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Recent Advances in Sustainable Food Systems—Local and Alternative Solutions for Global Challenges

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Food".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 7923

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Áron Török

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Economics, Institute of Sustainable Development, Corvinus University of Budapest, 1093 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: food quality schemes; short food supply chains; agricultural trade
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zsófia Benedek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, 1097 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: local food; consumer behaviour; resilience; ecosystem services

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are organizing a Special Issue of Sustainability on recent advances in sustainable food systems. Sustainability is a peer-reviewed open access journal of environmental, cultural, economic, and social sustainability of human beings. It provides an advanced forum for articles and communications related to sustainability and sustainable development. For detailed information on the journal, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability. 

Concerns about the economic, social, and environmental (un)sustainability of conventional global food supply chains have long raised the need for a transition towards more sustainable, just, and resilient food systems. Besides these issues, recent shocks to global food supply chains (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic or the Russian-Ukrainian war) have clearly underlined their vulnerability.

In recent decades, a variety of potential answers have emerged, though remarkable changes (“regime shifts”) are still being awaited. These answers address all the steps from farm to fork (and beyond), including sustainable food production, alternative food networks and their supply chains, green food consumption, and the reduction in food loss and food waste.

The overall purpose of this Special Issue is to focus on the different topics related to the sustainability of diverse food supply chains. The aim is to collect and identify international scientific pieces of evidence that contribute to the sustainability transition of food systems.

We welcome both reviews (systematic reviews, meta-analyses) and original research manuscripts (including quantitative and qualitative approaches). If you are uncertain whether your paper fits into the scope of this Special Issue, do not hesitate to get in touch with the Guest Editors.

This Special Issue is open to any subject area related to sustainable food systems. The listed keywords suggest just a few of the many possibilities.

Dr. Áron Török
Dr. Zsófia Benedek
Guest Editors

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

  • sustainable food chains
  • short food supply chains
  • food systems
  • food trade
  • agricultural trade
  • alternative food networks
  • local food
  • food quality schemes
  • fair trade
  • food labeling
  • resilience
  • food security
  • food sovereignty
  • social-ecological systems
  • agrobiodiversity
  • farmers' market
  • community-supported agriculture
  • box schemes
  • solidarity purchasing groups
  • food hubs
  • food cooperatives
  • organic production
  • agroecology
  • sustainable pest management
  • sustainable food waste management
  • sustainable food consumption
  • agri-food transition

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 266 KiB  
Article
Short Food Supply Chains as a Practical Implication of Sustainable Development Ideas
by Magdalena Raftowicz, Krzysztof Solarz and Agnieszka Dradrach
Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2910; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072910 - 30 Mar 2024
Viewed by 793
Abstract
The subject of this article is the issue of short food supply chains. The research problem formulated in the paper aims to address whether short food supply chains ensure the sustainable development of rural areas and whether they are being displaced by longer [...] Read more.
The subject of this article is the issue of short food supply chains. The research problem formulated in the paper aims to address whether short food supply chains ensure the sustainable development of rural areas and whether they are being displaced by longer chains for narrowly defined economic reasons. The research was conducted based on a critical analysis of literature on short food supply chains and statistical data. The findings of the research indicate that short food supply chains are a necessary condition for the sustainable development of rural areas. Unfortunately, there is a conflict between the pursuit of narrowly defined economic efficiency of farms and the preservation of the social potential of rural areas, which stems from the fact that the principle of price competition does not favor the development of local supply markets, especially when it comes to high-quality food. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Sustainable Food Systems—Local and Alternative Solutions for Global Challenges)
35 pages, 4126 KiB  
Article
Local Wild Food Plants and Food Products in a Multi-Cultural Region: An Exploratory Study among Diverse Ethnic Groups in Bessarabia, Southern Moldova
by Dauro M. Zocchi, Naji Sulaiman, Julia Prakofjewa, Renata Sõukand and Andrea Pieroni
Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 1968; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051968 - 27 Feb 2024
Viewed by 803
Abstract
A growing number of studies have acknowledged that food and ethnobotanical heritage have traditionally played a crucial role in the resilience of local communities, and their potentially crucial role in addressing future challenges posed by the turbulent changes affecting food systems worldwide. However, [...] Read more.
A growing number of studies have acknowledged that food and ethnobotanical heritage have traditionally played a crucial role in the resilience of local communities, and their potentially crucial role in addressing future challenges posed by the turbulent changes affecting food systems worldwide. However, the issue of how and why food heritage changes across cultures within the same or similar foodscapes is still largely under-investigated. To partially contribute to this debate, we conducted exploratory fieldwork research in 15 villages in the Bessarabia region in the southern part of Moldova. We aim to record this multiethnic region’s contemporary food and ethnobotanical heritage, focusing on the culinary uses and knowledge of plants, dishes, and artisanal food products. A total of 91 persons (37 men and 54 women) belonging to some of the most representative ethnic groups of the area (i.e., Moldovans, Gagauz, Bulgarians, and Ukrainians) were involved in this study. Among these groups, we recorded 66 plant and fungal taxa, as well as 42 traditional artisanal home-produced local food products and dishes. Overall, Moldovans showed a more vigorous food and ethnobotanical diversity in terms of the mentioned items than the other groups. Based on our exploratory field study, we identified possible factors that could be investigated to better explain the less biodiverse food heritage among the other three considered groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Sustainable Food Systems—Local and Alternative Solutions for Global Challenges)
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24 pages, 4642 KiB  
Article
A Bibliometric Analysis of Sustainable Food Consumption: Historical Evolution, Dominant Topics and Trends
by Kristia Kristia, Sándor Kovács, Zoltán Bács and Mohammad Fazle Rabbi
Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8998; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118998 - 2 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2653
Abstract
The major goal of this study is to trace the emergence of SFC-related research across time, using a thematic map and a list of corresponding publications. In addition, this study aims to determine the author who has made the most significant contribution to [...] Read more.
The major goal of this study is to trace the emergence of SFC-related research across time, using a thematic map and a list of corresponding publications. In addition, this study aims to determine the author who has made the most significant contribution to this particular field. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the historical development and current trends in sustainable food consumption research, examining 2265 articles published between 1990 and 2023. Using the bibliometrics package of R Studio software version 4.2.1 and its Biblioshiny package, articles from the Scopus and Web of Science databases are examined. In the field of sustainable food consumption, we identify five distinct research phases: initial stagnation, infant growth, post-economic crisis, expanding phase and COVID-19 and post-pandemic. While research on broader sustainability topics can be traced back to the early 20th century, a very limited number of articles on sustainable food consumption was published in the 1990s. However, the number of publications increased incrementally over time, with a notable uptick in interest around 2015, and the subject was still being discussed in 2022. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic marked the beginning of the most recent phase of research, which analyzed the consumption patterns of consumers before and after the pandemic. Our study highlights key authors, documents and sources related to sustainable food consumption. The United States, Italy and the United Kingdom emerged as the most active contributors to the research on sustainable food consumption and were additionally the countries with the largest global market shares for organic products. Major sub-themes including organic food, food waste, sustainable development and food security, together with consumer behavior and organic products appeared as being the most researched sub-themes of recent times. The results of this study suggest that more research is related to sustainable food consumption in countries with a low organic food market share. In addition, the investigation of actual data on food waste, carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from food production and consumption is essential to gain holistic insights. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Sustainable Food Systems—Local and Alternative Solutions for Global Challenges)
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16 pages, 1197 KiB  
Article
Eliciting University Students’ Attitudes towards Farmers’ Markets: The Hungarian Case
by Gréta Maró, Péter Czine, Zalán Márk Maró and Áron Török
Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16757; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416757 - 14 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1454
Abstract
Short food supply chains are increasingly investigated areas of international studies. One of its defining sales channels is the farmers’ market, the number of which has grown substantially in Hungary in recent years. Many studies analyze the consumers of farmers’ markets worldwide, but [...] Read more.
Short food supply chains are increasingly investigated areas of international studies. One of its defining sales channels is the farmers’ market, the number of which has grown substantially in Hungary in recent years. Many studies analyze the consumers of farmers’ markets worldwide, but only a few examine the relationship of university students with farmers’ markets. Although university students are not typical customers of farmers’ markets, it is essential to investigate their habits since they are the consumers of the future. Based on a questionnaire survey among Hungarian university students (n = 262), the price, convenience, selection, and quality aspects of the products dominate. We also identified clusters based on food purchasing criteria: (1) price-sensitive consumers, (2) health-conscious consumers, and (3) brand-loyal consumers. The main obstacle for non-regular buyers is the distance from farmers’ markets, which can be solved by organizing farmers’ markets on university campuses. 95% of the sample is open to this, so it would be worthwhile to conduct independent research for each university and put the positive results into practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Sustainable Food Systems—Local and Alternative Solutions for Global Challenges)
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9 pages, 898 KiB  
Article
Effects of Food Cooperative Membership on What Consumers Buy and Where They Buy: Evidence from Korean Household Panel Data 2015–2019
by Dongmin Lee
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12197; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912197 - 26 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1122
Abstract
Alternative food networks (AFNs) have emerged in response to the conventional industrial food system, which distances and detaches food production from food consumption. Food cooperatives are representative of AFNs where relationships between food producers and consumers are reconfigured. This study examines household food [...] Read more.
Alternative food networks (AFNs) have emerged in response to the conventional industrial food system, which distances and detaches food production from food consumption. Food cooperatives are representative of AFNs where relationships between food producers and consumers are reconfigured. This study examines household food cooperative membership and changes in food purchase behavior using household panel data gathered by the Rural Development Administration of Korea. In particular, it aims to provide insight into the effect of AFNs on consumer food purchase behavior, including expenditure per food category and visit frequency ratio per store format. The ordinary least squares regression model was used. The findings show that depending on the ownership of AFNs, expenditure per food category and visit frequency ratio per store format vary. Food cooperative members tend to purchase less processed food and more fresh vegetables and fruits than nonmembers. Moreover, food cooperative membership significantly influences the decrease in visits to small supermarkets and traditional markets when purchasing groceries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Sustainable Food Systems—Local and Alternative Solutions for Global Challenges)
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