Food and Energy Security has published its first issue. From a retrospective of two decades in plant biotechnology to the identification of a serine carboxypeptidase in Arabidopsis, this brings together some of the top papers on important issues of global food security. We are actively seeking submissions from countries with expanding agricultural research communities and encourage you to put your science into practice by submitting your next paper. Below are some highlights from this issue:

 Economists are not dismal, the world is not a Petri dish and other reasons for optimism by Richard Tiffin
Abstract: One of the recurrent themes in the debate around how to ensure global food security concerns the capacity of the planet to support its growing population. Neo-Malthusian thinking suggests that we are in a situation in which further expansion of the population cannot be supported and that the population checks, with their dismal consequences envisaged by Malthus, will lead to a new era of stagnant incomes and population. More sophisticated attempts at exploring the link between population and income are less gloomy however. They see population growth as an integral component of the economic growth which is necessary to ensure that the poorest achieve food security. An undue focus on the difficulties of meeting the demands of the increasing population risks damaging this growth. Instead, attention should be focused on ensuring that the conditions to ensure that economic growth accompanies population growth are in place.

 Water use indicators at farm scale: methodology and case study by Annette Prochnow, Katrin Drastig, Hilde Klauss and Werner Berg
Abstract: Three indicators to assess water use at the farm scale are introduced: farm water productivity, degree of water utilization and specific inflow of technical water. They can assist farmers in understanding the water flows on their farms and in optimizing water use by adapting agronomic measures and farm management. Factors that mainly effect these indicators and general approaches to optimize water use in farms are discussed as well as the further research required.

Food and Energy Security is published in association with the Association of Applied Biologists (AAB). It combines Wiley’s publishing expertise with the AAB’s long established reputation for world class research.

To find out when new articles and issues are published sign up for e-toc alerts >