Resources

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.

In December 2017, AGCI's Board of Directors adopted our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. We recognize the role that AGCI can play in improving diversity and inclusion within the sciences, and this statement of commitment serves as a foundation for our actions as we embrace that role. We see this as an ongoing process and dialogue, and welcome feedback on how we can continue to improve our practices.

The AGCI has convened scientists to define challenges, develop disciplinary and interdisciplinary research strategies, improve communication across natural and social sciences, and plan assessments and other decision support activities.

As the impacts of climate change become more immediate, adaptation to these changes is becoming a greater area of interest and concern among resource managers, planners, and other stakeholders at all scales. However, in spite of advancements in the scientific understanding of climate change, much progress is needed in developing, translating, and disseminating usable knowledge to inform both individual and collective actions, especially at local levels of decision making. As part of this, increased emphasis has been placed on fostering sustained engagement between research communities and users of climate information. Additionally, the documentation of case studies as well as the development of networks that include researchers, practitioners, decision-makers and stakeholders have been identified as helpful mechanisms to support a growing number of communities developing climate change adaptation strategies.

In 2014, AGCI completed a second study intended to support the City of Aspen in preparing for the impacts of climate change through resiliency planning. More information about the City's resiliency planning effort can be found on their website, www.ourfutureaspen.com.

The overuse of synthetic fertilizers in some regions of the world has led to unintended negative environmental impacts, such as nitrogen-related air and water pollution. Meanwhile, in other regions of the globe, inadequate nutrient inputs have resulted in mass malnourishment. In this article, published in the 19 June 2009 edition of Science, 16 international ecology and agriculture experts compare fertilizer use in three corn-growing regions of the world -- northern China, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Midwestern United States -- and discuss the research needed to design more sustainable food production practices.

Little is known about the biogeochemical, energy, and water cycles of the Northern Eurasian landmass, a carbon-rich region capable of significantly influencing global climate. In response to this deficiency, the Northern Eurasian Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI) was formed in 2004 to better understand and quantify feedbacks between Northern Eurasia and the global climate. This partnership actively monitors and analyzes natural and human-induced changes within Northern Eurasia and assesses the effects of these changes on current and future global climate. This article summarizes the first group of NEESPI projects, which have mostly focused on assembling regional data bases, organizing improved environmental monitoring of the region, and studying the individual environmental processes.