Effects of water availability and pest pressures on tea (Camellia sinensis) growth and functional quality

Extreme shifts in water availability linked to global climate change are impacting crops worldwide. The present study examines the direct and interactive effects of water availability and pest pressures on tea (Camellia sinensis; Theaceae) growth and functional quality. Manipulative greenhouse experiments were used to measure the effects of variable water availability and pest pressures simulated by jasmonic acid (JA) on tea leaf growth and secondary metabolites that determine tea quality. Water treatments were simulated to replicate ideal tea growing conditions and extreme precipitation events in tropical southwestern China, a major centre of tea production. Results show that higher water availability and JA significantly increased the growth of new leaves while their interactive effect was not significant. The effect of water availability and JA on tea quality varied with individual secondary metabolites. Higher water availability significantly increased total methylxanthine concentrations of tea leaves but there was no significant effect of JA treatments or the interaction of water and JA. Water availability, JA treatments or their interactive effects had no effect on the concentrations of epigallocatechin 3-gallate. In contrast, increased water availability resulted in significantly lower concentrations of epicatechin 3-gallate but the effect of JA and the interactive effects of water and JA were not significant. Lastly, higher water availability resulted in significantly higher total phenolic concentrations but there was no significant impact of JA and their interaction. These findings point to the fascinating dynamics of climate change effects on tea plants with offsetting interactions between precipitation and pest pressures within agro-ecosystems, and the need for future climate studies to examine interactive biotic and abiotic effects

Against the odds: Network and institutional pathways enabling agricultural diversification

Farming systems that support locally diverse agricultural production and high levels of biodiversity are in rapid decline, despite evidence of their benefits for climate, environmental health, and food security. Yet, agricultural policies, financial incentives, and market concentration increasingly constrain the viability of diversified farming systems. Here, we present a conceptual framework to identify novel processes that promote the emergence and sustainability of diversified farming systems, using three real-world examples where farming communities have found pathways to diversification despite major structural constraints. By applying our framework to analyze these bright spots in the United States, Brazil, and Malawi, we identify two distinct pathways—network and institutional—to diversification. These pathways emerge through alignment of factors related to social and ecological structure (policies, institutions, and environmental conditions) and agency (values, collective action, and management decisions). We find that, when network and institutional pathways operate in tandem, the potential to scale up diversification across farms and landscapes increases substantially

Sustainable and Equitable Increases in Fruit and Vegetable Productivity and Consumption are Needed to Achieve Global Nutrition Security

Increased intake of fruits and vegetables (F&V) is recommended for most populations across the globe. However, the current state of global and regional food systems is such that F&V availability, the production required to sustain them, and consumer food choices are all severely deficient to meet this need. Given the critical state of public health and nutrition worldwide, as well as the fragility of the ecological systems and resources on which they rely, there is a great need for research, investment, and innovation in F&V systems to nourish our global population. Here, we review the challenges that must be addressed in order to expand production and consumption of F&V sustainably and on a global scale. At the conclusion of the workshop, the gathered participants drafted the “Aspen/Keystone Declaration” (see below), which announces the formation of a new “Community of Practice,” whose area of work is described in this position paper. The need for this work is based on a series of premises discussed in detail at the workshop and summarized herein. To surmount these challenges, opportunities are presented for growth and innovation in F&V food systems. The paper is organized into five sections based on primary points of intervention in global F&V systems: (1) research and development, (2) information needs to better inform policy & investment, (3) production (farmers, farming practices, and supply), (4) consumption (availability, access, and demand), and (5) sustainable & equitable F&V food systems and supply chains

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Supporting farmer transitions to sustainable agriculture through participatory research in Brazil

This interdisciplinary project aims to co-design and implement an on-farm experiment with family farmers in southern Brazil. Working with non-profit and university partners, our participatory study will test the ecological, social, and economic effects of two sustainable agricultural practices, cover cropping and intercropping. Cover cropping (planting non-harvested crops during the fallow season) reduces erosion, builds soil organic matter, and contributes nutrients for crops, and intercropping (planting multiple crops in the same field) increases crop diversity and reduces pest and disease pressure, among other benefits. Agronomic and ecological studies have demonstrated the merits of these techniques on experimental farms and research stations, but very few studies have measured their effects on working farms. My project offers a novel, applied methodology that integrates agricultural and ecological research with the social and economic realities that farmers face as they transition from conventional to sustainable agriculture.NSF GRFPInternational InstituteNSF GROW-CAPES (Brazilian Ministry of Education)School for Environment and Sustainability (UM)Rackham Graduate School (UM)https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148856/1/Stratton.ppt

Bright spots of agroecology in the Netherlands:A spatial analysis of agroecological practices and income stability

Context: Agroecological practices are known to reduce environmental pressure of farming systems and increase food system resilience in tropical regions. In contrast, in the temperate climate and industrialized agricultural context of the Netherlands, agroecology use remains limited and its impacts are unknown. As agroecological systems can form a sustainable alternative to conventional farming, it is relevant to study to what extent farmers use agroecological practices in the Netherlands, potentially serving as a model for transition. Objective: This study assesses spatial patterns of uptake of agroecological practices and their relationship with income resilience. Methods: Using data from 735 Dutch farms, we created a composite Agroecology Index to quantify the extent of use of agroecological practices. The FAO's 10 Elements of Agroecology framework was used to select indicators for the index, by selecting the six of the Elements in this framework for which our dataset contained suitable data. Linear regressions explored underlying factors, such as farm size and farm type. Using an outlier analysis, bright and dark spot farms, exceeding or lagging the Dutch average, were mapped. We evaluated the effects of agroecological practices on income resilience over a 10-year period. Results and conclusions: On a 0–100 scale, agroecology scores ranged from 16.5% to 61.1% (36.6 ± 7.0), with stark contrasts between different Elements of agroecology. Arable farms excelled in Diversity, while livestock farms performed better in Efficiency. Spatial variation was substantial, with both bright and dark spots dispersed across the country. We found highest average scores and the strongest prevalence of bright spots in the province of Flevoland, an area with an exceptional number of organic farmers. Higher agroecology scores were linked to increased income stability, independent of farm size or type. Significance: The methods developed in this study provide an approach to address the growing demand for evidence of the upscaling of agroecology in practice. Also, the relationships between agroecology and social and environmental outcomes from farm to regional scales can be addressed, which can guide developments towards sustainable agriculture.</p

Changing sustainable diet behaviours during the COVID-19 Pandemic: inequitable outcomes across a sociodemographically diverse sample of adults

The objective of this study was to describe changes in sustainable dietary behaviours (those that support environmental, economic, and physical health) among a sample of US adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine differences in changes by individuals’ race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Therefore, a cross-sectional online survey study was conducted in April 2021 (N = 1,488, mean age = 42.7 (SD = 12.6)) receiving outpatient care from Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan health system. Enrolment quotas were established to ensure a diverse sample—one-third of participants identified as African American/Black, one-third Hispanic/Latino, one-third White, and one-third low-income. Participants reported engaging in more behaviours that are supportive of a sustainable diet one year into the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before. This is particularly true regarding ecologically and economically sustaining behaviours such as taking fewer trips to the grocery store, increased use of home grocery delivery, increased cooking at home, and greater consumption of healthy foods. Not all behaviour changes promoted sustainable food systems; namely, the use of farmer’s markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) declined. White and high-income participants were more likely than African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and low-income individuals to engage in ecologically and economically sustainable dietary behaviours during the pandemic. Meanwhile, African American/Black participants reported large increases in physical health sustainable dietary behaviours. To support the continuation of greater engagement with sustainable diets, policies that increase access to public transportation, limit the frequency with which consumers have groceries delivered, increase work-from-home options, and improve access for low-income populations should be prioritised