About this Research Topic

Background

As the dominant source of the human food supply, the global land system underlies the foundation of the livelihood and wellbeing of humanity on Earth. On the one hand, the growth rate in the land system’s productive capacity of food has played a key role in global food provision. Technological breakthroughs in wheat and rice production during the past few decades, for instance, have greatly contributed to the maintenance of this growth rate in many parts of the world. On the other hand, however, the terrestrial food production system is facing increasing challenges from environmental stressors ranging from climate change, air pollution to land degradation. Whether and how the global land system will support the food security of more than 10 billion people in the 21st century while minimizing its environmental footprint remains an open question to debate. It is inevitable that the global food production system has to be shifted from focusing on production expansion to land system resilience so that the dual goals of sustainable production and environmental friendliness can be simultaneously achieved.

The aim of this Research Topic is to provide a platform for field experts and researchers to exchange views, share thoughts and report the latest developments in the form of reviews, opinions, or research articles. The ultimate goal is to explore the pathways toward food and nutritional security for humanity in the 21st century through discussions on the following aspects of the interrelationship between productivity resilience and environmental change:
(1) Adaptation measures to minimize the yield effects of environmental stresses including climate change, land degradation, pollution, and so forth;
(2) Management practices to mitigate the environmental footprint of the food production system and to control the negative feedback between the land system and the environment;
(3) Pathways to build a resilient food production system that meets the dual needs of sustainable food security and minimal environmental footprint.

Therefore, we welcome historical reviews, opinions/prospects, and original articles that deal with food system resilience in the face of global environmental change. In particular, contributions in the following topics are especially welcome:
(1) Spatial-temporal analysis (e.g., involving remote sensing) of historical trends of environmental impacts on crop- and pastureland productivity at a national, regional or global scale;
(2) Original research that provides new insights into the processes of crop adaption and yield response to major environmental stressors;
(3) Technological developments in adaptation and mitigation. These include, e.g., adoption of heat- or drought-tolerate varieties, environmental footprint mitigation practices, etc.
(4) Pathways to build a resilient and greener food production system.

Keywords: Land productivity, Productivity growth, Environmental stress, Climate change, Land degradation, Pollution, Environmental footprint, Sustainable intensification

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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