalisation. Data Management and Human-Centric Digitalisation were the most developed, highlighting strong data governance and workforce engagement. Automation and Artificial Intelligence were ranked lowest, reflecting minimal adoption but also indicating that not all dimensions might be of the same relevance for the variety of organisations. The variability in scores and organisation-specific relevance underscores the European DMA framework’s value, particularly due to its subsequent tailored consultation process and its integration into EU policy. Full article

Bamboo is a member of the Poaceae family and serves as an important economic resource with various applications, including reforestation, food production, and environmental conservation, due to its rapid growth and renewable nature. Among its various uses, bamboo shoots stand out for their tender texture and delicate flavor, making them a highly sought-after culinary delicacy in many cultures and a key ingredient in global food industries. Despite extensive research on the development of monopodial bamboos, studies focused on the developmental processes of sympodial bamboos, especially regarding their culinary potential, remain limited. This study conducted a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of sympodial bamboo (Bambusa sp.) across six developmental stages (S1–S6) to uncover the molecular regulatory networks governing early bamboo shoot development. The results revealed that 1603 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across S1–S6 were enriched in multiple key pathways, with the most significant being plant hormone signaling, MAPK signaling, and Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis pathways. Co-expression clustering analysis indicated that the Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis pathway plays a crucial role during the later stages of bamboo shoot development (S5–S6), impacting its texture and flavor—two critical factors determining its culinary quality. Further Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) highlighted the significant role of the MAPK signaling pathway during early bamboo shoot development and identified key hub genes (MKK, MPK, MEKK) within this pathway, emphasizing their importance in cell division and hormonal coordination. This study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the rapid growth and exceptional flavor of bamboo shoots and lays the foundation for the genetic improvement of bamboo as a sustainable and nutritious food source, enhancing its value as a premium food ingredient in the global market. Full article

Traditional farming has evolved from standalone computing systems to smart farming, driven by advancements in digitalization. This has led to the proliferation of diverse information systems (IS), such as IoT and sensor systems, decision support systems, and farm management information systems (FMISs). These systems often operate in isolation, limiting their overall impact. The integration of IS into connected smart systems is widely addressed as a key driver to tackle these issues. However, it is a complex, multi-faceted issue that is not easily achievable. Previous studies have offered valuable insights, but they often focus on specific cases, such as individual IS and certain integration aspects, lacking a comprehensive overview of various integration dimensions. This systematic review of 74 scientific papers on IS integration addresses this gap by providing an overview of the digital technologies involved, integration levels and types, barriers hindering integration, and available approaches to overcoming these challenges. The findings indicate that integration primarily relies on a point-to-point approach, followed by cloud-based integration. Enterprise service bus, hub-and-spoke, and semantic web approaches are mentioned less frequently but are gaining interest. The study identifies and discusses 27 integration challenges into three main areas: organizational, technological, and data governance-related challenges. Technologies such as blockchain, data spaces, AI, edge computing and microservices, and service-oriented architecture methods are addressed as solutions for data governance and interoperability issues. The insights from the study can help enhance interoperability, leading to data-driven smart farming that increases food production, mitigates climate change, and optimizes resource usage. Full article

Propolis demonstrates diverse pharmacological properties encompassing antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and wound-healing activities. This study investigated the therapeutic mechanism of propolis against ultraviolet (UV)-induced allergic dermatitis through an integrated approach combining network pharmacology with in vitro experimental validation. The targets of propolis components were conducted through the PubChem, the EMBL-EBI, and SEA Search Server databases, and the disease-associated targets for atopic dermatitis and related allergic conditions were extracted from GeneCards. The overlapping targets between propolis components and UV-induced dermatitis were screened. The Gene Ontology (GO) Enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed. The key targets were further validated through ELISA experiments using HSF cells. The results show that there were 28 overlapping targets between propolis and UV-induced allergic dermatitis. The GO enrichment results show that there were 1246 terms of biological functions, 52 terms of cellular components, and 98 terms of molecular functions. KEGG pathway enrichment obtained 110 signaling pathways. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network showed that TNF, NFKB1, MMP-9, and IL-2 were hub proteins. The ELISA experiment confirmed that propolis reduced the levels of MMP-9 and IL-2 in UBV-induced allergic dermatitis of HSF cells in a dose-dependent manner. These findings provide mechanistic evidence supporting propolis as a promising functional food, dietary supplements, or medicinal agent for UV-induced allergic skin disorders. Full article

This paper supports the idea of agroecology playing an integral role in development ‘smart cities’ and its application in different settlement contexts in South Africa. As alluded to in the People-Centered Smart Cities framework, the application of the smart cities approach can be extended to various settlement contexts. This paper promotes ‘the smart city’ concept in different contexts, including rural and small settlement environments, incorporating agroecology, a paradigm which guides us towards building sustainable and equitable urban environments. This approach can significantly contribute to the improved and more resilient design and development of human settlements. The Preferred Reporting Items for Reviews and Meta-analysis were employed to analyze primary and secondary data sources, thereby formulating descriptive and analytical themes around agroecology and smart cities. This paper utilized 54 articles, offering a robust foundation for the paper’s analysis and discussions. Additionally, the paper underscores the adherence to policy and legislative spaces for smart city strategy-led budgeting. It advocates for robust financial policies and long-term development financial strategies aligned with several the Sustainable Development Goals, but especially SGD 11, which is to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and habitats. The construction of smart campuses, smart rural settlements, and smart school programs is demonstrated by the Centre for Ecological Intelligence at the University of Johannesburg’s food systems hub, the Phumulani rural agrivillage, and the Eastern Cape and Tshwane food security school programs. These showcase projects act as compelling models illustrating how the principles of smart cities can be applied to diverse settlement contexts. Full article

Adaptive reuse of vacant houses in Japan offers an innovative and sustainable solution to the increase in vacant houses. This approach aligns with principles of sustainable architecture and the circular economy by reducing waste, lowering energy consumption, and extending the lifecycle of existing structures. This study uses purposive sampling, analyzing 262 adaptive reuse cases across Japanese prefectures through partial surveys, municipal records, and online maps. K-prototype clustering identified three distinct patterns. Cluster 1 emphasizes modern businesses, such as food, beverage, and accommodation services, within urban areas to address the needs of densely populated regions and tourist hubs. Cluster 2 blends urban and rural contexts, balancing historical preservation with modern functionality. Cluster 3 highlights rural and scenic accommodations that cater to tourists seeking cultural immersion and authentic experiences, despite challenges like low population density and limited accessibility. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of adaptive reuse as a key strategy for repurposing underutilized spaces, promoting both economic and social resilience. In practical terms, it demonstrates how adaptive reuse advances circular economy objectives by preserving cultural heritage, enhancing environmental sustainability, and creating economic opportunities. Further investigation is needed to unlock the unexplored potential of adaptive reuse in broader contexts and functions. Full article

Background: Agriculture plays a key role in Colombia’s economy. However, the sector faces persistent logistics, infrastructure, and supply chain integration challenges that hinder its development. While background studies have primarily addressed socio-economic needs and strategies to overcome these long-standing challenges, supply chain coordination remains critical for enhancing efficiency and sustainability. This study examined the impact of joint decision-making mechanisms on the logistical performance of a citrus food supply chain in Colombia. Methods: We employed agent-based modeling and simulation to evaluate three scenarios: single distribution (the current system referred to as Single-distribution), joint consolidation (Joint-consolidation), and joint consolidation–distribution (Joint-consolidation-distribution). Key performance indicators, including total logistics costs, Staytime, and load capacity utilization, were analyzed to evaluate the scenarios. Results: The joint-consolidation–distribution model emerged as the most effective, reducing logistical costs, improving load utilization, and increasing farmers’ revenues by 55.9% compared to individual sales. Consolidating harvest and distribution through a food hub improved efficiency by centralizing logistics and reducing the reliance on middlemen. Conclusions: Our findings provide actionable insights into how joint coordination enhances smallholder farmers’ economic outcomes, strengthens supply chain sustainability, and fosters community development. These results support policies promoting productive associations and local food hubs as key facilitators of market access and logistical efficiency in rural agricultural sectors. Full article