The production and consumption of animal-source foods must be transformed to mitigate negative environmental outcomes, including greenhouse gas emissions and land-use change. However, livestock are also key for food production and for livelihoods in some settings, and they can help preserve biodiversity and certain ecosystems. Previous studies have not yet fully explored sustainability limits to the use of grazing lands for food production in the context of biodiversity. Here we explore 'biodiversity limits' to grassland ruminant production by estimating the meat and milk production from domestic ruminants limited to grazing areas and stocking densities where livestock can contribute to the preservation or restoration of biodiversity. With biodiversity-friendly grazing intensities at 0-20% biomass removal depending on aridity, this take on biodiversity limits corresponds to 9-13% and 26-40% of the current grassland-based milk and meat production, respectively. This equals only 2.2 kg of milk and 0.8 kg of meat per capita per year, globally, but altered management and moving from meat-specialized to meat-and-dairy systems could increase the potential production while still remaining within this approach to biodiversity limits.Grazing lands make important contributions to society, including meat and milk, but there are sustainability limits to their use for production. This study explores milk and meat production from grazing ruminants within biodiversity limits.

In the latter half of the twentieth century, particularly in developed countries, a growing awareness of the environmental impact of personal choices—encompassing climate, pollution, land degradation, and biodiversity loss—resulted in an upsurge of environmental labels on goods. Environmental labels play a crucial role in assisting consumers in selecting environmentally superior products, fostering market development towards eco-friendly production systems, and serving as a foundation for product differentiation and increased product value. Despite a growing public interest in environmental quality and climate change, surveys reveal a gap between consumers’ environmental attitudes and actual purchasing behaviour. In addition, concerns about the complexity and cost of certification systems have arisen, with fears of creating market barriers for small producers. This review aims to provide an overview of environmental labelling in the context of animal food products, emphasising social and regulatory aspects, exploring technical considerations of life cycle thinking approaches in certification schemes, and discussing the pros and cons of standardising procedures for the development of multi-dimensional environmental labelling in the animal food sector.

Human society is anchored in the global agroecosystem. For millennia, this system has provided humans with copious supplies of nutrient-rich food. Yet, through chemical intensification and simplification, vast shares of present-day farmland derive insufficient benefits from biodiversity and prove highly vulnerable to biotic stressors. Here, we argue that on-farm action centered on biological control can effectively defuse pest risk by bolstering foundational ecosystem services. By harnessing plant, animal and microbial biodiversity, biological control offers safe, efficacious and economically-sound plant health solutions and coevolved options for invasive species mitigation. In recent years, its scientific foundation has been fortified and solutions have been refined for myriad ecologically brittle systems. Yet, for biological control to be mainstreamed, it needs to be rebooted, intertwined with (on- and off-farm) agroecological tactics and refurbished - from research, policy and regulation, public-private partnerships up to modes of implementation. Misaligned incentives (for chemical pesticides) and adoption barriers further need to be removed, while its scientific underpinnings should become more interdisciplinary, policy-relevant, solution-oriented and linked with market demand. Thus, biological control could ensure human wellbeing in a nature-friendly manner and retain farmland ecological functioning under global change.

peer reviewed | Human society is anchored in the global agroecosystem. For millennia, this system has provided humans with copious supplies of nutrient-rich food. Yet, through chemical intensification and simplification, vast shares of present-day farmland derive insufficient benefits from biodiversity and prove highly vulnerable to biotic stressors. Here, we argue that on-farm action centered on biological control can effectively defuse pest risk by bolstering foundational ecosystem services. By harnessing plant, animal and microbial biodiversity, biological control offers safe, efficacious and economically-sound plant health solutions and coevolved options for invasive species mitigation. In recent years, its scientific foundation has been fortified and solutions have been refined for myriad ecologically brittle systems. Yet, for biological control to be mainstreamed, it needs to be rebooted, intertwined with (on- and off-farm) agroecological tactics and refurbished - from research, policy and regulation, public-private partnerships up to modes of implementation. Misaligned incentives (for chemical pesticides) and adoption barriers further need to be removed, while its scientific underpinnings should become more interdisciplinary, policy-relevant, solution-oriented and linked with market demand. Thus, biological control could ensure human wellbeing in a nature-friendly manner and retain farmland ecological functioning under global change.

School meals present a unique opportunity to tackle the various food system challenges, including the depletion and pollution of natural resources, habitat and biodiversity loss, deforestation, ocean acidification, and climate change, while delivering multiple social and economic benefits towards sustainable food systems for healthy diets (WHO 2022; Pastorino et al. 2023). Through evaluation of the current school meal supply chain in Sub-Saharan Africa, this study identifies practices in food production, transport, processing, and storage which may influence the impact of school feeding programs on planetary health. The study initially focuses on three main products supplied to schools by the World Food Program (WFP) - maize, beans and dark green leafy vegetables - and proposes to focus on general agronomic, food processing and handling practices. This is a consequence of the lack of crop-specific information on greenhouse gas emissions for the Sub-Saharan region but is based on several individual studies that can be generalized to provide qualitative information on which practices are more planet hostile and which are planet friendly. The results of this study may be interesting for school feeding programs in general, but especially for home-grown school feeding programs (HGSF), which promote shorter, sustainable value chains and a fairer economy for smallholder farmers, fisher folk and disadvantaged groups, particularly women and youth. Despite these advantages, the approach is challenged by the lack of evaluation tools and metrics that can be used to quantify the level of “planet friendliness” in the different regions HGSF is applied. The assessment undertaken has resulted in an evaluation tool for all of WFP's farmer-directed procurement processes linked to school feeding. The tool, currently in draft form and yet to be tested, provides information about indicators to be included in food procurement policies and processes for the provision of greener school meals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The tool is intended to simplify the evaluation of current procurement processes and guide future decision making around school procurement to ensure planetary health considerations are widely adopted to bolster systemic resilience. Furthermore, the study identifies HGSF as a potential method to enhance local sourcing from smallholder farmers, bolstering sustainable local agriculture and strengthening local food systems (Pastorino et al. 2023). However, to support agricultural transformation towards environmentally friendly practices and food handling, it is crucial to have in place effective multi-level communication systems and supportive procurement policies. Some case studies high-light the economic benefits that HGSF can bring to local communities, but they also point out challenges in obtaining reliable information on actual food production processes, as sourcing and procurement often occurs at a range of nodes of the supply chain and not directly from farms. The proposed tool, originating from the analysis of key informant interviews and a literature review, outlines 21 indicators along with potential measures and practices that are categorized as planet hostile, moderately planet friendly, and planet friendly. This tool can serve multiple purposes: as a checklist, a scoring template for refining tenders, a monitoring and evaluation tool, or a foundation for co-creating policies for any school feeding program at the school, local, or national level. It represents a first step towards the development of a tool that can analyse the entire school meal value chain and use sustainability ratings to identify areas for improvement. The tool requires testing and further refinement through an iterative, participatory process to identify context-specific opportunities for ensuring school feeding programs become more "planet friendly". The work presented here include the key findings. Detailed background information and additional literature references are available in a separate document, the Annex. Additional evaluation criteria, qualitative indicators and a tracking progress checklist are presented in Annex 1; Annex 2 presents scientific background information for the proposed rating of the different practices; Annex 3 provides the literature references for the section on agricultural practices presented in the evaluation tool; Annex 4 presents background information on aspects relating to environmental impact along the value chain and Annex 5 on environ-mental impact of storage systems. Key findings of the KII are summarized in Annex 6.

Modern agriculture is linked to desertification, massive biodiversity loss and environmental degradation of the ecosystems. In contrast, crop rotation represents an agronomic approach included in conservation agriculture with important environmental and agronomic benefits, such as N fixation, pest and weed control, improvement of soil characteristics and reduction of crop fertilizer demand. Wheat is a staple food in Morocco, as are legumes, which are present in a wide variety of Moroccan recipes and represent an important source of energy and nutrients. The present study evaluates the environmental performance of incorporating chickpea and lentils in a crop rotation system in Morocco that aims to decrease the environmental footprint of the traditional wheat-based crop. An attributional Life Cycle Assessment was conducted in three cropping systems that are grown in two-year cycles: R1 (chickpea:wheat), R2 (lentil:wheat) and M (wheat:wheat). Emissions were quantified in terms of life-cycle related environmental impacts and compared between cropping systems based on two functional unit (kg of wheat harvested). Rotation systems stand out as the most environmentally friendly, with the most notable reductions in the categories of stratospheric ozone depletion and water scarcity (34 % and 50 %, respectively). The environmental improvement from crop rotations was most significant when considering the calculation basis of hectare cultivated versus kg of wheat, which is due to the estimated yield trade-offs in both approaches. In terms of biodiversity loss, no significant differences were observed between crop rotations and monoculture, as the impact on this indicator is mainly attributed to land conversion pressures. This study provides guidance for better formulating crop rotation strategies in the Mediterranean and similar arid regions. Future research should also assess the effects of agriculture on ecosystem services to provide a more comprehensive analysis to support decision making.

Lakes around the world, including Ghana’s Lake Volta, are facing insidious threats from pollutants due to high dependency on aquatic ecosystems. Cage aquaculture is expanding across Africa because of its potential to address food insecurity, provide livelihoods, and boost local economies. However, the uncontrolled expansion of cage aquaculture can have significant negative impacts on water resources, including environmental footprints that threaten biodiversity. Given the intensification of cage aquaculture for tilapia farming on Lake Volta, we advocate for a transition to inland-integrated aquaculture systems that promote circularity. Strengthening stakeholder collaboration is essential for enhancing competence in mapping inland aquaculture areas, identifying eco-friendly alternatives and reinforcing aquaculture regulations, with particular emphasis on cage culture on Lake Volta. These strategies can reduce the pressures imposed by tilapia cage farms on the lake while promoting best management practices. Additionally, capacity building must be an ongoing process to address knowledge gaps, including the development of effective preparedness plans executed during emergencies. The ongoing pollution from illegal mining in the Black Volta River, a tributary of Lake Volta, along with endemic diseases in the lake, further compounds fish health and welfare issues. This underscores the urgent need to implement inland transition strategies to protect the lake, mitigate disease spread, and ensure safe fish food production.

This review examines the essential components of a circular economy (CE) in relation to the agricultural sector. The bioeconomy and circular economy are crucial for sustainable global industrial growth, focusing on closed-loop systems. The sustainability debate centers on intergenerational equity and natural capital. The CE requires new environmental technologies and global coordination in order to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. In addition, efficient food production and waste reduction are essential due to population growth. However, biomass is vital for a bio-based economy, impacting food waste and climate change. Grasslands support sustainable dairy production and carbon sequestration. Thus, effective waste and wastewater management are critical, with biomass energy providing renewable alternatives. Nonetheless, biofuels remain key for sustainability, focusing on pollution control and Green Chemistry. It is well known that sustainable transportation relies on bioenergy, with ongoing research improving processes and discovering new fuels. One notable challenge is managing heavy metals in biofuel production, and this underscores the need for eco-friendly energy solutions. The main purpose for this review paper is to create a connection between circular economy aspects and the agricultural system, with focus on the following: bioeconomy research, biomass utilities, and biofuel production. Extensive research was performed on the specialized literature by putting in common the main problems. Key subjects in this paper include the use of biomass in agriculture, the problems of plastic recycling, and the function of the CE in mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss. Efficient food production and waste minimization are highlighted due to their relevance in a growing population. The study’s detailed research and discussion aim to give important insights into how these practices might promote economic development and sustainability. Furthermore, the study covers important waste management issues such as food waste, plant composting, and chemical waste neutralization. These topics are critical to understanding the circular economy’s broader implications for minimizing environmental damage and implementing sustainable waste management strategies.

The use of synthetic fertilizers, including nitrogen [N] fertilizers, is an indispensable element in today’s agriculture. Through adequate fertilization, farmers have the opportunity to increase crop yields, which is essential in view of the growing population and demand for food. The European Union’s “Farm to Fork” [F2F] strategy, as part of the broader European Green Deal, aims to promote more sustainable agricultural practices by reducing chemical fertilizer use by 20% by 2030. This initiative is designed to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of excessive N application, such as soil and water contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity loss. In addition to addressing ecosystem concerns, this strategy also aims to reduce health risks associated with N overuse, such as the accumulation of nitrates [NO₃⁻] in crops, which can lead to the formation of carcinogenic compounds. By integrating alternative fertilization methods, the agricultural sector can work toward more resilient and environmentally friendly systems while maintaining productivity. This paper focuses on a summary of the current knowledge about the consequences of N fertilization reduction and its connection to the soil environment, crops, yields, and human health.