Search Results (4,273)

This narrative literature review examines African American family fishing as a historically grounded practice of food provision, cultural continuity, place-based learning, and environmental stewardship, and considers its conceptual relationship to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The review synthesizes an analytical corpus of 41 works spanning history, fishing participation, food insecurity, food sovereignty, foodways, place attachment, environmental education, and social-ecological systems. The literature indicates that Black fishing cannot be understood as recreation alone; historically and contemporarily, it has connected food acquisition, family interaction, livelihood, cultural memory, and community identity. These functions are conceptually aligned with SDGs 2, 3, and 10 through plausible pathways involving culturally meaningful food access, family-centered outdoor activity, and attention to racial disparities in food security, environmental access, and institutional representation. Family fishing may also provide a place-based learning context relevant to SDG 4, while responsible harvesting, reduced waste, and ecological literacy may contribute to SDG 12. Repeated engagement with local waters may cultivate belonging and stewardship; freshwater relationships are most directly relevant to SDG 6, whereas coastal, estuarine, and marine contexts may contribute to SDG 14. These are interpretive alignments, not measured SDG outcomes. The review concludes that family-centered pilot initiatives may productively integrate cultural history, ecological education, food skills, mentorship, and community leadership, subject to feasibility testing and empirical evaluation. Contemporary family-level research is needed to examine harvest, food sharing, learning, health, access, and stewardship across generations. Full article

Malnutrition and climate-induced stress remain major constraints to global food and nutritional security despite the yield gains of the Green Revolution. Solanaceae crops such as tomato, potato, brinjal, and pepper are key sources of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds. Yet, their genetic improvement has been limited by narrow diversity and complex polygenic traits. The advent of CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing provides a transformative platform for precision crop improvement by enabling targeted modification of genes controlling stress tolerance, yield, and nutritional quality. In Solanaceae, CRISPR/Cas applications have successfully enhanced resistance against major pathogens (SlMlo1, SlPelo, SlDCL2), improved abiotic stress tolerance through editing of SlMAPK3, SlCBF1, and SlBZR1, and optimized fruit quality traits via modulation of Psy1, CrtR-b2, and fiAD2/3. Emerging innovations, such as base and prime editing, and RNP-mediated transgene-free delivery, are expanding the precision and scope of editing. However, challenges persist, including genotype-dependent transformation, low HDR efficiency, and incomplete understanding of off-target and epigenetic effects. Integrating CRISPR with omics-guided gene discovery, efficient transformation systems, and regulatory harmonization can accelerate the development of nutritionally enriched, stress-resilient, and sustainable Solanaceae varieties. This review synthesizes recent advances, identifies critical limitations, and outlines future opportunities for deploying CRISPR/Cas technology to achieve next-generation breeding and food system resilience. Full article

Agricultural drought is an important issue for food security, water availability and rural livelihoods, particularly in the semi-arid regions of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, especially in Sivagangai District. This study combines multi-temporal remote sensing data and GIS techniques to evaluate the agricultural drought vulnerability during a 30-year time frame (1994–2024). Landsat satellite imagery and climate data were used to derive some key bio-physical indicators such as NDVI, NDWI, VCI, SMI, LST, LULC and SPI. An AHP was used to assign weights to each parameter and was created. The spatiotemporal analysis shows that there is a substantial reduction in vegetated and moist areas as well as a high growth of high and very high temperature areas and built-up land. The percentage of areas classified as ‘Very High’ drought vulnerability has increased significantly from 1.08% (1994) to 40.04% (2024), highlighting a growing threat from drought conditions. NDVI and NDWI were chosen as the most significant indices that affect drought. The findings reflect the deteriorating environmental condition and stress the need for specific mitigation measures, including afforestation, sustainable land-use planning and management of water resources. This study is both spatially explicit and scalable; it provides key information to local planners, policymakers and stakeholders to support agricultural resilience in drought-prone regions. Full article

The phenomenon of climate change has exerted an escalating degree of pressure on coastal livelihoods in Bangladesh. In this region, communities find themselves confronted with a dual challenge, being exposed to both rapid-onset hazards, including cyclones, storm surges, and floods, and slow-onset stresses, such as salinity intrusion and sea-level rise. These hazards have ramifications for agriculture, aquaculture, food security, and livelihood sustainability. However, extant studies frequently examine individual risks, livelihood sectors, or disaster responses in isolation. Consequently, there is a paucity of research that comprehensively examines the influence of multiple climate-related hazards on coastal livelihoods and the adaptation options that are locally feasible in overcoming institutional, community, and financial constraints. This study synthesizes evidence from the published literature and is complemented by qualitative evidence from 30 open-ended questionnaires with farmers in selected coastal areas of Bangladesh. The objective of this synthesis is to validate and contextualize the current livelihood conditions, climate-related challenges, and locally adopted adaptation practices. The analysis examines four interconnected dimensions. The following elements are to be considered: (i) climate-related hazards and their sectoral impacts, (ii) livelihood opportunities and vulnerabilities, (iii) adaptation practices, and (iv) institutional, community, and financial constraints. These elements are to be complemented by a SWOT assessment of livelihood adaptation options. The findings indicate that a combination of factors, including salinity intrusion, cyclones, storm surges, flooding, sea-level rise, drought, and changing temperature and rainfall patterns, collectively impose constraints on agricultural and aquaculture productivity, thereby exacerbating livelihood insecurity. Concurrently, practices such as salt-tolerant crop cultivation, sorjan farming, freshwater conservation, pond-dyke vegetable cultivation, tower cultivation, composite agriculture, and environmentally responsible aquaculture offer promising pathways for livelihood adaptation. However, the limited availability of infrastructure, inadequate institutional coordination and stakeholder participation, and insufficient financial resources act as constraints on their broader adoption. The manuscript makes a similar observation regarding infrastructure, institutional support, and funding, which are identified as significant constraints. Concurrently, it acknowledges technological development, stakeholder participation, and climate-resilient livelihood opportunities as crucial avenues for enhancement. This study thus posits a series of recommendations for enhancing the resilience and sustainability of coastal livelihoods in Bangladesh. These recommendations encompass the implementation of hazard-specific and livelihood-oriented adaptation measures, the facilitation of access to climate-resilient technologies and financial resources, and the establishment of a more robust coordination framework among diverse stakeholders. The proposed framework involves collaboration between agriculture, fisheries, water management, disaster management, local government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic institutions, and community organizations. These recommendations align with the manuscript’s proposed measures for communities dependent on salinity, cyclones, storm surges, floods, agriculture, and aquaculture. Additionally, the manuscript places emphasis on cross-sectoral governance. Full article

Sustainable livelihoods for farmers are crucial to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, the sustainability of farmers’ livelihoods in plain agricultural areas is strategically important for poverty alleviation, food security, and the reduction in urban–rural disparities. Drawing on data from a sample survey of farmers and field interviews conducted in the Jianghan Plain, this study evaluates farmers’ sustainable livelihoods in plain agricultural areas. The results indicate the following: (1) In 2022, the sustainable livelihood level of farmers in the Jianghan Plain was relatively low; the average Sustainable Livelihood Index (SLI) of the sampled farmers was 0.3462, with livelihood capital and livelihood outcomes accounting for 50.58% and 49.42% of the SLI, respectively. (2) A significant bidirectional positive interaction existed between farmers’ livelihood capital and livelihood outcomes. Specifically, the coefficient of the promotion effect of livelihood capital on livelihood outcomes was 0.1312, whereas that of the feedback effect of livelihood outcomes on livelihood capital was 1.0128. (3) The coupling coordination degree between farmers’ livelihood capital and livelihood outcomes was moderately unbalanced, with livelihood capital identified as the primary obstacle to farmers’ sustainable livelihood development. The average obstacle degree of livelihood capital was 0.7305, indicating a high degree of constraint. The cumulative obstacle degree of social capital (0.2707), human capital (0.1876), and natural capital (0.1460) reached 60.43%, indicating that these three factors collectively constituted the key obstacles. These findings provide valuable insights into promoting farmers’ livelihood sustainability and rural revitalization in plain agricultural areas. Full article

This study investigates the role of institutional policy support in enhancing climate adaptation strategies and maize productivity among smallholder farming households in Southwest Nigeria, a region critical for maize production yet vulnerable to climate variability. Employing a household-level data approach, data were collected from maize-based households across six states using questionnaires and interviews, supplemented by secondary climate and policy records. We employed a multivariate probit (MVP) regression with instrumental variable correction, addressing endogeneity in institutional support variables. Bayesian linear regression modeled maize yield as a function of institutional support, incorporating weakly informative priors and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling for posterior estimation. The Bayesian approach provides full posterior distributions and credible intervals, facilitates probabilistic interpretation of policy effects, improves estimation stability in the presence of multicollinearity, and enables rigorous sensitivity. Model robustness was evaluated via Bayesian fit metrics and sensitivity analysis with bootstrap resampling across prior types. Multivariate probit regression identifies institutional support, credit, irrigation, market access, and road infrastructure as key drivers of adaptation strategy adoption, modulated by socioeconomic (gender, experience) and farm-specific factors (farm size). Bayesian linear regression confirms significant yield impacts from institutional variables. Subgroup analysis indicates greater benefits for large farms over small farms, with gender-neutral impacts. While institutional support significantly boosts adaptation and productivity, gaps in irrigation access, climate information, and smallholder targeting limit equitable outcomes. The findings advocate for enhanced infrastructure, financial incentives, and tailored policies to strengthen climate resilience and food security, aligning with Nigeria’s climate goals and the Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

Global land degradation affects approximately 2 billion hectares, threatening food security, biodiversity, and climate stability while undermining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The concurrent urgency to decarbonize the energy system and mobilize green finance for sustainable transitions has created a rare policy window in which AI-optimized biofuel production on degraded lands can simultaneously serve multiple imperatives. This study presents a comprehensive secondary data analysis of AI-based optimization frameworks for deploying biofuel production systems on degraded lands, integrating an explicit green finance dimension that has been largely absent from prior synthesis literature. Drawing on 152 peer-reviewed studies and authoritative datasets from FAO, IEA, IRENA, UNCCD, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the World Bank, we analyze machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, and hybrid AI architectures applied to feedstock selection, soil remediation, yield prediction, supply-chain logistics, and green finance risk-return optimization. Based on evidence synthesized from 152 studies and supporting geospatial and scenario analyses, results indicate that AI-optimized systems can recover 75–94% of prime-land yields, achieve carbon sequestration rates of 2.1–6.8 t CO₂e ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, central estimate ≈ 7–9 Gt CO₂e yr⁻¹ at 35% adoption with moderate exclusions, and generate projected internal rates of return ranging from 8–22%, depending on feedstock type, regional conditions, and financing assumptions. Yield-recovery and carbon-sequestration ranges are drawn from synthesis of the reviewed literature; IRR, financial-leverage, and market-expansion figures are author-constructed scenario projections based on this evidence, not independently observed outcomes. Green bonds, Article 6 carbon credits, GCF concessional finance, and blended finance structures are identified as the most impactful instruments, collectively projected, under scenario-based modeling, to reduce composite project risk scores by 30–45% and expand the investable universe of degraded-land biofuel projects by an estimated 340% relative to a no-AI, no-green-finance baseline; these figures represent author-constructed scenario estimates rather than direct empirical findings. We develop the AI-Biofuel-Land Restoration-Green Finance (ABLR-GF) conceptual framework (not yet empirically validated through field pilots or simulation) with explicit green finance routing pathways and identify critical policy enablers for global deployment. This study advances the evidence base for policy-makers, investors, researchers, and development practitioners working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, bioenergy, green finance, and sustainable land management. Full article

African leafy vegetables (ALVs) are increasingly recognised for their nutritional, phytochemical, and socioeconomic importance, particularly in resource-limited communities. This narrative review synthesises current evidence on the effects of preservation methods on nutritional composition, phytochemical stability, microbial quality, sensory attributes, consumer acceptability, and their contribution to sustainable food systems in South Africa, supported by evidence from across Africa and the broader scientific literature. Evidence indicates that ALVs are rich sources of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds with important health-promoting properties. Preservation methods such as sun drying, blanching, freezing and solar drying are widely used to extend shelf life and improve year-round availability. However, their effects on nutrient retention, phytochemical stability, microbial safety, and sensory quality vary considerably. The review further highlights persistent challenges within ALV value chains, including inadequate processing and storage infrastructure, limited value addition, weak market integration, and low consumer awareness. Collectively, these constraints restrict the wider utilisation and commercialisation of ALVs despite their potential to strengthen food security and improve dietary quality. Standardised preservation approaches, investment in appropriate processing infrastructure, stronger value chains, improved consumer awareness, and supportive institutional and policy frameworks are required to enhance the adoption and sustainable utilisation of ALVs. Full article

High-standard farmland construction is a major land use policy aimed at improving farmland quality and strengthening the foundation of agricultural production. However, whether farmland improvement policies reshape the direction of agricultural technological change remains insufficiently understood. This study examines the impact of China’s high-standard farmland construction on land-enhancing technological change. Using provincial panel data from China, we construct two land-related biased technological progress indices—the capital–land and labor–land technological bias indices—based on a normalized factor-augmenting CES production framework, and further explore the underlying mechanisms through scale and price effects. The results show that high-standard farmland construction makes agricultural technological progress more inclined toward improving land factor efficiency, indicating a clear land-enhancing characteristic. Mechanism analysis reveals that the policy affects technological bias through both scale and price channels. In the capital–land relationship, both channels contribute to land-enhancing technological change, suggesting that capital inputs associated with farmland construction mainly function as land-supporting investments that improve land productivity rather than simply replacing land. In the labor–land relationship, the scale effect plays a dominant role, indicating that improved farmland conditions reduce dependence on traditional labor inputs and strengthen the productive role of land. Regional heterogeneity analysis shows that the land-enhancing effect is particularly evident in central China, while differences in agricultural development conditions and factor allocation structures lead to heterogeneous regional responses. This study extends the understanding of land use policies by revealing their role in shaping the direction of agricultural technological change. The findings highlight high-standard farmland construction as an important pathway for promoting sustainable land management and long-term food security. Full article

Fermented foods and beverages represent a cornerstone of Nigerian food culture, yet their scientific documentation remains fragmented, and their potential within global bioeconomy frameworks is largely unrealised. This review addresses two interrelated gaps: the absence of a comprehensive ethnogeographic analysis of Nigerian fermented foods that integrates ecological, cultural, and agricultural drivers of regional diversity, and the limited examination of these foods as models for circular bioeconomy development. Using a narrative synthesis of peer-reviewed literature spanning 1986–2025, we systematically map the distribution of fermented tuber, cereal, legume, dairy, and fruit products across Nigeria’s major geopolitical zones, demonstrating that agroecological endowment, ethnic composition, trade routes, and cross-cultural interactions shape regional variation. Beyond their socio-cultural significance, Nigerian fermented foods contribute meaningfully to food security by extending shelf life, enhancing nutrient bioavailability, and reducing post-harvest losses. This review further positions ogi (fermented maize gruel) and garri (fermented cassava granules) as model systems for circular bioeconomy integration, demonstrating how by-product valorisation can generate value-added outputs, including animal feed, bioethanol, biodegradable packaging, and organic acids. Key challenges, including food safety deficits, absence of standardised production protocols, and limited regulatory frameworks, are critically assessed. Three priority research directions are identified: metagenomics-based microbiome profiling, development of culturally appropriate starter cultures, and formulation of gender-responsive regulatory instruments. Nigerian fermented foods, properly documented and integrated into innovation systems, represent an underutilised asset for sustainable food system transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Full article

Cropland abandonment is a critical challenge for food security and the sustainable use of land resources, especially in the hilly and mountainous regions of southern China. To characterize the spatiotemporal evolution and associated-factor patterns of cropland abandonment in these regions, this study uses Ji’an City, Jiangxi Province, as a case study and develops an integrated framework for abandonment identification and monitoring, predictive-association analysis, relative risk assessment, and zoning management. Using Landsat remote sensing imagery from 1990 to 2024, crop phenological features, and multisource topographic, soil, climatic, ecological, and socioeconomic data, we identified and evaluated long-term cropland abandonment. The results show that, after incorporating phenological features and temporal filtering, annual land-use classification evaluated with spatially separated testing samples achieved a mean overall accuracy of 95.27% and a mean Kappa coefficient of 0.931, and the overall accuracy of cropland abandonment identification reached 91.58%, with a Kappa coefficient of 0.83. Cropland abandonment in Ji’an City showed an overall accelerating trend, with the abandonment rate exceeding 15% during 2020–2021. Spatially, abandonment was more intensive in the west than in the east and more severe in mountainous areas than in plains. Paddy field abandonment was the dominant form of cropland abandonment across the city, whereas dryland abandonment was more limited in extent but showed stronger interannual fluctuations. The predictive-association analysis indicated that tree cover consistently showed high predictive importance for both paddy fields and drylands. Paddy field predictions were more strongly associated with topographic position, surface roughness, and soil conservation, whereas dryland predictions showed stronger associations with aridity and population density. From 1993 to 2023, the model-estimated relative abandonment risk increased, and high-risk areas expanded from deep mountainous regions to low-hill areas. By coupling relative risk levels with associated-factor patterns, we divided paddy fields and drylands into four management zones: core protection zones, dynamic warning zones, integrated improvement zones, and ecological fallow zones. Differentiated management strategies were then proposed for each zone. This study provides methodological support and decision-making evidence for cropland abandonment monitoring, cropland protection, and differentiated land management in the hilly and mountainous regions of southern China. Full article

Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving mechanisms of cultivated land ecosystem health in the Northeast black soil region is essential for sustainable land management, regional ecological security, and national food security. This study selected 2002, 2012, and 2022 as representative years. Based on CLCD land use data and related natural and socio-economic datasets, an evaluation framework was established incorporating comprehensive productivity, landscape stability, and ecological sustainability. The cultivated land ecosystem health index (FEHI) was calculated using an integrated evaluation framework combining the InVEST model and weighted evaluation method, and the spatial differentiation characteristics and driving mechanisms were investigated using the GeoDetector model. The results showed that (1) among the three study years, cultivated land comprehensive productivity generally increased, whereas landscape stability declined and ecological sustainability remained at a relatively low level with signs of degradation; (2) the FEHI exhibited a fluctuating upward pattern, with the mean value increasing from 0.195 to 0.211. Low-health areas decreased, while high-health areas expanded, suggesting an enhancement in the comprehensive health level of cultivated land ecosystems. (3) GeoDetector analysis revealed that precipitation and elevation were the dominant factors influencing spatial differentiation. The interactions between precipitation and slope, as well as precipitation and nighttime light intensity, showed strong explanatory power, although the explanatory power of dominant factors varied among different years. These findings provide scientific support for ecological protection, black soil conservation, and sustainable cultivated land management in the Northeast black soil region. Full article

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is considered one of the most important cereals globally, contributing significantly to the human population’s caloric and protein requirements. Therefore, ensuring a sufficient yield of wheat for global consumption plays a significant role in maintaining food security in different parts of the world. With increasing demand and dwindling production capacity, due to increasingly uncertain growing conditions, projections indicate that there should be an upswing of 60–70% in wheat productivity by 2050 to fulfill the requirement. However, drought represents the most significant and widespread abiotic limitation to global wheat production, currently resulting in approximately 10% yield losses worldwide. Furthermore, each additional 1 °C increase in temperature is anticipated to decrease staple calorie production by 4.4%. The factors contributing to drought in wheat, as well as its impact on the plant’s biochemical, physiological, and morphological structures, include altered rainfall patterns, elevated atmospheric CO₂ levels, increased temperatures, hot and dry winds, and restricted soil water availability. These factors initiate a series of morphological, physiological, and biochemical disruptions that hinder wheat growth and productivity. Drought impact on wheat starts at biochemical levels through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and degradation of chlorophylls, and tolerance to stress is influenced by a polygenic system where numerous genes contribute minor effects and interact significantly with environmental factors transitioning to osmoprotectants. At the physiological level, drought alters the water content in the plant body, leading to reduced net photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, transpiration rates, and water utilization efficiency. At the morphological level, drought impacts all kinds of structures such as roots, shoots, leaves and reproductive parts. To counter these effects, wheat develops a set of tolerant mechanisms called drought escape, avoidance and tolerance. An increase in trichomes and leaf waxes, alteration of root–shoot ratios, the staying green phenomenon, production of stress proteins like proline, activity of enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, etc., osmotic adjustment, abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation, expression of dehydration proteins called dehydrin, etc., contribute towards drought tolerance. This comprehensive review investigates the intricate interactions between drought and various wheat genotypes, emphasizing their substantial impacts on plant physiology, biochemistry, growth dynamics, and grain yield. Additionally, this review assesses a variety of genetic and biotechnological strategies aimed at enhancing the resilience of wheat genotypes to drought stress. By integrating recent research findings with practical applications, this review provides a detailed framework for improving the adaptive capacity of wheat plants to withstand the escalating threats of drought stress, thereby supporting sustainable wheat production in a changing climate. Addressing drought stress through genetic and biotechnological management practices is crucial for maintaining wheat productivity. Full article

Myanmar, an agriculture-based economy, is one of the most important agricultural countries in mainland Southeast Asia. Although previous studies have documented changes in agricultural land-use and cropping patterns, trends in farmland area, cropping patterns, and food sufficiency across Myanmar’s 14 states/regions remain limited. This study addresses these gaps by using land-cover data from the global 30 m dynamic dataset and statistical data from 2000 to 2025, and household surveys from selected areas. GIS-based spatial analysis, trend analysis, and multivariate analysis of variance were applied to analyze both the direction and magnitude of farmland and cropping pattern changes over time. The results showed that Myanmar’s farmland area increased significantly (τ = +0.52, p < 0.01), expanding by 23.6% over the study period. Double cropping remained an important system, increasing by 55.9%. In the central dry zone, sufficient water availability showed the strongest effect on crop production and farmland area (F = 11.191, p < 0.001, η²p = 0.037), followed by soil fertility loss (F = 10.263, p < 0.001, η²p = 0.034). The analysis estimated that domestic consumption requirements were approximately 7.97 million tons of rice, 3.12 million tons of wheat, and 0.42 million tons of maize. These findings can support sustainable farmland use planning and inform food security policy decisions in Myanmar. Full article

Salinisation and metal contamination are among the leading causes of arable land loss worldwide, yet halophytes and metallophytes—the plants best adapted to these conditions—remain a considerably underexploited biotechnological resource. Using an eco-evo-devo perspective, in which environmental pressure, developmental plasticity and evolutionary outcome interact to shape adaptive traits, we examine evidence that salinity and metal tolerance arose independently and repeatedly across distant angiosperm lineages, converging on comparable structural and physiological solutions: succulence, anatomical transport barriers, root exudation, osmoprotection, and ion compartmentalisation. This convergence distinguishes stress-tolerance mechanisms that are general from those that are stressor-specific, informing efforts to transfer these traits into other extremophytes and conventional crops. In turn, we assess the ecological roles of halophytes and metallophytes in their natural habitats before evaluating their biotechnological applications, which range from halophyte-derived genes and promoters for crop improvement to halophyte biomass for bioenergy, biomaterials and remediation of saline, polluted soils and wastewaters, while metallophytes underpin phytoremediation, phytomining, and biomonitoring of metal-contaminated sites. Notwithstanding this progress, wider exploitation remains limited by the scarcity of crop-relevant gene-editing platforms for halophytes, low biomass yield in metal-hyperaccumulating species, and inconsistent phytochemical standardisation across growing conditions, as well as by three unresolved gaps: the lack of methods to partition host and microbiome contributions to tolerance, uncertainty over whether mechanisms shared between the two groups are convergent or evolutionarily conserved, and the undetermined contribution of epigenetic inheritance to stress adaptation. Translating this evolutionary and physiological knowledge into stress-adapted cultivars, optimised extraction systems, and field-ready phytoremediation and phytomining programmes is central to addressing land degradation, food security, and sustainable resource recovery. Full article