25 research outputs found
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Overcoming undesirable resilience in the global food system
The current configuration of our global food system is undermining many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), leading to calls for major food system reform and transformation. Concurrently, other science-policy and business initiatives call for a food system more resilient to economic and environmental shocks, for example by improving the economic resilience of current supply chains. Prioritisation of short-term security to a subset of vested interests, however, can undermine the resilience of longer-term beneficial outcomes for society. Here we advocate a more inclusive and farsighted approach focussing on the resilience of positive outcomes for the whole of society, i.e., capturing the aim to promote resilient delivery of multiple UN SDGs. A significant challenge is to prioritise suites of interventions that can effectively transform the global food system to deliver these goals. Here, we use a transdisciplinary lens to identify ‘lock-in’ mechanisms that span four key areas— knowledge-based, economic/regulatory, sociocultural and biophysical constraints –which will help avoid ineffective siloed solutions to food system reform. Furthermore, we show how emergent system dynamics need to be considered using a more holistic approach. We highlight the importance of well-coordinated actions on multiple leverage points during windows of opportunity for food system transformation
Phosphorus–iron interaction in sediments : can an electrode minimize phosphorus release from sediments?
All restoration strategies to mitigate eutrophication depend on the success of phosphorus (P) removal from the water body. Therefore, the inputs from the watershed and from the enriched sediments, that were the sink of most P that has been discharged in the water body, should be controlled. In sediments, iron (hydr)oxides minerals are potent repositories of P and the release of P into the water column may occur upon dissolution of the iron (hydr)oxides mediated by iron reducing bacteria. Several species of these bacteria are also known as electroactive microorganisms and have been recently identified in lake sediments. This capacity of bacteria to transfer electrons to electrodes, producing electricity from the oxidation of organic matter, might play a role on P release in sediments. In the present work it is discussed the relationship between phosphorus and iron cycling as well as the application of an electrode to work as external electron acceptor in sediments, in order to prevent metal bound P dissolution under anoxic conditions.The authors are grateful to two anonymous reviewers of a previous version of the manuscript for the constructive comments and suggestions. The authors also acknowledge the Grant SFRH/BPD/80528/2011 from the Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal, awarded to Gilberto Martins