Urban farming has expanded nationwide, offering environmental and economic sustainability while providing food sovereignty to underserved communities. However, urban farming poses unique challenges that conventional farmers often do not face. These farms typically grow a diversity of crops, many of which are dependent on insect pollination. While some farmers utilize honey bees for pollination, attracting wild bees with pollinator-supportive practices can also provide adequate crop pollination. Implementation of management strategies that support pollinators can be influenced by farm and grower characteristics. In this study, we surveyed 74 urban growers and evaluated the influence of grower characteristics, such as grower demographics, perception, motivation, resource use and accessibility, and source of educational information, on the implementation of eight commonly used pollinator management strategies and overall farm richness. We also described grower and farm characteristics and the use frequency of various educational sources. Overall, the importance of pollinators on a farm (based on the proportion of high-pollinator-dependent crops grown) did not influence the use of pollinator management strategies by urban growers. Demographic variables (age, gender, farm income, education, years of agricultural experience) had no impact on grower decisions. Rather, growers were influenced most by information source, resource use and accessibility, perception, and motivation. Factors associated with educational source and resource use and accessibility had the greatest impact on pollinator management implementation and crop richness. Specifically, using educational resources to inform farm management practices, city policies, and manual labor impacted grower decision the most. The most popular sources of educational information were hard copy books and field guides, conversations with colleagues and other farmers, and online extension articles and non-profit organization resources. Our findings also suggested that urban growers may incorporate certain pollinator management practices more effectively when utilizing online materials rather than hard copy formats. Overall, this study highlights the need to create and provide more accessible educational materials and resources to urban growers. Historically, these growers have been underserved by agricultural educators; thus, it is critical to incorporate their unique needs and challenges when creating farmer resources related to pollinator management. By more effectively communicating the importance of insect crop pollinator management through educational tools, we can support more productive urban agricultural systems.

Developing food-waste-based hydroponic fertilizers (FWBHF) addresses growing urban sprawl and the growing adoption of urban horticulture, improving nutrient cycling and sustainability in our food production systems. This study profiles plant-available nutrients across a range of food products, divided into three main groups (protein-rich, carbohydrate-rich, and fiber-rich) after exposure to anaerobic and aerobic fermentation and vermicompost techniques. Leachates were analyzed for inorganic nutrients and heavy metals to compare with a conventional synthetic hydroponic fertilizer. Key findings identified deficiencies in nitrogen and calcium across all treatments. Nutrient availability in the protein-rich group (beef and chicken) was consistent across both aerobic and anaerobic treatments, with the exception of aerobic fermentation producing a significantly higher level of phosphorus and potassium compared to the control. This was contradicted by the high variation between treatments in the carbohydrate-rich group (pasta and bread), which often produced contradicting nutrient outcomes in the same treatment group, this was attributed to differences in wheat varieties and value-added processes affecting the inorganic nutrient availability in this group. The vermicompost leachate, vermiliquer, contained statistically similar levels of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc when compared to the control, but was significantly deficient in nitrogen, calcium, and sulfur. Despite this, it was identified as a potential ‘all-in-one’ solution, being low in heavy metals, elemental toxicity, and odorless when compared to fermentation treatments. These results aim to assist future developments in FWBHF by profiling inorganic nutrient availability across food groups when exposed to vermicomposting and aerobic/anaerobic fermentation techniques.

Fall- and spring-seeded cover crops are commonly used by organic no-till practitioners, but spring-seeded mixtures have not been as widely studied, particularly regarding their management under short growing periods in cool-climate regions. This study evaluated the short-term effects of spring-seeded cover crop termination methods and organic fertilization rates on subsequent crop yields and soil mineral nitrogen (N) dynamics on a clay loam soil in Quebec, Canada. In both years (2022–2023), a spring-seeded cover crop mixture was terminated in mid-summer, and then a vegetable crop was transplanted and fertilized at three different rates. Cover crop termination methods consisted of roller-crimping (ROLL), flail mowing and tarping (TARP), flail mowing and disking (DISK), and a fallow control without cover crops (CTRL). The combination of pelletized composted poultry manure and blood meal was applied at three rates (0% N, 50% N, and 100% N) during the production of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) in 2022 and beetroot (Beta vulgaris var. esculenta) in 2023. In 2022, field peas (Pisum sativum L.)-oats (Avena sativa L.) produced an average of 2.9 Mg DM ha−1, whereas the aboveground biomass of field peas-faba beans (Vicia faba L.) in 2023 yielded about 2.3 Mg DM ha−1. Flail mowing and tarping (TARP) increased total broccoli and beetroot yields by 38% and 44%, respectively, compared to roller-crimping, likely due to N availability rather than weed competition. Soil mineral N after tarp removal in 2023 was up to twice as great in the fully fertilized TARP treatment compared to other treatments. Vegetable N uptake, particularly in broccoli, was the lowest in the ROLL treatment, indicating a strong connection between plant N uptake and yields. Termination was performed at a phenological stage that was too early, resulting in low effectiveness of the roller-crimper. Interestingly, the TARP and DISK treatments produced comparable yields. Overall, cover crops could not compensate for reduced fertilizer inputs, which is further supported by the lack of termination method × fertilization rate interactions. Limited cover crop biomass production due to the short growing period resulted in minimal yield differences between treatments with cover crops and the CTRL treatment. Although this study was limited to a single field in Quebec, it shows that tarping may be a better option for organic vegetable growers, as it facilitates the termination of cover crops without tillage compared to roller-crimping.

This study expands agro-sociological research on public perceptions of biodegradable plastic mulch by addressing three questions posed to direct-market and indirect-market shoppers in northwest Washington: (1) What is their general knowledge of plastic mulching practices? (2) What are their perspectives on soil-biodegradable plastic mulch (BDM) fragments in agricultural fields? and (3) Do they prefer biodegradable options over non-biodegradable plastics in agriculture? Rapid market assessments (RMAs) and semi-structured interviews incorporating photo elicitation were conducted at a farmers’ market and a bargain-market grocery store in Bellingham, Washington. RMAs (n = 102; 51 per location) and semi-structured interviews (n = 14) captured variation between direct- and indirect-market shoppers. Overall, most direct- and indirect-market shoppers participating in the RMAs did not associate plastic use with growing produce or view it as essential to modern agriculture. Interview participants were generally aware of non-biodegradable polyethylene (PE) mulch but were unfamiliar with BDMs. Once they learned that BDMs are designed to break down in soil through microbial activity, they expressed a clear preference for them. Although RMA results indicated that participants prefer neat-looking fields, interviewees expressed greater willingness to purchase produce grown with BDMs rather than PE mulch. Additionally, shoppers participating in interviews expressed a willingness to pay a price premium for produce grown with BDMs. Interview discussions revealed that consumer education—through signage, labeling, or other outreach—is critical to building awareness and acceptance of soil-biodegradable alternatives in agriculture.

We review here the findings from an empirical study of yield ratios between plant and animal foods grown organically compared to either conventional or low-input peasant farming methods. Our 2007 study demonstrated that organic yields were sufficiently large, in principle, to provide much of the global food supply in terms of calories across all major food groups. Publication of the study encountered strong opposition from reviewers as well as support. Once published, the findings were widely cited and well received by practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecologists. Several follow-up studies using larger datasets and newer analytical methods found yield ratios (yield gaps) similar to or somewhat larger than ours. Most of these studies also concluded that organic production methods could make a major contribution to the global food supply. In a food-system context, organic production could also contribute to carbon sequestration and maintenance of native biodiversity, particularly if less land were devoted to growing livestock feed or crops for biofuels, and if less food were wasted. Organic agriculture is often more profitable for farmers, boosts rural employment, and improves social connections among farmers and between farmers and consumers. Together, these elements contribute to the kind of food system that simultaneously serves people and nature.

Alternative dairy management practices are often touted as avenues for achieving environmental, social, and cultural sustainability in the unique Northeastern United States dairy market. Some of these management practices, like selling into alternative markets, becoming certified organic, and grazing, are specifically outlined by researchers and policymakers as opportunities for farmers in the Northeast. This research uses the thematic analysis of 25 semi-structured interviews to develop an understanding of farmers’ attitudes toward and willingness to adopt these management practices. Participating farmers represented a range of farm size, location, and attributes, including those who used some, all, or none of these practices. Themes developed from this data relate to practicality, farmer values, the importance of local food availability, and the need to reshape consumer interaction and education. The need to expand dairy marketing opportunities and pathways is illustrated through descriptions of farmers’ experiences. This research explores novel perspectives of how the confluence of perceived value and practicality of alternative management practices can contribute to the long-term sustainability and viability of the dairy food system in the Northeast.

This study presents a framework for assessing the scalability of innovations aimed at achieving low-emission development, using a case study of Nandi County, Kenya. Food system emissions make up a significant portion of Kenya’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing these emissions is crucial for lowering the country’s overall emissions, supporting Kenya’s commitment to the Paris Agreement. To achieve this, Kenya must scale innovations that can transform the food system toward low emissions while meeting national development targets. The framework was thus tested, in the scope of two participatory workshops, on three CGIAR innovations with relevance to Nandi County: Improved Livestock Breeds and Feeds (ILBF), Integrated Aquaculture Practices (IAP), and Biogas Technology (BT). Stakeholders evaluated these innovations in a two-day participatory workshop using a multi-criteria scoring process. Based on established criteria, the participants developed scores that reflected an innovations’ potential for scaling. ILBF scored 24 out of 33 points (75%), IAP scored 27 (81%), and BT scored 26 (76%). The results indicate varying potential for scaling among the innovations, highlighting the importance of context-specific and systemic enabling factors, beyond technical performance. These include institutional, social, and biophysical contexts, adoption barriers, market potential, costs of innovation, financial opportunities for scaling, environmental and social co-benefits and trade-offs as well as economic benefits, all of which are critical in creating an enabling environment for scaling. The framework serves as a support tool for evaluating potential opportunities, barriers, bottlenecks, and trade-offs to inform scaling strategies in a more systematic and responsible manner. Beyond its empirical findings, the study contributes methodologically by illustrating how participatory multi-criteria assessment can strengthen strategic decision-making for Agricultural Research for Development programs.

Food waste represents a complex global challenge with significant environmental, economic, and social implications. Emerging digital technologies (DTs), which are reshaping food supply chains by enhancing efficiency, resilience, and sustainability, hold significant potential to reduce this waste. This study aims to investigate areas where DTs have the potential to reduce food waste in the food industry and downstream supply chain and identify the mechanisms through which they contribute to this goal. To address this aim, the study employs a systematic review of publications indexed in the Web of Science database covering 2020–2025. Based on 73 studies selected from 488 identified records, the study summarizes the current knowledge on the impacts of digital solutions, emphasizing their role in enabling food quality monitoring, process optimization, traceability, and dynamic inventory management. In addition to the potential benefits, this study also discusses the possible negative impacts associated with the adoption of DTs in the food sector. Thus, the study contributes to the knowledge base on the consequences of digital solutions and identifies key research gaps. While existing studies highlight the potential of DTs to reduce food waste, data-driven evidence remains limited. This constrains the evaluation of DT impacts and complicates decision-making, not only for firms considering their adoption but also for policymakers aiming to support their broader implementation.

Although local food is widely promoted, consumers differ substantially in how they define what local means. Little is known about how this definitional heterogeneity relates to variation in estimated willingness-to-pay (WTP) premiums for local. This study examines heterogeneity in consumers’ WTP for local produce and meat, elicited under a common, prescribed 50-mile definition, and evaluates how these valuations vary across individuals’ personal definitions of local food, ranging from farm- and county-level scales to broader state and national scales. Using online survey data from 509 participants, primarily from the Mid-Atlantic region, we find weak evidence that WTP premiums generally decline as personal definitions broaden from farms to counties and states. More precisely, however, respondents selecting broader definitions do not fol` a strictly monotonic pattern: the two highest reported WTP premiums come from the smallest scale (farm-level) and the largest scale (national). Overall, the results demonstrate substantial heterogeneity in WTP for local food associated with personal definitions.

In a review article published in this journal in 2010, we described the mitigation and adaptation potential of organic agricultural systems. In this article, we reflect on our findings and update the results from 2010. Today’s scientific evidence confirms that the principles of organic agriculture can facilitate a transition to climate-neutral food systems. Compliance with only mandatory requirements of organic certification is not sufficient for climate neutrality but can significantly offsets agricultural emissions by avoiding mineral fertilizers and increasing soil carbon sequestration. Most relevant to achieve climate neutrality of the food system is a shift toward more plant-based diets. Although behavioral change is more challenging to achieve, the principles of organic agriculture can positively trigger a climate-sensitive mind-shift of consumption and production patterns. Organic farming methods can also significantly contribute to climate adaptation in terms of better resilience under climatic variability and stress conditions. The all-encompassing systemic approach of organic agriculture indicates a viable path to food system resilience to climate change.

This study assesses the sustainability of agricultural practices in Western Newfoundland by evaluating the technical, allocative, cost, scale, and environmental efficiencies of 15 local farms using data envelopment analysis. The findings reveal that while most farms demonstrated high technical efficiency (average score: 95%), notable inefficiencies persist in the allocative, cost, and environmental efficiency dimensions. Key issues include labor inefficiency, chemical fertilizer overuse, and suboptimal farm scale, whereas effective land management and quality seed use were identified as major drivers of productivity. A detailed case study highlights a farm achieving full efficiency across all metrics through sustainable practices such as no-dig methods, permaculture, rainwater harvesting, and composting, demonstrating how regenerative strategies can enhance both economic and ecological performance. The study also uses stepwise regression to identify education, farm experience, and farm type as significant factors influencing efficiency outcomes. These results underscore the potential for targeted interventions, technology adoption, and policy support to improve farm performance and advance sustainable agriculture in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. By integrating multidimensional efficiency metrics, this research provides actionable insights for optimizing resource use, reducing environmental impact, and strengthening the resilience of regional agrifood systems.

In the field of agroecology, on-farm experimentation often involves ‘co-design’ activities. This participatory openness exacerbates the challenges associated with the researcher’s stance and the use and goals of experimental approaches. To shed light on this situation and improve upon it, we conducted a reflective and comparative analysis of five agroecological projects involving co-design that were carried out by the co-authors. The aim was to identify and discuss how the use of co-design expanded and diversified the role of on-farm experimentation in scientific research. Three main themes arose from the analysis; each encompassed findings, lessons learned, and considerations to clarify the framework of collaborative on-farm experimentation. The first theme was related to the adaptable, contingent, and transdisciplinary nature of the examined projects. The projects followed a step-by-step design framework. The different phases of each project were completed using various methods and participation modalities, either sequentially or jointly. Farm fields and ponds were important places for social interactions and observations that fueled the ongoing processes of diagnosis, technique adaptation, and evaluation, and the development of shared assumptions and statements among academics and non-academics. The second theme addressed the different experimental approaches used and their relationships to scientific demonstration, depending on the objective of diagnosis and evaluation. We identified and conceptualized three approaches that were taken in the analyzed projects: practice-centered, ecosystem services-centered, and product-centered approaches. The third theme emphasized elements related to the transformative capacity of co-design activities with on-farm experimentation. It emphasized the influence of technical feasibility, expected gain, perceived risk, and the degree of systemic innovation required. Transformative capacity was associated with the conditions and development of the learning process, rather than the success of the innovative practices. This implies changes in farming practices that extend well beyond the project’s duration and are inadequately documented.

Our 2005 article in this journal provided a comprehensive synthesis and review of available literature then, and compared various aspects of organic versus conventionally produced alternatives. In this reflection, the authors provide a brief commentary on the impact of the publication and updates on the findings since it was published. We conclude with a brief commentary and outlook on selected issues relevant to organic versus conventional food products, and considerations and future directions.

While current discussions of insect production emphasize sustainability benefits, research on consumer attitudes toward livestock production reveals that animal welfare concerns often equal or exceed environmental considerations in purchasing decisions. This article examines trends in consumer attitudes toward farm animal welfare in North America and Europe to anticipate potential challenges to the emerging insect industry’s social license to operate and then applies those trends to black soldier fly production. The analysis suggests that as public awareness grows, welfare concerns will likely emerge as a determinant of industry acceptance. Proactively addressing the most emotionally salient welfare issues—particularly those involving visible suffering or perceived unnaturalness—represents a strategic investment in maintaining consumer trust.

This study examined the operational and economic aspects of rice drying and storage practices, focusing on the effectiveness of fumigation methods. Based on three case studies of two rice drying and storage companies of different sizes and a milling company, the study explores the economic viability of utilizing an emerging and sustainable pest control treatment technology—atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) fumigation chamber to the Weevil-Cide (Aluminum Phosphide Pellets) fumigant currently used by many agribusiness facilities and companies. The study employs a capital budgeting approach to evaluate economic feasibility and an input–output model to determine the broader economic impact. The findings revealed that the ACP chamber is more cost-effective for mills rather than drying and storage companies, suggesting that profitability in rice drying and storage is closely tied to the volume processed and stored, and the stage in the production chain. The investment in the novel technology was found to have a significant economic impact on the U.S. economy.

The increasing demand for sustainable feed ingredients in aquaculture has driven research into alternative protein sources to replace fishmeal. This study evaluated the nutritional, physiological, and microbiological impacts of housefly (Musca domestica) larvae meal as a replacement for fishmeal in the diets of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Diets were formulated to replace fishmeal with larvae meal at 50% and 100% inclusion levels. Growth performance, body composition, intestinal health, and gut microbiota were assessed over a 16-week feeding trial. Fish fed larvae meal-based diets exhibited comparable growth metrics, muscle yield, and hepatosomatic index to those fed fishmeal and commercial diets, indicating no compromise in growth efficiency. Intestinal histological examination revealed no diet-induced morphological changes, with all parameters remaining within normal ranges, highlighting the compatibility of larvae meal with fish intestinal health. Analysis of gut microbiota showed a shift toward Firmicutes dominance and increased abundance of Clostridiales in larvae meal-fed fish, suggesting enhanced fermentation activity. Blood chemistry parameters were consistent across dietary groups, supporting the physiological suitability of larvae meal-based diets. These findings demonstrate that housefly larvae meal is a sustainable and nutritionally viable alternative to fishmeal in aquafeeds for rainbow trout. The results underscore its potential to reduce reliance on fishmeal while maintaining fish health and growth performance.