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Assurance of sustainability is a crucial feature for the development and comparison of regions. Currently, there is no universal sustainability assessment methodology for the integrated assessment of regional development and the possibilities of future improvement. The main objective of this thesis was to conceptualize and methodologically develop Regional Sustainability Assessment Methodology (RSAM), which would reflect the relative state of regional development through the analysis of multiple resources use by regional communities. Developed RSAM is based on adapted Input-Output Table Analysis (IOTA) applied to the natural, social and economic capital assessment at regional levels integrated through real prices monetization. Adapted indices of resource flows indicated the efficiency of internal resources use and dependency on external resources. The application of RSAM was tested for static and dynamic qualities of regional development for the regions of agri-food cluster (the Oldenburger Münsterland, Lower Saxony, Germany) in comparison to the region with different socioeconomic and environmental parameters (Hochsauerlandkreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany). High dependency of agri-food cluster regions on external resource flows and resulting higher inner cycling rates of economic resources involved in production demonstrated the active role of food production chains in the agri-food cluster regions compared to the control region. However, such beneficial economic state was limited and strongly dependent on external biotic resources with low inner cycling rates (than in the control region), which could result in deep shocking effects in the future. The analysis estimated that agri-food cluster was at the mature stage of development with stable development (resource use) without considerable changes in the period of five consecutive years (2008-2012).

AbstractCurrently there is no universal sustainability assessment methodology, which would be applicable by policy‐makers for identification of regional development paths, policies' effectiveness and potential changes to sustainable development of regions. This paper reviews the best practices for sustainability assessment and identifies the needs of regional systems. Further, we propose the concept of regional sustainability assessment methodology (RSAM). It includes natural, social and economic capital transfer accounting through extended input–output tables and cyclicity analyses. RSAM reflects static and dynamic qualities of regional system for the assessment of development paths and policies effectiveness. Further methodological development of concept findings is needed.

Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- Contributors -- Climate Change and Food Production Aspects -- Global Climate Agreements and Policy Translation in the Brazilian Agriculture: More of the Same -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methodology -- 3 Results and Discussion -- 3.1 Actors and Interactions in the Translation of the International Climate Agenda in the ABC Plan and Program -- 3.2 Ideas and Discourses to Legitimize the ABC Plan and Program -- 3.3 The Translation of the Climate Agenda in the ABC Plan and Program from an Institutional Perspective -- 4 Conclusion -- References -- The Journey of Darjeeling Tea Gardens Over Decades in the Eyes of the Satellite -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methodology -- 2.1 Data and Preprocessing -- 2.2 Feature Analysis and Selection -- 2.3 Classification Using Machine Language Algorithm -- 3 Results and Discussion -- 4 Conclusion -- References -- A New Diet: News on Food Habits and Climate Change -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Background -- 2 Object and Methodology -- 2.1 Object -- 2.2 Research Methods -- 3 Analysis of the Media Source -- 3.1 Dissemination of the PHD by the EAT-Lancet -- 3.2 The PHD in the Guardian -- 3.3 The PHD on BBC News and the Repercussions in Brazil -- 4 Conclusion -- References -- Perspectives and Limitations of Urban Agriculture in Transition Economies: A Case Study in Bosnia and Herzegovina -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Urban Agriculture-Concepts, Integrated Multifunctional Benefits and Obstacles -- 1.2 Research Method -- 2 Results and Discussion -- 3 Conclusion -- Annex 1 -- References -- Integrated Assessment Tools in Support of Futuristic Climate Change Towards Rice Production in Nigeria -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Background -- 1.2 Virtual Water, Food and Trade Nexus -- 1.3 Rice Production Background -- 2 Related Work -- 2.1 Basic Soil-Water-Plant Relationship -- 2.2 Futuristic Climate Scenario Models.

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Insects have been identified as an alternative in the development of food systems and as a response to the growing demand for protein in the world. Edible insects have been recognized as an important innovation in the food sector. In the past, insects have been consumed in many cultures, and they are presently being introduced to Europe as a novel food and livestock. This article comprehensively reviews the use of edible insects in relation to their breeding, production technology, legal and socio-economic aspects. The role of food safety and legislation in implementing insects as food and feed is discussed. Moreover, the article introduces the breeding of edible insects as a developing and future-oriented business sector. In conclusion, the consumption of insects by humans and animals can significantly contribute to better diversification and security of the global food chain. The low acceptance of insect-based foods, in particular in Western societies, is an important problem that has been identified in this article. Consumer acceptance of insects as a rich source of nutrients is required for the further development of the sector. Consumer education and appropriate marketing strategies are required to promote the growth of the edible insect industry. ABSTRACT: Insects are increasingly being considered as an attractive source of protein that can cater to the growing demand for food around the world and promote the development of sustainable food systems. Commercial insect farms have been established in various countries, mainly in Asia, but in Europe, edible insects have not yet emerged as a viable alternative to traditional plant- and animal-based sources of protein. In this paper, we present an interdisciplinary overview of the technological aspects of edible insect farming in the context of the EU regulations and marketing. Based on a review of the literature, we have concluded that edible insect farming can be a viable business sector that significantly contributes to the overall ...

AbstractThe ongoing corona crisis affected many people worldwide by restrictions in their everyday lives. The question arises to what extent the pandemic has accelerated diet trends or general differences in food consumption between different population groups. For this purpose, an online-survey was carried out in order to determine the effects of the corona lockdown on food consumption, shopping behaviour and eating habits in Germany. The aspects of sustainability and health were given special consideration in this study, reflecting people choices of healthier and more environmentally conscious foods. This study demonstrates that the corona pandemic has a significant impact on consumers' eating habits. More food was eaten, and more convenience products such as ready-made meals and canned food with a longer shelf life were purchased. The consumption of alcohol and sweets has also increased. In return, there was a reduced consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. The findings reveal that families who are financially affected by the pandemic represent a vulnerable group. With the ongoing pandemic, possible lockdowns, corona-related closings of schools and kindergartens, severe health consequences are expected long term, especially for this population group.

This study demonstrates that the corona pandemic has a significant impact on consumers' eating habits. More food is eaten, and more convenience products such as ready-made meals and canned food with a longer shelf life are purchased. The consumption of alcohol and sweets has also increased. In return, there is a reduced consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. The findings reveal that families who are financially affected by the pandemic represent a vulnerable group. With the ongoing pandemic, repeated lockdowns, corona-related closings of schools and kindergartens, severe health consequences are to expect in the medium to long term, especially for this population group.

AbstractBy combining qualitative scenarios and life cycle assessment (LCA), we place the latter in a larger context. This study outlines the importance of the integration of future perspectives into LCA, and also the significance of taking changes in the environment of technology into account, rather than just technological development itself. Accordingly, we focused on adapting the background system of an attributional LCA in the agri-food sector. The proposed technology was assumed not have evolved in the considered time horizon. In this context, the objectives of this paper were twofold: (i) to methodologically prove the applicability of integrating qualitative scenarios into LCA and (ii) to focus on changes in the background system, which is sometimes overlooked in the context of future-oriented LCA. This allowed to evaluate the future potential of different technologies, assessing their environmental impact under uncertain future developments. Methodologically, the qualitative information from scenarios was transformed into quantitative data, which was successively fed into the life cycle inventory (LCI) of the LCA approach. This point of integration into the second phase of LCA translates into future changes in the entire environment in which a technology is used. This means that qualitatively described scenario narratives need to be converted into value estimates in order to be incorporated into the LCA model. A key conclusion is that changes in the background of an LCA—the changing framework expressed through the inventory database—can be very important for the environmental impact of emerging technologies. This approach was applied to a food processing technology to produce apple juice. The proposed methodology enables technology developers to make their products future-proof and robust against socioeconomic development. In addition, the market perspective, if spelled out in the scenarios, can be integrated, leading to a more holistic picture of LCA with its environmental focus, while simultaneously empowering actors to make the right strategic decisions today, especially when considering the long investment cycles in the agri-food sector.