The New Era of Food and Agriculture: Sustainable Strategies to Achieve Zero Hunger

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

The pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals has highlighted the imperative of achieving Zero waste and zero hunger. This topic explores the complex relationships among agriculture, food waste, the recovery of bioactive compounds and food security in the context of the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy. Delving into the dynamics of agricultural practices, animal nutrition, food quality, food prices and their impact on food security, this topic proposes a way to align with circular economy principles that replaces "end of life" with "reduce, reuse, recycle and recover" by extending the useful life of materials. Investigating the multifaceted connections between these elements will provide the essential insights needed to design practical interventions to effectively address the dual challenge of waste reduction and hunger. Practical interventions in reducing the losses via the valorization and upcycling of food waste and generating value-added products represent a solution for a social and environmental concern that currently affects the agri-food supply chain. The research article will contribute to understanding how we can achieve the goal of fostering a more sustainable, resilient and healthier food system, one that aligns with the principles of environmental conservation, economic viability, and social inclusivity.

The research article may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Investigating the shift from a linear economy to a circular economy in agriculture, focusing on principles like "reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover" to extend the useful life of materials and minimize waste;
• Exploring the dynamics between agricultural practices, food quality, and food prices, and their direct impact on ensuring food security;
• Researching the recovery of bioactive compounds from food waste, by-products/coproducts and their potential impact on both food security and the circular economy;
• Studying methods to reduce food waste by valorising and upcycling it into value-added products, contributing to social and environmental sustainability within the agri-food supply chain;
• Designing practical interventions that effectively address the interconnected challenges of waste reduction and hunger, aiming to provide insights for sustainable solutions;
• Investigating strategies to align food systems with sustainability goals, considering environmental conservation, economic viability, and social inclusivity;
• Understanding how to foster more resilient, healthier food systems that meet sustainable development goals by integrating principles of sustainability, resilience, and health.

Dr. Petru Alexandru Vlaicu
Dr. Arabela Elena Untea
Dr. Teodora Popova
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agriculture agriculture	3.6	3.6	2011	17.7 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Animals animals	3.0	4.2	2011	18.1 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Foods foods	5.2	5.8	2012	13.1 Days	CHF 2900	Submit
Nutrients nutrients	5.9	9.0	2009	14.5 Days	CHF 2900	Submit
World world	-	-	2020	25.9 Days	CHF 1000	Submit

MDPI Topics is cooperating with Preprints.org and has built a direct connection between MDPI journals and Preprints.org. Authors are encouraged to enjoy the benefits by posting a preprint at Preprints.org prior to publication:

1. Immediately share your ideas ahead of publication and establish your research priority;
2. Protect your idea from being stolen with this time-stamped preprint article;
3. Enhance the exposure and impact of your research;
4. Receive feedback from your peers in advance;
5. Have it indexed in Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Google Scholar, Crossref, SHARE, PrePubMed, Scilit and Europe PMC.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results

Content type Publication Date

Result details

Normal Extended Compact

Journals

All Agriculture Animals Foods Nutrients World

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

17 pages, 270 KiB  

Open AccessReview

Methods to Isolate Muscle Stem Cells for Cell-Based Cultured Meat Production: A Review

by Jae-Hoon Lee, Tae-Kyung Kim, Min-Cheol Kang, Minkyung Park and Yun-Sang Choi

Animals 2024, 14(5), 819; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14050819 - 06 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1300

Abstract

Cultured meat production relies on various cell types, including muscle stem cells (MuSCs), embryonic stem cell lines, induced pluripotent cell lines, and naturally immortalized cell lines. MuSCs possess superior muscle differentiation capabilities compared to the other three cell lines, making them key for [...] Read more.

Cultured meat production relies on various cell types, including muscle stem cells (MuSCs), embryonic stem cell lines, induced pluripotent cell lines, and naturally immortalized cell lines. MuSCs possess superior muscle differentiation capabilities compared to the other three cell lines, making them key for cultured meat development. Therefore, to produce cultured meat using MuSCs, they must first be effectively separated from muscles. At present, the methods used to isolate MuSCs from muscles include (1) the pre-plating method, using the ability of cells to adhere differently, which is a biological characteristic of MuSCs; (2) the density gradient centrifugation method, using the intrinsic density difference of cells, which is a physical characteristic of MuSCs; and (3) fluorescence- and magnetic-activated cell sorting methods, using the surface marker protein on the cell surface of MuSCs, which is a molecular characteristic of MuSCs. Further efficient and valuable methods for separating MuSCs are expected to be required as the cell-based cultured meat industry develops. Thus, we take a closer look at the four methods currently in use and discuss future development directions in this review. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic The New Era of Food and Agriculture: Sustainable Strategies to Achieve Zero Hunger)

attachment

Supplementary material:
Supplementary File 1 (ZIP, 209 KiB)

13 pages, 4241 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Nutritional, Textural, and Sensory Attributes of Protein Bars Formulated with Mycoproteins

by Xiao-Yan You, Yue Ding, Qing-Yun Bu, Qin-Hong Wang and Guo-Ping Zhao

Foods 2024, 13(5), 671; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13050671 - 23 Feb 2024

Viewed by 971

Abstract

Research accumulated over the past decades has shown that mycoprotein could serve as a healthy and safe alternative protein source, offering a viable substitute for animal- and plant-derived proteins. This study evaluated the impact of substituting whey protein with fungal-derived mycoprotein at different [...] Read more.

Research accumulated over the past decades has shown that mycoprotein could serve as a healthy and safe alternative protein source, offering a viable substitute for animal- and plant-derived proteins. This study evaluated the impact of substituting whey protein with fungal-derived mycoprotein at different levels (10%, 20%, and 30%) on the quality of high-protein nutrition bars (HPNBs). It focused on nutritional content, textural changes over storage, and sensory properties. Initially, all bars displayed similar hardness, but storage time significantly affected textural properties. In the early storage period (0–5 days), hardness increased at a modest rate of 0.206 N/day to 0.403 N/day. This rate dramatically escalated from 1.13 N/day to 1.36 N/day after 5 days, indicating a substantial textural deterioration over time. Bars with lower mycoprotein levels (10%) exhibited slower hardening rates compared with those with higher substitution levels (20% and 30%), pointing to a correlation between mycoprotein content and increased bar hardness during storage. Protein digestibility was assessed through in vitro gastric and intestinal phases. Bars with no or low-to-medium levels of mycoprotein substitution (PB00, PB10, and PB20) showed significantly higher digestibility (40.3~43.8%) compared with those with the highest mycoprotein content (PB30, 32.9%). However, digestibility rates for all mycoprotein-enriched bars were lower than those observed for whey-protein-only bars (PB00, 84.5%), especially by the end of the intestinal digestion phase. The introduction of mycoprotein enriched the bars’ dietary fiber content and improved their odor, attributing a fresh mushroom-like smell. These findings suggest that modest levels of mycoprotein can enhance nutritional value and maintain sensory quality, although higher substitution levels adversely affect texture and protein digestibility. This study underscores the potential of mycoprotein as a functional ingredient in HPNBs, balancing nutritional enhancement with sensory acceptability, while also highlighting the challenges of textural deterioration and reduced protein digestibility at higher substitution levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic The New Era of Food and Agriculture: Sustainable Strategies to Achieve Zero Hunger)

►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 14367 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Seeds of Cross-Sector Collaboration: A Multi-Agent Evolutionary Game Theoretical Framework Illustrated by the Breeding of Salt-Tolerant Rice

by Yusheng Chen, Zhaofa Sun, Yanmei Wang, Ye Ma and Weili Yang

Agriculture 2024, 14(2), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14020300 - 13 Feb 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 719

Abstract

In the context of global food security and the pursuit of sustainable agricultural development, fostering synergistic innovation in the seed industry is of strategic importance. However, the collaborative innovation process between seed companies, research institutions, and governments is fraught with challenges due to [...] Read more.

In the context of global food security and the pursuit of sustainable agricultural development, fostering synergistic innovation in the seed industry is of strategic importance. However, the collaborative innovation process between seed companies, research institutions, and governments is fraught with challenges due to information asymmetry and bounded rationality within the research and development phase. This paper establishes a multi-agent evolutionary game framework, taking the breeding of salt-tolerant rice as a case study. This study, grounded in the theories of information asymmetry and bounded rationality, constructs a two-party evolutionary game model for the interaction between enterprises and research institutions under market mechanisms. It further extends this model to include government participation, forming a three-party evolutionary game model. The aim is to uncover the evolutionary trends in collaborative behavior under various policy interventions and to understand how governments can foster collaborative innovation in salt-tolerant rice breeding through policy measures. To integrate the impact of historical decisions on the evolution of collaborative innovation, this research employs a delay differential equation (DDE) algorithm that takes historical lags into account within the numerical simulation. The stability analysis and numerical simulation using the DDE algorithm reveal the risk of market failure within the collaborative innovation system for salt-tolerant rice breeding operating under market mechanisms. Government involvement can mitigate this risk by adjusting incentive and restraint mechanisms to promote the system’s stability and efficiency. Simulation results further identify that the initial willingness to participate, the coefficient for the distribution of benefits, the coefficient for cost sharing, and the government’s punitive and incentivizing intensities are crucial factors affecting the stability of collaborative innovation. Based on these findings, the study suggests a series of policy recommendations including enhancing the initial motivation for participation in collaborative innovation, refining mechanisms for benefit distribution and cost sharing, strengthening regulatory compliance systems, constructing incentive frameworks, and encouraging information sharing and technology exchange. These strategies aim to establish a healthy and effective ecosystem for collaborative innovation in salt-tolerant rice breeding. While this research uses salt-tolerant rice breeding as a case study, the proposed cooperative mechanisms and policy suggestions have universal applicability in various agricultural science and technology innovation scenarios, especially when research meets widespread social needs but lacks commercial profit drivers, underscoring the essential role of government incentives and support. Consequently, this research not only contributes a new perspective to the application of evolutionary game theory in agricultural science and technology innovation but also offers empirical backing for policymakers in advancing similar collaborative innovation endeavors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic The New Era of Food and Agriculture: Sustainable Strategies to Achieve Zero Hunger)

►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

 

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

Displaying articles 1-3