Microbiome-based solutions to address new and existing threats to food security, nutrition, health and agrifood systems' sustainability

In addition to challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss, the sustainability and resilience of agrifood systems worldwide are currently challenged by new threats, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war. Furthermore, the resilience and sustainability of our agrifood systems need...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Callens, Karel, Fontaine, Fanette, Sanz Herranz, Yolanda, Bogdanski, Anne, D‘Hondt, Kathleen, Lange, Lene, Smidt, Hauke, van Overbeek, Leo, Kostic, Tanja, Maguin, Emmanuelle, Meisner, Annelein, Sarand, Inga, Sessitsch, Angela
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2022
Country:España
Institution:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repository:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/286695
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/286695
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85144571558
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Agrifood systems
Ecosystem health
Malnutrition
Microbiome-based solutions
Resilience
http://metadata.un.org/sdg/1
http://metadata.un.org/sdg/2
http://metadata.un.org/sdg/3
http://metadata.un.org/sdg/4
http://metadata.un.org/sdg/5
http://metadata.un.org/sdg/6
End poverty in all its forms everywhere
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Description
Summary:In addition to challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss, the sustainability and resilience of agrifood systems worldwide are currently challenged by new threats, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war. Furthermore, the resilience and sustainability of our agrifood systems need to be enhanced in ways that simultaneously increase agricultural production, decrease post-harvest food losses and food waste, protect the climate, environment and health, and preserve biodiversity. The precarious situation of agrifood systems is also illustrated by the fact that overall, around 3 billion people worldwide still do not have regular access to a healthy diet. This results in various forms of malnutrition, as well as increasing number of people suffering from overweight and obesity, and diet-related, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) around the world. Findings from microbiome research have shown that the human gut microbiome plays a key role in nutrition and diet-related diseases and thus human health. Furthermore, the microbiome of soils, plants, and animals play an equally important role in environmental health and agricultural production. Upcoming, microbiome-based solutions hold great potential for more resilient, sustainable, and productive agrifood systems and open avenues toward preventive health management. Microbiome-based solutions will also be key to make better use of natural resources and increase the resilience of agrifood systems to future emerging and already-known crises. To realize the promises of microbiome science and innovation, there is a need to invest in enhancing the role of microbiomes in agrifood systems in a holistic One Health approach and to accelerate knowledge translation and implementation.