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AbstractVibrational spectroscopy is a nondestructive analysis technique that depends on the periodic variations in dipole moments and polarizabilities resulting from the molecular vibrations of molecules/atoms. These methods have important advantages over conventional analytical techniques, including (a) their simplicity in terms of implementation and operation, (b) their adaptability to on-line and on-farm applications, (c) making measurement in a few minutes, and (d) the absence of dangerous solvents throughout sample preparation or measurement. Food safety is a concept that requires the assurance that food is free from any physical, chemical, or biological hazards at all stages, from farm to fork. Continuous monitoring should be provided in order to guarantee the safety of the food. Regarding their advantages, vibrational spectroscopic methods, such as Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), near-infrared (NIR), and Raman spectroscopy, are considered reliable and rapid techniques to track food safety- and food authenticity-related issues throughout the food chain. Furthermore, coupling spectral data with chemometric approaches also enables the discrimination of samples with different kinds of food safety-related hazards. This review deals with the recent application of vibrational spectroscopic techniques to monitor various hazards related to various foods, including crops, fruits, vegetables, milk, dairy products, meat, seafood, and poultry, throughout harvesting, transportation, processing, distribution, and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Local food' plays a critical role in tourism destinations by attracting tourists and enhancing their experiences, thus indicating the need for researchers to examine how destinations can establish local food. Research has focused on the social and cultural construction of local food, but there have been limited inquiries into how the materiality of food is intertwined with human practices in the process. This perspective has hindered new insights into the becoming of local food in tourism destinations. This study conceptualises local food as an effect of an actor-network and investigates the dynamic and relational process of the becoming of local food in a tourism destination. In particular, this research selected Chaozhou beef food as a case and collected data through 49 on-site semi-structured interviews, in-situ observations and secondary data. The results reveal that the becoming of Chaozhou's local food is due to the entanglement of both human actors, including tourists, artisans in slaughterhouses and staff in restaurants, and non-human actors such as the media, chain restaurants specialising in beef, tourism attractions and the beef itself. Further, the results reveal that the materiality of beef, namely the features of biochemical change and the morphological structure of beef, shapes the slaughterhouses' and restaurants' production and the tourists' consumption of beef. Thus, the agency of material should be considered in the construction and sustainability of local food in tourism destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A discrete choice experiment in Kinshasa (DRC) investigated urban consumers' preferences between imports and local options for five staple foods – cassava, rice, maize, sugar and cooking oil – under a random utility model. We also examined how distance, packaging and price influenced consumer choice. To assess whether preferences could be manipulated, we introduced two treatment groups – local, import – and a control group. We did not find support for a preference for imports. Instead, there is a statistically significant preference for local products, with the exception of sugar. Respondents are willing to pay 28% more for local food, a premium quantified at 1540 CF (.93 USD) per kg for maize and 1091CF (.66 USD) per litre for oil. Packaging is an attribute of influence as the willingness to pay (WTP) in full remains positive when products interact with packaging and with price. There is demand for local products for which consumers are willing to pay a premium. Yet, DRC imports 1.5 billion dollars of food yearly with only 10% of its arable land exploited. The increased urban consumption of imports does not signify a bias against local products, but rather points to structural issues undermining local supply. DRC needs to develop local value chains linking rural farmers to urban markets through the transformation of local foods to meet urban needs and to convert the WTP into a producer surplus benefiting rural livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do protracted crises shape indigenous food systems, and what are their ramifications for food and nutritional security? Building on decolonial and interdisciplinary research approaches, this paper assesses the consequences of militarised violence for Kashmir's food system. We document the impact of settler‐colonialism and conflict‐induced agrarian changes on delocalisation of diets. The protracted nature of the crises has two key implications for changes in dietary patterns. First, land control over common land dispossesses the local population and hinders food production. Second, disenfranchisement from (agricultural) land has led to increased reliance on markets that are flooded by imported foods as local production declines. The paper argues that the state plays an important role in food system changes by destroying local patterns of food production and consumption. Slow violence and agrarian de‐development serve as tools to de‐develop the local food system. Indigenous food cultures form part of everyday resistance and resilience that are operationalised as mitigation and adaptation strategies to address food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of the performance of polycentric governance over time is insufficiently addressed in the literature. By performance, we refer to the ability of polycentric governance actors to design rules and engage in coordination processes that allow them to achieve their goals. Through an institutional analysis, this paper seeks to answer a question that remains unresolved in the field, namely the effectiveness of the overarching set of rules and coordination relationships in their ability to drive institutional and organizational change in polycentric governance processes. To this end, we conduct an in‐depth case study of farmland governance in southeastern France. Through the attributes of polycentric governance, we examine the changes brought about by the goal of local food supply comparing it with other historical goals such as farmland preservation. We show that farmland governance is characterized by an institutional mismatch that prevents its actors from moving closer to the objective of local food supply. We argue that the evolution of farmland governance comes down to organizational change that does not lead to an evolution of rules‐in‐use. We discuss this result in light of the findings of the literature on polycentric governance and its implications for public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative Food Networks (AFN) have garnered significant attention recently, yet the concept remains fuzzy. This paper examines the evolving interpretations of AFN over the past two decades, aiming for conceptual clarity. Using a three-stage approach to systematic literature reviews, we conducted a rigorous synthesis of existing research. Through concept and thematic analyses, we identified key attributes and recurring themes associated with AFN. While a conceptual consensus remains elusive, diverse definitions often share essential attributes such as “alterity,” “proximity,” “connectedness,” and “sustainability.” Additionally, we find that AFN and short food supply chains generally describe the same phenomenon, with civic food networks viewed as a subset of AFN, emphasizing community engagement and civic participation. Notably, AFN are not always local food systems, nor do local food systems always involve AFN. To address these nuances, we present guiding questions to assist researchers in studying and reporting on AFN. This work clarifies the core attributes of AFN and offers a roadmap for focused inquiries. Ultimately, our findings aim to guide decision-making processes, ensuring that efforts to support AFN are rooted in a nuanced understanding of their complexities and potential for driving change in food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article in the magazine "Environmental Legal News" compiles several articles from periodical publications on topics such as access to justice, agriculture, water, food, among others. It highlights the protection of agricultural lands, the recognition of water as a subject of rights in Peru, and the distribution of food in local food systems. It also addresses topics such as green public procurement, environmental taxation, and food security. [Extracted from the article]

A limited‐area model (LAM) is established based on a global model (Global–Regional Integrated Forecast System; GRIST). GRIST–LAM inherits all the technical features of its global counterpart, enabling independent regional weather and climate modeling. The key advancement involves extending the original dynamical core to integrate it under the lateral boundary conditions (LBCs). As an initial development and evaluation study, this paper focuses on the consistency issue between the LAM and the global model. Three perfect‐model tests, using global solutions as LBCs and background truths, were performed to evaluate the LAM behaviors. In the pure dynamical core test, the LBC errors do not compromise the solutions within the interior domain. However, certain configurations can lead to more discontinuous solutions at the domain boundary. The solution error for a specified region decreases as the domain size increases when all other factors are equal. A small error pulse is generated during the initial stage of integration due to the presence of artificial transient waves induced by the LBCs. The model generates fine‐scale details and smaller errors based on coarser‐resolution LBCs. The consistency between LAM and LBC also influences the errors. The climate simulations demonstrate that both hydrostatic and non‐hydrostatic LAMs can reach statistical equilibrium. Regional model climates in the interior domain have higher quality but are sensitive to domain size and LBC configuration. Using a variable LBC coefficient is helpful to alleviate the artificial precipitation at the boundary. In the kilometer‐scale test, the global variable‐resolution model and its LAM counterpart show comparable results. Their performance is competitive with that of a uniform‐resolution global storm‐resolving simulation. Global variable‐resolution and LAM generate higher magnitudes in the tail part of the kinetic energy spectra due to higher local resolution and produce a consistent time evolution of precipitation. The broad implication of this study is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colour polymorphism is an example of visible phenotypic variability that is often associated with ecological factors and may produce local adaptations. Small populations, particularly in islands, offer opportunities for evolutionary novelties, and are therefore of particular interest to the study of polymorphisms. Here we study the dynamics of female colour morphs in the damselfly Ischnura elegans in the Balearic Islands. We found that insular populations are small, show low density, low mating activity, and low androchrome frequency. Our surveys suggest that male harassment is a powerful force in the dynamics of this female-limited polymorphism, because high male densities result in lower presence of mature females around the water, where copulation takes place. Non-male-like (infuscans) females have higher mating frequency. Androchromes were rare (15%) in all populations, but the frequency of the two non-male like females (infuscans and aurantiaca) was reversed between islands, despite their geographical proximity. We found a possible novel morph, suggesting that insular conditions allow innovations. Fitness differences between the two non-male-like females of I. elegans are still understudied, because most previous research has concentrated on the maintenance of androchromes, and are therefore a priority for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In numerical atmospheric models that treat cloud and rain droplet populations as separate condensate categories, precipitation initiation in warm clouds is often represented by an autoconversion rate (Au) $(Au)$, which is the rate of formation of new rain droplets through the collisions of cloud droplets. Being a function of the cloud droplet size distribution (DSD), the local Au $Au$ is commonly parameterized as a function of DSD moments: cloud droplet number nc $\left({n}_{c}\right)$ and mass qc $\left({q}_{c}\right)$ concentrations. When applied in a large‐scale model, the grid‐mean Au $Au$ must also include a correction, or enhancement factor, to account for the horizontal variability of the cloud properties across the model grid. In this study, we evaluate the Au representation in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 2 (E3SMv2) climate model using large‐eddy simulations (LES), which explicitly resolve cloud droplet spectra, and therefore the local Au $Au$, as well as its spatial variability. The analysis of an ensemble of warm low‐level cloud cases shows that the E3SMv2 formulation represents the Au $Au$ reasonably well compared to the horizontally averaged explicitly computed rate from LES. The agreement, however, comes from a combination of an underestimated E3SM‐tuned local Au $Au$ rate and an overestimated subgrid cloud variability enhancement factor. The latter bias is traced to neglecting the horizontal variability of nc ${n}_{c}$ and its co‐variability with qc ${q}_{c}$ in parameterizing the grid‐mean Au $Au$. Plain Language Summary: When representing clouds in large‐scale weather and climate systems, models often compute the rate of formation of rain droplets through cloud droplet collisions as a function of cloud droplet number concentration and liquid water content averaged over the model horizontal grid, typically extending to 10–100 km. This rate, also known as an autoconversion rate, is then multiplied by an enhancement factor that accounts for the non‐linearity of that function and the cloud variability at smaller unresolved scales. We assess how well this rain initiation process is captured in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) by utilizing advanced high‐resolution cloud simulations that explicitly resolve cloud droplet spectra and spatial variability on scales from few tens of meters to 10 km. Our findings reveal that, while E3SM reasonably represents the overall rain droplet formation rate, it stems from a combination of underestimating the local rate and overestimating the enhancement factor accounting for unresolved subgrid cloud variability. This latter overestimation is traced to neglecting horizontal variability in the cloud droplet number concentration, offering valuable insights for improving the performance of global atmospheric models. Key Points: Formulations of a local autoconversion rate (Au) and its enhancement factor in E3SM are comprehensively evaluated using large‐eddy simulationsA reasonable grid‐mean Au in E3SM is produced by an underestimated local rate combined with an overestimated enhancement factorDroplet number concentration variability and co‐variability with liquid water content must be considered to improve the enhancement factor [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory chronic disease. The objective of the study was to assess the influence of environmental factors on the severity of atopic dermatitis. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted at a pediatric department in Cotonou and Parakou among children aged 0-17 years with atopic dermatitis. The severity of atopic dermatitis was assessed using SCORAD. Data on environmental factors was collected on the fields or by asking questions to the parents. Results: Sixty-seven girls and forty boys were included using the United Kingdom Working Party criteria. The prevalence of atopic dermatitis was 5.1%. The mean age at the onset of disease was 36.06 +- 42.48 months. Pruritis was present in 97.2% of the cases and sleep disturbing in 25.2% of the cases. Common eczema was present in 44.8% of the cases and follicular eczema in 11.2%. Mild to severe atopic dermatitis were observed in 68.8%. Factors associated with the severity of atopic dermatitis were dry season, light wind's rate, some foods such as maize, sorghum, millet, eggs, okra, use of a cream called Sinzaa. Firewood, coal, domestic gas, pets (dogs, cats), garden, dust, mold, and the number of people in the room were not associated with the severity of atopic dermatitis. Discussion: Local foods were the environmental factors that had an influence on the severity of atopic dermatitis in our study. Conclusion: Some environmental factors had an influence on the severity of atopic dermatitis in Cotonou and Parakou, Benin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the role of shared meaning for organising Alternative Food Networks (AFNs). Extant research shows that organisational elements, such as rules, and hybridisation of conventional and alternative modes of food provisioning are important for AFN organisation. Yet, they might both enable and hinder the aims of AFNs. Complementing this body of research, the article investigates how AFN participants work out the appropriate kind of organisation for realising 'a promise of difference'. Introducing Zelizer's 'relational work', the article investigates how AFN participants foster a shared meaning of participating and thereby identify what practices are appropriate for its organisation. The analysis draws on extensive ethnographic materials from Swedish REKO‐rings (a direct marketing arrangement for local foods). The findings show how the REKO‐ring participants' relational work negotiates and establishes shared meaning; what practices are appropriate and inappropriate for organising decent food provisioning. The study contributes to extant research by showing the fundamental role of shared (and discordant) meaning for the organisation of market‐based alternatives to the current food system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing dietary calcium intakes of Ethiopian women of reproductive age (WRA) is a public health priority for reducing pre‐eclampsia in pregnancy. Using linear programming, we determined whether locally available foods consumed by WRA in nine regions (urban and rural) and two administrative cities of Ethiopia could provide 1000 mg/day of dietary calcium, and we identified food‐based recommendations (FBRs) to improve dietary calcium adequacy in each region. Results showed that diets providing 1000 mg/day of calcium were feasible in eight regions (40%) of the target populations examined. It would, however, require marked changes for most populations (90%), increasing the number of servings per week of several food groups to levels close to those of high consumers in each population. The selected calcium‐specific FBRs integrate well into the 2022 Ethiopian Dietary Guidelines, requiring additional messages to consume green leafy vegetables, milk, root crops, or teff (Eragrostis tef) or to consume a higher number of servings of vegetables than currently recommended, depending on the population. In conclusion, these analyses show that a food‐based approach can be used to achieve dietary calcium adequacy among WRA in 40% of the populations examined. For the other populations, food‐based interventions alone may be inadequate and other interventions are likely needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern domestication efforts have occurred in a wide range of species. These efforts have led to different levels of change from the initial wild populations and market success. In this study, we explore different breeding cycle parameters to understand the rate of change in different potential starting points of neo‐domestication breeding programs. The design of a program that will bring a new crop to market requires consideration of cost efficiency and resource allocation. More crop diversity on the market creates an opportunity to design different types of food systems that can be tailored toward regional and local food security. Stochastic simulation of the rate of gain and variance is applied to different parameter combinations through the breeding cycle—crossing, evaluation, and selection—to identify population level changes along the continuum of wild to semi‐domestic plant species. The simulated breeding schemes differ in phenotypic gain and variance depending on selection strategy and population type, discovering the largest phenotypic gain of oligogenic traits occurring using phenotypic recurrent selection for landrace and orphan populations while choosing genomic selection for wild populations. There were also differences based on selection strategy, with maximum avoidance consistently leading to lower gains but higher additive variance. Overall, when looking to domesticate a new species, our simulations find phenotypic recurrent selection to be the most cost‐effective option and lead to the most gain in early generations of selection, with marker technology being most useful once initial gains have plateaued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The local people of Sarawak commonly made unique dishes out of the local distinctive resources for its health beneficial nutrients. Yet, many potentials of the local Sarawak food ingredients are less likely to be exploited. One of the main produces of Sarawak is the starch from Metroxylon sagu. Our study reviewed that sago starch is not only active in health beneficial bioactivities such as antioxidative, it also possesses positive prebiotic response. Other local indigenous fruits, vegetable and spices of Sarawak as potential functional food includes Sarawak pepper; midin, the edible fern; terung asam, the sour eggplant; dabai, the Bornean olive; engkalak, the Bornean avocado; Terap, the local 'jackfruit'; embangan, the local wild mango; and the edible palm heart (EPH) from palm tree. Research on the edible fern (midin), edible palm hearts (umbut), spices such as turmeric and pepper from Sarawak has revealed a positive functionality in terms of prebiotic potential, antioxidative, antimicrobial and many more. Conclusively, the wide food varieties of Sarawak are potential functional food. Therefore, this work aimed to publicise the health beneficial functionalities of the local indigenous food which then value‐added the rare local food resources, and boost the local farmer's production and economic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils (EOs) extracted from local plant by steam distillation from the aerial parts (fresh – dried) of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), pistachio (Pistacia lentiscus L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.). Monoterpenes were identified by GC-MS as main compounds, namely 1,8-cineole (34.5–35 %), α-pinene (36.2–36.6 %) and thymol (42.2–42.1 %). Our results showed that EOs tested had antibacterial effects at different levels, with MICs ranging from 1.56 to 6.25 mg.mL−1. Fresh rosemary EO was synergistic against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27,853 when combined with dried rosemary EO and fresh pistachio EO, with MICs half those of oils alone (from 6.25 to 3.12 mg.mL−1). In addition, antagonistic, additive and indifferent effects were recorded at 1 %, 3 % and 93 %, respectively. Our findings provide new data on antimicrobial potential of local plants and possibilities of their use as food preservatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work focuses, first of all, on the legal and political dimensions attached to the concepts of environment, agriculture, and nutrition in the European Union. Secondly, we analyze the projection of the sustainability principle in food policy since the approval of the European Green New Deal, and the development of the "Farm to Fork" strategy. On this basis, we examine the concepts of food safety and food sovereignty, and their relationship to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and other norms. Finally, we discuss from a legal-administrative perspective how the "Farm to Fork" Strategy has been implemented in the areas of prevention, control, and punishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of traditional food products passes down from one generation to another, and contributes to the formation of the cultural identity and gastronomic patrimony. The know-how employed and the variety of preparation techniques reflect the origins, and the references of consumers. This study aims to detail the different steps and practices used by Tunisian women during preparation of the traditional salted and dried meat product known as "kaddid", and to study its physicochemical and microbial properties. For this purpose, 400 women were interviewed in 8 regions of Tunisia. The results of this survey described the different traditional Tunisian processes, and recipes used for the preparation of kaddid. The outcomes highlighted significant differences in the preparation of kaddid between regions. Kaddid can be made from sheep (89% of respondents), beef (22% of respondents), camel or goat (3% of respondents) and various parts may be used depending on the local food habits. 70% of the interviewed used dry salting combined with seasoning as salting mode. After sun drying, kaddid is frozen until use or traditionally preserved through post-processing steps which consist of frying then storing in sealed jars filled with olive oil (31% according to the respondents) or simply at room temperature in hermetically sealed glass jars. In order to study the physicochemical and microbial characteristics of kaddid, a sample was prepared based on the results of the survey, according to the most commonly used recipe. The pH (5.77±0.03), water activity (0.54±0.001), and moisture (23.67±0.17) values were considered suitable for the safety and stability of the product. The lipid oxidation rate of kaddid expressed in terms of TBARS (0.55±0.02 mg MDA/kg) content was much lower than the upper limit of rancidity (2mg MDA/kg). The results showed a significant effect of the kaddid processing on reducing the initial microbial load of raw meat (p<0.05). The microbiological characterization showed that molds, yeasts, and Staphylococcus presented the dominant population, while Lactic bacteria was present in low numbers in kaddid samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the impact of tourists' neophobia and liminoid behavior tendencies on their food consumption behaviors in hotels offering all-inclusive services. Tourist's food consumption was operationalized in two domains amount (how much they consumed compared to their daily food intake) and content (whether they consumed local or familiar food compared to their routine food consumption patterns). The sample comprised 280 tourists staying in two all-inclusive holiday resorts in Antalya, Turkey. The reliability and validity of the measurement model was demonstrated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) before the four hypotheses in the research model were tested using structural equation modeling. In support of the hypotheses, the findings showed that neophobia significantly reduced the amount and novelty of tourists' food consumption whereas liminoid tendencies significantly increased them. In conclusion both neophobia and liminoid tendencies are significant predictors of tourists' food consumption behaviors in all-inclusive hotels operating in Antalya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Web 3.0 and artificial intelligence (AI) have presented unprecedent impact on the food sector. However, there is no clear scientific description yet related to their influences on food safety, quality and traceability across the meat supply chain. This study systematically reviews the available data pertaining to Web 3.0 and related novel technologies, their possible use in the meat supply chain and their confluent effect on meat safety. This systematic review followed the PRISMA methodology. The articles selected were identified by searching three databases: Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed. The search results showed that the meat industry and the meat supply chain have their share of positive implications instigated by Web 3.0 technologies. Web 3.0 technologies are shown to be effective for the food safety of meat from farm to fork, particularly in inspection and quality assessment with blockchain integration enhancing transparency and traceability with innovative approaches promising to improve meat safety, increase profitability, efficiency, scalability and modularisation of meat manufacturing in addition to better adherence to animal welfare increasing thus consumer's confidence. Further research is still, needed to examine the role of such technologies at the level of other parts of the supply chain including the pre‐processing step, processing and packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retail distribution is essential for the growth of markets for local food. While online direct‐to‐consumer and local food hubs are becoming more sophisticated, the largest market for local foods remains the traditional intermediation (retailing) sector. We develop an agent‐based model to simulate the expansion, growth and profitability of retailers offering local foods across a landscape populated by consumers and competing retailers. We design a series of experiments to examine how changes in prices and assortment that include local and non‐local options in the fresh produce category impact store market share and profitability. We validate the model, and conduct our experiments, using household fresh produce expenditures data from a retail food‐delivery business in the Mid‐Atlantic region of the US. We find that retailers offering a larger assortment of local foods are able to sustain higher basket‐average retail prices and exhibit higher long‐run profits in comparison to retailers that do not carry local options. These results underscore the importance of local foods in a food retailer's price and assortment strategy. The key implication is that retailers need to be conscious not only of the breadth but also of the quality of their assortment in their pricing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Political interests and power structures shape state‐led crop conservation and food policy. As a crop that relates to culture and belonging, the chile crop is ideal for exploring how food security policy and crop conservation schemes integrate aspects beyond staple crops, calories and/or electoral incentives. What do these schemes mean for the food and ingredients we love? Reflecting from this perspective can be useful to grasp, re‐frame and create more effective and inclusive food policies—ones that embody and valorise flavour, identities and territories beyond statements on paper. Summary: In line with the Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) international action plan for crop genetic resources, the Mexican state inaugurated the National System of Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (SINAREFI) in 2002. In this paper, I explore SINAREFI's interest in landraces and in situ conservation through the case of chile pepper, set under the Ministry of Agriculture's interests of promoting industrial agriculture and paternalistic food security welfare programmes.Through the analyses of existing literature on food security in Mexico state programmes, archival work and interviews, this article analyses how discourses on food security shape research trajectories, some of which are inevitably constrained by current market‐based agricultural systems.By exploring the state's chile research and conservation programme, this work demonstrates the complexity of international food security discourse and its application domestically. Particularly, this analysis highlights the limitations of state crop research and conservation efforts imposed by contradictory agricultural policies. In the case of chile, its link to Mexican culture and diet uncovers an important, but often overlooked, aspect of food security: flavour.In the case of chile, a non‐staple but culturally symbolic crop, welfare programmes remained paternalistic and focused on caloric intake despite the transformation of national discourse on food security towards the integration of landraces and local cultures through the inauguration of SINAREFI. This case study reflects on the limits of current framings and strategies regarding food security and the need to direct policies towards local food sovereignty to achieve the necessary stability for food security to endure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the impact of food (inter)activism in the Marquesas, French Polynesia, on planetary health, justice, and cultural sovereignty. It discusses how Western interventions have disrupted traditional foodways and Indigenous systems of planetary health, leading to health and environmental challenges. The Marquesans are adapting to global health advocacy while preserving their cultural traditions through revitalizing traditional foodways and engaging in food (inter)activism. The article highlights the complex interplay between cultural identity, health, and environmental justice in the Marquesas, emphasizing the importance of local approaches to global health and environmental initiatives. [Extracted from the article]

Local existence and uniqueness for the two-dimensional hydrostatic Euler equations in Sobolev spaces has been established by Masmoudi and Wong (Arch Rational Mech Anal 204:231–271, 2012) under the local Rayleigh condition. Under certain assumptions, we show that such solution will either develop singularities or produce the collapse of the local Rayleigh condition. In addition, we find necessary conditions for global solvability in Sobolev spaces. Finally, for certain class of initial data, we establish the finite time blow-up of solutions of the semi-Lagrangian equations introduced by Brenier (Nonlinearity 12:495–512, 1999). Our proof relies on new monotonicity identities for the solution of the hydrostatic Euler equations under the local Rayleigh condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food insecurity, an economic and social condition of limited food access, is associated with poor diet quality—a risk factor for several common cancers. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center supports healthy food access through community‐led evidence translation by actively partnering with community‐based organizations (CBOs). These partnerships aim to enhance the capacity of food assistance CBOs to effectively implement evidence‐based food insecurity mitigation programs in the cancer center's area of influence. Methods: This case study aims to describe the cancer center's model for local food access capacity building and detail operationalization in the context of a whole‐community cancer prevention effort (Be Well Baytown) in Baytown, Texas. Results: Elements central to the capacity building model include (i) assessment of baseline needs and capacity, (ii) empowering a community champion within a relevant CBO, (iii) mapping inter‐sectoral community partnerships, collaborations, and linkages, and (iv) leveraging systems, connections, and resources to provide an enabling environment for overall food access systems growth. Through this process, Be Well Baytown enhanced the capacity of a local food pantry leading to increases in total reach, pounds of food distributed, and number of food distribution events in collaboration with intersectoral partners from 2018 to 2023. Conclusion: This case study highlights the model's implementation as a co‐benefit community partnership strategy to maximize the impact of food security programs integrated with comprehensive cancer center prevention efforts. The purpose of this case study is to summarize learning from supporting food assistance CBOs to effectively implement evidence‐based food insecurity mitigation programs and to better understand how to optimize use of community‐driven food security programs aligned to Comprehensive Cancer Center's (CCC) community outreach and engagement (COE) efforts. The case study demonstrates a successful community partnership strategy integrating food security programs into comprehensive cancer prevention efforts that improved the capacity of a local food pantry, resulted in expanded reach, increased food distribution, and more collaborations with partners from 2018 to 2023 offering a model for other CCCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Addressing Indigenous food security and food sovereignty calls for community-driven strategies to improve access to and availability of traditional and local food. Participatory approaches that integrate Indigenous leadership have supported successful program implementation. Learning Circles: Local Healthy Food to School is a participatory program that convenes a range of stakeholders including food producers, educators and Knowledge Keepers to plan, implement and monitor local food system action. Pilot work (2014–2015) in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia (BC), showed promising results of the Learning Circles (LC) approach in enhancing local and traditional food access, knowledge and skills among youth and adolescents. The objective of the current evaluation was therefore to examine the process of scaling-up the LC vertically within the Haida Nation; and horizontally across three diverse First Nations contexts: Gitxsan Nation, Hazelton /Upper Skeena, BC; Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation, Saskatchewan; and Black River First Nation, Manitoba between 2016 and 2019. Methods: An implementation science framework, Foster-Fishman and Watson's (2012) ABLe Change Framework, was used to understand the LC as a participatory approach to facilitate community capacity building to strengthen local food systems. Interviews (n = 52), meeting summaries (n = 44) and tracking sheets (n = 39) were thematically analyzed. Results: The LC facilitated a collaborative process to: (1) build on strengths and explore ways to increase readiness and capacity to reclaim traditional and local food systems; (2) strengthen connections to land, traditional knowledge and ways of life; (3) foster community-level action and multi-sector partnerships; (4) drive actions towards decolonization through revitalization of traditional foods; (5) improve availability of and appreciation for local healthy and traditional foods in school communities; and (6) promote holistic wellness through steps towards food sovereignty and food security. Scale-up within Haida Gwaii supported a growing, robust local and traditional food system and enhanced Haida leadership. The approach worked well in other First Nations contexts, though baseline capacity and the presence of champions were enabling factors. Conclusions: Findings highlight LC as a participatory approach to build capacity and support iterative planning-to-action in community food systems. Identified strengths and challenges support opportunities to expand, adopt and modify the LC approach in other Indigenous communities with diverse food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dispersal among local communities is fundamental to the metacommunity concept but is only important to the metacommunity structure if dispersal causes distortions of species abundances away from what local ecological conditions favour. We know from much previous work that dispersal can cause such abundance distortions. However, almost all previous theoretical studies have only considered one species alone or two interacting species (e.g. competitors or predator and prey). Moreover, a systematic analysis is needed of whether different dispersal strategies (e.g. passive dispersal versus demographic habitat selection) result in different abundance distortion patterns, how these distortion patterns change with local food web structure, and how the dispersal propensities of the interacting species might evolve in response to one another. In this article, we show using computer simulations and analytical models that abundance distortions occur in simple food webs with both passive dispersal and habitat selection, but habitat selection causes larger distortions. Additionally, patterns in the evolution of dispersal propensity in interacting species are very different for these two dispersal strategies. This study identifies that the dispersal strategies employed by interacting species critically shape how dispersal will influence metacommunity structure. This article is part of the theme issue 'Diversity-dependence of dispersal: interspecific interactions determine spatial dynamics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current local food environments encourage poor diets, posing a significant threat to public and planetary health. Acknowledging and addressing its inherent complexity is vital to making meaningful improvements to the food environment. Using a participatory approach with local stakeholders, this study aims to gain insight into the factors and mechanisms underlying the local food environment and to identify leverage points and system-based actions to foster healthy and sustainable local food environments. Methods: A systems-thinking approach was used in a Dutch municipality in 2022. Two group model building (GMB) workshops were held with community stakeholders (e.g. local policymakers, retailers and residents). During the first workshop (June 2022), factors and mechanisms influencing the local food environment were identified and visualized through a causal loop diagram (CLD). During the second workshop, leverage points and system-based actions to improve food environments were identified by the stakeholders. Four months after (October 2022), an action-implementation meeting was organized to stimulate the implementation of selected actions. Progress was monitored through brief telephone interviews 6 and 12 months after the second workshop. Results: The CLD visualises the factors and mechanisms influencing the local food environment from the point of view of the community stakeholders. The CLD consists of 46 factors shaping the local food environment, which were categorized into four identified subsystems: societal factors, individual, socio-economic factors, commercial factors and political factors. Eight leverage points were identified within the CLD, for example, 'lobby from food industry', 'governmental food policies' and 'e-commerce and platform economy'. Stakeholders formulated 20 actions targeting the identified leverage points. During the action-implementation meeting, long-term plans were created for five actions. After 1 year, only one participant (policy advisory role) remained actively engaged in three of these actions. Conclusions: This study yields insight into the numerous factors and mechanisms underlying the local food environment and identified system-based actions as perceived by local stakeholders to improve this food environment locally. The CLD offers stakeholders valuable insights on employing a systems approach when enhancing food environments. More research is necessary, especially into the long-term processes and effects of implementing system-oriented actions to improve local food environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toxicity and safety of a veterinary anti-salmonella disinfectant based on three highly virulent bacteriophage strains (titers 1010 PFU/ml) were studied. Acute, chronic, and inhalation toxicity, as well as local irritancy of the disinfectant were evaluated on outbred white mice CD1 (n=65), Soviet chinchilla rabbits (n=20), and rats (n=20). No toxic effects of the disinfectant was observed after its intraperitoneal or intragastric administration to mice and intragastric administration to rats; in rabbits, application on the skin and eyes produced no local irritation effect. Inhalation of 10% of the disinfectant did not cause any pathologies in mice. Thus, the tests confirmed the high level of safety of the disinfectant based on a mixture of bacteriophages for use as an additional specific disinfection agent against Salmonella in veterinary and livestock facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in Poland plays an important social and environmental role. Accession to the EU resulted in structural and modernization changes, following adjustments to CAP obligations. In 2019, the European Green Deal and "From Farm to Fork" strategies called for circularity, zero emissions, and food and energy security. The purpose of this study was to assess the consumption and energy efficiency of Polish farms, identify challenges in energy management, and formulate recommendations. This study used data from Polish Statistics, FADN, and other public bodies collecting relevant data. The assessment of energy intensity was carried out based on the concept of technical efficiency by Farell and Debreu, defined as the ratio of effects to inputs. In addition, methods of comparative and descriptive statistics were used. The average annual dynamics of energy consumption and CO2 emissions were determined using the compound percentage formula. The results of this research indicate positive changes in the energy management in Polish agriculture, including a decrease in production energy intensity, CO2 emissions, and the amount of waste generated by the investments made. It is necessary to improve farm energy efficiency further and to increase the use of renewable energy to maintain cost competitiveness and meet environmental requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functions of bright bands in coral and other snakes have long been a puzzle. A common opinion is that coral snakes display aposematic marks and that other red and black banded snakes in the Americas are mimics of coral snakes. In two previous reviews, I challenged this prevailing opinion and showed that red and bands are probably defensive against snake predators. Here, I offer a plausible mechanisms through which red and bands could be protective against ophidian predators: the function of bands is to interfere with the focusing ability of snakes, which eyes, as in fish, rely on a ball lens that moves back and forth, a peculiarity among terrestrial vertebrates. Simulations show how the spherical aberrations created by ball lenses produce local maxima in contrast when out of focus, which would feel in focus. I conjecture that red targets specific visual receptors in snakes active in low light: these receptors would have a slow and saturating response. This conjecture is justified by the lability of vision in snakes and the overabundance of red light in dim light. Those conjectures allow precise and well-respected predictions and credibly explain a wide range of observations, such as the geographical repartition of tricolour snakes, the evolution of triadal patterns, the evolution of specific triadal-like patterns in some Erythrolamprus , and the repeated evolution of black and white banded snakes with a red dorsal line. Fish eyes have similar optics, and the function of the ubiquitous fish bands could likewise be to interfere with the vision of predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porang (Amorphophallus oncophyllus, AO) is a local food source that may be developed to address food security concerns. Diversification in processing should be done to increase its consumption. Amorphophallus oncophyllus macerated with Strobilanthes crispus (AOSC) was added to jelly candy, which was created as a low -calorie food product with useful antihyperglycemic qualities. This study aimed to evaluate the sensory and physical properties of jelly candy, including color and texture. Jelly candy varied in the concentration of AOSC, namely: 0.2, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9%. The content of macronutrients was analyzed to prove the calorie value of jelly. The sensory evaluation was carried out using a hedonic scale, while color and texture profiles were each analyzed using a chromameter and texture analyzer. Adding AOSC considerably decreased the calorie content of jelly by up to 35%, from 147 Kcal/100 g to between 94.74 and 104.18 Kcal/100 g. In comparison to the control, the addition of AOSC had the same degree of preference in practically every attribute and did not affect total preferences. Additionally, it raised the yellow -blue component (b* value) and the lightness (L* value), but decreased the red -green component (a* value). While the cohesiveness, gumminess, and fracture values of the jelly candy decreased and the hardness values increased, the addition of AOSC did not affect the springiness value. The results of this research will be crucial in the development of new food products, particularly those that are low in calories and appealing to customers due to their improved physical qualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriocins produced by a number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) comprise a variety of antimicrobial proteins that may be used as antibiotic alternative in food preservation. The present study aimed to isolate and characterize LAB-derived bacteriocin-like substances (BLS) from local fermented foods. A total of twenty-one bacterial strains were isolated and subjected to an antibacterial assay. Five isolates designated as AB1, AB2, AK1, AK2, AnK1 showed inhibitory activity against selected indicator organisms and were subjected to further characterization. Upon BLAST analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences, the isolates showed close relationship to Lactobacillus plantarum with similarity ranging from 91 to 97%. Moreover, the antibacterial metabolite production of the isolates was observed to peak on the 5th to 7th day of incubation. Since AnK1 showed the highest zone of inhibition among 5 isolates, it was selected for characterization of the BLS isolated by ammonium sulfate precipitation and anion exchange chromatography. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that the AnK1-BLS had a single band and a molecular weight around 15 kDa, and a total protein concentration of 7.06 µg/mL. Interestingly, AnK1-BLS had a broad antimicrobial spectrum on both gram-negative and gram-positive food-borne pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus subtilis. Moreover, the purified AnK1-BLS exhibited good thermal stability when heated at 80‒121°C. Likewise, its inhibitory activity was not affected by pH in the range of 3.0 to 6.5, with maximum activity recorded at pH 3.0. The results suggest that AnK1-BLS may have application prospects in the food industry. Further studies on the complete protein characterization of AnK1-BLS is recommended to fully harness its capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety and integrity of the global food system is in a constant state of flux with persistent chemical and microbial risks. While chemical risks are being managed systematically, microbial risks pose extra challenges. Antimicrobial resistant microorganism and persistence of related antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the food chain adds an extra dimension to the management of microbial risks. Because the food chain microbiome is a key interface in the global health system, these microbes can affect health in many ways. In this review, we systematically summarize the distribution of ARGs in foods, describe the potential transmission pathway and transfer mechanism of ARGs from farm to fork, and discuss potential food safety problems and challenges. Modulating antimicrobial resistomes in the food chain facilitates a sustainable global food production system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natal dispersal is a key demographic trait that affects population dynamics, and intraspecific variation in dispersal affects gene flow among populations and source-sink dynamics. However, relatively little is known about the selective pressures and trade-offs that animals face when departing their natal area due to the logistical difficulties associated with monitoring animals during this critical life stage. We used a randomized block design to examine the selective pressure that influence dispersal timing in juvenile burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) by experimentally altering both food and ectoparasites at 135 nests. We also examined the effects of local food abundance, ectoparasite loads, and parental departure on natal dispersal timing. Juvenile burrowing owls varied widely in natal dispersal timing, and phenotypic plasticity in dispersal timing was evident in juvenile owls' response to our experimental treatments, local conditions, and their parents' departure from the natal area. Moreover, juveniles responded differently than their parents to experimental manipulation of food and ectoparasite loads. Juveniles typically dispersed shortly after their parents departed the natal area, but delayed dispersing more than 2 weeks after parental departure if they did not receive experimental food supplements during a low-food year. In contrast, the experimental food supplements did not affect the migratory departure decisions of adult owls in either year. Juveniles at nests treated for ectoparasites initiated dispersal at a younger age (and prior to adults in the high-food year) compared to juveniles at control nests. In contrast, parents at nests treated for ectoparasites departed later than parents at control nests. Our results suggest that unfavorable conditions (low food or high ectoparasite loads) caused juveniles to delay dispersal, but prompted adults to depart sooner. Our results highlight the extent of intraspecific variation in natal dispersal timing, and demonstrate that ecological conditions affect dispersal decisions of parents and offspring differently, which can create important trade-offs that likely affect life history strategies and responses to climatic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article applies a governmentality perspective to approach education for sustainability. First, we outline governmentality through a Foucauldian lens and consider the emergence of environmentality in Italian education. Next, we analyse education for sustainability teaching and learning dynamics. Focusing on a pedagogic intervention carried out in a hotel-management vocational high school, we explore how school programming, classroom interactions, teachers, and environmental experts conceptualise food sustainability, influencing the pupils' view. Precisely, by analysing the ‘From farm to fork' programme – the empirical case study we have investigated – three pedagogic processes are detected: ‘framing', ‘politicising', and ‘normalising'. Our argument is that they work in tandem to problematise the socio-ecological implications of eating consumption choices and to guide students towards the neoliberal solution of sustainability. Implications of this research discuss how neoliberalism influences pedagogic activities, especially as it relates to establishing environmentally responsible action and shaping the ethics of the sustainable citizen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical study examines the motivational determinants driving the consumption of traditional local food and beverages in Latacunga in Central Ecuador (South America). This geographical area embraces a rich cultural and historical heritage, making it a year-round destination for tourists looking to experience its unique local cuisine and festivals. An online survey was conducted between September 2021 and February 2022, during which 445 valid questionnaires were collected; these were quantitatively analysed using binary logistic regression analysis. Model-based findings revealed that age, taste, health and safety concerns, cultural experience, and expenditure were the most significant factors influencing the consumption of traditional local food and beverages. This information will help understand tourists' behaviour concerning gastronomic tourism, and help develop optimal positioning, branding, and marketing strategies for sustainable development at top-ranking destinations, particularly cities in Central Ecuador and other international cities featuring similar tourism characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background.: The purpose of this study was to collect updated school food service purchasing practices from K-12 public school food service directors (SFSD) in Mississippi and to determine their current abilities, experiences, and desires to engage in Farm to School (F2S) activities. Methods.: The online survey was created using questionnaire items from existing F2S surveys. The survey opened in October 2021 and closed in January 2022. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Results.: Of the 173 SFSD sent email invitations, 122 (71%) completed the survey. The most common fresh fruit and vegetable purchasing practices included Department of Defense Fresh Program (65%) and produce vendor (64%). Forty-three percent of SFSD purchased at least one locally sourced fruit and 40% purchased at least one locally sourced vegetable, while 46% did not purchase any locally sourced foods. The most common challenges for purchasing from farmers included no relationship with farmers (50%) and food safety regulations (39%). Sixty-four percent of SFSD were interested in at least one F2S activity. Conclusions.: Most SFSD do not purchase local foods directly from farmers and almost half do not purchase any local foods regardless of source. Lack of connection with local farmers is a significant challenge to F2S. Recently proposed framework by USDA for shoring up the food supply chain and transforming the food system may help reduce or remove ongoing challenges to F2S participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the one health approach, which summarizes the concept that human, animal, and plant health are interdependent and linked to the ecosystems in which they exist, animal welfare assumes an important role. In addition, the Farm to Fork Strategy of the European Union recognizes animal welfare as an essential component. Transport of animals involves a number of issues related to welfare. Animals are subjected to continuous stress, not only during transit on vehicles, vessels, trains, or airplanes, but also during loading and unloading operations. The handling and transport conditions have improved from basic and relatively rudimentary systems, with elements to attenuate the discomfort of animals having been gradually introduced, especially for long-distance transport. Despite several improvements in animal welfare standards during transportation there are still pressing issues in current EU legislation which deserve reviewing. Recently, several scientific opinions on animal welfare, including during transport, have been published by the European Food Safety Agency, following requests by the European Commission. In addition, the European Court of Auditors published its last report focused on animal welfare during transport. These reports underline the need to review current legislation governing the topic and highlight a number of outstanding issues in the European Union and in Third Countries. This article summarizes the history and current status of this complex issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biclustering, the simultaneous clustering of rows and columns of a data matrix, has proved its effectiveness in bioinformatics due to its capacity to produce local instead of global models, evolving from a key technique used in gene expression data analysis into one of the most used approaches for pattern discovery and identification of biological modules, used in both descriptive and predictive learning tasks. This survey presents a comprehensive overview of biclustering. It proposes an updated taxonomy for its fundamental components (bicluster, biclustering solution, biclustering algorithms, and evaluation measures) and applications. We unify scattered concepts in the literature with new definitions to accommodate the diversity of data types (such as tabular, network, and time series data) and the specificities of biological and biomedical data domains. We further propose a pipeline for biclustering data analysis and discuss practical aspects of incorporating biclustering in real-world applications. We highlight prominent application domains, particularly in bioinformatics, and identify typical biclusters to illustrate the analysis output. Moreover, we discuss important aspects to consider when choosing, applying, and evaluating a biclustering algorithm. We also relate biclustering with other data mining tasks (clustering, pattern mining, classification, triclustering, N-way clustering, and graph mining). Thus, it provides theoretical and practical guidance on biclustering data analysis, demonstrating its potential to uncover actionable insights from complex datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple crises have disrupted food systems around the world. The shocks induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with increased energy prices and shortages of fertilizers and agricultural inputs, have affected farmers everywhere. By applying inductive, qualitative, and comparative research approaches, we investigate the impact of shocks and crises on diverse food systems. Using mixed qualitative methods, we integrate the voices of (n = 25) farmers belonging to agroecology-based local food systems in Peru, Germany, and the United States with the aims of: (i) understanding the different crisis scenarios; (ii) determining the vulnerabilities induced in farmers; and (iii) identifying the responses and coping mechanisms that farmers deploy in response to shocks. The results illustrate how farmers are affected by the combined effects of labor shortages, rising input costs, high energy prices, and climate change. Farmers' responses to stressors are then analyzed and compared using attributes of food system resilience. Based on our results, we argue that resilience-building is determined not only by the environment in which agroecology is embedded, but also by the responsive capacities of farmers. We emphasize the need for more proactive policies aimed at promoting agroecological and localized production to enhance the resilience of food systems against recurrent shocks and crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous Hopfield network (CHN) is a common recurrent neural network. The CHN tool can be used to solve a number of ranking and optimization problems, where the equilibrium states of the ordinary differential equation (ODE) related to the CHN give the solution to any given problem. Because of the non-local characteristic of the "infinite memory" effect, fractional-order (FO) systems have been proved to describe more accurately the behavior of real dynamical systems, compared to the model's ODE. In this paper, a fractional-order variant of a Hopfield neural network is introduced to solve a Quadratic Knap Sac Problem (QKSP), namely the fractional CHN (FRAC-CHN). Firstly, the system is integrated with the quadratic method for fractional-order equations whose trajectories have shown erratic paths and jumps to other basin attractions. To avoid these drawbacks, a new algorithm for obtaining an equilibrium point for a CHN is introduced in this paper, namely the optimal fractional CHN (OPT-FRAC-CHN). This is a variable time-step method that converges to a good local minima in just a few iterations. Compared with the non-variable time-stepping CHN method, the optimal time-stepping CHN method (OPT-CHN) and the FRAC-CHN method, the OPT-FRAC-CHN method, produce the best local minima for random CHN instances and for the optimal feeding problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of menus is a strategic part of the marketing mix of restaurants and the way they can (or can not) create a competitive advantage and attract the customer's attention. In particular, restaurant menus communicate the restaurant unique selling proposition through its unique understanding of terroir. In this sense, the role of restaurants in the protection of local food identities and the promotion of local food heritage has become a topic of increasing interest. From a qualitative study based on a discourse analysis, the aim of this article is to understand the role of food in dining experiences through the storytelling embedded in the menus of the 8 restaurants awarded with the Michelin Green Star in Catalonia. While results show the pivotal role of products with a local origin, the narrative derived from the menus display meaningful relationships between local and global, old and new culinary techniques. Results also show the preoccupation of restaurants toward the protection of the linkages between the products and the territory, and the promotion of a zero-waste cuisine. Theoretical and practical implications are outlined to create both business and destination marketing strategies based on a "green" storytelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

United States federal lands are managed for multiple conservation, social, and commercial goals shaped by the visions of diverse interest groups. The rural economic and food-security needs of local public-lands-based communities have important implications for sustainable natural-resource management but can be obscured by national-scale public comment processes. To better understand local concerns and aspirations for management of the nation's largest national forest, the Tongass, we use thematic analysis of public testimonies provided by Southeast Alaska community members as part of the federally mandated Roadless Rulemaking Subsistence Hearings in 2019. The six themes we develop explore speakers' views of an Alaska exemption from the 2001 Roadless Rule, Alaska Native and rural community connections to the forest ecosystem, visions for rural futures, and concerns with the rulemaking process. Explicit consideration of local economic, food sovereignty, and federal rulemaking concerns can inform a broader picture of federal land management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: chronic iron-deficiency anaemia in children has a negative impact on neuronal and cognitive development. Despite current knowledge on this subject, in Bolivia iron intake along the psychomotor development stimulation as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation process for children with severe chronic malnutrition is not yet used. Objective: to evaluate the effect of a neurorestorative diet, consisting of iron supplements and other micronutrients, along with psychomotor stimulation in preschool children with chronic malnutrition, iron-deficiency anaemia and severe psychomotor delay. Patients and methods: twenty-four children between 1 and 56 months of age admitted to the integral nutritional recovery centre (INRC), Paediatric Hospital of Cochabamba, Bolivia were included. A strategy of intervention was applied consisting of nutritional replenishment through the administration of elaborated meals prepared from local foods with high heme and non-heme iron concentration, added with vegetables plus the administration of micronutrient's supplementation and the psychomotor stimulation. Anthropometric indices, psychomotor and biochemical parameters were measured at four times points, during the hospitalisation period. Results: at the beginning, the anthropometric and psychomotor parameters were decreased (between -2 and -3 z score and below 50 % respectively). Combined strategy intervention with iron and other micronutrients together photons produced significant changes between the evaluated time points, both in anthropometric and psychomotor parameters, although these changes were less than expected. Conclusions: the combined strategy used in this study allowed recovery from the anaemia and minimal growth due to the low birth weight or chronic malnutrition. However, the intervention was insufficient to achieve a complete recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the expanding local food market, grasping the evolutionary trajectory of consumer purchasing behavior is crucial for understanding market dynamics. This study adopts a cross-generational perspective to delve into and elucidate the similarities and differences in local food consumption behaviors between Gen Z and Gen Y. Through the analysis of online survey data from 251 individuals of Gen Z and 319 of Gen Y and utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical framework, and the study identifies eight key variables. The findings reveal that while Gen Z and Gen Y exhibit a range of common characteristics in their choice of local food,including attention to word of mouth, health consciousness, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitude.there is a significant divergence in their motivating factors for purchasing. Specifically, convenience is the primary driver for Gen Z when selecting local food; conversely, price is the decisive factor in the decision-making process of Gen Y. By unveiling these significant differences and similarities, the research offers significant understanding beneficial to the food sector, particularly in formulating market strategies targeted at different generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article explores the impact of the 'Quadruple Whammy' consisting of Brexit, COVID‐19, Conflicts (Russia‐Ukraine and Israel‐Palestine) and Natural disasters on the food supply chain in Europe. This research adopted a two‐phase methodology comprised of the e‐Delphi technique followed by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses) approach within the context of these four identified challenges. The objective of this article is to analyse the challenges faced by the European food supply chain due to these four factors. The article examines the impact of political isolationism such as Brexit on trade, cost and border controls, while also discussing the effects of COVID‐19 on labour, supply chains and the rise of e‐commerce. In addition, the article examines the impact of conflicts on food access and availability and the role of international aid and assistance. The effects of natural disasters, such as the Turkish and Moroccan earthquakes, floods in Spain and Portugal and the Moroccan drought, on food security are also analysed. The article offers several strategies for taming the quadruple whammy, such as investing in local food production and supply chains, diversifying supply chains and trade partnerships and strengthening food safety regulations and standards. The importance of building resilience and preparedness in the face of these challenges is emphasised and the article concludes with final thoughts and recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]