Thirsty and hungry cities are posing significant challenges for the urban-rural interface ranging from food security to inter-sectoral water allocation. Not only is the supply of resources to urban centres a growing challenge in low-income countries, but even more is the urban return flow, as investments in waste management and sanitation, ie the ‘ultimate food waste’, are not able to keep pace with population growth. And where polluted water is used in irrigation to feed the cities, food safety is becoming a crucial component of food security. Most affected by resource competition and pollution are the urban and peri-urban farming systems which are often driven by the informal sector. Urban waste is not only a challenge but also offers opportunities. It is in this interface between agriculture and sanitation where the CGIAR operates through its research programme on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE), addressing both the challenges and opportunities of urbanisation: by exploring novel perspectives and solutions to respond to changing population dynamics, resource demands, centralised water and nutrient flows, and ecosystem services under pressure.

Although there is no consensus among scholars and professionals regarding the definition of the local food system, nevertheless, the local food systems or alternative food networks are no less important and suitable tool for solving environmental, economical (farmers’ and rural inhabitants’ income increasing) and social issues, and encouraging the further sustainable development of rural areas and communities. The aim of study is to assess the state and recent characteristics of the local food systems and its development in Latvia. The paper presents results of a study of the typology and categorisation of both the producers and distribution channels, and development of the local food systems as a whole, especially in Latvia. Various sources of materials and data have been used: the academic literature, legislation, reports and recommendations, as well as web pages, the internet and data from Food and Veterinary Service (FVS). The typology and categories of local food systems as well as short food supply chains are characterised, and its existence in Latvia is given. Besides, it is essential that the different kind of its merging organizations and projects supporting distribution of local food is implemented. The development of consumer groups for local food purchasing is important. While the requirements for small farmers–food producers are the same as those for large producers, the results suggest that during the recent years an increasing number of home-made food producers is observed.

In Uzbekistan, the main food product is bread, which is produced in various forms from local and imported wheat. Most of it is not studied by microelement analysis. The objective of this study is to quantify trace elements in locally produced wheat from various cultivated regions of Uzbekistan. Four different varieties of wheat are cultivated in Sirdarya, Tashkent region, Kashkadarya and Fergana were selected for analysis. Next, a comparative analysis of the elemental composition like iron, zinc, potassium, calcium etc., in the selected samples were studied. To carry out the above aims, an innovative research method was chosen, which is called improved instrumental neutron activation analysis. This method differs from others in its high accuracy in determining trace elements and its multi-element nature. Using this method, we can understand how insufficient nutrients are in baked goods made from wheat grain grown in Uzbekistan. Based on the results of the study, it can be recommended to enrich the soil with fertilizers high in iron and zinc. As a result, in turn, will have a positive effect on the health of the population, since today there is a shortage of the above listed elements. It was also revealed that the concentration of potassium and calcium in wheat cultivated in Uzbekistan is in a high state than other elements. Using the chosen method, two toxic elements were determined and according to the analysis for toxic elements, all four samples are recommended for consumption, as they do not exceed the permissible level for food safety.

Galactomannans, composed of galactose and mannose, may form gels and are considered safe because of their non-toxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible nature. As a result, they are widely utilized in the food industry as stabilizers and thickeners. Among galactomannan producing species, guar gum and locust bean gum are particularly important due to their economical relevance. Guar gum and locust bean gum are often adulterated with cellulose gums like xanthan gum and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Adulteration of galactomannans with other gums may introduce uncertainties regarding functionality and complicate quality control, posing a potential problem for the food industry. Among the different techniques which have been used for determining and characterizing galactomannans, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy stands out. Especially when coupled to Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR), analyses are performed rapidly, with a minimum sample preparation, and without the need for solvent or previous extraction mechanisms. However, food is a very complex matrix that contains a high number of components which generate a multitude of spectral information and large data sets. Consequently, additional data processing tools such as chemometrics are needed to be able to draw useful information from spectra. Our goal in this work is to show how to optimize conditions for instrumental analysis by infrared spectroscopy of galactomannans and its constituent monomers and create a chemometric model where galactomannans could be differentiated as a single group. We successfully optimized the PCA model obtained after chemometric processing of infrared data through reducing dimensions by loadings selection.

On March 6, 2022, at the Fifth Session of the Thirteenth National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized that China needs to improve the lives and livelihoods of its people and to ensure an adequate food supply by providing enough meat, vegetables, fruit, and aquatic products for healthy diets. Understanding the changing trends of people’s dietary structure and encouraging people to eat more healthily is central to establishing the “Big Food” concept. The country should actively promote reform of the agricultural supply side in order to achieve a balance between the supply of, and demand for, various types of food and to better meet the increasingly diversified food consumption needs of the people. | Non-PR | IFPRI4; DCA; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all | DSGD

On March 6, 2022, at the Fifth Session of the Thirteenth National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized that China needs to improve the lives and livelihoods of its people and to ensure an adequate food supply by providing enough meat, vegetables, fruit, and aquatic products for healthy diets. Understanding the changing trends of people’s dietary structure and encouraging people to eat more healthily is central to establishing the “Big Food” concept. The country should actively promote reform of the agricultural supply side in order to achieve a balance between the supply of, and demand for, various types of food and to better meet the increasingly diversified food consumption needs of the people.