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Agriculture
Special Issues
Strategies for Resilient and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems
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Strategies for Resilient and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Economics, Policies and Rural Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2025 | Viewed by 2510

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Steliana Rodino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Research Institute for Agriculture Economy and Rural Development, 060674 Bucharest, Romania
2. Applied Biotechnologies Department, National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: agriculture economy; rural development; bioeconomy; agroecology; sustainable business models; waste management microbiology; biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global agri-food system is currently facing significant transformations in response to various challenges, from climate change and resource depletion to growing populations and an overall increase in demand for more sustainable practices across all economic sectors. Meanwhile, shifting consumer behavior and technology changes are driving the forces of innovation within agriculture and the food industry.

In this context, this Special Issue is focused on the strategies and policies that support the development of resilient and sustainable agricultural landscapes while addressing the environmental, social, and economic drivers of change affecting global futures in agri-food systems. It will facilitate in-depth discussions regarding current key themes such as climate change impacts, food security, and transition toward a sustainable and green economy within various global agricultural contexts. This Special Issue invites contributions addressing the reform of global agricultural policies, including but not limited to the European Union’s CAP, with a broader focus on policy transformations in various regions designed to promote sustainability in agriculture and food supply chains.

Research articles and review papers are expected to examine resilience strategies within the rural economy that have environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Case studies and comparative analyses from diverse geographical regions depicting innovation that supports the development of resilient and sustainable global agri-food systems are welcome. These topics could include circular agriculture practices for reducing waste and enhancing resource efficiency, digital tools and artificial intelligence use for smart agriculture, community-led agricultural initiatives, bio-based materials for sustainable agricultural inputs, and the impact of consumer choices on agricultural practices.

Dr. Steliana Rodino
Guest Editor

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. Agriculture 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 2600 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

  • agri-food value chains
  • agroecology
  • agribusiness
  • bio-based solutions
  • bioeconomy transition
  • Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
  • consumer behavior
  • rural development
  • climate change adaptation
  • sustainable growth

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 581 KiB  
Article
Cross-Sectional Analysis of Household Food Demand in Estuaire Gabon: A Near-Ideal Quadratic Demand System Approach
by Charlene Ignanga, Yu Chen, Yining Zhao, Heguang Liu and Wen Yu
Agriculture 2025, 15(3), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15030268 - 26 Jan 2025
Viewed by 649
Abstract
Gabon depends heavily on food imports to safeguard its food security; yet household food consumption patterns remain underexplored. This study investigates the structure of food demand in the Estuaire region, incorporating demographic determinants such as the age of the household head, household size, [...] Read more.
Gabon depends heavily on food imports to safeguard its food security; yet household food consumption patterns remain underexplored. This study investigates the structure of food demand in the Estuaire region, incorporating demographic determinants such as the age of the household head, household size, youth proportion, and residential distance from shopping centers. Using primary data collected from a randomized survey of 410 households, the analysis employs the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) model to estimate expenditure and price elasticities. The results indicate that expenditure elasticities are universally positive, with luxury items, including meat, eggs, and fish, exhibiting greater sensitivity compared to staple foods such as poultry, oil, rice, cassava, and bananas, which display inelastic demand. Price elasticities for meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and rice are negative, adhering to the law of demand. Demographic factors, including education, age, and residential location, significantly influence the consumption of meat, cassava, bananas, and oil. Household size, employment type, and youth composition also emerge as critical determinants of increased demand for poultry, fish, and rice. These findings offer policy-relevant insights to strengthen food security and address socioeconomic disparities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Resilient and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems)
23 pages, 1935 KiB  
Article
The Quality Turn of Food Deserts into Food Oases in European Cities: Market Opportunities for Local Producers
by Laura Fernández-Casal, Emel Karakaya Ayalp, Sevim Pelin Öztürk, Luis Manuel Navas-Gracia, Feral Geçer Sargın and Julia Pinedo-Gil
Agriculture 2025, 15(3), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15030229 - 21 Jan 2025
Viewed by 542
Abstract
The current conventional food system is led by large-scale agribusinesses, characterized by industrialized production and increasing distance between food production and consumption. In response, alternative food initiatives (AFIs) have typically emerged as grassroots initiatives that may not be uniformly distributed or accessible. Food [...] Read more.
The current conventional food system is led by large-scale agribusinesses, characterized by industrialized production and increasing distance between food production and consumption. In response, alternative food initiatives (AFIs) have typically emerged as grassroots initiatives that may not be uniformly distributed or accessible. Food deserts, areas with limited access to healthy and affordable food, are often discussed without considering food quality. Addressing this, this article aims to assess food deserts for healthy, local, and sustainable products in 11 European cities, comparing conditions before and after the implementation of innovative actions focused on shortening food chains during three years of study. The methodology involves locating alternative production and consumption spaces (APSs and ACSs) and drawing a walking distance around them, identifying densely populated areas outside these radii as food deserts. The results show that the implementation of AFIs has reduced food deserts in 9 out of 11 cities (average from 10.1% at T0 to 7.4% at Tf), opening new market opportunities for local producers and increasing consumer access to local and sustainable produce. The implementation of this study’s approach can potentially transform food deserts into food oases, enhancing food security and sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Resilient and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems)
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22 pages, 1186 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Impact of Hermetic Storage Technology on Storage Quantity and Post-Harvest Storage Losses Among Smallholding Maize Farmers in Nepal
by Deepak Kumar Nepali and Keshav Lall Maharjan
Agriculture 2025, 15(2), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15020151 - 12 Jan 2025
Viewed by 871
Abstract
Promoting smallholding farmers to use improved storage technology is pivotal to enhance the sustainable agri-food system. Studies suggest that hermetic storage technology reduces post-harvest storage losses, improves grain quality, and enhances food security. However, weak causal evidence is prevalent due to confounding and [...] Read more.
Promoting smallholding farmers to use improved storage technology is pivotal to enhance the sustainable agri-food system. Studies suggest that hermetic storage technology reduces post-harvest storage losses, improves grain quality, and enhances food security. However, weak causal evidence is prevalent due to confounding and endogeneity issues in such studies. Hence, this study examines the impact of hermetic storage bags through a randomized encouragement design, using the instrumental variable (IV) approach, among 692 smallholding farmers in Nepal, where maize is one of the major food crops. Farmers were encouraged by offers of 100% and 50% subsidies on the price of up to three Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags. We found that an additional unit of the hermetic storage bag increased maize storage by 42.84 kg and reduced post-harvest storage losses by 10 kg (32.92% reduction) for the farmers encouraged with a 100% subsidy. It increased maize storage by 39.2 kg for the farmers encouraged with a 50% subsidy, with no significant effect on post-harvest storage losses in this group compared to the control group. Thus, it is essential to encourage farmers to adopt improved storage technologies to increase storage and reduce post-harvest losses. This can contribute to enhancing local food security. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Resilient and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems)
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