A dataset of the food self-sufficiency assessment of Bristol and Vienna based on a foodshed approach.

The food self-sufficiency assessment of Bristol and Vienna was developed by applying the Metropolitan Foodshed and Self-sufficiency scenario (MFSS) model [1] in the proposed respective foodsheds. In the case of Vienna 25 surrounding districts (i.e. Niederösterreich region) were selected, whereas for Bristol 5 districts surrounding the city were included. The model takes the consumption patterns as well as the available area for agriculture in the proposed foodsheds as the main inputs. Intermediate calculations are developed using data on population and yields. The outputs after applying the MFSS model are: (1) the area demand (i.e. surface needed to meet the population´s dietary requirements) in terms of surface and radius, and (2) the potential food self-sufficiency, at district level and for the whole foodshed area. The outputs are shown for 12 scenarios resulting after combining four variables: (1) production system (conventional vs organic), (2) dietary shifts (domestic vs current diet), (3) reducing food losses and waste, and (4) population growth 2015-2050. The analytical outputs from the MFSS model are converted in spatial data after applying GIS software. Whereas some of the supporting information on the inputs are shown spatially, the spatial outputs are shown in the co-submitted publication [2], as well as a summary of the datasets shown here. These data can be used to develop food policies in both city-regions as well as to test whether a specific policy is feasible. The data might be especially useful for policymakers and governance actors (e.g. food policy councils) when developing or assessing the food policies for both cities. The data can be used also by policymakers in other cities developing foodshed assessments. Furthermore, other stakeholders (e.g. education, NGOs) might use the data to increase the awareness of the impact of dietary patterns on the food land footprint.

Systematic review of soil ecosystem services in tropical regions.

Soil ecosystem service (SES) approaches evidence the importance of soil for human well-being, contribute to improving dialogue between science and decision-making and encourage the translation of scientific results into public policies. Herein, through systematic review, we assess the state of the art of SES approaches in tropical regions. Through this review, 41 publications were identified; while most of these studies considered SES, a lack of a consistent framework to define SES was apparent. Most studies measured soil natural capital and processes, while only three studies undertook monetary valuation. Although the number of publications increased (from 1 to 41), between 2001 and 2019, the total number of publications for tropical regions is still small. Countries with the largest number of publications were Brazil (n = 8), Colombia (n = 6) and Mexico (n = 4). This observation emphasizes an important knowledge gap pertaining to SES approaches and their link to tropical regions. With global momentum behind SES approaches, there is an opportunity to integrate SES approaches into policy and practice in tropical regions. The use of SES evaluation tools in tropical regions could transform how land use decisions are informed, mitigating soil degradation and protecting the ecosystems that soil underpins.

Can a shift to regional and organic diets reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the food system? A case study from Qatar.

BACKGROUND: Qatar is one of the countries with the highest carbon (C) footprints per capita in the world with an increasing population and food demand. Furthermore, the international blockade by some countries that is affecting Qatar-which has been traditionally a highly-dependent country on food imports-since 2017 has led the authorities to take the decision of increasing food self-sufficiency. In this study we have assessed the effect on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of shifting diets from conventional to organic products and from import-based diets to more regionalized diets for the first time in a Gulf country. RESULTS: We found that considering the production system, the majority of the emissions come from the animal products, but the differences between conventional and organic diets are very small (738 and 722 kg CO2-eq capita-1 year-1, of total emissions, respectively). Conversely, total emissions from plant-based products consumption might be around one order of magnitude smaller, but the differences in the emissions between the organic and conventional systems were higher than those estimated for animal products, leading to a decrease in 44 kg CO2-eq capita-1 year-1 when changing from 100% conventional to 50% of organic consumption of plant-based products. Regarding the shift to regionalized diets, we found that packaging has a small influence on the total amount of GHG emissions, whereas emissions from transportation would be reduced in around 450 kg CO2 capita-1 year-1 when reducing imports from 100 to 50%. CONCLUSIONS: However, these results must be read carefully. Due to the extreme adverse pedoclimatic conditions of the country, commercial organic regional livestock would not be possible without emitting very high GHG emissions and just only some traditional livestock species may be farmed in a climate-friendly way. On the other hand, organic and regional low-CO2 emission systems of plant-based products would be possible by implementing innovations in irrigation or other innovations whose GHG emissions must be further studied in the future. Therefore, we conclude that shifting towards more plant-based organic regional consumption by using climate-friendly irrigation is a suitable solution to both increasing self-sufficiency and reducing C footprint. We encourage national authorities to including these outcomes into their environmental and food security policies.

Changes in soil organic carbon under perennial crops.

This study evaluates the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) under perennial crops across the globe. It quantifies the effect of change from annual to perennial crops and the subsequent temporal changes in SOC stocks during the perennial crop cycle. It also presents an empirical model to estimate changes in the SOC content under crops as a function of time, land use, and site characteristics. We used a harmonized global dataset containing paired-comparison empirical values of SOC and different types of perennial crops (perennial grasses, palms, and woody plants) with different end uses: bioenergy, food, other bio-products, and short rotation coppice. Salient outcomes include: a 20-year period encompassing a change from annual to perennial crops led to an average 20% increase in SOC at 0-30 cm (6.0 ± 4.6 Mg/ha gain) and a total 10% increase over the 0-100 cm soil profile (5.7 ± 10.9 Mg/ha). A change from natural pasture to perennial crop decreased SOC stocks by 1% over 0-30 cm (-2.5 ± 4.2 Mg/ha) and 10% over 0-100 cm (-13.6 ± 8.9 Mg/ha). The effect of a land use change from forest to perennial crops did not show significant impacts, probably due to the limited number of plots; but the data indicated that while a 2% increase in SOC was observed at 0-30 cm (16.81 ± 55.1 Mg/ha), a decrease in 24% was observed at 30-100 cm (-40.1 ± 16.8 Mg/ha). Perennial crops generally accumulate SOC through time, especially woody crops; and temperature was the main driver explaining differences in SOC dynamics, followed by crop age, soil bulk density, clay content, and depth. We present empirical evidence showing that the FAO perennialization strategy is reasonable, underscoring the role of perennial crops as a useful component of climate change mitigation strategies.

A global, empirical, harmonised dataset of soil organic carbon changes under perennial crops.

A global, unified dataset on Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) changes under perennial crops has not existed till now. We present a global, harmonised database on SOC change resulting from perennial crop cultivation. It contains information about 1605 paired-comparison empirical values (some of which are aggregated data) from 180 different peer-reviewed studies, 709 sites, on 58 different perennial crop types, from 32 countries in temperate, tropical and boreal areas; including species used for food, bioenergy and bio-products. The database also contains information on climate, soil characteristics, management and topography. This is the first such global compilation and will act as a baseline for SOC changes in perennial crops. It will be key to supporting global modelling of land use and carbon cycle feedbacks, and supporting agricultural policy development.