This special issue aims to provide a knowledge base that is focused on geospatial mapping approaches for a better understanding of spatiotemporal dynamics of agricultural intensification from food/water security standpoints. This issue is of special importance to researchers engaged in applications of geospatial technologies in various agricultural science and engineering disciplines including agronomy, hydrology, geography, climatology, computer science, and engineering | Mahesh Rao, Chandrashekhar Biradar, Sudhanshu Panda. (1/1/2017). Agricultural Intensification: Combating Food/Water Security Challenges Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Structural properties and quality of many foods depend on changes in the state and distribution of food components. However, information on distribution of food components and their role in providing structure has been difficult to investigate in foods. Noninvasive, dynamic measurement of foods was investigated with nuclear magnetic resonance imaging to simultaneously investigate lipid and water separately. Different relaxation values exhibited by each component allowed resolution of oil and water through relaxation weighted images. This approach is applicable to study of food structure, dynamics, and component interactions.

Socioeconomic and climatic changes and limited water resources pose various challenges to water, energy, and food sectors across the globe. The inevitable interactions between water, energy, and food systems bring about trade-offs but also synergies under different decisions and policies. To gain insights into these issues, we developed a water-energy-food (WEF) nexus model that incorporates both production (supply) and demands sides of WEF systems into a single system-of-systems model using the system dynamics (SD) approach. The model is applied to Saskatchewan, Canada, and so is named WEF-Sask. The model results reveal the various levels of sensitivities of water, energy, and food (and feed) sectors to the socioeconomic and climatic drivers. The analysis of trade-offs and synergies shows that the proposed large irrigation expansion (400%) boosts food production by 1.6% while reducing hydropower production by 2.7% in Saskatchewan. Wind energy expansion strategy (from 5% to 30% of total capacity) makes synergies that not only contribute to electricity supply but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, industrial water demand, and groundwater use by 2.0, 5.7, and 3.8%, respectively. Biofuel use (blending mandate: 10% ethanol and 5% biodiesel) in transportation cuts GHG emissions by 1.2% but reduces the potential food export (food surplus) by 5.0%. The WEF-Sask model allows for scenario analysis toward integrated resources management, and its generic model structure can be expanded to other regions.

The interactive dynamics in the food, water, and energy system as a nexus (FWEN) are critical to the sustainable development of global cities, and they can be mediated by green and blue infrastructure (GBI) in the urban area. Here we provide a comprehensive literature review to examine how GBI affects FWEN in urban centers, an area which is currently understudied. In order to do this, we undertake a systematic review of the literature using a meta-analytic approach and topic modelling. Based on our synthesis, we develop a conceptual framework of the key links between urban GBI and FWEN and the direction and magnitude of the relationship. We found that GBIs can benefit food supply, energy saving, and climate change mitigation but at a price of food safety and water contamination. Well-designed urban construction can help curb the negative effects. Therefore, we need to make deliberate and integrative policy to link GBI with each element in urban FWEN. Moreover, the focus of studies on GBIFWEN links is also heterogeneous across cities: urban agriculture and food security are priorities in cities located in Africa and Asia as well as in lower income and larger cities (but not metropolitan areas), while the cooling effect of green space has been a focus for cities of middle or high income. Finally, current research focuses on isolated analysis, lacking integrated studies needed for decision making supporting tools. While isolated analyses lead to connectivity failures and can result in adverse impacts, integrated analyses can identify interdependencies of environmental resources between parts of a cycle and across different scales, which can increase resource efficiency and minimize environmental degradation. Therefore, our key findings point out the importance of linking the effects of GBI on each component of FWEN in both research and policy making.