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Nutritional life cycle assessment for healthy and sustainable food systems: evidence and policy insights from Africa and Asia
No full textIntegrating nutritional value into Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is essential for developing food system policies and interventions that simultaneously address environmental sustainability and human health. This Perspective explores recent conceptual and empirical evolutions in nutritional LCA (nLCA), drawing on expert talks, interdisciplinary stakeholder deliberations, and case studies presented at the 23rd International Union of Nutritional Sciences – International Congress of Nutrition, held in Paris in August 2025. We discuss methodological frameworks for incorporating nutritional quality into environmental footprint modelling, focusing on the selection of functional units and application of holistic nutrient profiling systems, such as the Nutritional Value Score. Case studies from Africa and Asia demonstrate the utility of nLCA to identify highly nutritious, lower-impact foods that mass- or energy-based denominators often overlook under attributional LCA. We argue that while plant-source foods frequently exhibit lower footprints, certain animal-source foods (such as small fish, dairy, eggs, and organ meats) can also be competitive when evaluated per unit of nutritional value. Finally, we highlight persistent challenges, including regional data gaps, lack of harmonisation in nutritional functional units, scope limitations, and risks of overinterpreting small differences in impact scores. While methodological refinement is still required, we conclude that nLCA offers a promising route for aligning agricultural, health, and environmental objectives, facilitating the development of more coherent food systems policies and programmes
Mapping the Evolving Landscape of Urban Resilience: A Scientometric Analysis Using CiteSpace
Get PDFWith the development of urbanization and the frequent occurrence of natural disasters, urban resilience has gradually become a hot topic in urban research. Over the past two decades, the literature on urban resilience has grown rapidly and has recently received significant attention from scholars. This study employs the results of CiteSpace to visually analyze cooperation analysis, intellectual bases, research hotspots, and emerging trends in 936 pieces of literature spanning from 2003 to 2023. This analysis aims to provide a deeper understanding of the current status of knowledge in the field of urban resilience
Nutritional value of field bean-containing diets for broilers without and with phytase, xylanase and protease enzymes, alone or in a combination
No full textThe effects of exogenous phytase (PHY), xylanase (XYL) and protease (PRO) alone and in a combination, when supplemented to diets based on three field bean cultivar samples with different chemical composition, on dietary metabolisable energy (ME), nutrient digestibility, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, feed intake (FI), weigh gain (WG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were studied. Diets based on beans with lower phytic acid and fibre content had higher ME, fat (p 0.05). The changes observed in different GIT segments are unlikely to have biological significance
A Sucrose-Utilisation Gene Cluster Contributes to Colonisation of Horse Chestnut by Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi
Get PDFPseudomonas syringae pathovar aesculi (E-Pae) causes bleeding canker disease in the woody tissue of European horse chestnut (HC). Comparative genomic analysis of E-Pae with a related leaf-infecting strain (I-Pae) and other P. syringae strains identified candidate virulence genes for colonisation of woody tissue, including a sucrose uptake and utilisation system (scrYABCDBR cluster) found in 162 of 206 P. syringae strains spanning the pangenome. Growth analysis using sucrose as sole carbon source showed that I-Pae (lacking the gene cluster) was unable to grow whereas E-Pae could grow. P. savastanoi pv. phaseolicola 1448A and P. syringae pv. morsprunorum R15244 were compromised in growth despite the presence of the gene cluster. Sucrose utilisation assays using scrB and scrY mutants and complemented strains confirmed the importance of the cluster for sucrose metabolism in vitro. Pathogenicity assays in HC revealed the sucrose gene cluster is important for symptom development in the woody tissue. While the scr genes contribute to disease causation, they were not essential for pathogen fitness when compared to hrpL and hopAB1 mutants. E-Pae caused disease symptoms in HC leaves, suggesting the strain has the potential to infect leaves as well. However, it was notable that the scrB mutant of E-Pae caused increased disease symptoms, possibly highlighting a niche adaptation strategy for I-Pae to cause leaf spots in HC as well as constraining E-Pae to predominantly infect the woody tissue
The key role played by livestock in the ecology of farming systems including the ability to deliver nutritious foods from non-human edible ingredients
Get PDFWith the growing pressure on resources, it is critical that livestock production systems contribute positively to overall food supply. The globe has reached peak arable land availability so more will need to be made from this land as well as from non-arable land. The livestock industries, particularly those based on ruminants, offer exciting opportunities to converts human inedible fodder and forage grown on non-arable land into nutritious, safe and healthy food. Also, all livestock industries can utilise human inedible agricultural and food production co- and by-products and produce high quality human edible food. However, there is no doubt that the livestock industries will continue to face opposition from those who don't support an omnivore lifestyle. Therefore, those of us who are engaged in the animal industries, including the peak animal science organisations, need to develop strategies to counter these arguments
The Systemantics of Meat in Dietary Policy Making, or How to Professionally Fail at Understanding the Complexities of Nourishment
Get PDFAs the most comprehensive system yet devised, global food production lies at the core of human existence. The universal need to benefit from this system, combined with its heavy reliance on natural and human resources, has raised heightened attention from governments and civil society. An overview is provided of how food systems co-evolved with human societies from prehistoric times until today, as well as a summary of theories on how to (and how not to) influence complex systems, illustrated with examples of technocratically imposed transitions that ended in disastrous outcomes. One should be skeptical about a new wave of well-resourced, influential coalitions that are attempting to aggressively overhaul the food system with interventionist policies. One of such initiatives is the EAT-Lancet Commission’s “Great Food Transformation.” Based on a Planetary Health Diet template, this grouping advocates a dramatic cut in red meat and other animal-sourced foods. Vegan-tech industries are called upon to partially bridge the ensuing nutrient shortfalls by promoting plant-based alternatives (e.g., faux meat and dairy) and novel technologies (e.g., cultured meat, precision fermentation), solutions that remain unproven at scale and are largely rejected by today’s markets. In their wake, self-styled food system experts, often influenced by Malthusianism and ecotopian ideologies, fail to grasp the unpredictability and intricacy of food systems, leading to oversimplifications, misguided policies, and unintended societal harm. Their preference for centralized planning and top-down blueprints curtails the individual and societal freedoms that would be the real proven levers to improvement. An alternative path forward, more in line with productive systems theory, is embodied by the Dublin Declaration of Scientists on the Societal Role of Livestock, the Denver Call for Action, and the Nourishment Table concept. Together, these initiatives set the boundaries for agricultural reform and dietary guidance while keeping human prosperity at the center of the debate
Hands Free Hectare: The Heuristics of the first arable crop produced by robots
No full textAutonomous farming is not only attracting the attention of the scientific community, but governments globally are investing and promoting its development through different policy initiatives. The Hands Free Hectare (HFH) and Hands Free Farm (HFF) projects deployed in Shropshire, England between 2016 and 2022, are leading examples of autonomous farming in Europe over multiple seasons. The projects are often cited as evidence that the production of grains, oilseeds and other commodity crops by autonomous machines is now technically and economically feasible. At project launch in 2016 most of the components of a robotic system for arable crops were available. These projects were ambitious in their aims for rapid development to change industry and public perspectives. This paper outlines how a heuristic plan for combining those autonomy components and bridging the technology gaps was developed. To speed development the plan used modified open-source drone pilot software for guidance and retrofitting conventional farm equipment. This work describes how the probability of success of HFH was increased by simplifying the farming environment to a flat, rectangular field with conventional seed, fertilizer and pesticide applications. HFF moved toward commercial reality with multiple fields and a range of crops. Drone imagery and robotic scouting were used to support agronomic decision making. To engage stakeholders in the research process, the project team used both traditional methods (e.g. public speaking, farm shows, interviews) and social media. This communications plan created an engagement that is rare in agricultural research and it changed the worldwide perspective on crop robotics
Effects of plastic-char on soil functions and crop productivity
No full textA significant quantity of plastic waste cannot be recycled. One way of processing this plastic is through pyrolysis, which produces feedstocks for polyolefin synthesis. This process produces a biochar like product called “plastic-char”. This study aimed to investigate the impact of plastic-char produced from mixed non-recyclable plastic waste on pore water elemental concentrations, plant growth and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using a series of pot experiments applied at 1 t ha-1 and 10 t ha-1 eq. Plastic-char was found to increase plant growth of Lolium perene by a cumulative total of approx. 60% over four harvests, with no significant impact on germination. Increases in pore water concentrations of approximately 200% were observed for Ca, K and Mg at 10 t ha-1. Significant increases were observed in pore water concentrations for Sb (371%) Na (519%), and Ti (724%) at 10 t ha-1, compared to the control, with no significant changes in Al, Cd, Co or Cr. The plastic-char significantly increased the production of CO2 from the soil by approximately 330% over the 10 days compared to the control, when applied at 10 t ha-1 eq. While we do not suggest that soil application of plastic-char from mixed plastic waste should be used as a means of waste disposal, evidence presented here suggests that there may be value in plastic-char in terms of plant nutrients from the ash fraction and potential GHG reduction from the carbon rich fraction if it can be shown to be sufficiently depleted in contaminants. As such, this represents a potential means of adding value to the mixed plastic waste management stream
Humane slaughter of wild-caught fish Recommendations for improving the welfare of over 1 trillion fishes caught in the wild annually
Get PDFAn estimated 1.1 to 2.2 trillion wild finfish are caught globally each year (Mood & Brooke, 2024). As a substantial and growing evidence shows that fish are sentient beings capable of experiencing fear, pain and suffering, there is increasing international recognition of the need to improve their welfare during slaughter. Most wild-caught fish are not humanely stunned before killing, and evidence suggests these fish may experience significant suffering between the time they are captured and their death. Currently, guidelines for the humane stunning of wild-caught fish are extremely limited, and legal protections for their welfare are rare. This report summarises key findings and recommendations from a research project that investigated the overall feasibility of humane stunning of finfish in wild-capture fisheries
How effective are entomopathogenic nematodes for vine weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) biological control? A meta‐analysis
Get PDFBACKGROUND
Vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) is a globally important pest of soft fruit and ornamental crops with larvae causing significant root damage. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have emerged as a key biological control option for larvae following restrictions on synthetic chemical insecticides, but their reported efficacy varies considerably across studies. This variability has created uncertainty about EPN effectiveness and optimal deployment strategies, limiting evidence‐based recommendations for growers.
RESULTS
Across 162 comparisons from 23 studies, EPN applications significantly reduced vine weevil larval survival compared to untreated controls (Hedges' g = −1.60, 95% CI −1.85 to −1.36), equivalent to ≈63% fewer live larvae. All five EPN species tested ( Steinernema carpocapsae , S. feltiae , S. kraussei , Heterorhabditis bacteriophora , H. megidis ) were effective, with no significant differences among species. However, between‐study heterogeneity was high ( I 2 ≈ 97%), indicating variability in outcomes despite strong average benefits. Univariate analyses identified soil temperature as the strongest moderator, with warmer temperatures (18–30 °C) associated with greater EPN efficacy. Protected cropping environments (glasshouses) also enhanced performance compared to outdoor applications. Application method (drench versus drip irrigation) and growing medium type showed no significant effects. However, when accounting for clustering of effects within studies using multilevel models with cluster‐robust inference, these moderator effects were reduced and no longer statistically robust. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the overall efficacy estimate was robust to study quality concerns and potential publication bias.
CONCLUSION
EPNs provide reliable biological control of vine weevil larvae under field and semi‐field conditions, with effectiveness enhanced by warmer soil temperatures and protected growing environments. Although average effects are large and consistent, practitioners should expect considerable variability in outcomes and prioritise applications during warm conditions in protected environments where feasible. A lack of robust differences among species suggests that selection can be based on practical considerations such as cost and availability