Sustainable Practices in Agricultural Food Chains

Dear Colleagues,

In 2018, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations defined a sustainable food system as one that delivers food security and nutrition for all in such a way that the economic, social and environmental bases that generate food security and nutrition for future generations are not compromised [1]. For our food systems to be sustainable, they must: (i) be profitable for all actors (economic sustainability); (ii) deliver broad-based benefits for society (social sustainability); and (iii) have a positive or neutral impact on the natural environment (environmental sustainability).

However, as reported by the EAT Lancet Commission [2], food production is one of the largest drivers of global environmental change, contributing both directly and indirectly to climate change, the loss of biodiversity, the depletion of freshwater reserves, land-system change and environmental pollution. Additional pressures are being placed on our food systems from rapid population growth, urbanization, changing consumption patterns and globalization. The increasing availability of highly processed, energy-dense and nutrient-poor food items is negatively impacting human health, while the increasing incidence of food safety breakdowns, and the interface between human health and animal health, is compromising the performance of both domestic and international food supply chains.

The FAO [3] defined a sustainable food value chain as: the full range of farms and firms and their successive co-ordinated value-adding activities that produce raw agricultural materials and transform them into food products that are sold to final consumers and disposed of after use, in a manner that is profitable throughout, has broad-based benefits for society, and does not permanently deplete natural resources.

A sustainable food supply chain encompasses all the activities, organisations, actors, technology, information, resources and services involved in producing food products for consumer markets [4]. By necessity, this includes all the upstream and downstream actors, including the supply of agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilisers, chemicals, fuel and equipment), on-farm production, post-harvest handling, processing, transportation, marketing, distribution and retailing. It also includes support services, such as finance, extension agents, research and development and the provision of market information.

The sustainability of our food system begins well before a crop is planted [5]. This “pre-production” phase includes how genetic resources can be used to improve the quality and productivity of crops, as well as innovations and technology that support the more efficient use of agricultural inputs, and advances in agricultural practices, to ensure that farmers can continue to thrive in the face of climate change and other increasingly unpredictable conditions.

In the “production” phase, farmers must contend with the myriad challenges involved in growing and harvesting, including weeds, pests and disease, severe and unpredictable weather, food losses and fluctuating market conditions [5]. Climate-smart farming techniques offer the potential to increase agricultural productivity and income, make rural communities more resilient to climate change and, where possible, mitigate climate change. Climate smart approaches include not only the management of farms, but also ecosystem and landscape management, and the provision of services to farmers and land managers to better manage climate risks and mitigation actions. However, the successful transition to climate-smart agriculture and its implementation requires the establishment of an appropriate enabling environment that encompasses conducive institutional arrangements, infrastructure and mechanisms to increase farmer access to credit, insurance, extension and advisory services [6].

The “supply chain” stage refers to the steps taken to deliver food from the farm to the consumer [5]. Transformed into saleable goods, these products may be processed, packaged and stored before eventually being transported to market. Post-harvest food losses, particularly in the developing world, where infrastructure, energy grids and transport systems are often poor or missing, can be significant. Innovative activities at this stage of the supply chain aim to reduce these losses while simultaneously adding value to food products.

In the final stage of the food chain, how food is cooked, eaten and disposed of by consumers must be considered [5]. During this “consumption” stage, consumers make a number of decisions which have significant implications for food and nutrition security, the well-being of communities, the wider environment and the natural resource base. How we prepare, consume and dispose of our food is a key consideration for more sustainable food systems. Consumers hold the power to trigger transformative processes by shifting demand towards more environmentally, socially responsible and nutritious food products [7].

In working towards a more sustainable food system, integrated action must be taken by all stakeholders at local, national, regional and global levels, by both public and private actors and across multiple fronts [6]. The global COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of developing stronger and more sustainable, resilient and equitable food systems that are better able to withstand future crises, natural disasters and the multiple and increasingly severe impacts of climate change.

For this special edition of Agronomy, we welcome papers that holistically explore the economic, social and environmental impact of new technologies, sustainable supply chain practices and food consumption behaviours that support improved nutrition and health. Selected papers will give consideration to one or more of the following topic areas:

• Facilitating farmer access to productive resources, finance and services;
• Connecting smallholder farmers to markets;
• Enhancing soil health;
• Using production inputs and resources more efficiently;
• Enhancing biodiversity;
• Agro-ecological and climate-smart farming practices;
• Reducing food losses and encouraging food reuse and recycling;
• Interventions to reduce GHG emissions within agrifood chains;
• Market dynamics and market power;
• Price determination and standards;
• Promoting sustainable food consumption;
• Improving nutrition and diets;
• Addressing and adapting to climate change;
• Strengthening food system resilience;
• Strengthening the enabling environment and reforming the institutional framework;
• Facilitating international trade.

References

1. FAO. 2018. Sustainable Food Systems Concept and Framework. Rome.
2. The Lancet Commissions. 2019. Food in the Anthropocene: The EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems.
3. FAO. 2014. Developing sustainable food value chains. Guiding principles. Rome.
4. OECD/FAO. 2016. OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264251052-en.
5. Farming First. Innovations for sustainable food systems.
6. FAO. 2022. Crops and climate change impact briefs. Climate-smart agriculture for more sustainable, resilient, and equitable food systems. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb8030en.
7. FAO. 2022. The future of food and agriculture – Drivers and triggers for transformation. The Future of Food and Agriculture, No. 3. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0959en.

Prof. Dr. Peter J. Batt
Guest Editor

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• food security
• innovation
• consumption
• nutrition
• diets
• climate change