The Role of Alternative Crops in an Upcoming Global Food Crisis: A Concise Review

Editorial Material Multidisciplinary Sciences

Avert global wheat crisis due to invasion of Ukraine

Alison Bentley

Summary: Russia's war has brought attention to the vulnerability of the global food supply, emphasizing the need for sustained investment to ensure food security in a changing climate.

NATURE (2022)

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Editorial Material Multidisciplinary Sciences

Act now before Ukraine war plunges millions into malnutrition

Saskia Osendarp et al.

NATURE (2022)

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Editorial Material Plant Sciences

Tef: a tiny grain with enormous potential

Aiswarya Girija et al.

Summary: This article introduces tef, a highly nutritious gluten-free Ethiopian cereal, and highlights the factors that affect its productivity. With the recent availability of tef genome sequences, there is a need to harness its benefits to improve food security.

TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE (2022)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Attributing changes in food insecurity to a changing climate

Shouro Dasgupta et al.

Summary: It is widely recognized that climate change has a negative impact on food security. This study focuses on the current changes in food insecurity attributable to climate change. By analyzing data on food insecurity and temperature anomaly, the study finds that the probability and magnitude of food insecurity have increased over time as a result of temperature anomalies. These findings underline the costs of climate change and the importance of targeted policies to reduce food insecurity.

SCIENTIFIC REPORTS (2022)

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Article Food Science & Technology

When neglected species gain global interest: Lessons learned from quinoa's boom and bust for teff and minor millet

Federico Andreotti et al.

Summary: In the past, many neglected and underutilized species were not present in global markets, but now some of them have gained global attention and are experiencing increased demand. This has led to price hikes and higher production. Using quinoa and teff as examples, this review explores the boom and bust phases of neglected and underutilized species, and proposes a framework for sustainable development in future NUS booms.

GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY-AGRICULTURE POLICY ECONOMICS AND ENVIRONMENT (2022)

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Article Food Science & Technology

Sourdough performances of the golden cereal Tritordeum: Dynamics of microbial ecology, biochemical and nutritional features

Kashika Arora et al.

Summary: In this study, the novel cereal 'Tritordeum' was used in sourdough fermentation for bread making. Both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches were used to analyze the microbial ecology during the fermentation process. The results showed that the microbial diversity of the sourdough decreased as it matured, and the dominant microbiota changed from Weissella to Lactiplantibacillus genera. The concentration of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) increased throughout the fermentation process, while yeast concentration gradually increased after the fourth backslapping. The Tritordeum sourdough had high nutritional potential and low levels of antinutritional factors. The texture analysis demonstrated that Tritordeum sourdough bread had better cohesiveness, resilience, and firmness compared to baker's yeast bread.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY (2022)

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Review Food Science & Technology

The Role of Amaranth, Quinoa, and Millets for the Development of Healthy, Sustainable Food Products-A Concise Review

Gayathri Balakrishnan et al.

Summary: The selection of sustainable crops that can adapt to the changing environment and meet the dietary needs of a growing population is a primary challenge in ensuring food security. Ancient grains such as amaranth, quinoa, and millets have gained prominence due to their nutritional value and energy efficiency. Their diverse nutritional profile, including complete protein, bioactive peptides, and essential micronutrients, makes them a preferred choice for developing healthy and sustainable food products.

FOODS (2022)

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Article Food Science & Technology

Retail prices of nutritious food rose more in countries with higher COVID-19 case counts

Yan Bai et al.

Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to fluctuations in global food prices, with significant increases in prices for more nutritious food groups in countries with higher case counts. Comparing monthly retail food prices in different countries can help guide policy and improve resilience and response to shocks in the food supply chain.

NATURE FOOD (2022)

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Article Food Science & Technology

Incorporation of novel foods in European diets can reduce global warming potential, water use and land use by over 80%

Rachel Mazac et al.

Summary: Global food systems face the challenge of providing healthy and adequate nutrition through sustainable means. Recent advances in novel food production technologies demonstrate potential solutions for improving the sustainability of food systems. Replacing animal-source foods with novel or plant-based foods can significantly reduce environmental impacts and meet nutrition and consumption constraints.

NATURE FOOD (2022)

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Article Humanities, Multidisciplinary

Effect of COVID-19 on agricultural production and food security: A scientometric analysis

Collins C. Okolie et al.

Summary: The study analyzed the research on the impact of COVID-19 on agricultural production and food security. The findings showed a growing trend in ECAP-FS research, with higher research output in 2020 and 2021. The study also proposed a method for merging databases to conduct collaboration network and author coupling analyses.

HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS (2022)

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Article Agricultural Economics & Policy

Improved on-farm storage reduces seasonal food insecurity of smallholder farmer households-Evidence from a randomized control trial in Tanzania

Michael Brander et al.

Summary: Although ending hunger is a key goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, severe food insecurity has been increasing globally, with Sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected region. Research shows that improving on-farm storage can significantly reduce seasonal food insecurity.

FOOD POLICY (2021)

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Review Agronomy

Introduction of alternative crops in the Mediterranean to satisfy EU Green Deal goals. A review

Ioanna Kakabouki et al.

Summary: Climate change has negative impacts on the sustainability of farming systems, but introducing alternative crops can help mitigate the negative effects of increased temperatures and water scarcity, ensuring farm profitability. These alternative crops show strong adaptability to Mediterranean climate characteristics and hold promise for achieving the goals of the EU and UN.

AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (2021)

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Review Plant Sciences

An overview of the emerging trends of the Salicornia L. genus as a sustainable crop

S. Cardenas-Perez et al.

Summary: Salicornia, a genus of salt-tolerant plants, has diverse industrial and ecological applications as a sustainable crop. Its bioactive compounds provide health benefits and can be used in pharmaceutics and food industry. With high commercial and culinary value, it also serves as a salt substitute and a potential source for biofuel production.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY (2021)

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Article Environmental Sciences

Global terrestrial water storage and drought severity under climate change

Yadu Pokhrel et al.

Summary: Using ensemble hydrological simulations, it is found that climate change could reduce TWS in many regions, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. The decline in TWS translates to an increase in future droughts, highlighting the need for climate change mitigation and improved water resource management and adaptation. By the late twenty-first century, the global land area and population in extreme-to-exceptional TWS drought could more than double.

NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Global predictions of primary soil salinization under changing climate in the 21st century

Amirhossein Hassani et al.

Summary: Excess salt accumulation in the root zone causes soil salinization, which affects soil health, biodiversity, and food security. The authors used machine learning algorithms to predict global soil salinization under changing climate in the 21st century, identifying hotspots in drylands such as South America, southern and western Australia, Mexico, southwest United States, and South Africa. Conversely, they project a decrease in soil salinity in northwest United States, the Horn of Africa, Eastern Europe, Turkmenistan, and west Kazakhstan in response to climate change.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2021)

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Article Endocrinology & Metabolism

Association between obesity and hospital mortality in critical COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study

Guillaume Plourde et al.

Summary: This study found that obesity was prevalent in hospitalized critical COVID-19 patients and a higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with higher hospital mortality. Patients with higher BMI had a higher risk of mortality even after adjusting for sex, age, and obesity-related comorbidities. Further research is needed to validate this association and understand the underlying mechanisms.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Climate warming promotes pesticide resistance through expanding overwintering range of a global pest

Chun-Sen Ma et al.

Summary: Climate change has the potential to increase the range and pesticide resistance of pests, posing a serious threat to global food security and economic interests.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Global relationships between crop diversity and nutritional stability

Charlie C. Nicholson et al.

Summary: There is a positive, saturating relationship between crop diversity and nutritional stability across countries, but over time nutritional stability remained stagnant or decreased in all regions except Asia. Crop diversification is important for food security, however recent gains in crop diversity among crops with fewer nutrients may not necessarily improve nutritional stability in a given country.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2021)

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Article Environmental Sciences

Plant pathogen infection risk tracks global crop yields under climate change

Thomas M. Chaloner et al.

Summary: The study modeled the impact of future temperature changes on infection risk for 80 fungal and oomycete crop pathogens on 12 major crops, predicting increased risk and crop yield at higher latitudes and major shifts in pathogen assemblages in high-latitude regions. The findings suggest that while high-latitude areas may see both increased yields and infection risks, tropical regions may experience little to no productivity gains and decreased infection risk. Major changes in pathogen assemblages are also expected in the United States, Europe, and China.

NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE (2021)

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Article Food Science & Technology

Diversification for enhanced food systems resilience

Thomas Hertel et al.

Summary: There are multiple options available at the field, farm, household, and market levels to diversify activities and enhance the resilience of food systems to stresses and shocks.

NATURE FOOD (2021)

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Article Humanities, Multidisciplinary

Climate change and food security in Sri Lanka: towards food sovereignty

Mahinda Senevi Gunaratne et al.

Summary: This study examines the impact of climate change on global food security and highlights the importance of food sovereignty in addressing these issues, particularly in Sri Lanka. It argues that promoting food sovereignty could be crucial in alleviating the adverse effects of climate change on poverty, hunger, and malnutrition in developing nations.

HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS (2021)

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Review Food Science & Technology

Food Security and the Dynamics of Wheat and Maize Value Chains in Africa and Asia

Ulrike Grote et al.

Summary: The ongoing debate about how to feed the growing world population in the long run and the associated implications for research and development has sparked calls for a new Green Revolution and emphasis on diversifying diets. This review of wheat and maize value chains in Africa and Asia highlights ecological drivers impacting production, promising innovations, and constraints in adopting these innovations. It underscores the importance of addressing climate change, promoting healthier diets, and enabling equitable food system transformation to enhance food security.

FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS (2021)

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Review Food Science & Technology