Adaptation to climate change for food security in the lower Mekong Basin

Variability in water cycles driven by climate change is considered likely to impact rice production in the near future. Rice is the main staple food for the population in the lower Mekong Basin and the demand for food is expected to grow due to increase in population. This paper examines the impact of climate change on rice production in the lower Mekong Basin, evaluates some widely used adaptation options, and analyses their implications for overall food security by 2050. Climate change data used in the study are the future climate projection for two IPCC SRES scenarios, A2 and B2, based on ECHAM4 General Circulation Model downscaled to the Mekong region using the PRECIS (Providing Regional Climates for Impact Studies) system. In general, the results suggest that yield of rainfed rice may increase significantly in the upper part of the basin in Laos and Thailand and may decrease in the lower part of the basin in Cambodia and Vietnam. Irrigated rice may not be affected by climate change if increased irrigation requirements are met. Negative impact on the yield of rainfed rice can be offset and net increase in yield can be achieved by applying widely used adaptation options such as changing planting date, supplementary irrigation and increased fertilizer input. Analysis of the projected production, considering population growth by 2050, suggests that food security of the basin is unlikely to be threatened by the increased population and climate change, excluding extreme events such as sea level rise and cyclones.     

Addressing the food crisis: governance, market functioning, and investment in public goods

The 2007–08 food price crisis has not only increased food insecurity around the globe, but also exposed long-term failures in the functioning of the world food system. Establishing a global governance architecture for governing food, nutrition, and agriculture as well as improving market functioning and increasing investment in public goods will be critical for the way forward. Three high-priority policy actions are necessary to cope with urgent needs for food and nutrition security and at the same time build a stronger food system that can respond to future challenges: (1) improve productivity and scale up research investments; (2) expand nutrition and social protection, (3) strengthen markets and trade.

Balanced diets in food systems: Emerging trends and challenges for human health

ABSTRACT

Processed foods, generally known as modified raw foods produced by innovative processing technologies alters the food constituents such natural enzymes, fatty acids, micronutrients, macronutrients and vitamins. In contrast to fresh and unprocessed foods, processed foods are guaranteed to be safer, imperishable, long lasting and consist high level of nutrients bioactivity. Currently, the evolution in food processing technologies is necessary to face food security and safety, nutrition demand, its availability and also other global challenges in the food system. In this scenario, this review consists of information on two food processing technologies, which effects on processed foods before and after processing and the impact of food products on human health. It is also very well established that understanding the type and structure of foods to be processed can assist food processing industries towards advancement of novel food products. In connection with this fact, the present article also discusses the emerging trends and possible modifications in food processing technologies with the combination of conventional and modern techniques to get the suitable nutritional and safety qualities in food.     

Debates on food security and agrofood world governance

Mechanisms of global governance, developed in response to initiatives adopted by the FAO to combat hunger and confront food crises, are the result of wide ranging historical debates using three basic criteria for justification: the scientific, the political‐ideological, and the ethical. On the basis of these criteria, certain forms of understanding and acting on agriculture, health and nutrition at global level have come to be accepted as valid. Currently the debate and the resulting proposals are based on the recognition of food as a universal human right.     

Climate change, flooding and food security in south Asia

The most vulnerable groups in terms of food security during floods in south Asia under climate change will be the poor, women and children. Current procedures for the transfer of climate adaptation funds tend to marginalize these groups. Food production is being disrupted by flooding more frequently and more severely than before, due to climate change. By 2080 the situation is likely to be much worse than at present. Adaptation has to encourage management of all stages of food security, from the farm to the consumer, both urban and rural. Measures have to be participatory, from the community to the international level. While many individual initiatives offer hope and demonstrate good practice, institutional, economic and environmental factors may all impede the maintenance and enhancement of food security in south Asia. Innovative forms of food production, distribution and storage will have to be developed.

Exploiting locally available resources for food and nutritional security enhancement: wild fruits diversity, potential and state of exploitation in the Amhara region of Ethiopia

This paper features the composition of wild fruits, their exploitation and their potential contribution to improved food and nutritional security in three districts of the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Data were gathered through structured, semi-structured and key-informant interviews which were administered to the heads of 92 randomly chosen households. Focus group discussions and direct field explorations by the researchers were also undertaken. The results revealed that altogether 44 wild fruit species are available for use in the study areas. The fruits are rich in valuable nutrients and are accessible year-round with significant overlap at times of acute food and nutrient scarcity. Nevertheless, owing to the peoples’ cereal-based dietary habits, cultural perceptions and attitudes, the current state of fruit utilization is very low. Consequently, the potential nutritional contribution of wild fruits to the people’s diets remains largely unexploited. In order to remedy this situation, a wider and sustained acceptance of wild fruits as important dietary components must be fostered.

Construction of a solar drying unit suitable for conservation of food and enhancement of food security in West Africa

Drying is a widely used technique in sub-Saharan Africa which allows food conservation, weight reduction and added value for some products. However, the technique is quite complex, making the rational concept of drying devices challenging. A rational method for the design and the construction of a fruit and vegetable solar dryer is presented. A prototype was designed and constructed at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) to test the concept and was found to be capable of drying more than 40 kg of fresh tomatoes in 10 h. A second prototype was constructed in Bandiagara (Mali) by both local craftsmen and students from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, using local materials. Speed of drying and prevention of food spoilage was far superior to that of traditional solar dryers. Based on these prototypes, a dryer industry is being constructed in Bandiagara in order to increase food self-sufficiency.     

Food security: definition and measurement

The term “food security” has been used over time to mean different things. This brief article discusses the various meanings attached to the concept and suggests that it can be a useful measure of household and individual welfare, particularly if combined with estimates of household food aquisition and allocation behavior. If nutritional security is the goal of interest, estimates of access to food should be combined with estimates of access to clean water and good sanitation. Anthrometric measures are likely to be more appropriate than food security estimates to target policies and programs to improved child nutrition.

食品过敏原研究进展及其在食品安全重要性方面的探讨

环境中能够刺激机体发生过敏反应的都可称为过敏原,我们每天接触的食品中的过敏原问题也是一项不容忽视的问题。食品过敏原问题属于食品安全性的范畴,它与食品生产厂商和消费者密切相关,同时也涉及到临床医学的领域。就其检测及其在食品安全性方面进行了探讨。     

永嘉县学校食品安全存在的问题和对策建议

近几年来,学校的食品安全事故频发,其发生频率及涉及人数明显上升。为了提高学校的食品安全,对永嘉县学校食品安全存在的问题进行分析,并提出一些对策建议。     

五味子在食品工业中的应用及其开发前景

对五味子的营养价值和医疗保健作用及在食品工业中的应用现状、开发前景进行了分析．并根据当前五味子在食品工业中的应用出现的主要问题提出了相应对策。     

无机陶瓷膜分离技术在食品工业中的应用及前景

无机陶瓷膜由于其耐高温、耐化学腐蚀、耐生物侵蚀等特性，因而在食品工业有着广泛的应用前景。综述了无机陶瓷分离膜在食品加工方面的应用概况，包括乳制品、果汁和茶饮料、粮油加工等领域。     

我国食品安全问题产生的原因及对策

目前,食品安全已成为全球性的重大战略性问题,随着我国国民经济的高速发展及人民生活水平的提高,对食品安全提出了越来越高的要求,解决食品安全问题对我国有重要的意义。在提出对食品安全和安全食品正确认识的基础上,从食品供应的各个环节具体分析了我国食品安全问题产生的因素,并提出以下相应对策:建立和完善相关的法律、法规及标准;加强食品安全的监督管理,加强食品安全重大关键技术的研究和开发,运用信息技术建立食品安全信息管理体系,建立食品安全社会信用体系,提高全民对食品安全的重视程度。     

当前我国围绕食品安全内涵及相关立法的研究热点--兼论食品安全、食品卫生、食品质量之间关系的研究

介绍国内外关于食品安全概念的不同定义和当前我国围绕食品安全概念及内涵的各种认识,论述了食品安全、食品卫生、食品质量三者之间的关系,指出了确立食品安全法律概念的长远的重大意义。     

Agriculture and food security in selected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: diversity in trends and opportunities

The World Food Summit in 1996 set the goal of reducing by half the numbers of malnourished people in the world by 2015. It is unlikely that this will be reached, and particularly not in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Food imports in SSA have increased in the past 40 years, since domestic production could not keep up with population growth. Several studies have reported about this stagnating food production in SSA. However, this region encompasses a large number of countries, with a great variety of agroecological zones and large differences in land, labour and other resources. The objectives of this paper are to analyse agricultural production and food security in eight countries in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past 40 years, and to investigate to what extent these countries have followed different agricultural development pathways and are faced with different constraints. The analysis is largely based on statistical data, mainly from FAO, and on other information from various national and international sources. It shows that some of these countries have struggled to achieve and maintain overall national food security, while others have been able to achieve more than that and increased production at a faster rate than population growth. It subsequently analyzes major development constraints, with regard to labour, land and water, and institutions, pinpoints certain positive developments that have taken place in some of the countries and looks at opportunities for the respective countries to improve their food situation. One of its conclusions is that more attention should be paid to country specific constraints and opportunities.     

我国食品质量安全管理良性发展的对策与法律建议(下)

针对我国食品质量安全管理体制存在的不足,介绍了发达国家食品质量安全管理体制的特点,提出了完善我国食品质量安全管理体制的法律建议：整合法律法规资源和执法力量,切实提高执法力度;创新监管方式,建立全方位食品安全监管体系;健全食品安全标准体系,改善检测设备,提高检测能力;正确处理政府和市场的关系;建立食品质量安全长效监管机制和加强食品安全宣传教育,建立广泛的社会监督机制。     

我国食品质境安全管理良性发展的对策与法律建议（上）

针对我国食品质量安全管理体制存在的不足,分析了我国食品质量安全体系中的界定问题、食品安全相关法律问题、食品安全标准问题、食品安全监管问题和农村食品卫生问题等5个问题。