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Unsustainable production and consumption of food constitutes one of the biggest environmental threats to our planet. Eliminating food loss and waste to the largest extent possible – at all stages from producer to final consumer – stands out as an urgent and indispensable step towards more sustainable food systems. In fact, recent research shows that tackling food waste is the third most effective intervention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the most important priority of our time (Hawken 2017). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 sets out a specific target on food waste to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses, by 2030. In order to measure global progress towards SDG 12.3, two indices have been proposed: the Food Waste Index (Global Innovation Exchange 2018) and the Food Loss Index (Fabi and English 2018). Successfully achieving SDG 12.3 requires new thinking, new partnerships and new actions to reduce resource use, and increase the efficiency of the production, preservation, processing and distribution of food at the producer, intermediary, processor and wholesale level. It needs wider education, increased awareness, and behavioural change among citizens, retailers, and policy makers across the globe. The goal is to produce more food to feed the world's expanding population, while reducing land use, fertilizer applications and critically dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Flanagan et al. 2019). To help deliver this critical target, Champions 12.3 has been formed (Champions 12.3 2016). It is a unique coalition of executives from governments, businesses, international organizations, research institutions, and civil society dedicated to inspiring ambition, mobilizing action, and accelerating progress toward achieving SDG Target 12.3. It has produced a trajectory for delivering 12.3, what needs to happen and by when that provides the critical "roadmap for change" (Champions 12.3 2017a). In this paper we provide the perspective of WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) on the economic, social and environmental case for action, what research shows works in driving change and how these activities might be scaled to deliver SDG 12.3. WRAP is a not for profit organization, based in the UK and working in more than 20 countries worldwide, that aims to help people and planet thrive. WRAP is a leader in tackling food loss and waste effectively and supporting international food loss and waste prevention projects – including Champions 12.3. Since 2007, WRAP has been a partner in many global food loss and waste projects and initiatives and has co-authored key reports. This includes EU projects such as FUSIONS (2016) and REFRESH (2020a), as well as the development of the Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard (World Resources Institute 2016). In the UK, WRAP, food businesses and other partners have delivered large-scale interventions to reduce food waste across supply chains, and households for more than ten years (since 2007), supported by UK Governments and by businesses and enabled by a series of collaborative public-private partnerships. WRAP's work in the UK with its partners has helped reduce food by 27% or 1.7 Mt/y saving food worth £5 billion/ year. Cumulatively the total food waste reduction has been 18.5 Mt worth US$50 billion (WRAP 2020a). This paper highlights the importance of tackling food loss and waste, using specific recent examples from the UK and Mexico. Second, we discuss the business case for addressing food loss and waste. Thirdly we highlighting two approaches that research shows can be particularly effective at driving change at scale, and we conclude by proposing a three-point plan for tackling food waste to deliver SDG 12.3 over the next 10 years.

These proceedings of a workshop of the International Association for Phytoplankton Taxonomy and Ecology are directed specifically at the relationship between phytoplankton ecology and the trophic status of water bodies. Contributions address the fact that distinctive assemblages of phytoplankton species are closely associated with particular categories of water bodies. Particular attention is paid to how communities are assembled and to the ways in which environmental constraints filter the successful species. Overview articles are included. The book will be a valuable source of information to limnologists, algologists, and the technical staff of all water suppliers

This volume gives an insight into what a group of contemporary plankton biologists think about the utility, virtues, strengths and theoretical and practical weaknesses of J.H. Connell's Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis within the context of phytoplankton ecology. The sequence of papers in this volume moves from particular case studies to more general and finally theoretical approaches

Abstract
Using data from the two cohorts of the NLSY, we examine whether income losses due to involuntary job separations have changed over time. We find that wage losses among men are similar between the two cohorts. However, women in the 1979 cohort show little evidence of wage losses while women in the 1997 cohort experience wage losses similar to those of men. We present evidence that changes in occupations across cohorts help explain these results.

This paper draws upon the concept of recreancy to examine the mental well-being of university students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Briefly, recreancy is loss of societal trust that results when institutional actors can no longer be counted on to perform their responsibilities. Our study of mental well-being and recreancy focuses on the role of universities and government regulators within the education sector. We surveyed 600 UK students attending 161 different public higher education providers in October 2020 during a time when many UK students were isolated in their residences and engaged in online learning. We assessed student well-being using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (scored 7-35) and found the mean score to be 19.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 19.6, 20.2]. This level of well-being indicates that a significant proportion of UK students face low levels of mental well-being. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicates that high recreancy-measured as a low trust in universities and the government-is associated with low levels of mental well-being across the student sample. While these findings are suggestive, they are also important and we suggest that government and university leaders should not only work to increase food and housing security during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also consider how to combat various sector trends that might intensify recreancy.

PurposeThis paper sets out to provide a consensus position on the potential for the inclusion of small businesses in electronic platforms in the food industry.Design/methodology/approachThe consensus was derived through a Delphi‐type series of questions in an open forum of academics and industrialists across Europe.FindingsThe consensus reached was of the proven benefits of electronic platforms for small businesses and the need for further research to assess how small businesses can incorporate electronic traceability and supply chain management systems into their existing operations.Practical implicationsElectronic platforms are spreading rapidly in the food industry. However, there is some concern that small businesses are not aware of the potential for electronic supply chains such as the potential that electronic traceability offers smaller networks to supply highly demanded food quality attributes such as organic production and regional foods.Originality/valueThe paper addresses the highly topical issue of food origin with a new approach to the supply technologies behind the product.

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich. ; This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively. ; Purpose – This paper sets out to provide a consensus position on the potential for the inclusion of small businesses in electronic platforms in the food industry. Design/methodology/approach – The consensus was derived through a Delphi-type series of questions in an open forum of academics and industrialists across Europe. Findings – The consensus reached was of the proven benefits of electronic platforms for small businesses and the need for further research to assess how small businesses can incorporate electronic traceability and supply chain management systems into their existing operations. Practical implications – Electronic platforms are spreading rapidly in the food industry. However, there is some concern that small businesses are not aware of the potential for electronic supply chains such as the potential that electronic traceability offers smaller networks to supply highly demanded food quality attributes such as organic production and regional foods. Originality/value – The paper addresses the highly topical issue of food origin with a new approach to the supply technologies behind the product. ; EC/FP6/7124/EU/E-PLATFORM TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE EUROPEAN AGRO-FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN/E-MENSA

Copyright © 2021 Oakden, Bridge, Armstrong, Reynolds, Wang, Panzone, Rivera, Kause, Ffoulkes, Krawczyk, Miller and Serjeant. To enhance sustainability, the food system requires significant shifts in the production, processing and supply of food. Ideally, a sustainable food system should operate, not only to protect the biosphere, but also to provide nutritious, high-quality food, and to support social values, an equitable economy, and human and animal health. It should also be governed responsibly within a supportive policy environment. Implementing these shifts is a task of immense scale; but citizen participation/engagement has the potential to help make sustainability a reality through distributed learning, dynamic sensing, and knowledge generation. Technological advancements in sensing and data processing have enabled new forms of citizen participation in research. When food system research is embedded within society it can help us to understand which changes towards sustainability work and which do not. Indeed, citizen engagement in food systems research has the potential to help bring citizens on side, supporting the growth of a food culture of resilience and of sustainable practises (including dietary change). This commentary provides examples of how existing research and alternative food production systems and agroecological practises may provide possible frameworks for citizen participation in food system studies. We highlight potential future food and citizen science approaches. Widening citizen participation and encouraging the involvement of other food system actors, including those in local, national and international governance, is essential to capture the full potential of citizen science in enabling transition to a sustainable food system. For the research community citizen science offers engagement and empowerment of wider communities with science; collecting and analysing data; and creating viable solutions to food system and diet issues. ; STFC Food Network+ pilot funding (ST/P003079/1); STFC 21st Century challenge funding (ST/T001410/1) Piloting Zooniverse for food, health and sustainability citizen science; HEFCE Catalyst-funded N8 AgriFood Resilience Programme and matched funding from the N8 group of Universities; Research England via the project Food based citizen science in UK as a policy tool; Food Standards Agency to conduct an additional Rapid Evidence Assessment in December 2020; ESCAPE—The European Science Cluster of Astronomy &Particle Physics ESFRI Research Infrastructures; European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 824064.