Objective: To investigate the anti-fatigue properties in mice of water extracts from nine different types of medicinal and edible component compositions, including Polygonati Rhizoma, Laminariae Thallus, and Rubi Fructus. Methods: A group of 10 healthy KM mice, half female and half male, were randomly assigned to each of the following groups: blank control (equal volume of distilled water), positive control (ginseng royal jelly oral liquid, 0.62 g/mL), and low, medium, and high (0.21, 0.62, 1.85 g/mL) dosage groups of water extract of compound Polygonati Rhizoma composition. The mice were gavaged continuously for 30 days and the weight data were collected during gavage. At the end of the experiment, the mice's strenuous swimming time, organ index, and serum urea nitrogen, liver, and muscle glycogen contents were examined. Results: The water extract of the compound Polygonati Rhizoma composition did not statistically differ from the blank control group in terms of the mice's weight (P>0.05), and no abnormalities were observed in the mice's organs (P>0.05). The water extract of compound Polygonati Rhizoma composition had the potential to greatly increase mouse endurance, extend their strenuous swimming time (P<0.05), lower the amount of urea nitrogen (P<0.01), and boost liver and muscle glycogen contents (P<0.01). Conclusion: Exercise tiredness is mitigated by the water extract of the compound Polygonati Rhizoma composition.

Realism about productivity gains in agriculture and water is critical to understand if the world can feed itself while protecting nature. We use government-reported data to review progress over 2000–2020 compared to projections for irrigated and rainfed agriculture and trade. Our results over the period 2000–2020 show that productivity gains largely did not materialize. Instead of consolidating cereal production and trade in favourable regions like North America, Europe and Russia, their arable land declined by 35 million hectares, while arable land expanded by 74 million hectares in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Asia. Likewise, water productivity gains did not materialize, as photosynthesis breakthroughs did not occur. Land productivity (yield) gains were projected to rise 21–61 %, making the observed increase in cereal yields of 31 % a slight one. This puts the world on the path of using steadily more land and water to produce food and feed, at the expense of nature. Solutions to veer off this path include reducing food demand (including dietary change), stabilising rainfed agriculture and broadening the crop genetic resources base.

Realism about productivity gains in agriculture and water is critical to understand if the world can feed itself while protecting nature. We use government-reported data to review progress over 2000–2020 compared to projections for irrigated and rainfed agriculture and trade. Our results over the period 2000–2020 show that productivity gains largely did not materialize. Instead of consolidating cereal production and trade in favourable regions like North America, Europe and Russia, their arable land declined by 35 million hectares, while arable land expanded by 74 million hectares in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Asia. Likewise, water productivity gains did not materialize, as photosynthesis breakthroughs did not occur. Land productivity (yield) gains were projected to rise 21–61 %, making the observed increase in cereal yields of 31 % a slight one. This puts the world on the path of using steadily more land and water to produce food and feed, at the expense of nature. Solutions to veer off this path include reducing food demand (including dietary change), stabilising rainfed agriculture and broadening the crop genetic resources base.

Realism about productivity gains in agriculture and water is critical to understand if the world can feed itself while protecting nature. We use government-reported data to review progress over 2000–2020 compared to projections for irrigated and rainfed agriculture and trade. Our results over the period 2000–2020 show that productivity gains largely did not materialize. Instead of consolidating cereal production and trade in favourable regions like North America, Europe and Russia, their arable land declined by 35 million hectares, while arable land expanded by 74 million hectares in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Asia. Likewise, water productivity gains did not materialize, as photosynthesis breakthroughs did not occur. Land productivity (yield) gains were projected to rise 21–61 %, making the observed increase in cereal yields of 31 % a slight one. This puts the world on the path of using steadily more land and water to produce food and feed, at the expense of nature. Solutions to veer off this path include reducing food demand (including dietary change), stabilising rainfed agriculture and broadening the crop genetic resources base.

Abstract Background Lebanon is grappling with numerous environmental challenges, including water scarcity, landfill waste, deforestation, and rising air pollution. Food choices significantly influence global greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts, making it crucial to evaluate the environmental footprints (EFPs) of Lebanon’s current dietary habits. This study aimed to assess food consumption patterns and their EFPs among a nationally representative sample of Lebanese adults. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to September 2022, involving 444 Lebanese adults aged 18 to 64 years. The sample was representative, and participants were distributed across the eight Lebanese governorates. Sociodemographic and medical data were collected via a questionnaire, food consumption was assessed through a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and two non-consecutive 24-hour recalls, and anthropometric measurements were also taken. EFPs were derived from databases and repositories. Results The typical EFPs of an average Lebanese adult included water usage of 2,862.39 ± 1,617.88 L/day, greenhouse gas emissions of 4.43 ± 2.29 kg CO2-eq/day, and nitrogen use of 12.72 ± 6.76 g/day. Animal products were the primary contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, while vegetable products had the highest water footprint and nitrogen loss impact on the environment. Grains and cereals, the most consumed food category, significantly influenced the water footprint and nitrogen loss. Additionally, meat consumption notably drove greenhouse gas emissions. Conclusion Lebanon must address its environmental challenges and the impact of dietary choices on greenhouse gas emissions and EFPs. By evaluating and understanding the environmental consequences of current dietary patterns, Lebanon can take proactive steps towards promoting sustainable food practices and mitigating environmental degradation.

Groundwater has significantly supported the increase in agricultural output in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region. However, the region has faced severe groundwater depletion for decades. To address this, water conservation in agriculture is considered a key strategy to groundwater decline. However, it is facing with a dilemma to suppress groundwater usage or to pursue agricultural production for food security when considering the criteria for sustainable groundwater use. In this study, we propose a comprehensive water-saving scheme and a planting structure optimisation approach to evaluate the thresholds for the water-food trade-off under various agricultural water conservation scenarios. We investigated, the gains and losses of three main agricultural measures to balancing the groundwater budget: (i) Reducing the planting scale (Sca), (ii) Optimising the planting structure (Str), and (iii) Promoting water-saving technologies (Tec), as well as combined pathways of these water-saving measures. The results showed that: (1) Achieving water conservation goals is challenging when applying a single measure. For example, the effect of water conservation would be 558 million m3 yr−1 by merely optimising the planting structure without reducing the planting scale, whereas the effect would be 527 million m3 yr−1 by solely reducing the planting scale according to farmland conservation plan/goals. (2) Under current water resource conditions in the BTH region, increasing crop water productivity (WP) by 11.5 % could balance the groundwater budget in agriculture, while a 19.2 % increase could achieve balance across all sectors. (3) By employing combined water-saving strategies, including optimising in planting scale/structure and improvements in water-saving technologies, groundwater conservation goals could be met with a 9 % increase in WP, provided that the planting scale and structure are adjusted to meet minimum grain production goals. (4) Two critical thresholds distinguish water-saving pathways, highlighting the marginal effects of investing in technological improvement versus optimising planting scale/structure. These results provide a basis for quantifying critical thresholds in cropping system optimising and provide useful information for similar regions worldwide.

Abstract Objective: Explore the relationship between water insecurity (WI) and food security and their covariates in Mexican households. Design: A cross-sectional study with nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey-Continuous 2021 (in Spanish, ENSANUT-Continua 2021), collected data from 12 619 households. Setting: WI was measured using the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale in Spanish and adapted to the Mexican context. Food security was measured using the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale. A generalised path model was used to produce two simultaneous logistical regression equations – WI (HWISE ≥ 12) and moderate-to-severe food insecurity (FI) – to understand key covariates as well as the contribution of WI to FI. Participants: The head of the household, an adult of >18 years of age, consented to participate in the survey. Results: Households experiencing WI were more likely to experience moderate-to-severe FI (OR = 2·35; 95 % CI: 2·02, 2·72). The odds of WI were lower in households with medium (OR = 0·74; 95 % CI: 0·61, 0·9) to high (OR = 0·45; 95 % CI: 0·37, 0·55) asset scores. WI also depended on the region of Mexico. FI is more prevalent in indigenous people (OR = 1·29; 95 % CI: 1·05, 1·59) and rural households (OR = 0·42; 95 % CI: 1·16, 1·73). Notably, wealth and household size did not contribute directly to FI but did so indirectly through the mediating factor of WI. Conclusions: Our study shows that there are structural factors that form part of the varied determinants of WI, which in turn is closely linked to FI.

While research has extensively investigated the dynamics of CO2 water partial pressure (pCO2) and planktonic food webs (PFWs) separately, there has been limited exploration of their potential interconnections, especially in marsh typologies. This study’s objectives were to (1) investigated if pCO2 and atmospheric CO2 flux can be elucidated by PFW topologies, and (2) ascertain if these potential relationships are consistent across two distinct “Blue Carbon” ecosystems. Abiotic and biotic variables were measured in two contrasting wetlands at the Atlantic French coast: a saltwater (SM, L’Houmeau) and a freshwater marsh (FM, Tasdon). SM acted as a weak carbon source, with pCO2 between 542 and 842 ppmv. Conversely, FM exhibited strong atmospheric CO2 source or sink characteristics, varying with seasons and stations, with pCO2 between 3201 and 114 ppmv. Five PFW topologies were linked to varying pCO2 across the two ecosystems: three stable topologies ('biological winter', 'microbial', 'multivorous' PFW) exhibited consistently high pCO2 values (FM: 971, 1136, 3020 ppmv; SM: 'biological winter' not observed, 842, 832 ppmv), while two transient topologies ('weak multivorous' and 'weak herbivorous') displayed lower and more variable pCO2 values (FM: from 127 to 1402 ppmv; SM: from 638 to 749 ppmv). Seasonality emerged as an influencing factor for both pCO2 dynamics and PFW. However, PFW in FM did not demonstrate a seasonal equilibrium state, potentially hindering a clearer understanding of the relationship between pCO2 and PFW. This is the first documented association between PFW topologies and pCO2 dynamics in “Blue Carbon” marsh environments.

Despite being the most food-secure region among Arab countries, the Gulf Coordination Council (GCC) region is predicted to face challenges in food security. The study aimed to develop evidence-based policy recommendations to promote sustainable water use, enhance agricultural productivity, and ensure food security in the GCC countries. Using a systematic literature review approach, we examined 64 peer-reviewed articles (2010–May 2024) focused on the impact of water availability in enhancing the GCC regions’ food security. The GCC region faces severe challenges in water availability due to its hyper-arid climate, depleting non-renewable groundwater reserves, rapid urbanization, climate change impacts, and population growth, highlighting the need for efficient and sustainable water management. Innovative strategies have enabled efficient water management in the GCC region, facilitating food production (i.e., subsurface drip irrigation, variable rate irrigation, deficit irrigation strategy, desalination plants, and wastewater treatment plants). Source markets and supply chain disruptions have motivated the GCC countries to impose policy recommendations to enhance food security (i.e., controlled water discharge, crop suitability assessments, proper water management practices, shifting to drought-tolerant crops, and leveraging virtual water trade). Such implementations should be further researched based on expert scientific contribution and collaborative efforts facilitated via increased funding and resources. Political differences among GCC countries have created challenges in developing collaborative efforts in food production. Based on our systematic review, we have outlined policy recommendations to secure water availability for food production in the GCC region. We emphasize the importance of promoting research and development, addressing socio-economic barriers, and enhancing data-driven decision-making as pivotal strategies for sustainable water management and agricultural resilience. | This publication is made possible by a High Impact Grant (HIG) award [211] from Qatar University, Qatar. The open access publication of this article was funded by the Qatar National Library (QNL). | Peer reviewed

Abstract Objective: School-based interventions encouraging children to replace sugar-sweetened beverages with water show promise for reducing child overweight. However, students with child food insecurity (CFI) may not respond to nutrition interventions like children who are food-secure. Design: The Water First cluster-randomised trial found that school water access and promotion prevented child overweight and increased water intake. This secondary analysis used mixed-effects regression to evaluate the interaction between the Water First intervention and food insecurity, measured using the Child Food Security Assessment, on child weight status (anthropometric measurements) and dietary intake (student 24-h recalls, beverage intake surveys). Setting: Eighteen elementary schools (serving ≥ 50 % children from low-income households), in which drinking water had not been previously promoted, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Participants: Students in fourth-grade classes (n 1056). Results: Food insecurity interacted with the intervention. Among students with no CFI, the intervention group had a lower prevalence of obesity from baseline to 7 months (–0·04, CI –0·08, 0·01) compared with no CFI controls (0·01, CI –0·01, 0·04) (P = 0·04). Among students with high CFI, the intervention group had a pronounced increase in the volume of water consumed between baseline and 7 months (86·2 %, CI 21·7, 185·0 %) compared with high CFI controls (–13·6 %, CI –45·3, 36·6 %) (P = 0·02). Conclusions: Addressing food insecurity in the design of water promotion interventions may enhance the benefit to children, reducing the prevalence of obesity.