The DOI matches its Crossref record; 217 of the 221 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Research on agro-food sustainability transitions: where are food security and nutrition?
Open accessAbstract
The main outcome of sustainable agro-food systems is food and nutrition security. Nevertheless, about half of the global population is affected by food insecurity and malnutrition, a symptom of the dysfunctions of the current food system. This paper provides a review of the state of research on the sustainability of agro-food transitions, and the extent to which and in what ways such research examines food and nutrition security. A search carried out on Scopus in January 2018 yielded 771 documents; 120 of these were included in the systematic review. Agro-food represents a small share of the sustainability transitions research field. Most of the available research focuses on crops and the production stage. In general, it is assumed that a transition to sustainability in the agro-food arena would lead to increased food availability, improved food access, better food utilisation and increased food system stability and resilience. However, scholars also point out that the quest for food security (especially through intensification) may undermine transition towards sustainable agriculture and food systems. Likewise, it is assumed that a transition towards sustainable food systems implies changes in dietary patterns and nutrition habits. Nevertheless, food security and nutrition are still marginal topics in the literature on agro-food sustainability transitions. Furthermore, transformation of food systems, which should guide agro-food sustainability transitions, is the exception rather than the rule in the research field. This systematic review represents a useful contribution to research on transitions towards sustainability in agriculture and food sectors, and provides insights into how such research can contribute to addressing the grand challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition. The paper suggests the need to move beyond silos by fostering cross-sectoral collaboration and the integration of the agro-food sustainability transitions and food security research fields.
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“Furthermore, food security policies are market-oriented and ecological outcomes or SB farmer livelihoods are not of prime consideration [7,8].”
From Agroecological Transition: A Territorial Examination of the Simultaneity of Limited Farmer Livelihoods and Food Insecurity (2022) · cites this paper as [8]
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Cited by
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Items 101–108 of 108
Afriyie, D., Wu, W., Ayimadu, E. T., & Derebe, Y. (2026) · World Development · doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2026.107404
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Metadata
- Authors
- El Bilali, H.
- ORCID
- El Bilali, Hamid
- Venue
- Food Security
- Published
- 2019-05-16
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 559-577
- ISSN
- 1876-4517 (ISSN-L)
- 1876-4525
- OpenAlex
- W2946502135
- Cited by
- 110
- References
- 221
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 4
- FWCI
- 8.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Food Security (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Social Sciences › Development › Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Keywords
- nutrition, food system transformation, sustainable food systems, food availability, food access, food utilization, food system resilience, agricultural intensification, dietary habits, intersectoral collaboration
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